Any word on a larger DVR Expander?

[carios23]

what are the news on any larger dvr expander or some step up program to switch the old tivo HD for the XL?

[edday]

Tivo is not magic. It's just a computer running Linux with a couple of nice capture cards. The interface is very nice as well.

However, I can't see any reason for closing up the system so that it only accepts certain drives from certain manufacturers. This is obviously a software and not a hardware issue.

[Jonathan_S]

Tivo is not magic. It's just a computer running Linux with a couple of nice capture cards. The interface is very nice as well.

However, I can't see any reason for closing up the system so that it only accepts certain drives from certain manufacturers. This is obviously a software and not a hardware issue.
I think it's a support issue. It's easier for TiVo's CSRs to provide troubleshooting if the system is limited to a "known good" tested external drive.


That said, if you're not interested in their support and are willing to void your warrentee, it's easy enough to hook up or install much larger drives.

[carios23]

I can understand the support issue, but 500 gb???? come on!!!!at least give us 1TB

[lrhorer]

It also may be a marketing and licensing issue. I don't know this for a fact, but it is possible WD pays a royalty to TiVo for certification of their drive. It's also possible there is some reciprocal agreement between WD and TiVo in terms of drive useage. Of course, companies have to be very careful about reciprocal agreements, and I am not suggesting TiVo or WD are engaging in any illegal transactions, but there are perfectly legal and legitimate agreements which might apply. It would certainly explain, far better than mere support arguments, why there is still only 1 certified drive, despite the plethora of available working solutions. There is little or nothing incredibly special about the My DVR Expander.

[tomper]

This is quite a load of c*ap. Any company that forces the end user to use a product from another company should not be allowed!

Does Ford force you to by a single type of Firestone tire? There is no reason Tivo can't allow the use of other external hard drives or network adapters for that matter.

H*ll even a Mac can recognize most drives...

[lrhorer]

This is quite a load of c*ap. Any company that forces the end user to use a product from another company should not be allowed!
Whether it should be or not is not the point. Reciprocal licensing agreements can be perfectly legal. There are definite restrictions on what constitutes a legal vs. an illegal reciprocal agreement. Such agreements are not necessarily underhanded or unethical, either.

Does Ford force you to by a single type of Firestone tire?
Yes, as a matter of fact, they do, although the word "force" is an overstatement. Ford and many other automotive or other manufacturers may void any consumer warranty in part or in total if parts other than those approved by the manufacturer are used on the device in question.

There is no reason Tivo can't allow the use of other external hard drives
No one said they can't, merely that they do not, and there may be specific reasons including but not limited to their desire to support the TiVo when used with other equipment. Clearly you do not like the fact, but it does not change the fact. Since you don't like it, I suggest you complain to TiVo. Who knows? They might change their mind.

or network adapters for that matter.
Now that is quite a different matter. TiVo network adapters employ proprietary protocols which offload some of the required processing from the Tivo and onto the adapter. Unlike the situation with teh hard drive, there are very good engineering reasons why they might choose not to support "ordinary" network adapters. 'Not insurmountable ones, to be sure, but good ones.

H*ll even a Mac can recognize most drives...
So does the TiVo, and indeed the stock S3 will work out of the box with most external eSATA drives. It's no great shakes to use the THD with most any eSATA drive, either. It is merely the drive marriage routine written by Tivo and included with every stock TiVo will not marry an unsupported drive to the TiVo. The user can do it themselves quite easily.

[classicsat]

Last fall, there was a rumor that WD was working on a 1TB DVR expander. That's all I know.

I'd be surprised it will see the light of day anytime soon, being the content companies don't like DVRs much, let alone ones with a whole whack of storage.

[daveak]

http://www.amazon.com/Western-Digital-WDG1S10000N-Expander-eSATA/dp/B001UHOR88

I do not think it will be much longer...

[nrnoble]

Can anyone confirm if the new 1TB drive is supported yet by TiVo or works unsupported?

[carios23]

geez.. that sucks... anybody want to buy my 500 gb? it is one week old...lol

[Jonathan_S]

Can anyone confirm if the new 1TB drive is supported yet by TiVo or works unsupported?According to this thread, posted by someone who already got their hands on the 1TB expander, the TiVo doesn't appear to work with the drive yet.

[bkdtv]

Amazon and J&R Music World are now selling the new 1TB My Expander for $170-$180.