Premiere XL 1TB drive works in Premiere

BillJulyan · 04-30-2012, 06:49 AM

I upgraded a TiVo Premiere XL to a 2TB drive (purchased with software already on it), but then had a perfectly good 1TB XL drive left over. I wondered if I could use the 1TB XL drive in a regular Premiere (without doing an image copy from the Premiere drive to the XL drive). I couldn't find a direct answer on the forums, but I knew there must be some difference in the images because upgrade drives are sold differently, depending on the model.

Well, I purchased a "45 hour" Premiere at a good price and decided to give it a try. Before I ever started up the new box, I put the original 1TB drive from the XL in it. It started up but indicated there was a hardware issue. It appeared that it wasn't going to work, but I persisted. I did a "clear and delete everything", a guided setup, and several "connect to TiVo service" to get the latest software downloaded. Somewhere in the process it recognized it was a Premiere and not an XL and downloaded the appropriate software. I'm not sure what the difference is beyond the TiVo introductory cartoon (the XL starts with a THX logo).

Anyway, it is now a fully functioning Premiere with 157 hours of HD recording capacity. The multi-room streaming between Premieres (the primary reason I wanted an additional Premiere) works great.

So if anyone out there has an original Premiere XL drive left over after a capacity upgrade and has thought about putting it into a Premiere, go ahead. It will work fine after you "clear and delete", do a guided setup, and download new software.

lessd · 04-30-2012, 09:50 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BillJulyan

I upgraded a TiVo Premiere XL to a 2TB drive (purchased with software already on it), but then had a perfectly good 1TB XL drive left over. I wondered if I could use the 1TB XL drive in a regular Premiere (without doing an image copy from the Premiere drive to the XL drive). I couldn't find a direct answer on the forums, but I knew there must be some difference in the images because upgrade drives are sold differently, depending on the model.

Well, I purchased a "45 hour" Premiere at a good price and decided to give it a try. Before I ever started up the new box, I put the original 1TB drive from the XL in it. It started up but indicated there was a hardware issue. It appeared that it wasn't going to work, but I persisted. I did a "clear and delete everything", a guided setup, and several "connect to TiVo service" to get the latest software downloaded. Somewhere in the process it recognized it was a Premiere and not an XL and downloaded the appropriate software. I'm not sure what the difference is beyond the TiVo introductory cartoon (the XL starts with a THX logo).

Anyway, it is now a fully functioning Premiere with 157 hours of HD recording capacity. The multi-room streaming between Premieres (the primary reason I wanted an additional Premiere) works great.

So if anyone out there has an original Premiere XL drive left over after a capacity upgrade and has thought about putting it into a Premiere, go ahead. It will work fine after you "clear and delete", do a guided setup, and download new software.

In the past using the incorrect software would stop the guide data from downloading after the first download, check in a few days to see if your guide data is still up-to-date.

BillJulyan · 04-30-2012, 12:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by lessd

In the past using the incorrect software would stop the guide data from downloading after the first download, check in a few days to see if your guide data is still up-to-date.

I don't think the software is "incorrect". It downloaded the appropriate software after the "clear and delete everything".

I think the loss of guide data previously reported was due to trying to get by without signing up for TiVo service. That won't work for long. I've activated the new premiere and paid for lifetime service. New guide data has already downloaded. I am using both multi-room streaming and Pandora, both of which require proper activation and registration at TiVo.com.

If I do encounter any issues, I'll report them here, but I don't expect to.

unitron · 04-30-2012, 03:54 PM

I applaud your pioneering spirit and fear that it will come back to bite you.

lessd · 04-30-2012, 04:30 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BillJulyan

I don't think the software is "incorrect". It downloaded the appropriate software after the "clear and delete everything".

I think the loss of guide data previously reported was due to trying to get by without signing up for TiVo service. That won't work for long. I've activated the new premiere and paid for lifetime service. New guide data has already downloaded. I am using both multi-room streaming and Pandora, both of which require proper activation and registration at TiVo.com.

If I do encounter any issues, I'll report them here, but I don't expect to.

This problem had nothing to do with service, the TiVos I was referring to had TiVo service, on the first download you got the complete data download good for the 13 or so days, 8 or nine days later you would get a notice that your guide data was running out, one could go back and do another guided setup to load up the new guide data but that was a pain. I was suggesting that in few days you check how much program data you have, if your program data is up-to-date than the TP/TPXL works as the TIVO-HD/HDXL software interchange did not work in download the program data after the first load.

BillJulyan · 05-01-2012, 04:05 PM

The guide data is updating. It now goes through May 14th. (I installed the 1TB XL drive in the Premiere (746) on April 28.)

The software version is 20.2.0a-01-2-746, which is the current version for the Premiere (746), I believe.

Everything is working fine.

lessd · 05-01-2012, 04:22 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BillJulyan

The guide data is updating. It now goes through May 14th. (I installed the 1TB XL drive in the Premiere (746) on April 28.)

The software version is 20.2.0a-01-2-746, which is the current version for the Premiere (746), I believe.

Everything is working fine.

That good to know, thanks for reporting back, so what you did is load 748 TPXL software onto a TP 746 and on the software update TiVo downloaded the 746 software. Good information. Wonder if it would work the other direction, using the 746 software to a TPXL ??.

BillJulyan · 05-02-2012, 06:55 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by lessd

That good to know, thanks for reporting back, so what you did is load 748 TPXL software onto a TP 746 and on the software update TiVo downloaded the 746 software. Good information. Wonder if it would work the other direction, using the 746 software to a TPXL ??.

After upgrading a TPXL to 2TB, I put its 1TB drive (TPXL 748 software) into a TP (746). After it booted up, I did a "clear and delete everything" and a few "connect to TiVo service now". It changed the software version to 746 software and works fine.

jrtroo · 05-09-2012, 12:42 PM

To me, part of the benefit of upgrading a drive is having a backup of the software on the shelf, in case of an emergency. Great if this works, but I would never do it.

Actually, I probably would have gone the other way around and put the 1gb back in the XL and upgraded the smaller unit to 2TB, keeping its old drive on the shelf. In the future, if I needed the space, I would update the XL to 2TB, keeping its old drive on the shelf as well.

Good luck to you.