# need help hooking external hard drive to HR24-500



## hclarkjr (Feb 18, 2012)

hi, i am trying to hook this Rosewill RX-358 V2 SLV (Silver) 3.5& SATA to USB & eSATA External Enclosure w/Int.80mm Fan to my DVR but it will not see it for some reason. i unplugged the DVR from the wall, hooked up the enclosure via the esata cable and plugged the enclosure in and let it run for few minutes. i then plugged the DVR back in and let it boot up. it accessed the drive as i heard it spin up then it spun back down. when the DVR finished booting back up i checked my recorded programs via list as i left one program on the internal drive so i could check to see if it worked or not. what am doing wrong? any help would be appreciated. thanx sorry for the long name of enclosure i wasn't allowed to post a link


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## Davenlr (Sep 16, 2006)

If you heard the drive spin up, that is the problem. It has to already be spun up when the DVR attempts to access it. Check the drive and enclosure, and disable any green spin down features. Otherwise, with the DVR running, and the new external plugged in (but not being recognized), turn off the external drive, turn the external drive back on. Immediately after hearing the drive spin up and seek, hit the red reset button on the DVR, and hope it accesses the external before it spins down.


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## hclarkjr (Feb 18, 2012)

Davenlr said:


> If you heard the drive spin up, that is the problem. It has to already be spun up when the DVR attempts to access it. Check the drive and enclosure, and disable any green spin down features. Otherwise, with the DVR running, and the new external plugged in (but not being recognized), turn off the external drive, turn the external drive back on. Immediately after hearing the drive spin up and seek, hit the red reset button on the DVR, and hope it accesses the external before it spins down.


thanx so much, that did it. it is updating everything right now. :joy::kickbutt:


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## Richierich (Jan 10, 2008)

If your DVR Reboots and it uses the Internal Drive remember to go back and do what you just did to get the External Drive to Boot Up instead of the Internal Drive because sometimes during a Reboot the eSATA Controller is too slow to respond and the DVR thinks it doesn't have anything attached to the Port so it Boots up with the Internal Drive.


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## hclarkjr (Feb 18, 2012)

fortunately i live in area that has very few power outages so reboots are far and few between here.


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## Richierich (Jan 10, 2008)

I am just warning you that occasionally when the DVR Reboots the eSATA Controller is Slow to Respond so the DVR thinks there is no External Drive attached to the SATA Port and it will then Boot up using the Internal Drive.

Make sure you know what Recordings are on the Internal Drive so when it happens you will recognize the Old Recordings and know you have Rebooted back to the Internal Drive.

That is why I switched to Owning my DVRs so I could Replace them with 2 TB Internal Drives. That way it is Quieter, no problem as mentioned above with a Reboot and no External Drive Enclosure hanging off of the DVR.


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## hclarkjr (Feb 18, 2012)

Richierich said:


> I am just warning you that occasionally when the DVR Reboots the eSATA Controller is Slow to Respond so the DVR thinks there is no External Drive attached to the SATA Port and it will then Boot up using the Internal Drive.
> 
> Make sure you know what Recordings are on the Internal Drive so when it happens you will recognize the Old Recordings and know you have Rebooted back to the Internal Drive.
> 
> That is why I switched to Owning my DVRs so I could Replace them with 2 TB Internal Drives. That way it is Quieter, no problem as mentioned above with a Reboot and no External Drive Enclosure hanging off of the DVR.


how hard is it to open them and switch drives?


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## Richierich (Jan 10, 2008)

hclarkjr said:


> how hard is it to open them and switch drives?


Well you should Own your DVR as I do or it voids your TOS Agreement with Directv.

It is very easy on the HR23-700 and easier than that on the HR24-500. There are some models that are harder but I am not familiar with what it takes to replace their hard drives as I don't own one such as the HR24-200.


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## Davenlr (Sep 16, 2006)

hclarkjr said:


> how hard is it to open them and switch drives?


Easy if you have a few old credit cards and a screwdriver. The problem lies in that its against the terms of service of your contract if you are leasing it. Its up to you to decide if you want to violate that or not.

There is a thread with pictures showing how to slide the credit cards up the sides to release the clips. Should be able to find it on a search.


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## hclarkjr (Feb 18, 2012)

Davenlr said:


> Easy if you have a few old credit cards and a screwdriver. The problem lies in that its against the terms of service of your contract if you are leasing it. Its up to you to decide if you want to violate that or not.
> 
> There is a thread with pictures showing how to slide the credit cards up the sides to release the clips. Should be able to find it on a search.


i know i can not open their equipment, i asked this question originally in the direct forums and that was one of the first things they told me about.  i might buy either a hr24 or one the new hr34's somewhere down the road.


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## Richierich (Jan 10, 2008)

Davenlr said:


> Easy if you have a few old credit cards and a screwdriver. The problem lies in that its against the terms of service of your contract if you are leasing it. Its up to you to decide if you want to violate that or not.
> 
> There is a thread with pictures showing how to slide the credit cards up the sides to release the clips. Should be able to find it on a search.


That only works for the HR24 Series of DVRs. There are 5 screws on the HR23-700 if I recall correctly and you need a Torx 10 Screwdriver. Then you lift up the lid and pry it moving it backwards. Then unscrew the hard drive.

Again you need to tell us what Model DVR you have and add it to your Setup Info so others will know what you have.


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## Davenlr (Sep 16, 2006)

Yea, Im not sure what size drive is in the HR34, Im using an external on it. My HR24-500 has a 2TB Seagate in it. I *think* the non -500 version HR24s require a 1/3rd height drive instead of a 1/2 height. I know I read they were slimmer, and the regular off the shelf drives wouldnt fit in the cage.


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## Richierich (Jan 10, 2008)

hclarkjr said:


> i know i can not open their equipment, i asked this question originally in the direct forums and that was one of the first things they told me about.  i might buy either a hr24 or one the new hr34's somewhere down the road.


If you decide to buy an HR24 which is the easiest one to open up by using credit cards to slip under the clips on the side of the lid you need to make sure it is an Owned DVR and get the RID # of the DVR and call Directv and ask the Access Card Dept. if it is indeed an Owned DVR.


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## Davenlr (Sep 16, 2006)

Richierich said:


> Again you need to tell us what Model DVR you have and add it to your Setup Info so others will know what you have.


He said HR24-500 in his first post.


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## Richierich (Jan 10, 2008)

Davenlr said:


> He said HR24-500 in his first post.


It wasn't in his Post but in the Thread Title because I kept going back to read it and couldn't find it but knowing he has an HR24-500 makes it a piece of cake.


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## TomCat (Aug 31, 2002)

Richierich said:


> Well you should Own your DVR as I do or it voids your TOS Agreement with Directv...


Maybe.

Funny thing; we're on a technically-oriented forum populated by the geekiest folks imaginable, and have had these DVRs for almost 5 years, DTivos for at least another 5, it seems like as many as 20% or more of us have replaced internal drives at some point, yet I can't recall one boo hoo story here or anywhere else about how DTV was trying to charge them for a TOS violation due to opening the box. There's probably a good reason why, and it's probably _because they don't really care._

Losing sleep over the potential of the DVR police raiding your home theater makes about as much paranoid sense as being afraid to use that rubber divider in the check-out line because the guy might try to charge you for it.

If anyone from DTV suggested I had a problem like this my response would be "Fine. Go Fish. I'm off to DISH" which would likely be followed by a silent interlude of 15 seconds, followed by them quietly backing down. As _The Finder_ is fond of saying, "I'll risk it".


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## Richierich (Jan 10, 2008)

Perhaps Directv does that as a Legal Disclaimer in case someone gets hurt. Also, if there are a lot of customers who replace their drive and then screw something up they wouldn't be responsible for fixing it.

They probably don't care that much but would just prefer you not tamper with the box. 

It's probably just something that has to be stated.

Mine are Owned so it doesn't matter and I can also Deactivate and Suspend my Owned if I choose to or take it with me in my RV.


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## Rich (Feb 22, 2007)

TomCat said:


> Maybe.
> 
> Funny thing; we're on a technically-oriented forum populated by the geekiest folks imaginable, and have had these DVRs for almost 5 years, DTivos for at least another 5, it seems like as many as 20% or more of us have replaced internal drives at some point, yet I can't recall one boo hoo story here or anywhere else about how DTV was trying to charge them for a TOS violation due to opening the box. There's probably a good reason why, and it's probably _because they don't really care._
> 
> ...


Before they do anything to one customer, they'd have to do something about Weaknees which does the swaps without authorization from D*.

Rich


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## Rich (Feb 22, 2007)

Richierich said:


> Well you should Own your DVR as I do or it voids your TOS Agreement with Directv.
> 
> It is very easy on the HR23-700 and easier than that on the HR24-500. There are some models that are harder but I am not familiar with what it takes to replace their hard drives as I don't own one such as the HR24-200.


To do a proper job on a 24-200 you'd need a small drill press. The sled that holds the HDD is too small to fit a normal sized HDD in. They come with a slim Seagate Pipeline HDD in them and the sled is made to fit them. But the 200s take an external setup much better than the 500s do.

Rich


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## Rich (Feb 22, 2007)

Davenlr said:


> If you heard the drive spin up, that is the problem. It has to already be spun up when the DVR attempts to access it. Check the drive and enclosure, and disable any green spin down features. Otherwise, with the DVR running, and the new external plugged in (but not being recognized), turn off the external drive, turn the external drive back on. Immediately after hearing the drive spin up and seek, hit the red reset button on the DVR, and hope it accesses the external before it spins down.


Huh? I always let the external drive spin up before plugging in the HR. Never had a problem with doing it that way.

Rich


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## Davenlr (Sep 16, 2006)

Rich said:


> Huh? I always let the external drive spin up before plugging in the HR. Never had a problem with doing it that way.
> 
> Rich


That is because yours probably doesnt spin back down for power savings if its not accessed for a minute or so.


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## Rich (Feb 22, 2007)

Davenlr said:


> That is because yours probably doesnt spin back down for power savings if its not accessed for a minute or so.


As soon as I feel the drive begin to chatter I plug in the HR. Works every time.

Rich


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## Rich (Feb 22, 2007)

Davenlr said:


> That is because yours probably doesnt spin back down for power savings if its not accessed for a minute or so.


And all my externals are green WDs.

Rich


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## jvanhorn (Feb 21, 2012)

Been reading a lot of the threads about adding external drives, found this one specifically about the model I have.

What I've figured out is that using a bare drive in an enclosure or docking station seems to give the best results, with a WD or Seagate drive (as opposed to buying a drive already set up to be an external).

It also appears that I missed the chance at getting a drive at a good price.

Is this a valid assesment of my situation?


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## Rich (Feb 22, 2007)

jvanhorn said:


> Been reading a lot of the threads about adding external drives, found this one specifically about the model I have.
> 
> What I've figured out is that using a bare drive in an enclosure or docking station seems to give the best results, with a WD or Seagate drive (as opposed to buying a drive already set up to be an external).
> 
> ...


Yeah, I wouldn't try another Seagate, but aside from that you've nailed it. The prices will come down. According to a report I read, the cost of making HDDs went up 28% after the flooding began. How that justifies selling a $69 HDD for close to $300 kinda baffles me. Wait a few months and the prices should settle back down. They are already dropping.

Rich


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## hclarkjr (Feb 18, 2012)

i just got a western digital 2tb black for $134 shipped on amazon. it was package that the box got damaged. will be putting that in my enclosure when it arrives.


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## CCarncross (Jul 19, 2005)

hclarkjr said:


> i just got a western digital 2tb black for $134 shipped on amazon. it was package that the box got damaged. will be putting that in my enclosure when it arrives.


FYI, the black caviar models are not one of the preferred models for DVR use.


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## hclarkjr (Feb 18, 2012)

i am experimenting, i want to see if the 64mb cache makes a difference for DVR use and with the blacks having 2 CPU's built in for processing that should make difference too. they have 5 year warranties so no worries there.


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## hclarkjr (Feb 18, 2012)

also noticed that 7200 vs 5400 makes difference too


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## jvanhorn (Feb 21, 2012)

Rich said:


> Yeah, I wouldn't try another Seagate, but aside from that you've nailed it. The prices will come down. According to a report I read, the cost of making HDDs went up 28% after the flooding began. How that justifies selling a $69 HDD for close to $300 kinda baffles me. Wait a few months and the prices should settle back down. They are already dropping.
> 
> Rich


Right, I have a WD in my cart at Amazon, but I haven't placed the order yet. I should get it done before the hockey playoffs and baseball season start, though.

Thanks for the reply.

Go Red Wings!

Go Tigers, down with the Yankees!


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## CCarncross (Jul 19, 2005)

hclarkjr said:


> also noticed that 7200 vs 5400 makes difference too


The 64MB cache makes a difference, 7200 vs 5400 makes no appreciable difference besides generating more heat....we've had these discussions before, in the eSATA discussion thread, and the copy and replace drive thread.


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## Rich (Feb 22, 2007)

CCarncross said:


> FYI, the black caviar models are not one of the preferred models for DVR use.


I've never tried one. They are more expensive than the green WDs, aren't they?

Rich


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## hclarkjr (Feb 18, 2012)

yes, but if you look around you can find good deal for one. i got mine for $134 shipped from amazon because the retail box was damaged. that is real good price for a 2tb black


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## Rich (Feb 22, 2007)

CCarncross said:


> The 64MB cache makes a difference, 7200 vs 5400 makes no appreciable difference besides generating more heat....we've had these discussions before, in the eSATA discussion thread, and the copy and replace drive thread.


I don't see any difference between the 64 & 32MB caches either, but I'm not sure what I should be looking for. Seems as if they all work the same.

Rich


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## Rich (Feb 22, 2007)

hclarkjr said:


> yes, but if you look around you can find good deal for one. i got mine for $134 shipped from amazon because the retail box was damaged. that is real good price for a 2tb black


Yeah, that "seems" like a good deal, but before the floods we were buying WDs for ~ $70 for a 2TB model.

Rich


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## hclarkjr (Feb 18, 2012)

Rich said:


> Yeah, that "seems" like a good deal, but before the floods we were buying WDs for ~ $70 for a 2TB model.
> 
> Rich


not a black 2tb, the lowest i ever seen them was $120. the blacks are a little more because of the second CPU built into them


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## CCarncross (Jul 19, 2005)

Rich said:


> I don't see any difference between the 64 & 32MB caches either, but I'm not sure what I should be looking for. Seems as if they all work the same.
> 
> Rich


I might be in a unique position to have an HR22-100 with a 2TB EURS(64MB cache) drive in a TT dock sitting a few feet away from an HR20-700 with a 2TB EADS/EVDS(32MB cache) drive(cant remember which), and the difference in drive activity lights is huge....the 32MB cache model is constantly accessing the HDD, the 64MB cache model just blips every sec or 2....


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## Rich (Feb 22, 2007)

CCarncross said:


> I might be in a unique position to have an HR22-100 with a 2TB EURS(64MB cache) drive in a TT dock sitting a few feet away from an HR20-700 with a 2TB EADS/EVDS(32MB cache) drive(cant remember which), and the difference in drive activity lights is huge....the 32MB cache model is constantly accessing the HDD, the 64MB cache model just blips every sec or 2....


I have an EARS in a TT right in front of me and the Red light is blinking constantly. But the 20-700 it's on is downloading On Demand shows. I dunno, I just don't see any difference and I don't understand the whole "cache" thing, never have. I guess bigger is better? The EARS does have a 64MB cache, doesn't it?

Rich


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## Richierich (Jan 10, 2008)

Rich said:


> I dunno, I just don't see any difference and I don't understand the whole "cache" thing, never have. I guess bigger is better? The EARS does have a 64MB cache, doesn't it?
> Rich


Rich, in IT Processing, Paging in Blocks of Data from a Hard Drive so the CPU can use that Data is the longest slowest Process for a Computer to do.

Therefore, the larger Cache allows the CPU to work more without having to wait an eternity on the Paging Operation to bring in more Data while it either waits for the Data to be Paged in or Performs other Tasks.


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## hclarkjr (Feb 18, 2012)

to bad there is not a benchmark for DVR's like there are for computers.


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## Bartman94 (Jan 18, 2012)

The benchmark hard drive for DVR applications is the WD20EURS. It's specifically designed for 24/7 DVR applications and the WD10EURS (which is the exact same model only it's the 1TB version) is the drive that comes pre-installed from the factory in the HR34. Next to the WD20EURS is the WD20EARX which is identical with the exception of the transfer speed being 6gb/s on the EARX (the EURS is 3gb/s). No DVR is capable of faster than a 1.5gb/s transfer speed anyway, so it's irrelevant.

The cache size does make a slight difference in pulling recordings from the memory, but that's it. The Green drives like the EARX have a 64MB cache anyway, so getting the Black model is meaningless where the cache is concerned.

A 7200rpm rotational speed is complete overkill for a DVR application. Even 5400rpm is way more than what's needed for DVR applications. The Black Caviar drives are identical to the recommended Green ones with the exception of the rotational speed and the additional CPU. The increased 7200rpm rotational speed however runs several degrees warmer and is also nosier which makes the Black models a DISADVANTAGE in a DVR application.

The second CPU in the Black models provides no advantage in a DVR application and does nothing to improve performance. You have to remember... we're not doing tons of power computing here guys, we're just watching television. So stop wasting time putting a 500 horse power engine in a Kia... it's still just going to be a Kia.


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## Rich (Feb 22, 2007)

Richierich said:


> Rich, in IT Processing, Paging in Blocks of Data from a Hard Drive so the CPU can use that Data is the longest slowest Process for a Computer to do.
> 
> Therefore, the larger Cache allows the CPU to work more without having to wait an eternity on the Paging Operation to bring in more Data while it either waits for the Data to be Paged in or Performs other Tasks.


So, I should see faster downloads with a 64 cache? I don't think I do. We're discussing this in another thread now. I'll send you a link to that.

Rich


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## Rich (Feb 22, 2007)

Bartman94 said:


> The benchmark hard drive for DVR applications is the WD20EURS. It's specifically designed for 24/7 DVR applications and the WD10EURS (which is the exact same model only it's the 1TB version) is the drive that comes pre-installed from the factory in the HR34. Next to the WD20EURS is the WD20EARX which is identical with the exception of the transfer speed being 6gb/s on the EARX (the EURS is 3gb/s). No DVR is capable of faster than a 1.5gb/s transfer speed anyway, so it's irrelevant.
> 
> The cache size does make a slight difference in pulling recordings from the memory, but that's it. The Green drives like the EARX have a 64MB cache anyway, so getting the Black model is meaningless where the cache is concerned.
> 
> ...


Excellent post! Thanx.

Rich


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## CCarncross (Jul 19, 2005)

Rich said:


> So, I should see faster downloads with a 64 cache? I don't think I do. We're discussing this in another thread now. I'll send you a link to that.
> 
> Rich


If by faster downloads you are referring to VOD, the cache size on the drive will have nothing to do with VOD speeds, thats all about ISP speeds, ISP throttling, and/or possibly throttling on D*'s end....


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## Rich (Feb 22, 2007)

Rich said:


> So, I should see faster downloads with a 64 cache? I don't think I do. We're discussing this in another thread now. I'll send you a link to that.
> 
> Rich


Here's that *link*, again. Don't think I sent the last one.

Rich


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## Rich (Feb 22, 2007)

CCarncross said:


> If by faster downloads you are referring to VOD, the cache size on the drive will have nothing to do with VOD speeds, thats all about ISP speeds, ISP throttling, and/or possibly throttling on D*'s end....


Yeah, that's what I meant. I'm beginning to get fuddled...again.

Join us on this *link* if you want to, I can use all the help I can get.

Rich


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## CCarncross (Jul 19, 2005)

Rich said:


> Yeah, that's what I meant. I'm beginning to get fuddled...again.
> 
> Join us on this *link* if you want to, I can use all the help I can get.
> 
> Rich


Not a chance..way too many whining idiots posting in that thread...:lol:

There's a couple guys posting in that thread that I can't stand to read their constant BS and complaints..yet they stay with Directv, makes absolutely no sense.


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## Rich (Feb 22, 2007)

CCarncross said:


> Not a chance..way too many whining idiots posting in that thread...:lol:
> 
> There's a couple guys posting in that thread that I can't stand to read their constant BS and complaints..yet they stay with Directv, makes absolutely no sense.


Geez, don't hold anything back....:lol:

Rich


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## trstew (Feb 22, 2012)

Davenlr said:


> If you heard the drive spin up, that is the problem. It has to already be spun up when the DVR attempts to access it. Check the drive and enclosure, and disable any green spin down features. Otherwise, with the DVR running, and the new external plugged in (but not being recognized), turn off the external drive, turn the external drive back on. Immediately after hearing the drive spin up and seek, hit the red reset button on the DVR, and hope it accesses the external before it spins down.


I'm having the same problem as hclarkjr with my HR24, Thermaltake Max 5, and WD20EARX setup. My drive's been formatted and partitioned - if I ever get the HR24 to read it, will it reformat the drive automatically or does it need to be wiped clean? Also, is there some way to determine if the HR24 is reading my encl. allright?
Thanks for any advice you can provide...


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## Rich (Feb 22, 2007)

trstew said:


> I'm having the same problem as hclarkjr with my HR24, Thermaltake Max 5, and WD20EARX setup. My drive's been formatted and partitioned - if I ever get the HR24 to read it, will it reformat the drive automatically or does it need to be wiped clean? Also, is there some way to determine if the HR24 is reading my encl. allright?
> Thanks for any advice you can provide...


I just read the whole thread and I don't see any problems *hclarkjr* is having, could you clarify?

Do this: Unplug both the 24 and the TT dock, leaving the eSATA jumper in place between the two. With the HDD in the dock and seated properly (sometimes you have to give them an extra shove to get the HDD to fit into it's slot in the TT), plug in the TT and put your hand on top of the HDD. You'll feel it spin up and "chug" just a bit after it gets done spinning up. Doesn't take long. Then plug in the HR and as it boots up you should see the Blue light on the TT start to click red or pink on one side (the older TTs had a more pinkish light than the new ones do) and that will mean the HR has recognized the TT's HDD.

What I haven't seen is which 24 you have. If it's a 24-500 you might have some problems with the external drive. If you do PM me.

Rich


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## trstew (Feb 22, 2012)

Rich said:


> I just read the whole thread and I don't see any problems *hclarkjr* is having, could you clarify?
> 
> Do this: Unplug both the 24 and the TT dock, leaving the eSATA jumper in place between the two. With the HDD in the dock and seated properly (sometimes you have to give them an extra shove to get the HDD to fit into it's slot in the TT), plug in the TT and put your hand on top of the HDD. You'll feel it spin up and "chug" just a bit after it gets done spinning up. Doesn't take long. Then plug in the HR and as it boots up you should see the Blue light on the TT start to click red or pink on one side (the older TTs had a more pinkish light than the new ones do) and that will mean the HR has recognized the TT's HDD.
> 
> ...


Yippee i a - it worked! Thanks!!!

P.S. Is there any way to determine how much disk space you have besides guesstimating from the "% left" bar on the playlist?


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## TomCat (Aug 31, 2002)

Bartman94 said:


> ...No DVR is capable of faster than a 1.5gb/s transfer speed anyway, so it's irrelevant.
> 
> The cache size does make a slight difference in pulling recordings from the memory, but that's it. The Green drives like the EARX have a 64MB cache anyway, so getting the Black model is meaningless where the cache is concerned.
> 
> ...


 I think you kind of nailed it.


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## TomCat (Aug 31, 2002)

CCarncross said:


> ...the 32MB cache model is constantly accessing the HDD, the 64MB cache model just blips every sec or 2....


A 32 MB cache could hold about 34 seconds of MPEG-4 video. A 64 MB cache could hold about 68 seconds of video. A HDD in a HR2x has to read and write up to two streams each constantly, so the 64 MB cache can be up to about 16 seconds behind inside the cache buffer, input to output, and the 32 MB cache can be up to about 8 seconds behind. Obviously there are other tasks going on at the same time, but those are minimal. Also, the chunking size is a factor; video is written and read (and HDD space for writing is allocated on the fly) in chunks of only 3 or 4 seconds.

All of this means there really doesn't need to be much cache available in the first place, as the throughput tasks are not all that intensive for a DVR, so it would seem to follow that a 64 MB cache is probably overkill. A modern HDD can handle up to 12 compressed HD streams at once, and even the DISH Hopper only approaches a throughput level of about half that.

Regardless of what the "activity" light is telling you, there is just as much HDD read/write activity in a 32 as in a 64 if both are reading and writing the same amount of data to do identical tasks; its just that the 64 can buffer the data twice as long if it should need to, which it really doesn't. I think the "activity" light is keyed more to actuator arm movement than anything else; if it were keyed to R/W activity it would be lit solid all the time, pretty much.

About the only thing different between the 32 and the 64 is that since the actuator arm might be required to jump around the drive a little more on the 32 once the number of threads and amount of R/W reaches a certain level, a job the actuator arm was built to do tirelessly, the bearing in the actuator arm in a 32 might wear out before the bearing in a 64, but drives usually fail in other ways long before that could happen anyway.


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## Rich (Feb 22, 2007)

trstew said:


> Yippee i a - it worked! Thanks!!!


You're welcome.



> P.S. Is there any way to determine how much disk space you have besides guesstimating from the "% left" bar on the playlist?


No, but you'll get used to using the Available bar. That's a feature I don't believe I've ever read a complaint about. Just a quick glance will tell you all you need to know.

Rich


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## Rich (Feb 22, 2007)

TomCat said:


> A 32 MB cache could hold about 34 seconds of MPEG-4 video. A 64 MB cache could hold about 68 seconds of video. A HDD in a HR2x has to read and write up to two streams each constantly, so the 64 MB cache can be up to about 16 seconds behind inside the cache buffer, input to output, and the 32 MB cache can be up to about 8 seconds behind. Obviously there are other tasks going on at the same time, but those are minimal. Also, the chunking size is a factor; video is written and read (and HDD space for writing is allocated on the fly) in chunks of only 3 or 4 seconds.
> 
> All of this means there really doesn't need to be much cache available in the first place, as the throughput tasks are not all that intensive for a DVR, so it would seem to follow that a 64 MB cache is probably overkill. A modern HDD can handle up to 12 compressed HD streams at once, and even the DISH Hopper only approaches a throughput level of about half that.
> 
> ...


Huh. Two good posts about caches in one thread. Know more about a cache than I ever did.

Rich


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## hclarkjr (Feb 18, 2012)

drive finally arrived today, had bit of trouble installing it though. seems the only way my HR-24 will see an external is to hit the red reset button. i tried the other conventional ways listed and had no success.


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