# eSata...is it really that easy?



## jksellman (Mar 23, 2007)

From what I have seen here in past posts...all I have to do is shut down my HR20, connect the eSata and power back up. To switch back to the internal drive, all I have to do is shut down the HR20, disconnect the eSata and power back up.
Is that all I have to do? Can I do this any time I wish to switch drives?


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## Earl Bonovich (Nov 15, 2005)

Yes... it really is that easy

Just remember that all your settings (series links, ect) are also on the drive


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## RoyGBiv (Jul 24, 2007)

Yes. Having just done exactly that on Saturday, it really is that easy. And this week I've been going back and forth between drives so I can finish watching everything on the native drive. I have not had a single problem. BTW, I don't disconnect the cable to the new drive. I just unplug it when I want to go back to the built-in drive.

SMK


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## 506PIR (Sep 22, 2006)

Thanks Earl & RoyGBiv. Im most definately going to look into eSATA drive now. Any brand & model recommendations?


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## Tom Robertson (Nov 15, 2005)

Big, fast, quiet. 

How much space do you want and how much reliability (in the form of redundant disk space for when a drive fails?)

Cheers,
Tom


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## John Buckingham (Sep 15, 2006)

Could someone please recommend a eSATA. Thanks in advance.


John


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## shendley (Nov 28, 2005)

I recently bought a Seagate Free Agent 750 GB e-sata drive based on many, many reports on this forum from people who are using it and are, for the most part, happy with it - though some have had problems with the cable fitting snuggly enough into the Seagate. I personally haven't had a problem with the cable using a Tripp Lite e-sata cable I bought on Amazon (though it's also available elsewhere) that, again, many people have reported success with. Circuit City had a very sweet deal on it - $199. But that deal has passed. Amazon usually has it for about 240ish. And there's somewhere else on the internet where you can pretty consistently get it for about $220.



John Buckingham said:


> Could someone please recommend a eSATA. Thanks in advance.
> 
> John


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## cartrivision (Jul 25, 2007)

shendley said:


> I recently bought a Seagate Free Agent 750 GB e-sata drive based on many, many reports on this forum from people who are using it and are, for the most part, happy with it - though some have had problems with the cable fitting snuggly enough into the Seagate. I personally haven't had a problem with the cable using a Tripp Lite e-sata cable I bought on Amazon (though it's also available elsewhere) that, again, many people have reported success with. Circuit City had a very sweet deal on it - $199. But that deal has passed. Amazon usually has it for about 240ish. And there's somewhere else on the internet where you can pretty consistently get it for about $220.


pricegrabber.com is a good way to find the best online price for consumer electronics.

Right now they show that zipzoomfly.com has the Seagate Free Agent 750 for $224.99 shipped (sales tax will be added for Calif residents).

http://www.zipzoomfly.com/jsp/ProductDetail.jsp?ProductCode=10005017


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## hoopsbwc34 (Aug 13, 2002)

I recommend dealwatcher.biz, a deal alert site It monitors all the big forums where people post deals and then sends you and email or text message when something is posted that matches your keywords. Just add an "eSATA" keyword... That's how I got my harmony 880 for $65


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## Greg Alsobrook (Apr 2, 2007)

i've got a question... lets say there is a software update with an external drive plugged in... if you unplug it.. then i guess you will be back on the older software version... correct?


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## Greg Alsobrook (Apr 2, 2007)

and why don't they make it where the drives can work together??


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## Ein (Sep 3, 2007)

AirRocker said:


> and why don't they make it where the drives can work together??


It's not DirecTV's job to make customers happy.


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## cygnusloop (Jan 26, 2007)

AirRocker said:


> i've got a question... lets say there is a software update with an external drive plugged in... if you unplug it.. then i guess you will be back on the older software version... correct?


Nope. The software is stored on a chip. With the new drive, you will still have the current software rev.


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## cygnusloop (Jan 26, 2007)

AirRocker said:


> and why don't they make it where the drives can work together??


My understanding is that they plan to. eSATA is not yet "officially supported", when it is, I hope the external will add to, instead of replace the internal drive.

P.S. Congrats on 100 posts!:up:


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## Greg Alsobrook (Apr 2, 2007)

cygnusloop said:


> My understanding is that they plan to. eSATA is not yet "officially supported", when it is, I hope the external will add to, instead of replace the internal drive.
> 
> P.S. Congrats on 100 posts!:up:


good to hear on the software... i'm glad it's done like that... and i hope that one day soon the drives will work in conjunction.. i have too much on my existing drive to have to unplug the new one everytime i wanna watch somethin on the internal one...

thanks! and with all this new stuff goin on... i'm sure i will hit 200 within the next couple weeks...


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## finaldiet (Jun 13, 2006)

What is the best way to add an APC after you have your esata already hooked up? I have everything running ok now and don't want to mess anything up.


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## DonCorleone (Jan 29, 2006)

Sam's Club was just over $200.


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## jeff125va (Jun 4, 2007)

For some reason I haven't found this to be as simple as everyone else has, but I may have solved my problem last night. It started out easy - bought a drive and enclosure, hooked it up and it worked fine... for two days. It stopped working the day a software update was pushed out, and I thought that had something to do with the problem but apparently it was not the cause. I tried numerous times to reboot with the eSATA drive attached, but it kept booting to the internal drive. I tried it with two other HR20's as well as my PC but nothing would recognize the drive, which did work when I took it out of the enclosure and hooked it up internally in my PC.

So, I got an RMA for the enclosure, got the replacement and STILL no luck. So I bought a different enclosure, which also did not work the first time, but by a fluke of luck I got to work. I was disconnecting the eSATA drive to reboot the HR20. I had disconnected the eSATA cable from the enclosure, turned off the power switch on the enclosure, then accidentally turned it back on, and the drive started spinning up. I thought hey, maybe it will work if I turn on the drive before attaching the eSATA cable, and sure enough, it did.

So was this a total fluke, or is it always necessary to turn on the enclosure before attaching the eSATA cable? I didn't get around to trying the drive in the other enclosures last night, but I'm wondering if those (Thermaltake MAX-4's) will work if I use the same turn-on sequence.


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## HolmesCo (Dec 4, 2006)

I just did this yesterday in fact, and it was a walk in the park. I have the seagate 750gb free agent. I had zero problems with the cable at either end, got it at newegg thanks to ravens recommendation. I totally love seeing all that space. Only bad thing was teh guide was unpopulated as its stored on the drive too, so raelly have to wait till today to schedule all kinds of HD movies to be recorded. ) I guess the free agent is no longer avaiale at $199, try amazon, they usually have excellent pricing.


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## adambomb6 (Jul 31, 2006)

Here is one that is 750gb for $180 on buy.com that looks pretty good

http://www.dbstalk.com/showthread.php?t=98275


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## MrKlaatu (Mar 8, 2007)

adambomb6 said:


> Here is one that is 750gb for $180 on buy.com that looks pretty good
> 
> http://www.dbstalk.com/showthread.php?t=98275


I ordered this one and will report when I get it installed.


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## jbrentd (Sep 6, 2007)

How much more HD record time would the 750MBs give you over the standard drive on the HR20-700?


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## jrmichael (Dec 14, 2006)

Just a reminder for those with VOD enabled from x190, I recall from an earlier thread that the VOD enablement bit is stored on the drive so you will lose VOD if you install an esata before VOD goes national or the enablement is opened in a future CE.


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## MrKlaatu (Mar 8, 2007)

jrmichael said:


> Just a reminder for those with VOD enabled from x190, I recall from an earlier thread that the VOD enablement bit is stored on the drive so you will lose VOD if you install an esata before VOD goes national or the enablement is opened in a future CE.


I don't have it anyway, but wouldn't you still have it if you switched back to the internal drive?


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## pmalve (Mar 31, 2003)

To switch from esata to original drive can you just power the hard drive off before you turn the hr20 back on? It will be hard for me to get at the back at the receiver after I put the entertainment center back together but the hard drive power button is easy to get at.


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## MrKlaatu (Mar 8, 2007)

pmalve said:


> To switch from esata to original drive can you just power the hard drive off before you turn the hr20 back on? It will be hard for me to get at the back at the receiver after I put the entertainment center back together but the hard drive power button is easy to get at.


People seem to say, just unplug or power off the eSATA drive, then do a menu reset of the HR20. Haven't tried it personally though.


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## glennb (Sep 21, 2006)

It's pretty easy to do yourself. 

I don't think many people will be buying the TenBox thing.


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## cartrivision (Jul 25, 2007)

jbrentd said:


> How much more HD record time would the 750MBs give you over the standard drive on the HR20-700?


With a 750 GB disk, you will get about 120 hours of MPEG2 HD recording or about 200 hours of MPEG4 HD recording.


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## HolmesCo (Dec 4, 2006)

cartrivision said:


> With a 750 GB disk, you will get about 120 hours of MPEG2 HD recording or about 200 hours of MPEG4 HD recording.


It comes standard with 300 gb, which is about 200gb usable, and they claim "50 hours of HD". Therefore 750 gb, which is 650gb of usable is 3.25 the space,

50*3.25=162.5 hours of "HD", as I figger it. ?

Of course I guess I don't know which format D* is referring to when they claim 50 hours of HD in their ads for the -700, so I guess you are in the ballpark with your range.

Are HBO and SHO HD movies in mpeg2 or 4?


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## MrLatte (Aug 19, 2007)

HolmesCo said:


> Of course I guess I don't know which format D* is referring to when they claim 50 hours of HD in their ads for the -700, so I guess you are in the ballpark with your range.


Their ads say 30 hours of HD for MPEG-2 and 50 hours of HD for MPEG-4. YMMV of course.


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## MrLatte (Aug 19, 2007)

If you look at the Seagate FreeAgent Pro 750 external hard drives at Newegg.com they have two models that have eSATA interfaces.

I bought one at Costco that had eSATA, USB 2.0, and Firewire (IEEE1394a) and it has a nice metal (aluminum?) case. Does the other eSATA model come with this same case or is it plastic? They are both $249 right now at Newegg.

Seagate Model ST307504FPA1E2-RK (USB 2.0/eSATA)
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822148248

Seagate Model ST307504FPA1E3-RK (USB 2.0/IEEE1394a/eSATA)
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822148255

The reason I'm wondering is that I've seen some smaller FreeAgent drive enclosures and they were plastic.


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## jeff125va (Jun 4, 2007)

HolmesCo said:


> Are HBO and SHO HD movies in mpeg2 or 4?


Those two are definitely in mpeg2 but "some day" they're going to be switched to mpeg4. I believe that all of the channels in the existing HD package are mpeg2 - I don't know of any that aren't available on the HR10, so they must be. I don't know which channels currently available on DirecTV are mpeg4 at this point other than the local (network) HD channels.


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## cartrivision (Jul 25, 2007)

jeff125va said:


> Those two are definitely in mpeg2 but "some day" they're going to be switched to mpeg4. I believe that all of the channels in the existing HD package are mpeg2 - I don't know of any that aren't available on the HR10, so they must be. I don't know which channels currently available on DirecTV are mpeg4 at this point other than the local (network) HD channels.


The Fox Sports West channel's HD baseball games are in MPEG4 in addition to also being fed on a different channel in MPEG2 for MLB Extra Innings subscribers.


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## jeff125va (Jun 4, 2007)

MrKlaatu said:


> People seem to say, just unplug or power off the eSATA drive, then do a menu reset of the HR20. Haven't tried it personally though.


You can unplug/power off/disconnect the drive while the HR20 is on (plugged in)?


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## daveriv (Jan 10, 2007)

Earl Bonovich said:


> Yes... it really is that easy
> 
> Just remember that all your settings (series links, ect) are also on the drive


Power on/off the HR20 in what way - unplug/replug, reset unit or just take out of standby? Thanks for the clarification - thinking of making the jump to larger storage as well.


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## RehabMan (Mar 11, 2007)

One advantage I see using eSATA (besides the obvious one of more storage for recordings) is that if your HR20 box dies (mine has once), you can easily switch to a new/refurb HR20 and keep all your recordings/settings/series links, etc., since they are on the separate eSATA drive...


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## jeff125va (Jun 4, 2007)

RehabMan said:


> One advantage I see using eSATA (besides the obvious one of more storage for recordings) is that if your HR20 box dies (mine has once), you can easily switch to a new/refurb HR20 and keep all your recordings/settings/series links, etc., since they are on the separate eSATA drive...


It doesn't work that way. You can't swap the external drive to another HR20. Lots of info on that in other threads.


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## redram38 (Dec 7, 2005)

Ok let me ask a question please. I unpluged the HR20 plugged in the ESata FreeAgent Pro. Plugged back in the HR20. It went through it cycle and when it came up when I pressed the list button, I got a message saying it just updated the software. All recordings were gone and no to do list. Also my custom list are not set anymore. I know I lose recordings and have to redo my SL but is it normal to lose your Custom list and is the software update message normal. Oh and I was on the lastest SW and still am with the same date it showed before. Is there any other way to know for sure it took, other than going through this is reverse
Thx


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## redram38 (Dec 7, 2005)

Ok so I unplugged the Esata reset the HR20 amd now the HR20 will not even power back on. Now what When I plug it back in the blue light comes on for about 2 seconds then goes off and nothing happens after that


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## redram38 (Dec 7, 2005)

Sorry to be a pain. It came back on after about 3 minutes. Is this normal ??
When it booted back up all my original recording and such were back, so I guess I paniced for nothing - again sorry to be a pain in the A


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## RehabMan (Mar 11, 2007)

jeff125va said:


> It doesn't work that way. You can't swap the external drive to another HR20. Lots of info on that in other threads.


That's a bummer...


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## Old Guy (Aug 9, 2007)

I set mine up today. Plugged the eSata cable into the seagate then the Hr20-700 (did not turn off the Hr20). Fired up the seagate, restarted the Hr20 through the menu reset... Ta da. Didn't power down at all.


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## jeff125va (Jun 4, 2007)

Old Guy said:


> I set mine up today. Plugged the eSata cable into the seagate then the Hr20-700 (did not turn off the Hr20). Fired up the seagate, restarted the Hr20 through the menu reset... Ta da. Didn't power down at all.


Hmmm, must just be certain enclosures/ext. drives that require the power to be on before connecting the eSATA cable.


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## Kevin L (Nov 16, 2005)

adambomb6 said:


> Here is one that is 750gb for $180 on buy.com that looks pretty good
> 
> http://www.dbstalk.com/showthread.php?t=98275


I just installed one on an HR20-100. Install went as expected and it's running just fine. An added plus - the front panel light on the Cavalry drive is blue, matching the HR20.


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## MrKlaatu (Mar 8, 2007)

Kevin L said:


> I just installed one on an HR20-100. Install went as expected and it's running just fine. An added plus - the front panel light on the Cavalry drive is blue, matching the HR20.


Me too. Looks great -- like it was made for the HR20, but without the bloated size or price of the TenBox.


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## LP30 (Feb 27, 2004)

I have 2 of the 750 Free Agents and like them alot. Fast and quiet (their is no fan). However, I would point out one thing that I don't like. They have an amber light that wraps the entire edge and of the enclosure and the Seagate logo. I would prefer a way to turn the light off since it is pretty bright. There are also 2 versions of this drive. One is USB2.0 and eSATA, the other includes a 2nd controller card for Fire Wire 400 and usually costs about $30 more. They also have a 5 year warranty. You also need to purchase the eSATA cable since it does not ship with one.


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## SrLANGuy (Oct 15, 2006)

LP30 said:


> I have 2 of the 750 Free Agents and like them alot. Fast and quiet (their is no fan). However, I would point out one thing that I don't like. They have an amber light that wraps the entire edge and of the enclosure and the Seagate logo. I would prefer a way to turn the light off since it is pretty bright. There are also 2 versions of this drive. One is USB2.0 and eSATA, the other includes a 2nd controller card for Fire Wire 400 and usually costs about $30 more. They also have a 5 year warranty. You also need to purchase the eSATA cable since it does not ship with one.


I have a 750 Free Agent drive that I purchased a while back for my computer. The drive came with special software you can use to turn the bright yellow lights off. Unfortunately, you'll need to connect it to your PC to change the setting, but then you can move it back to your HR20. Check the support section of Seagate's web site for more information.


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## LP30 (Feb 27, 2004)

SrLANGuy said:


> I have a 750 Free Agent drive that I purchased a while back for my computer. The drive came with special software you can use to turn the bright yellow lights off. Unfortunately, you'll need to connect it to your PC to change the setting, but then you can move it back to your HR20. Check the support section of Seagate's web site for more information.


I've tried that, but when I move the drive to the HR20 the lights always come back on. Once the drive losses power it seems to lose that setting. Has your experience been different? I've thought about some electical tape over the edge to block the light. The drive is hidden, but you can see the glow.


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## Guitar Hero (Dec 13, 2005)

Some conflicting info here, so I'll go over what I need to do. 

1. I make sure the HR20-700 is off. 
2. I plug in the new External HDD ac and attach it to the HR20 via eSATA. 
3. I turn on the External HDD. 
4. I turn on the HR20-700. 
5. I do a remote 'reset' ( "Restart Recorder")
6. I'm good to go.


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## LP30 (Feb 27, 2004)

Guitar Hero said:


> Some conflicting info here, so I'll go over what I need to do.
> 
> 1. I make sure the HR20-700 is off.
> 2. I plug in the new External HDD ac and attach it to the HR20 via eSATA.
> ...


Just to be safe, I would attach the eSATA cable before attaching power to the drive. You're never quite sure what on and off mean with some electronics. Otherwise your plan should work fine.


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## Kevin L (Nov 16, 2005)

MrKlaatu said:


> Me too. Looks great -- like it was made for the HR20, but without the bloated size or price of the TenBox.


One other plus of the Cavalry eSata drive - it comes with the eSata cable - nothing more to purchase.


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## jeff125va (Jun 4, 2007)

Guitar Hero said:


> Some conflicting info here, so I'll go over what I need to do.
> 
> 1. I make sure the HR20-700 is off.
> 2. I plug in the new External HDD ac and attach it to the HR20 via eSATA.
> ...


Despite what LP30 suggested, if your external drive works like mine, you might have to power it on BEFORE connecting the eSATA cable. My sequence is:

1. Unplug the HR20.
2. Connect power and turn on the external drive.
3. Connect eSATA cable to the external drive and the HR20.
4. Plug in the HR20.

Of course, if yours works, then go with it. After all my frustration though I'd rather help someone avoid the same problems.


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## finaldiet (Jun 13, 2006)

Guitar Hero said:


> Some conflicting info here, so I'll go over what I need to do.
> 
> 1. I make sure the HR20-700 is off.
> 2. I plug in the new External HDD ac and attach it to the HR20 via eSATA.
> ...


Once you turn on the receiver, you don't have to do anything else. It will format the drive when re-booting. Check to do list and if empty, your good to go. You will have to do your series passes again and probably favorites.


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## jeff125va (Jun 4, 2007)

finaldiet said:


> Once you turn on the receiver, you don't have to do anything else. It will format the drive when re-booting. Check to do list and if empty, your good to go. You will have to do your series passes again and probably favorites.


That's assuming that by "off" and "on" he means unplugged and plugged in, not standby vs. not standby. If so, then yes. I'm sure that's the case, just clarifying for any readers who might not be sure.

I haven't tried it, but I assume that nothing happens (good or bad) if you connect and turn on the eSATA while the HR20 is plugged in? I also assume that if it were plugged in it wouldn't matter if it were in standby or not?


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## LP30 (Feb 27, 2004)

jeff125va said:


> *Despite what LP30 suggested*, if your external drive works like mine, you might have to power it on BEFORE connecting the eSATA cable. My sequence is:
> 
> 1. Unplug the HR20.
> 2. Connect power and turn on the external drive.
> ...


The FreeAgents will work either way, so clearly manufactures are different in this regard. I still prefer to have to have at least one of the devices completely powered down, which you achieve by pulling the plug on the HR20. I read Guitar Heroe's steps as just going to standby with the HR20, otherwise he would not need the reboot. Having one off may not even be necessary with eSATA's ability to support hot swapping. Since the FreeAgents power on and off with the connection to an active eSATA port, I feel better not having the drive clicking on and off as I am reaching around the back of the HR20 trying to get the cable completely secured.


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## jeff125va (Jun 4, 2007)

LP30 said:


> The FreeAgents will work either way, so clearly manufactures are different in this regard. I still prefer to have to have at least one of the devices completely powered down, which you achieve by pulling the plug on the HR20. I read Guitar Heroe's steps as just going to standby with the HR20, otherwise he would not need the reboot. Having one off may not even be necessary with eSATA's ability to support hot swapping. Since the FreeAgents power on and off with the connection to an active eSATA port, I feel better not having the drive clicking on and off as I am reaching around the back of the HR20 trying to get the cable completely secured.


I don't disagree, but with mine the *only* option to power down is the HR20. I have easy reach to both my HR20 and the eSATA so it's not an issue like some people have. As far as Guitar Hero's steps, that makes sense but if you don't power down (unplug) the HR20, it doesn't seem like it would be necessary to bother with going to standby, either, which is why I read it the other way, although with ambiguity. I've always heard that all standby does is turn off the audio and video outputs.


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## Guitar Hero (Dec 13, 2005)

I don't plan to unplug the HR20. I just plan to make sure it's off. Is that a wrong thing to do?

From what I've read, I don't need to unplug it. Just make sure it's off when attaching the new external HDD.


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## aphoward (Sep 8, 2006)

Unplugging it is the only way to turn it "off". Otherwise, it's just in standby.


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## shendley (Nov 28, 2005)

True but you don't actually need to turn the HR20 'all the way off' by unplugging it. When I got my Seagate I just connected it to the HR 20, powered it up, and then did a menu restart on the 20. Next thing I knew, I had a new external hard drive up and running.



aphoward said:


> Unplugging it is the only way to turn it "off". Otherwise, it's just in standby.


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## aphoward (Sep 8, 2006)

Does anyone have any idea/estimate on when this would become an "official" feature, and when they'd allow for use of both hard drives? I don't want to add a hard drive until they allow for this, so I don't have to do my series links and favorites over again.


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## MrKlaatu (Mar 8, 2007)

aphoward said:


> Does anyone have any idea/estimate on when this would become an "official" feature, and when they'd allow for use of both hard drives? I don't want to add a hard drive until they allow for this, so I don't have to do my series links and favorites over again.


My guess: probably never. Because they've already announced the HR21 and I'm sure other DVRs are in the works. They are also, IMO, unlikely to support officially any hardware not received through them. Too many different drives and enclosures.

As far as the SLs and faves. Takes very little time to redo. I added a 750gb drive last night and I'm already back in business. Plus I feel like I have lots of space for the upcoming fall season and for all the new HD channels.


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## Xer0dIn (Mar 30, 2007)

Hey guys, I've just purchased a 500 GB Lacie eSATA drive but before I plug it up I just want to make sure all of my recordings on the internal drive will not get deleted. FYI I'm running 0x18a on the HR20-700.


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## LP30 (Feb 27, 2004)

Your recordings will still be on the internal drive, but you will not have access to them so long as the eSATA drive is connected. So when you boot with the new drive, your playlist will be empty. Disconnect the drive and reboot, and your old recordings will be there. You will have to re-enter series links though. There was a possibilty early on that a software change could make them incompatible. This type of software upgrade hasn't happened in quite some time though, and I would think is much less likely now.


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## archangel9 (Sep 18, 2007)

Do you think 320 G is good?

Seagate FreeAgent Pro ST303204FPA1E3-RK 320GB 7200 RPM USB 2.0 / IEEE 1394a / eSATA External Hard Drive - Retail

Oh I have the vip722 DVR, wondering app. how many HD hours it'll hold.


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## Lord Vader (Sep 20, 2004)

Too small. Seriously, don't settle for anything *less * than 750GB, IMHO. The HR20s themselves already come with a 320GB/300GB drive, and space fills up fast with HD recordings.


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## MrKlaatu (Mar 8, 2007)

archangel9 said:


> Do you think 320 G is good?
> 
> Seagate FreeAgent Pro ST303204FPA1E3-RK 320GB 7200 RPM USB 2.0 / IEEE 1394a / eSATA External Hard Drive - Retail


Isn't that what we already have internally? Spend $180 on a 750GB. Best value at the moment.


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## archangel9 (Sep 18, 2007)

Do I understand correctly, I am not just adding more DVR space; I will also be able to transfer media files to my PC with an eSATA External Hard Drive?


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## MrKlaatu (Mar 8, 2007)

archangel9 said:


> Do I understand correctly, I am not just adding more DVR space; I will also be able to transfer media files to my PC with an eSATA External Hard Drive?


No. You are REPLACING your existing space (not adding to it). And you will NOT be able to transfer shows to your PC.


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## LP30 (Feb 27, 2004)

archangel9 said:


> Do I understand correctly, I am not just adding more DVR space; I will also be able to transfer media files to my PC with an eSATA External Hard Drive?


The HR20 will format the drive for its use and it will be linked to that receiver. It cannot be read by a computer or moved to another receiver without being reformatted. The only benefit of the eSATA drive is to increase your the available recording time for the receiver it is attached to. As has already been mentioned, it is a replacement not an addition, although the internal drive will not be erased, you will not be able to see what is recorded on that drive so long as the eSATA drive is connected.


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## finaldiet (Jun 13, 2006)

If I already have esata enabled, what is best way to power everything off in order to add a UPS back-up? Didn't want to mess up my esata. Thanks for any info.


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## ProfJason (Dec 16, 2006)

jrmichael said:


> Just a reminder for those with VOD enabled from x190, I recall from an earlier thread that the VOD enablement bit is stored on the drive so you will lose VOD if you install an esata before VOD goes national or the enablement is opened in a future CE.


However, if your software version is on a chip on your HR20, then would all you need to do to get back VOD is to do the proper keyword search, hit the magical buttons on the front and then turn back on the VOD?


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## dropper (Aug 19, 2007)

I picked up a WD 750GB drive at Fry's on Monday for $180 and paired it with a Vantec NexStar 3. It is eSATA II/USB 2.0 and the included cable plugged in correctly. Had no problems booting to it or switching back and forth from the internal drive (unplugged the the HR20 and powered off the drive, but could leave the cable connected).

Also, before powering down and unplugging the HR20, I made sure that any recordings had stopped. Just thinking, it might be wise to switch to 2 blank channels to also halt the live buffer, but probably not necessary.

Keith


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## dropper (Aug 19, 2007)

finaldiet said:


> If I already have esata enabled, what is best way to power everything off in order to add a UPS back-up? Didn't want to mess up my esata. Thanks for any info.


See my post above. Stop any recordings, power off the HR20 and then unplug it. Then power off/unplug the external drive. Switch to the power plugs (both of them) to the UPS, power up the external, then plug the HR20 back in. Power on the HR20.

Keith


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## cartrivision (Jul 25, 2007)

dropper said:


> See my post above. Stop any recordings, power off the HR20 and then unplug it. Then power off/unplug the external drive. Switch to the power plugs (both of them) to the UPS, power up the external, then plug the HR20 back in. Power on the HR20.
> 
> Keith


Correct me if I'm wrong, but there is no way to power down a HR20 short of pulling the plug ,which isn't recomended as the HR20 is always writing something to the disk even when it is turned "off".


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## TriggerDeems (Mar 1, 2007)

cartrivision said:


> Correct me if I'm wrong, but there is no way to power down a HR20 short of pulling the plug ,which isn't recomended as the HR20 is always writing something to the disk even when it is turned "off".


Correct, you must pull the plug, but a supposedly safer way to pull the plug is to do a "menu-reset" and when the lights go off on the reciever, then pull the plug.


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## archangel9 (Sep 18, 2007)

LP30 said:


> The HR20 will format the drive for its use and it will be linked to that receiver. It cannot be read by a computer or moved to another receiver without being reformatted. The only benefit of the eSATA drive is to increase your the available recording time for the receiver it is attached to. As has already been mentioned, it is a replacement not an addition, although the internal drive will not be erased, you will not be able to see what is recorded on that drive so long as the eSATA drive is connected.


Don't need extra space I was hoping this was an answer to transferring media sorry I try to read as much before I post. So as not to ask the same question over and over again. My Dish installer said there was a way I just want to know how. I here that this feature will be implemented at some point. Is this fact or fiction?


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## JB3 (Oct 2, 2006)

Best Buy has the 750GB Seagate Free Agent Pro on sale for $199 this week. I picked one up and got a Thermalake esata cable from New Egg. (BB doesn't stock any). Hooked it up today, restarted the HR20 and I'm in business. 

Sure I'd go for even more disk space, but with 1TB drives closer to $400, this seemed like the sweet spot to me. Only issue is that even though I used the Segate Utility to disable the lights, they came on when I hooked it up to the HR20. If winds up being too bright, there's always some black electrical tape.


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## TriggerDeems (Mar 1, 2007)

yeah, I couldn't get the lights to stay off either, but haven't found it annoying yet.


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## dminches (Oct 1, 2006)

You do not have to pull the plug. I connected the drive via the eSata cable and did an RBR. The HR20 restarted, recognized the external drive and started the process of rebuilding the guide data, etc.


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## MrKlaatu (Mar 8, 2007)

You don't need to unplug OR do an RBR. Just turn off HR20, plug in eSATA, turn in eSATA, turn on HR20, dor a menu restart recorder.


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## jbrentd (Sep 6, 2007)

how long does it take to get all of the guide back? I plugged in my new cavalry 750gb today and everything is working, but the guide is incomplete out past a day or so.


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## dropper (Aug 19, 2007)

cartrivision said:


> Correct me if I'm wrong, but there is no way to power down a HR20 short of pulling the plug ,which isn't recomended as the HR20 is always writing something to the disk even when it is turned "off".


That's why I had said about perhaps switching to a dead channel, but the system should handle power losses pretty easily, since that is likely to happen in a consumer based setup. Just because we know better as techies doesn't mean the average Joe does and likely doesn't have things like a UPS on the A/V setup.

We tend to err on the side of caution on these things.

Keith


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## dropper (Aug 19, 2007)

jbrentd said:


> how long does it take to get all of the guide back? I plugged in my new cavalry 750gb today and everything is working, but the guide is incomplete out past a day or so.


I did mine last night. D* says it takes about a day for the full 2 weeks to come through. It is very sporadic in its delivery. When I first set it up, I think most things were filled out in 1/2 a day.

Keith


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## jbrentd (Sep 6, 2007)

dropper said:


> I did mine last night. D* says it takes about a day for the full 2 weeks to come through. It is very sporadic in its delivery. When I first set it up, I think most things were filled out in 1/2 a day.
> 
> Keith


thanks


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## MrKlaatu (Mar 8, 2007)

dropper said:


> That's why I had said about perhaps switching to a dead channel


I always try to keep mine on a dead channel to reduce drive use.


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## kirkusinnc (Apr 24, 2006)

A couple of questions...
1. Do you get some kind of message that the external drive is connected and working? (My 8300HD pops up a window when the external drive is connected or disconnected.)
2. Is there some way to see how much space is seen by the DVR? Or do all you have is the percentage used bar on the listing?


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## MrKlaatu (Mar 8, 2007)

kirkusinnc said:


> A couple of questions...
> 1. Do you get some kind of message that the external drive is connected and working? (My 8300HD pops up a window when the external drive is connected or disconnected.)
> 2. Is there some way to see how much space is seen by the DVR? Or do all you have is the percentage used bar on the listing?


1) No, but your recordings will be empty.

2) Percentage bar.


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## ekb6 (Dec 10, 2006)

I currently archive things I want to keep forever onto a DVD writer, but I would prefer to burn them from my computer hard drive so I can edit out segments I don't want, color correct, etc.

Cable lengths make that impossible.

So the question is, could I unplug an eSATA drive from the HD20, plug it into the computer and copy programs or would the HD20 have formatted the hard drive into a form unreadable by Windows?

Thanks.


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## MrKlaatu (Mar 8, 2007)

ekb6 said:


> So the question is, could I unplug an eSATA drive from the HD20, plug it into the computer and copy programs


No.


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## cygnusloop (Jan 26, 2007)

Installed a new FAP 750 today, and it was, in fact, _that easy_. I got the monoprice cable (which cost less than the USPS priority mail 2-3 day shipping, btw), and had to do the "trim" which took less than five minutes. Less than 20 minutes from opening the box to a BIG empty drive running on my -700. Couldn't have been much easier. :righton:


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## jeff125va (Jun 4, 2007)

I've been doing a lot of switching back and forth because I want all my new recordings on the external drive but still have a lot of shows on the internal. I've been switching from internal to external without pulling the plug - just powering on and connecting the eSATA, then doing a menu reboot - but I still unplug to switch back to the internal. It just seems like turning off or disconnecting the external drive when the HR20 is using that drive could cause a major problem. Am I wrong? Either way it still takes several minutes to go through the whole rebooting process, and I have easy access to the power cord on the back of the HR20. So it's not a big deal, just curious.


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## zeagus (Jun 13, 2007)

newegg has a number of nice alternatives to the tenbox, especially if you are open to something in a non-CE (consumer electronics) form factor. They also carry a number of enclosures that mimic av equipment for looks, but those are pricier. You can get a little 2TB box for $599 right now after $100 MIR.

newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822204056 -2TB Micronet enclosure
newegg.com/product/product.asp?item=N82E16817256018 -silverstone 5 drive CE enclosure
newegg.com/product/product.asp?item=N82E16817332013 -4 drive non-CE enclosure
newegg.com/product/product.asp?item=N82E16817707092 -2 disk enclosure

(long time lurker with few posts, so I couldn't link-ify the links)


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## finaldiet (Jun 13, 2006)

dropper said:


> See my post above. Stop any recordings, power off the HR20 and then unplug it. Then power off/unplug the external drive. Switch to the power plugs (both of them) to the UPS, power up the external, then plug the HR20 back in. Power on the HR20.
> 
> Keith


Thanks. Everything worked out great. Connected receiver and esata to battery back-up side and tv to direct current.


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## troman (Mar 9, 2007)

I'd just like to chime in and say I tried to install a Seagate FreeAgent Pro 750 last weekend using a Link Depot eSata cable I bought from Fry's. I could not get the HR20 to find the Seagate drive, even after reviewing all of the related info on this forum and trimming the plastic from the cable end. 

Fortunately, others had posted that the Siig eSata cable from Newegg was pretty foolproof, so I ordered it. It came yesterday, and it worked the first time. 

So the moral is: stay away from Link Depot eSata cables.


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## redskin9 (Oct 12, 2005)

Hooking my $199 Seagate from BB up as soon as I get cable I ordered from Monoprice ($5.88 w/shipping). I'll tell how that works out. Haven't had any probs with any other equipment from Mono.


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## Lee L (Aug 15, 2002)

So, I put in the order for 2 HR20s the other day to be installed on Oct 11. I already purchased the Calvary drive linked in the other thread so it will be here way before then. I plan on hooking the drive up right from the start so I don't have to worry about recordings in both places and waiting extra time for the guide to populate.

Are there any issues with hooking the esatas drive up to an HR20 essentially right out of the box? Will it take longer to boot or initialize so that the installer complains about it wasting his time?


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## jdmac29 (Jan 6, 2006)

Lee L said:


> So, I put in the order for 2 HR20s the other day to be installed on Oct 11. I already purchased the Calvary drive linked in the other thread so it will be here way before then. I plan on hooking the drive up right from the start so I don't have to worry about recordings in both places and waiting extra time for the guide to populate.
> 
> Are there any issues with hooking the esatas drive up to an HR20 essentially right out of the box? Will it take longer to boot or initialize so that the installer complains about it wasting his time?


I would say it is not but officially directv does not support esata at this point. 
I would just let the directv guy do his job with the standard receiver and after he leaves then I would unplug the hr20 and hookup you esata and then power it all back up.


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## jdmac29 (Jan 6, 2006)

I will be purchasing this in a few weeks from best buy ( have enough gift cards so it is free) I am considering a 750gb hard drive but not sure what will be quiet and what will work well with dvrs. My current home computer has seagate barracudas and they are really loud especially during seek and write times. 
Any other manufacturers anyone recommends or possibly a 1tb drive. 
Thanks
jdmac29


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## pwestgate (Oct 5, 2006)

eSATA Cable -- which one to get?

Newegg's SIIG cable starts at $17.99, but Monoprice's cable is $3.95. 

Also, is it eSATA to eSATA, or eSATA to SATA?

Thanks....


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## cygnusloop (Jan 26, 2007)

Lee L said:


> So, I put in the order for 2 HR20s the other day to be installed on Oct 11. I already purchased the Calvary drive linked in the other thread so it will be here way before then. I plan on hooking the drive up right from the start so I don't have to worry about recordings in both places and waiting extra time for the guide to populate.
> 
> Are there any issues with hooking the esatas drive up to an HR20 essentially right out of the box? Will it take longer to boot or initialize so that the installer complains about it wasting his time?


Yeah, I would go ahead and do the initial boot with the internal, and let it d/l fresh software (which goes on a chip, and not the drive, btw). Once you know everything is working properly, then plug in the eSATA and menu reset the HR20.

Also, in order to know that you are seeing the internal drive once it is plugged in, I would record a few minutes of something on the internal drive that will show up in the playlist. That way, when you restart with the external, and see an empty playlist, you will know that you are looking at the new drive.

Good luck.


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## finaldiet (Jun 13, 2006)

pwestgate said:


> eSATA Cable -- which one to get?
> 
> Newegg's SIIG cable starts at $17.99, but Monoprice's cable is $3.95.
> 
> ...


I got the 6' esata from newegg. Works great and I got it 2 days after I ordered. I've read where the ones fron mono needed to be trimed and I didn't want to fool with that as I can be clutzy at times. I'd get the one from newegg. Its esata to esata.


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## cygnusloop (Jan 26, 2007)

pwestgate said:


> eSATA Cable -- which one to get?
> 
> Newegg's SIIG cable starts at $17.99, but Monoprice's cable is $3.95.
> 
> ...


eSATA to eSATA. I got the monoprice cable and had to do the trim for the FAP 750 end. For me, it wasn't a big deal at all. The plastic is pretty soft, and as I posted above, it didn't take more than a few minutes to trim the <1/8 inch. Well worth the extra $14 to me. But if your not comfortable with doing that.... (But it _really _was easy).


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## M3Rocket (Sep 20, 2007)

Got a generic fan-less aluminum eSATA case, put in a WD 750Gb, used the cable that came with the case, plugged it into a -700, reset, and within a few minutes, I've got much more recording time. It really is THAT EASY!


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## SolidState (Aug 16, 2006)

I must be one of the lucky ones. I got the Seagate FAP 750G from BB, then stopped by my local Fry's and picked up the link-depot eSATA to eSata cable (before reading here that nobody has had any luck with them). Plugged them in, powered up and was up-and-running in under 5 minutes. That simple. Maybe the new(er) batch of link-depot cables are okay.

BTW, I recorded 4.5 hours of MPEG4 HD and the drive reported 98% free.


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## RamaX (Nov 24, 2006)

LP30 said:


> The HR20 will format the drive for its use and it will be linked to that receiver. It cannot be read by a computer or moved to another receiver without being reformatted. The only benefit of the eSATA drive is to increase your the available recording time for the receiver it is attached to. As has already been mentioned, it is a replacement not an addition, although the internal drive will not be erased, you will not be able to see what is recorded on that drive so long as the eSATA drive is connected.


I know lots of people ask this question, i also saw Klaatu respond with a simple "no" more recently, and just wanted to chime in from what little ive gleaned so far (which admittedly aint much, yet)

If the HR20 reformats the external drive before allowing, they are both right it likely cant be read by your regular vanilla windows PC, nor for some possible reason by other HR20's. 
But, im going to guess it is POSSIBLE. It is just a matter of knowing what format/OS Hughes/DirecTV is using. I doubt its completely proprietary, they wouldnt bother coding a whole OS. Maybe its Linux based..?? All we really need is a few hackers like the one who used to hack Tivo, to let us know what we have to use to access these drives. It may or may not ever be around, but i woldnt bet against it. Id guess its more a matter of how long the need for it is around and how many users there are of the product. Long enough time with enough people using it and the "right" people will eventually get around to breaking in. It wouldnt surprise me at al if there are some engineers from DirecTV who already have these at their houses, because they KNOW the OS used. Just put a copy on your puter, dual boot it, and blammo, your in.


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## Lee L (Aug 15, 2002)

I think the issue is one of encryption, not just file system. If they are encrypting at a low level, you are not going to see the file structure very easily.


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## redskin9 (Oct 12, 2005)

M3Rocket said:


> Got a generic fan-less aluminum eSATA case, put in a WD 750Gb, used the cable that came with the case, plugged it into a -700, reset, and within a few minutes, I've got much more recording time. It really is THAT EASY!


So easy that a caveman could do it ?


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## KCCardsfan (Apr 18, 2007)

Questions:

I'm ready to hook up my ESATA, I'm currently om 0x19a w/VOD enabled, what will I have after resetting the receiver to the external drive?

0x19a?
VOD?
Favorites?
Personal settings?

I know I will need to re-enter my SL & my current recordings will stay on the internal drive, no problem there & also no problem if I lose VOD, I can wait now for the national release & better content. 

Sorry if some of these are in other threads, but I've reading them for some time now & thought this might be quicker.

If I missed anything important please add.


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## doconner (Sep 26, 2006)

JB3 said:


> Best Buy has the 750GB Seagate Free Agent Pro on sale for $199 this week.


I haven't seen mention of this in any of the threads that I've been reading today about eSATA drives or other components/accessories that people are buying. If this is considered to be to off-topic I'll be happy to remove it.

Remember that you can use sites like evreward.com to find those sites that will provide you cashback on your purchase. I typically stick with FatWallet's FatCash so that I keep all of my rebates together.

However, BestBuy doesn't work with FatCash, so the best option is BigCrumbs.com. If you create a profile there and then navigate to BestBuy to purchase this HD you can get up to an extra 2.7% off. This comes out to just over $5.

With as many purchases as a lot of us make online, the benefit of checking evreward.com for cash back discounts really adds up.

I don't want to spam the forum, this really is just a 'sharing the knowledge and wealth' post. However, if anyone wants to signup for BigCrumbs and use me as a referral just send me a PM.


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## KillerBox (Sep 19, 2007)

Ready for a real newbie questions? Exactly what cable do I need to buy to hook this thing up? I have just got this box about 2 weeks ago and I did not even look at the connections. Now the box is hide up in the entertainment center and it is hard to get to the back of it.

So is the connection internally or can you make the connection without opening up the box?

Also, do you all suggest an external hard drive or an internal one with a box?

P.S. I told you it would be some newbie questions!


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## ProfJason (Dec 16, 2006)

KCCardsfan said:


> Questions:
> 
> I'm ready to hook up my ESATA, I'm currently om 0x19a w/VOD enabled, what will I have after resetting the receiver to the external drive?
> 
> ...


I just a few minutes ago installed a new hard drive (Seagate Free Agent 750 MB) and it was really that easy. I was able to get the VOD back in just a few minutes. You will need to tell it that you are in CE, but I have the VOD back. Now I'm just waiting for my guide to repopulate, so that I can put back my SL and current recordings, but that's no big deal. It went very, very smoothly.


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## KCCardsfan (Apr 18, 2007)

ProfJason said:


> I just a few minutes ago installed a new hard drive (Seagate Free Agent 750 MB) and it was really that easy. I was able to get the VOD back in just a few minutes. You will need to tell it that you are in CE, but I have the VOD back. Now I'm just waiting for my guide to repopulate, so that I can put back my SL and current recordings, but that's no big deal. It went very, very smoothly.


No problems! I went immediately to search IWANTMYVOD & it was there! I had read many posts that you lose VOD when adding a external, after activating it On Demand returned to he Menu. The guide is repopulating & then I'll input my Series Links, other than favorites all other settings seemed to have been retained.

I went with a 500g Seagate Barracuda ($114.95) with a Power Spec External case ($24.99), bought both at Micro Center here in KC. I went this route because it was not only cheaper, but the case included the ESATA cable, none of the all-in-one external drives I found had the cable & none of the stores had them in stock.

I figured if the internal 320gb has up to 50hrs MPEG4 (minus D*'s 100gb) then the 400gb I can use on the external will be around 91hrs MPEG4, of course I won't get this because I record a few locals in MPEG2.


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## pmalve (Mar 31, 2003)

i hooked up the seagate 750. No problems with receiver formatting. The problem I had was after 15 minutes the hard drive turned off. As I don't see a power switch on it I unplugged it and plugged it back in. Receiver was froze and had to do a reboot. Waiting to see if it goes off again. Any one had this problem?


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## barryhammond (Sep 13, 2007)

I hooked up the seagate 750 tonight and have been running a couple of hours with no problems. I used the cable from firefold.com ($4.35 shipped). Everything seems to be working. It was that easy. Thumbs up for my NOTivo DVR for this feature. 

Now the pain of setting up my season passes again on this NOTivo, which is a pain, but it is what it is. At least I have SD realTivo in the other room to catch things that I miss due to NOTivo missing something.


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## TriggerDeems (Mar 1, 2007)

pmalve said:


> i hooked up the seagate 750. No problems with receiver formatting. The problem I had was after 15 minutes the hard drive turned off. As I don't see a power switch on it I unplugged it and plugged it back in. Receiver was froze and had to do a reboot. Waiting to see if it goes off again. Any one had this problem?


Yes, buy a compatable cable, or trim the one you got so it fits in the Seagate....
http://www.dbstalk.com/showthread.php?t=99070


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## finaldiet (Jun 13, 2006)

KillerBox said:


> Ready for a real newbie questions? Exactly what cable do I need to buy to hook this thing up? I have just got this box about 2 weeks ago and I did not even look at the connections. Now the box is hide up in the entertainment center and it is hard to get to the back of it.
> 
> So is the connection internally or can you make the connection without opening up the box?
> 
> ...


You need esata to esata cable. Just connect your esata and plug cable in back of receiver. Power down receiver, power up esata and plug into back of receiver, and then power up receiver. Your all set! Check your to do list and there should be nothing on it. Recordings on receiver hard drive will not show up on esata drive.


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## mganga (Dec 4, 2006)

well, got my seagate freeagent today and have tried just about every plug-in/power-up sequence suggested here and no matter how i do it, my hr-20-700 boots to the internal drive. frustrating.


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## Michael D'Angelo (Oct 21, 2006)

mganga said:


> well, got my seagate freeagent today and have tried just about every plug-in/power-up sequence suggested here and no matter how i do it, my hr-20-700 boots to the internal drive. frustrating.


A lot of people have had to trim the eSATA on the HR20 side. Some cables do not fit in the connection right.

Also did you power down the HR20. Then plug the eSATA cable into the eSATA drive and the HR20. Then plug the power to the eSATA drive it and let it start up. Then plug the HR20 back in.


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## mganga (Dec 4, 2006)

BMoreRavens said:


> A lot of people have had to trim the eSATA on the HR20 side. Some cables do not fit in the connection right.
> 
> Also did you power down the HR20. Then plug the eSATA cable into the eSATA drive and the HR20. Then plug the power to the eSATA drive it and let it start up. Then plug the HR20 back in.


thanks for the quick response. the cable (made by Link Depot)seems to fit snugly into the Hr-20. and yes i tried this exact sequence you've outlined.

does it matter if i am unplugging from the back of the unit vs. out of the wall?


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## Michael D'Angelo (Oct 21, 2006)

mganga said:


> thanks for the quick response. the cable (made by Link Depot)seems to fit snugly into the Hr-20. and yes i tried this exact sequence you've outlined.
> 
> does it matter if i am unplugging from the back of the unit vs. out of the wall?


No.

I would just try to push the eSATA cable in a little tighter and hold it with your hand while the units boots up.

That may help to tell you if the cable is fitting right or not.


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## pprather (Nov 12, 2006)

mganga said:


> thanks for the quick response. the cable (made by Link Depot)seems to fit snugly into the Hr-20. and yes i tried this exact sequence you've outlined.
> 
> does it matter if i am unplugging from the back of the unit vs. out of the wall?


There was another fella that had issues with his link depot cable. He switched to another brand and didn't have any issues.


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## MrKlaatu (Mar 8, 2007)

mganga said:


> thanks for the quick response. the cable (made by Link Depot)seems to fit snugly into the Hr-20. and yes i tried this exact sequence you've outlined.
> 
> does it matter if i am unplugging from the back of the unit vs. out of the wall?


Stupid question, but does your eSATA drive have an on/off switch? If so, make sure it's on.


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## 2000voltz (Sep 21, 2007)

does the on screen "gage" that tells you the % still empty adjust for the new drive? also have any of you thats ran a external for awhile have any problems updating the internal drive when you removed the external?


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## Leftcoastdave (Apr 2, 2004)

I have a question or two for you Seagate 750GB eSATA users.

1. How hot does your drive run? I have mine installed on top of an open shelf and it feels quite warm to the touch.

2. Although there is a power on/off symbol on the FPA 750 base, there is no power on or power off switch that I could find. Is there one?

3. I connected my Seagate 750 GB HDD right out of the box to my HR20-700. It seems to be working just fine after five or six hours of operation. Should I have connected the drive to a PC first? Some here have said there is way to turn off the orange lights by setting a switch from your PC before connecting the drive to the HR20, but beyond that, is there any reason to first connect to a PC before connecting to the HR20?

Thanks in advance for any comments.


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## TriggerDeems (Mar 1, 2007)

Leftcoastdave said:


> I have a question or two for you Seagate 750GB eSATA users.
> 
> 1. How hot does your drive run? I have mine installed on top of an open shelf and it feels quite warm to the touch.
> 
> ...


1. Yes, quite warm, even though I shut off the lights, maybe slightly cooler.
2. You'll want to leave it on 24/7 anyway.
3. No, except to download the free Seagate user software before it gets formatted. You use it to run diagnostics and to turn off the lights.


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## TriggerDeems (Mar 1, 2007)

mganga said:


> thanks for the quick response. the cable (made by Link Depot)seems to fit snugly into the Hr-20. and yes i tried this exact sequence you've outlined.
> 
> does it matter if i am unplugging from the back of the unit vs. out of the wall?


Many have had problems with the link depot cable. Try a different one, or try the techniques described below (can't hurt, as it ain't working anyway).

http://www.dbstalk.com/showthread.php?t=99070


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## 2000voltz (Sep 21, 2007)

2000voltz said:


> does the on screen "gage" that tells you the % still empty adjust for the new drive? also have any of you thats ran a external for awhile have any problems updating the internal drive when you removed the external?


bump


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## jbrentd (Sep 6, 2007)

yes to your first question.


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## 2000voltz (Sep 21, 2007)

thank you very much!....andone have any help on the updating?


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## 2000voltz (Sep 21, 2007)

one last stupid question....for the seagate drive, is the cable I need a esata to esata cable? could someone post a link to one, please?


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## rajeshh (Sep 11, 2007)

I bought this one:

http://www.buy.com/prod/siig-esata-...sata-1-x-esata-cable/q/loc/101/202321862.html

is working good for a week so far. Have already used up 10% space


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## 2000voltz (Sep 21, 2007)

good thing I asked the one I was looking at that screw pins...I thought that was wrong, thanks for the help!


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## elixir26 (Mar 9, 2007)

I have 2 of these. 5.99 a pop. Have it shipped by USP and it's less than 10 bucks delivered.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16812183007


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## JB3 (Oct 2, 2006)

It figures.....The week after I add my Free Agent Pro, Best Buy goes and puts 1TB drives on sale for $259.99. Since I wasn't 100% satisfied with how the Free Agent Pro fit into my setup, I've now replaced it with the 1TB WD.

http://www.bestbuy.com/site/olspage.jsp?skuId=8492026&type=product&id=1186003685416

I put this into an Antec MX-1 enclosure that I got for $45.

http://www.amazon.com/Antec-MX-1-e-...4?ie=UTF8&s=electronics&qid=1190899730&sr=8-1

There's a number of advantages to this setup:

1. More Disk Space
2. Cooler drive (the MX-1 has a very quiet fan)
3. Fits horizontally on top of my HR-20 - The Free Agent was too tall
4. Very small blue status light - No more yellow night light!

I'll be moving the Free Agent to PC backup duties.


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## knoxbh (May 1, 2002)

Thanks for all the tips for installing the external SATA drive - really was as simple as indicated. Installed the Cavalry 750gb drive in less than 5 minutes! But I do have a question - the drive on/off light blinks quite a bit - is this normal? I did notice in the small instruction booklet that it is supposed to blink if connected to a computer - shows the drive is being accessed. No mention of being connected to a DVR.

Again, thanks for all your input.


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## MrKlaatu (Mar 8, 2007)

knoxbh said:


> Thanks for all the tips for installing the external SATA drive - really was as simple as indicated. Installed the Cavalry 750gb drive in less than 5 minutes! But I do have a question - the drive on/off light blinks quite a bit - is this normal? I did notice in the small instruction booklet that it is supposed to blink if connected to a computer - shows the drive is being accessed. No mention of being connected to a DVR.


A DVR is a computer. Hence the blinking. The drive is being accessed.


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## jbrentd (Sep 6, 2007)

mine blinks also.


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## Rodneyt (Aug 13, 2005)

I bought the 750GB Catalyst from Buy.com, and had a strange issue when trying to hook it up to my first HR20-700. I tried to put the esata cable in to the back of the unit, and on the DVR the two small screws fell out and the esata plug went into the DVR! I don't have the proper size to open up the unit (does anyone know what tork screwdriver to use?). I then hooked the drive to the 2nd HR20-700 and that worked fine. I would have been pissed if I didn't have two of these.
Other than that wierd issue (Thanks, D*!), installing the upgrade was pretty simple.


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## Gotchaa (Jan 25, 2006)

Anyone figure out how to marry the internal and external drives yet?


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## TriggerDeems (Mar 1, 2007)

Gotchaa said:


> Anyone figure out how to marry the internal and external drives yet?


not possible yet, and unknown whether it will be enabled in the future.


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## Huey (Oct 7, 2006)

After reading through this thread, I don't see an answer to my question. I picked up a western 500gb hard drive yesterday, and of course Best Buy doesn't carry esata cable. They did have a sata cable and said it would work. I'm so confused. Will a sata cable work with esata drive? Thanks for all of the help.
Rob


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## DonCorleone (Jan 29, 2006)

Huey said:


> After reading through this thread, I don't see an answer to my question. I picked up a western 500gb hard drive yesterday, and of course Best Buy doesn't carry esata cable. They did have a sata cable and said it would work. I'm so confused. Will a sata cable work with esata drive? Thanks for all of the help.
> Rob


I believe you need an eSata cable and, no, Best Buy doesn't have them. If you can't wait for a shipment from an on-line vendor, look up computer supplies in the phone book. That's what I did and found a little mom and pop PC store that had them.


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## eatswodo (Nov 20, 2005)

Wow - that was easy. 750Gb Free Agent Pro from Costco for $199, $3 Kingwin cable from Newegg - plug everything in, power up the drive, reset the HR20 through the menu and I'm up and running.... 

Thanks to all for the guidance in this thread!


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## drjeckl (Aug 21, 2004)

Based on the threads on this forum, got the Seagate 750G FPA and the SIIG eSATA cable SIIG CB-SA0111-S1, both from newegg. Downed the HR20, connected the cable to both boxes, powered up the FPA and then powered up the HR20.

Bingo! What a beautiful thing. Just need to use some black electrical tape and cover the annoying orange lights from the FPA. Why did Seagate even bother?

Thanks again for the principles on the forum for facilitating such an enhancement to the D* products.

BTW, the old and new HD channels are looking crisper than ever. Timed this upgrade right for the MLB playoffs on TBS HD! Whoo! Go Yanks.

.jce


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## LP30 (Feb 27, 2004)

drjeckl said:


> Just need to use some black electrical tape and cover the annoying orange lights from the FPA. Why did Seagate even bother?
> 
> .jce


The Free Agent software for the computer will turn the lights off. Problem is you can't do that on the HR20 and the setting doesn't seem persistent so once you disconnet power, the light is back on. I guess they didn't have DVR's in mind when they designed the thing.


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## DonCorleone (Jan 29, 2006)

True, but the fact that it was so easy perhaps outweighs that. Besides, I don't really notice the light based on where I put it.


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## waynenm (Oct 31, 2006)

DonCorleone said:


> True, but the fact that it was so easy perhaps outweighs that. Besides, I don't really notice the light based on where I put it.


I like the light. It's Trek-like.


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## Huey (Oct 7, 2006)

I don't know if it was easy, but sure has been an adventure adding a hard drive. Purchased WD 500gb for a good price at BB, of course they say the sata cable will work, but they were wrong. 

Ordered a cable from newegg, based on suggestions here, received it Thursday. Plugged everything in, rebooted, and still showed the hr20 drive. I spent two hours trying different powering on combos trying to get it to work. Nothing did.

As luck would have it, BB currently has the Seagate FAP 750 on sale for $194, took the WD back, and was able to finagle another 12% off the Seagate.

Hooked everything up last night and rebooted, noticed that the record light was red during reboot, figured that was a good sign as I had not seen it on before during reboot. Sure enough, 10 minutes later it was showing nothing in the recorded list area, which was a good thing.

I don't know if the WD was bad out of the box or what, but the Seagate booted up very easy. I don't care for the lights, like everyone else has stated, but I bought a 6ft eSata cable, and just put the unit behind the entertainment center hooked up to my ups.

I also notice that I don't have the breakups that I use to. I would have recorded shows that would be almost unwatchable due to cutouts, always figured it was my signal, but now I wonder if I have some bad sectors on the hr20 harddrive. Either way, things are looking better.
Rob


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## Bobbbo (Oct 10, 2007)

Has anyone taken an external drive that has recorded video on it off the HR20 and connected it to your PC (USB port)? What do you see? Can you play the video on your PC?


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## Lord Vader (Sep 20, 2004)

No. Cannot be done.


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