The DVR (digital video recorder) has modified the way a number of users see TV. Rather than of planning a complete evening with your favorite show, DVR users have their device record them automatically for viewing later. Most DVRs have a function that allows you subscribe to shows; you configure your DVR once and you never have to be concerned about missing one more episode again, even if it modifies days or times of the week.
At its most fundamental level, a DVR is actually just a computer developed for a particular task. And just similar to any other PC, with the correct tools and knowledge, you can switch out elements for latest hardware.
That is good news for DVR users. Video files are extremely huge in size. High-res video consumes up even additional space. While almost 20 hours of high-res television or almost 180 hours of standard programming might seem like a lot of TV, some DVR users manage to fill their machine’s hard drive to full. Most of the DVRs will overwrite earlier programs so as to make space for new programs, which indicates you will gradually lose the data you record, or you will have to stop recording new data.
What can a DVR user do to amass more and more data? One alternative is to transmit the digital data to a different format such as a DVD. But for most of the users, one of the huge advantages of the DVR is that it does not need lots of tapes or discs. You just require a single set-top box. One more alternative is to update to a latest DVR. But new hardware can be costly. There is one more alternative: updating the hard drive of your DVR.
There are many various kinds of DVRs and not all of them have the same type of space. Some can only hold one hard drive, which indicates you will have to exchange the old hardware for a new one. Others can have more than a single drive. With these devices, you might be capable of adding one more hard drive without any issue. And there are a few that make it even easier to include storage ability. We will look at normal methods for all three.
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Let us begin with the easiest choice.
Using External Hard Drives Or Kits
Most of the DVR systems have distinct ports that let you to link an external hard drive to the device. Relying on your device, this port might just support particular models of brands of external hard drives. For instance, TiVo makes DVR device that are only well-matched with TiVo-certified external drives. For instance, one drive brand that is well-matched with TiVo comprises the drives made by Western Digital My DVR Expander, the biggest of which offers a complete 1,000 gigabytes (terabyte) of storage memory. In comparison, the unit of TiVo Series 3 has hard drive of 250 gigabytes.
Using an exterior device, you are not restoring native hard drive of your DVR. You are adding the storage memory on the DVR. It is the simplest method to increase capacity of your storage.
If your device does not have a port supporting external hard drives, you will have to put extra effort. It is at this stage that we must warn you that replacing or including the hard drive on your device can cancel your warranty. Even more vital, you must not forget that even if your DVR is not connected, it is able to discharge a dangerous level of electricity if you short out the power supply of the device. Proceed with carefulness.
Prior to purchasing a new hard drive, you must see what kind of interface your device employs to link the hard drive to the device. The different kinds of interfaces for hard drive comprise:
- SATA (Serialized attachment packet)
- IDE (Integrated drive electronics)
- UATA (Ultra attachment packet)
- PATA (Parallel attachment packet)
If interface on your device and your new hard drive does not go along, you cannot link the two elements. There are different online resources that will inform you which devices employ each kind of interface for hard drive.
Different vendors provide exclusive kits of hard drive for DVRs. To replace a DVR, you will require transferring some info to the new hardware. This can be threatening for somebody with a restricted technical knowledge. For a cost, on the other hand, you can buy a hard drive that has all the required elements installed already for you. These kits frequently come with step-by-step guide on how to add or restore hard drives for that specific device.
Relying upon the DVR model you have, you may also require a couple of particular hardware to authorize the guts of the device. You need to look out if you’ll need tools such as a TORX screwdriver.
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Adding A New Hard Drive To Your DVR
First, make certain the interface of your hard drive and your DVR goes along. For example, if you attempt to employ a PATA interface with a SATA hard drive, you will find that the ports and plug are not well-matched. Next, you must make certain your DVR does not have a limit on how much memory you can include. The TiVo Series 1 has an utmost one hard drive with 137 gigabytes of capacity, although it has the ability to hold 2 hard drives so you can increase it 2 times. Next, you will need a hard drive that rotates at 7,200 RPM (revolutions per minute) or more.
When you are all set, you will require to remove the screws that embrace the casing of your device together and disconnect the device. To not forget to evade touching the supply of power or you can get a severe shock. The hard drive must be simple to locate. Most of them look like a square box. You might require removing the hard drive from a distinct mounting bracket within the DVR. After this, remove the hard drive from the device and unplug the cables linking the drive to the circuit board of the DVR.
With some devices, the next step is simple. All you have to do is add your new drive where the earlier drive was present. You will require connecting the wires to the drive and restoring the screws to keep it in position. Once all is back to normal as earlier, you can connect in your device. It might take few minutes for your DVR to work as it installs the software it requires to operate. But some DVRs need particular software on the hard drive before they start running. That needs making a copy of the earlier drive.
Making a copy of a drive is difficult. You require some background with the Linux OS. You will also require some special cables and cards for your computer so that you can connect your new and old DVR hard drives to your PC simultaneously. You will require copying the contents to the new drive from the old drive. This procedure can differ from one DVR to DVR and it can consume couple of hours or more. That is why most of the users chose to upgrade kit. It may indicate losing your programs and settings, but you can plug connect the DVR with drive and it must operate just fine.
There are number of resources on the Internet that can help you if you actually need to deal with the upgrade as a do-it-yourself errand. Do not forget to search for data about your specific device. Not every set of guides will operate with your device. If you feel that this article was helpful, do let us know by commenting below. In addition to this, you can also write to us some more tips that you are aware of. We would be happy to include them.
