Many owners of TiVo brand DVRs find the unit's limited amount of storage space annoying. But you can upgrade a TiVo unit to store hundreds of hours of programming. The job can be as simple as replacing the hard drive with a preformatted unit from an online vendor, but technically savvy people can save money by formatting the hard drive themselves.
Instructions
Plan the project
1. Decide how much of the work you want to do yourself. You can buy and install a preformatted expansion drive or buy an unformatted hard drive and do the formatting yourself. The more work you do yourself, the cheaper the upgrade will be. But be sure you have enough confidence and technical knowledge to open a personal computer, install the new hard drive and format it yourself using special TiVo formatting software.
2. Find the right drive. TiVos use one of two types of hard drives, either IDE---sometimes called ATA---drives or SATA drives. If you are unsure about what type of drive you need, you can find out by searching hard-drive sales sites like weaknees.com or DVRupgrade.com. You can shop at these sites or use the information you learn there to shop for better prices elsewhere. DVRupgrade.com sells software for formatting a TiVo hard drive, though you can find a free software kit at mfslive.org. You will need your TiVo model number, located on the back of the machine, when searching for information. No matter what type of hard drive you need, you'll want a model that is built to handle video. Avoid kits that offer to let you couple a new hard drive to your existing drive; they are more expensive, and a second hard drive can stress a TiVo power supply.
3. Get the right size. In theory, TiVo units can handle hard drives up to one terabyte, but in practice, that may be too much storage space for a standard-definition TiVo, and larger drives can cause power supply failure. One terabyte is equal to 150 hours of HD programming and 354 hours of standard-definition TV at the highest-quality setting. Five hundred gigabyte drives are inexpensive, readily available and will hold more than enough video. All the large hard-drive makers sell models that will work well in a TiVo. TiVo HD models support external hard drives.
Upgrade Time
4. Replace the drive. With the TiVo unplugged, remove the screws (usually T-10 Torx screws) along the back edge of the machine and slide back the cover. Remove the data and power cables after noting their alignment. The hard drive is usually screwed to a bracket that is in turn screwed to the machine. Remove the bracket. Remove the hard drive from the bracket and replace with the new model. Set jumpers on the hard drive to master or cable select. Check the jumper settings on the drive you are removing and copy them. Reassemble the machine.
5. Start the machine. Connect the TiVo to a television plus any cable or satellite tuners and plug the unit in. You should see a message telling you TiVo is starting on the screen (startup can take 30 minutes or more). What happens after startup varies by hard-drive model and by how the hard drive is formatted. In most cases you'll be asked to perform part of the guided setup before you can get to the main menu; occasionally the TiVo will have you perform the entire setup. Do as little of this as possible.
6. Clear and delete everything. Go to the main menu, select "Messages and Settings," then "Reset" or "Restart System." At the bottom of this menu, you'll see "Clear and Delete Everything." This will remove any stored programs and digital clutter and make sure your TiVo recognizes the new drive correctly. When TiVo reboots, you can use the guided setup to program the TiVo for television.
Tags: hard drive, hard drives, drive need, guided setup, hours programming, main menu, power supply
