Community Forums

MICHIGAN CAMPER · 07-13-2010, 01:10 PM

I have DirecTV with a DVR receiver. I've heard that a Hard Drive can be be plugged into the usb slot and recording can be captured on the external HD instead of the unit HD.

Anyone familiar with this?
Thanks, Larry

RickO · 07-13-2010, 02:46 PM

I researched this a while back for my DirecTv HD DVR and as I recall it's true.... but. I think it only played nicely with certain external drives. Also, I think it actually REPLACES your DVRs internal drive rather than suplementing it. The advice was to not even consider doing it with less than a 1TB drive.

I'd suggest searching Directv technical forum sites. There was quite a bit of info there.

good luck...

wa8yxm · 07-13-2010, 03:31 PM

As I understand it the answer is "Some of them" You will need to either RTFM for yours, or Contact Cuss-Some-More (non)Support. or log into the AVforums Alas I can not find the URL just now.

NOTE: Rather than pay DirecTV for a DVR.. I use external DVR's. work great.

FlyingDiver · 07-13-2010, 07:35 PM

Which DirecTV receiver, specifically?

I've used an external eSATA drive with my HR-21 receiver. As RickO says, it only uses one drive - the external if it's there, the internal if not. It will not add the capacity together.

The big problem is if you ever loose power to the drive, and the receiver boots up without it, you loose all your recordings. The software is just not robust enough to deal with a drive that comes and goes, as it were. I finally opened mine up and put the bigger drive in the receiver in place of the original one. Solved that problem.

SATA drives are under $100 for 1TB these days. If yours is a leased unit, save the old drive so you can swap it back if you ever need to turn it in.

joe

MICHIGAN CAMPER · 07-14-2010, 07:15 AM

A lot to consider here and I don't understand all that I I've heard.
Not being real computer literate, sometimes it's just a matter of learning the terms.

Specifically, my DVR receiver from DirecTV is an R16-300.

FlyingDiver, is a "eSATA" external drive a 'brand' of drive or a 'type'?
It makes sense that the receiver would utilize only one drive at a time.
If the receiver booted up without the external drive hooked up or for some reason the drive lost power, you say I'd lose all my recordings...
if the receiver was shut off, the drive reconnected and the receiver turned back on,(rebooted) would my recordings be available again? Or would they be lost forever?

wa8yxm, I didn't understand what you said at all. (sorry)
What is "RTFM"? And "Cuss-some-more"?? What is that? I have no idea.
I do have in my favorites list, under 'Forums, "AVforums(dot)com".
What are you indicating I should look for there? Or just search the forums for info about external HD's?
A last note,... you stated that rather than using Directs DVR, that you use an external DVR... Will an external DVR (I take it you are referring to an external HD...) plug into a regular DirecTV receiver? (usb plug) I'm confused on this use.

My 'non-DVR receivers are D12-100's. I have four receivers from DirecTV in total. (two of each)

I haven't run out of space on the two DVR receivers I have now but trying to plan for the future. I'm retired and we travel out of state for sometimes months at a time. I'm looking for ways to bring with me shows that I have recorded at home, some locally programed shows and some off the satellite that is available all over the country.

Hope I'm not being too much of a bother but I know more than I understand.

Thanks to all that are trying to help me figger this out!
Larry K. (aka: michigancamper)

FlyingDiver · 07-14-2010, 10:29 AM

eSATA is shorthand for external SATA or external Serial ATA. It's a type of drive, not a brand. The HR21 HD DVR receiver has an eSATA plug for connecting the external drive. An eSATA connection is faster than the USB connection on the R16.

I don't know the specifics of what happens with an external drive on an R16. I recommend that you look at the forums at dbstalk.com for some experience on that.

joe

MICHIGAN CAMPER · 07-14-2010, 02:39 PM

Gotcha, I was way off base, wasn't I.
I understand and am familiar with dsbtalk. Will check there.
Thanks, Joe.
Larry K.

winegard · 07-14-2010, 07:36 PM

While using an external hard drive does come with some challenges like being sure to always boot with the drive attached, it also provides one huge advantage... the ability to add a drive meant to work while in motion.

The hard drives included inside of DVR receivers are not meant to move and we often have customers who have a 'broken' receiver because the hard drive in the receiver is damaged in movement. While we do have customers that go forever without an issue, it is not something we recommend.

Adding an external drive meant for a laptop can solve this problem.

Bill Adams · 07-14-2010, 08:09 PM

Larry K,
wa8yxm is sometimes hard to understand. In the case his reference to RTFM is a very crude reference to Read the F... Manual (sorry to have to post that explanation) and I believe that the reference to "Cuss-Some-More (non)Support" is supposed to be a humorous way to say customer support.

MICHIGAN CAMPER · 07-14-2010, 09:51 PM

Hey Bill,
Thanks for the explanation of wa8yxm's "code words". LOL

I did do some reading on the dbstalk forums... still am confused but it's getting a little clearer.

My DVR's aren't "HD" receivers. They are (I think) what are called "SD". (standard definition?)
There isn't a "eSATA" plug on the R16-300 receiver. There IS however, a USB plug and the only reference to it when I "RTFM" is, "USB Plug (for future use)". That's it!

Being new to Direct, I'm not sure just what is legal and what isn't, hence my reluctance to call customer service. Before I switched to Direct, I did hear (or read somewhere) that Direct will sell or lease a HD to extend recording time. I remember thinking at the time that maybe supplying our own HD was 'possible" but maybe frowned upon by Direct.
Still searching for answers.

Now I'm thinking ('til I find out differently) that it may be possible with an HD receiver... but not a "SD" receiver.

Another reason I'm reluctant to call "customer service" is being with "DishNetwork" for so many years and not being able to deal with them, (C.S.) I don't think Direct would be any better. The sales person at Sam's Club that 'sold me' on Direct fibbed a little too.

I DO RTFM's. But the manual's don't always tell you the info you need to know. You remember Bill, the trouble I had learning to set up a receiver for my RV.

I'll keep reading and asking questions 'til I figure it out.
Thanks Bill.
Larry K.

MICHIGAN CAMPER · 07-14-2010, 09:55 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by winegard

While using an external hard drive does come with some challenges like being sure to always boot with the drive attached, it also provides one huge advantage... the ability to add a drive meant to work while in motion.

The hard drives included inside of DVR receivers are not meant to move and we often have customers who have a 'broken' receiver because the hard drive in the receiver is damaged in movement. While we do have customers that go forever without an issue, it is not something we recommend.

Adding an external drive meant for a laptop can solve this problem.

winegard, do you know if an external HD will work with a non-HD receiver?
Larry K.

FlyingDiver · 07-15-2010, 12:24 AM

It appears that you can't do what you want. The USB ports are non-functional:

adding external USB drive to R16-300 receiver - SatelliteGuys.US

joe

MICHIGAN CAMPER · 07-15-2010, 06:18 AM

joe,
I understand what your saying...
but your link to the guys question is a year old and no one ever answered his question.
Are you saying for a fact that the R16 cannot have an external HD connected to it?
Larry K.

MICHIGAN CAMPER · 07-15-2010, 06:29 AM

joe,
I stand corrected!
My first visit to the link showed nothing but the original post.
A subsequent visit however showed several answering posts.

Don't know why, it's the wonders of electronics, I guess.

BTW I see your in Alaska. We were there last year, great trip but Mt McKinley was fogged over then too.
Thanks, Larry K.