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navyson
join:2011-07-15
Upper Marlboro, MD

navyson

Member

Western Digital 1TB DVR Expander

I am thinking of purchasing the WD 1TB DVR expander($99 on Amazon) to increase my recording space. Just had a couple of questions

1. When I activate the new drive, will I still have access to content on both my FIOS DVR and my WD DVR expander? I believe the FIOS website says no,however, I saw a poster said that he could access both(even though all new recording are done on the WD drive).

2. When you purchased the WD DVR, did you have to buy a separate cable since the one that comes with the unit is known to be flaky?
opinionmine
join:2006-03-10

opinionmine

Member

Yes, you access both drives seamlessly.

Don't know about the WD and its cable but why not pay a little more and get a 2TB, you'll likely be glad? I use a Fantom drive very successfully (comes without a cable).
navyson
join:2011-07-15
Upper Marlboro, MD

navyson

Member

It appears that they don't make a 2 TB WD DVR expander Drive w/esata.

I looked up the 2TB Fantom Drive on Amazon.

Surprising that a $129 Drive does not come with a Esata cable.

»www.amazon.com/GreenDriv ··· duct_top
bsangs
join:2002-08-21
Montclair, NJ

bsangs to navyson

Member

to navyson
Yes, get a new (better) cable. I have two of the WD DVR expander drives and replaced the cable on both, since the cables that came with them caused the drives to not be recognized. And as mentioned above, you can access both drives. Do understand, however, that once you attach an external drive, that becomes the default drive and everything will be recorded to it until it's filled.
navyson
join:2011-07-15
Upper Marlboro, MD

navyson

Member

Thanks for the info. Wouldn't it make sense to pay $29 more to get twice the storage space(WD 1TB for $99 vs Fantom 2 TB for $129)?
opinionmine
join:2006-03-10

3 edits

opinionmine to navyson

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to navyson
Just saw this at Amazon: it's the 1.5TB version of the drive I use at a fantastic price. Only a couple left.

»www.amazon.com/GreenDriv ··· gd1000eu

A small change, mine says eu32 but it is likely the same drive (don't see an EU32 drive on Amazon).

In the reviews someone reviews it and they are using it with FIOS too.

.........................................................

Was it someone here who brought the two that were available at $79.99? It now says in stock and the price is up $30.

bigdaddy
join:2009-11-18

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to navyson
Seagate now makes a 2TB DVR Expander.

»origin-www.seagate.com/e ··· xpander/
navyson
join:2011-07-15
Upper Marlboro, MD

navyson

Member

More choices.

I have often wondered by Verizon has been lax in qualifying more units.
navyson

navyson to opinionmine

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to opinionmine
Amazon can get really crazy with constantly changing prices. I did see the $79.99 price(1.5TB) a few minutes ago and now it is $110. What da hell happened within a few minutes for them to drastically change the price? Is it because they have been getting alot of hits since you posted the link.

Same thing happened to me a few weeks ago while looking at TV on Amazon. I saw a 48 inch TV for $499 and was ready purchase it. Within a few hours, the price had changed to $579. A $80 increase within a short period of time.
said by opinionmine:

Just saw this at Amazon: it's the 1.5TB version of the drive I use at a fantastic price. Only a couple left.

»www.amazon.com/GreenDriv ··· gd1000eu

A small change, mine says eu32 but it is likely the same drive (don't see an EU32 drive on Amazon).

In the reviews someone reviews it and they are using it with FIOS too.

.........................................................

Was it someone here who brought the two that were available at $79.99? It now says in stock and the price is up $30.

navyson

navyson

Member

Prices change based on Amazon's perception of how much you will pay:

»www.cnn.com/2005/LAW/06/ ··· .prices/
bsangs
join:2002-08-21
Montclair, NJ

bsangs to navyson

Member

to navyson
Just checked that. Amazon had if for $79.99, but now is out of stock for 2-to-4 weeks. A third party seller, selling on Amazon, has it for the $110 price. It's important to differentiate. I rarely buy from any third parties on Amazon. It makes dealing with returns more problematic - unless that third party is affiliated with the Prime program.
opinionmine
join:2006-03-10

opinionmine

Member

I just checked it again.

Now it shows (in the right panel-more buying choices) that you can again get it from Amazon for $79.99.
navyson
join:2011-07-15
Upper Marlboro, MD

navyson to bsangs

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to bsangs
The $79.99 price was the initial main price listed on the site when the poster posted the initial link a few hours ago. That main page price has now switched to $109.95
navyson

navyson to opinionmine

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to opinionmine
The unit available from the amazon warehouse is now $94.06 today Sunday(3:45pm) and was $79 yesterday.(Saturday)

Yesterday, it said that the $79 amazon unit had a 2-4 week delivery and today it says you can get it on Tuesday. WTF they are playing these games on the consumer.

Amazon's constantly changing prices are just amazing:)

bohratom
My Jersey Giants finally winning again..
join:2011-07-07
Red Bank NJ

1 recommendation

bohratom

Member

said by navyson:

WTF they are playing these games on the consumer.

It's called capitalism..... (Guess U never noticed when ground beef is a $1.99/lb and then low and behold its $3.99/lb, supply and demand can suck at times)
nyrmetros
join:2008-02-01
Oakland Gardens, NY

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I thought the fios box could only support 1.5 tb external as the max capacity?

nascar
join:2000-02-28
Verona, NJ

nascar to navyson

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to navyson
It can support 2TB. I'd try that Seagate since it is intended for a DVR.

Otherwise, I'd only go with a DVR rated drive. I have 2 of the WD 1TB DVR (FiOS approved) extenders.
navyson
join:2011-07-15
Upper Marlboro, MD

navyson

Member

said by nascar:

It can support 2TB. I'd try that Seagate since it is intended for a DVR.

Otherwise, I'd only go with a DVR rated drive. I have 2 of the WD 1TB DVR (FiOS approved) extenders.

Do you know what Verizon is so slow in qualifying more units? I took at look at Directv, Dish and Tivo website and they all have alot more units qualified to work with their DVR's.

K3SGM
- -... ...- -
Premium Member
join:2006-01-17
Columbia, PA

K3SGM to navyson

Premium Member

to navyson
Anyone see a reference as to whether or not the Seagate has a fan in it??

IOW, the fan that starts getting noisy after about 3 months, especially if it's in a bedroom.

The WD DVR Expander drives are fanless.

nascar
join:2000-02-28
Verona, NJ

nascar to navyson

Member

to navyson
I do not know why they are slow. I do know that I tried a bunch of 2TB drives. Only a DVR rated drive gave me the performance needed to sustain the HD streams.

I'd go with any DVR rated drive up to 2TB. AFAIK, only Seagate and WD make them so you can go with their pre packaged product or build your own.
said by navyson:

said by nascar:

It can support 2TB. I'd try that Seagate since it is intended for a DVR.

Otherwise, I'd only go with a DVR rated drive. I have 2 of the WD 1TB DVR (FiOS approved) extenders.

Do you know what Verizon is so slow in qualifying more units? I took at look at Directv, Dish and Tivo website and they all have alot more units qualified to work with their DVR's.

RSJ
join:2005-03-09
united state

RSJ to opinionmine

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to opinionmine
How are you able to access both drives? I have the Cisco box and as soon as I plugged in the expander I could no longer access the internal HDD on the Cisco box. I had to replace the Cisco box a few months ago and when I hooked up the SATA drive I had the same results: internal drive on the DVR was not available.

Thanks

Robert
kes601
join:2007-04-14
Virginia Beach, VA

kes601

Member

Once external is full then it will begin recording to internal.
RSJ
join:2005-03-09
united state

RSJ

Member

Awesome! I did not know that. Thanks!

R
opinionmine
join:2006-03-10

opinionmine to RSJ

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to RSJ
said by RSJ:

How are you able to access both drives?

Robert

I can't comment on the Cisco box, but on the Motorola (I wonder when it will be re-branded as Arris, the new owners of this division formally Motorola's) when you see the list of recorded shows, the only way to even know if it was recorded to the internal or the external is that if it was recorded to the external, there is a little icon that is supposed to represent an external HD next to the title of the recording.
opinionmine

opinionmine to kes601

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said by kes601:

Once external is full then it will begin recording to internal.

Not necessarily full, at least not with the Motorola boxes.

I see recordings on the internal even if the external is at low to mid 90% full.
navyson
join:2011-07-15
Upper Marlboro, MD

navyson to nascar

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to nascar
I have never seen a 2TB WD external DVR drive.
said by nascar:

I do not know why they are slow. I do know that I tried a bunch of 2TB drives. Only a DVR rated drive gave me the performance needed to sustain the HD streams.

I'd go with any DVR rated drive up to 2TB. AFAIK, only Seagate and WD make them so you can go with their pre packaged product or build your own.

said by navyson:

said by nascar:

It can support 2TB. I'd try that Seagate since it is intended for a DVR.

Otherwise, I'd only go with a DVR rated drive. I have 2 of the WD 1TB DVR (FiOS approved) extenders.

Do you know what Verizon is so slow in qualifying more units? I took at look at Directv, Dish and Tivo website and they all have alot more units qualified to work with their DVR's.

navyson

navyson

Member

BTW, I ended up buying the 1TB WD drive. It should be here Saturday. I also ended up buying a separate Esata cable since I am told the cable that comes with the WD is very problematic.
navyson

navyson

Member

said by navyson:

BTW, I ended up buying the 1TB WD drive. It should be here Saturday. I also ended up buying a separate Esata cable since I am told the cable that comes with the WD is very problematic.

Installed it a few days ago.Everything seems perfect. I record everything in HD now.