Western Digital My DVR Expander 500 GB eSATA Desktop External Hard Drive WDG1S5000VN
by Western Digital
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List Price: Category: CE See more product details |
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Customers in the UK,
Buy this product at amazon.co.uk
for British Pounds
Digital Cameras Photo Reviews of Western Digital My DVR Expander 500 GB eSATA Desktop External Hard Drive WDG1S5000VN
Customer Review: Simple way to expand recording capacity of DVR
Summary: 5 Stars
I have this attached to a Scientific Atlanta DVR. Installation was pretty much plug and play. Plug it in, reboot the DVR, and the DVR recognized the WD drive immediately. Very simple and easy to follow instructions were included for both Scientific Atlanta DVRs and TIVO. I previously had a do-it-yourself setup using a Seagate external SATA drive, which took a few more steps to get working (especially since it wasn't formatted for use with a DVR and there were no instructions of any kind). In contrast, this install was super simple. The drive has been operational for about 3 weeks, and we have had no issues. Drive is quiet does its job well so far. I would recommend this product to others.Customer Review: Enjoying the expander
Summary: 5 Stars
This was a great deal over TIVO and easy to install. It has been working for months and my wife really puts it through the paces. Great prodcut!Customer Review: Just like everyone else.....18 months and then it crapped out.
Summary: 1 Stars
Worked great for 18 months. Then it died. I wish I had read these reviews before I purchased. It currently loads up like it will work....it also works for a couple of hours....then it crashes and you can't watch anything. - Lame. Don't buy this unless you only need if for 18 months or less. Also, tech support wouldn't even talk to me unless I gave them $14.95. Wow, that is some bad customer service!Customer Review: Solid DVR expander
Summary: 5 Stars
As a Southern California of Cox Cable's HD service, I have a Scientific Atlanta Explorer 8240HD DVR. And I like to record stuff. The problem with that is, of course, that the only way to save the stuff I record is to output it to a VCR. Kinda dumb, to go from a digital signal back to outdated analog equipment. But those DVR drives fill up quickly, particularly if you record a lot of HD content.
I was about to give up and go TIVO, but I really didn't want yet another monthly subscription fee. So, I went looking for a solid drive to increase my DVR's capacity, and after a fair amount of research, found that this Western Digital My DVR 500GB expander would work with my DVR. Of course, Cox doesn't support it, meaning that if you have a question or a problem, you're on your own. However, the 8240HD does support eSATA, and I can find my way around most problems, so I gave it a shot.
Amazon's price was good, and the drive arrived in perfect condition.
Installation was simple. Connect and power each component up in the right sequence and that's about it. One important note: BEFORE hooking this drive to your DVR, make a note of the space already used for existing recordings on your DVR. There's usually some setting that shows you the amount of recorded space. Once you hook up this drive, the only way to tell if it installed correctly is to go back and check the recorded space again. If the first reading said, for example, 25% used, then when you install this drive, the new percentage should be quite a bit smaller, thus letting you know of the increased capacity.
The drive is virtually silent, not inordinately hot, and the soft amber light on the front is not distracting, even when watching the TV with the lights out. Can't speak to its longevity, because I've only had it in service for a few months. But, I've had great luck with other WD drives on my Mac, so I expect this drive to last.
If you need a high capacity drive for your DVR, take a serious look at this one.
Customer Review: Works as designed
Summary: 5 Stars
I am using with a Tivo Series 3 HD DVR. READ THE INSTRUCTIONS. It is not as simple as just plugging in, there are some other things you must do, but it is pretty much idiot-proof. My install took about 10 minutes and a few Tivo restarts. One important note: unless you plan to put this right next to your DVR, buy a longer cable. I bought the 6FT Shielded External Esata Cable M/m by Startech from Amazon, works like a champ. 6FT Shielded External Esata Cable M/m