# how many hours should I get on a 160GB HDD?



## thezoo

I just installed a new 160 GB HDD on my DTS2 using Instant Cake. 

System Info shows "Variable up to 166 Hours"

The BIOS on the computer (Gateway 866Mhz) I used to install the tivo software showed the HDD was only a 67GB. IC didn't give me any warnings about installing to a drive that wasn't bigger then a 80gb. Does 166 Hours sound about right for a 160GB HDD?

Most of the time I record at high quality. Tivo shows 76 hrs 26 mins @ high quality

I checked my HDD running Windows XP Home (80GB) and the BIOS says its only 65 GB but Windows XP sees it as 80GB. Im thinking this is a bug with my BIOS info on the computer (AMIBIOS DATE 07/07/00)

--Bill


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## l2bengtrek

you're good to go. rule of thumb is .875 x (how many gigs you have).

My 160 gig shows 144 hours. Why yours shows 166...I don't know. Most examples of 160 gig drives I've seen are 140 hours give or take a couple. Different size partitions or something? 

Edit: I just noticed that your using a Standalone? I should add that I use DirecTivos so maybe the software is different in that respect.


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## mick66

What your bios or OS sees isn't at all relevant. What's relevant is the size that mfstools sees when you load and run it.


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## supasta

My upgraded DT gets 1.62HR/GB in HIGH. So a 320GB drive gets me 160hours.


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## lessd

l2bengtrek said:


> you're good to go. rule of thumb is .875 x (how many gigs you have).
> 
> My 160 gig shows 144 hours. Why yours shows 166...I don't know. Most examples of 160 gig drives I've seen are 140 hours give or take a couple. Different size partitions or something?
> 
> Edit: I just noticed that your using a Standalone? I should add that I use DirecTivos so maybe the software is different in that respect.


I don't know what you are doing but I get 192 hours on a DRT400 with 160G Maxtor QV drive


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## lafos

I wonder if you got limited to a 137GB size. Did you use a LBA48 version of MFSTools? A 160 GB drive gave me 192 Hrs, and a 120 GB gave me 141 hrs.

Just noticed OP has a DT S2. I did get less recording time on a DT upgrade, some of which went to the second tuner buffer. Maybe 166 isn't too far off.


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## lammcspicy

wow i feel a lot better about the 160gb i drive i put in last night showing 178


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## mick66

lammcspicy said:


> wow i feel a lot better about the 160gb i drive i put in last night showing 178


i drive? is that an Apple product


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## thezoo

lafos said:


> I wonder if you got limited to a 137GB size. Did you use a LBA48 version of MFSTools? A 160 GB drive gave me 192 Hrs, and a 120 GB gave me 141 hrs.
> 
> Just noticed OP has a DT S2. I did get less recording time on a DT upgrade, some of which went to the second tuner buffer. Maybe 166 isn't too far off.


I have the second tuner disabled. just running on the digital tunner.

--Bill


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## sburchett

How do you enable the second tuner on a Series 2 Dual Tuner?

Thanks in advance!

Steve


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## ttodd1

Rerun guided setup and tell it you have 2.


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## scandia101

sburchett said:


> How do you enable the second tuner on a Series 2 Dual Tuner?
> 
> Thanks in advance!
> 
> Steve


You don't enable the second tuner. How you have things connected to the Tivo will affect your ability to use the second tuner.
If you have analog cable only, the signal is split internally for each tuner. Schedule a recording on one channel at a certain time and then schedule another for that same time and both will record.
If you have digital cable, you need to split the cable. one line to the Tivo's rf input and the other to the cable box that then gets connected to the Tivo's A/V input.
To switch between tuners while watching live TV, just press the live tv button on the remote or press the 'info' button and then the down arrow button and then the 'select' button.


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## sburchett

I did the Guided Setup, told it I had an input coming in on the RF (coax). It showed me video for each and made me acknowledge there was video. But I can't switch to it, and it doesn't show up anywhere I have looked.

The video into the RF is another Dish receiver. I know I can't switch channels and such, but I have a 301.010 receiver and was going to use the facility available on it to switch to the proper channel and use Manual Record on the TiVo to record things from it.

Quote:
To switch between tuners while watching live TV, just press the live tv button on the remote or press the 'info' button and then the down arrow button and then the 'select' button.
End Quote

That takes me to Parental Controls.

Any ideas?

Steve


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## scandia101

During guided setup did you choose 'satellite only' or 'satellite & cable (no box)'?

You should have chosen satellite & cable (no box). The primary satellite receiver would be connected via composite to the Tivo which would also use composite to connect to the TV. Your second receiver would be directly connected to the Tivos RF input. In the channels I receive list you should eliminate all but channel 3 or 4 on the cable channel list depending on which channel you have the second receiver set to output to. No matter what channel that receiver is tuned to, it will always be sent to channel 3 (or 4) on the Tivos tuner.


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## wolfman75

I just upgraded from the stock 80 GB to a 320 GB drive, but the end result only shows 146 hrs?? 

mfsbackup -Tao - /dev/hdc | mfsrestore -s 127 -r 4 -xzpi - /dev/hdd

What happened? Shouldn't it show around 300 hrs for a 320 GB drive??


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## rbtravis

wolfman75 said:


> I just upgraded from the stock 80 GB to a 320 GB drive, but the end result only shows 146 hrs??
> 
> mfsbackup -Tao - /dev/hdc | mfsrestore -s 127 -r 4 -xzpi - /dev/hdd
> 
> What happened? Shouldn't it show around 300 hrs for a 320 GB drive??


Sounds like your image doe's not have LBA48 support. Suggest you buy Instantcake from DVRupgrade which includes LBA48 support.


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## tivoupgrade

wolfman75 said:


> I just upgraded from the stock 80 GB to a 320 GB drive, but the end result only shows 146 hrs??
> 
> mfsbackup -Tao - /dev/hdc | mfsrestore -s 127 -r 4 -xzpi - /dev/hdd
> 
> What happened? Shouldn't it show around 300 hrs for a 320 GB drive??


What boot CD are you using? If you are not using one with a native LBA48 kernel, try using this one (it is free):

MFStools LBA48 Boot CD


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