# Is the TiVo S3 HDD max upgrade size...



## TiVo_Fanatic (May 29, 2006)

Is the TiVo S3 HDD max upgrade size still a 1.5TB drive or has this changed due to the currently running software version 11.0j-01-2-648 ?

Also, WinMFS seems to have taken a "dirt nap" in that it seems to no longer be supported by it's author. Even if it is still being supported which it doesn't seem to be, one begs the question of what other if any softwares are out there to aid in the upgrading of a TiVo HDD. I saw something mentioned here about a JMFS but that it seems to be a Premiere only tool.


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## dholzlein (Jun 5, 2008)

TiVo_Fanatic said:


> Is the TiVo S3 HDD max upgrade size still a 1.5TB drive or has this changed due to the currently running software version 11.0j-01-2-648 ?
> 
> Also, WinMFS seems to have taken a "dirt nap" in that it seems to no longer be supported by it's author. Even if it is still being supported which it doesn't seem to be, one begs the question of what other if any softwares are out there to aid in the upgrading of a TiVo HDD. I saw something mentioned here about a JMFS but that it seems to be a Premiere only tool.


JMFS is a premiere only tool that happens to also work with the TiVo HD but NOT with the Series3, so your upgrade options are still as they have been for a while. You are still limited to 250GB + 1TiB internal. But if you use an external then you have a 2TiB theoretical limit with 2TB practical. (where 1GB=(1000)^3; 1TB=(1000)^4; 1TiB=(1024)^4)
2TB is the practical limit due to the drive sizes available and the tools because 250Gb + 1TiB internal plus 1TB external is greater than 2TiB and wouldn't work. The most straight forward is to put 1TB internal & 1TB external. (Notionally, if the Series3 has space like the TiVoHD you might be able to cram the 'external' drive inside the case. This is what I did in the pre-2T drive, pre-jmfs days, in my TiVoHD. I have one of a presumed very few dual-internal TiVoHDs (http://www.tivocommunity.com/tivo-vb/showthread.php?p=8110670#post8110670))


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## TiVo_Fanatic (May 29, 2006)

I dont really like externals because if the internal fails you cant get the shows off the external because of the pairing, same with DUAL internals. Sure the space is nice but not really worth it to me since I dont save alot of shows to begin with, and when I do, for like a movie or something I record on an SD channel. Ideally I would like to keep it all internal which last spike at winmfs said was a 1.5TB with I thin 1.25 of usable space.


dholzlein said:


> JMFS is a premiere only tool that happens to also work with the TiVo HD but NOT with the Series3, so your upgrade options are still as they have been for a while. You are still limited to 250GB + 1TiB internal. But if you use an external then you have a 2TiB theoretical limit with 2TB practical. (where 1GB=(1000)^3; 1TB=(1000)^4; 1TiB=(1024)^4)
> 2TB is the practical limit due to the drive sizes available and the tools because 250Gb + 1TiB internal plus 1TB external is greater than 2TiB and wouldn't work. The most straight forward is to put 1TB internal & 1TB external. (Notionally, if the Series3 has space like the TiVoHD you might be able to cram the 'external' drive inside the case. This is what I did in the pre-2T drive, pre-jmfs days, in my TiVoHD. I have one of a presumed very few dual-internal TiVoHDs (http://www.tivocommunity.com/tivo-vb/showthread.php?p=8110670#post8110670))


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## dholzlein (Jun 5, 2008)

TiVo_Fanatic said:


> Ideally I would like to keep it all internal which last spike at winmfs said was a 1.5TB with I thin 1.25 of usable space.


As I recall that's basically right, but I believe you're mixing units. You have 250GB which is decimal. Using WinMFS, and a 1.5TB drive, you can add a 1TiB partition which is a binary value limitation. So ultimately, you end up with 250GB + 1TiB = 1.349TB or 1.227TiB depending on which units you like better.

Also, these days the 2TB drives are so inexpensive that I don't know that you save much, if any, getting a 1.5 TB drive. The process would work the same, you would just have more unused space. BUT, if a new tool came along, you would be able to expand without needing a new drive, or needing to copy, which might be worth $10 or $20 extra now.


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## Lensman (Dec 22, 2001)

Apologies for dredging up this month-old thread, but I seem to recall that there was an upgrade method for putting a 2 TB internal into a Series 3. Or am I dreaming?


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## TiVo_Fanatic (May 29, 2006)

Lensman said:


> Apologies for dredging up this month-old thread, but I seem to recall that there was an upgrade method for putting a 2 TB internal into a Series 3. Or am I dreaming?


You can by using WinMFS you only get I think it's 1.5TB of usable space if it's one of the S3's with the OLED display like I have, not sure about the "other" S3's.


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## TiVo_Fanatic (May 29, 2006)

I know not alot of time has pased since this post was originally written / my last reply but I might be able to finally bite the bullet and upgrade my OLED S3's HD soon and I'm back to double check. As of this very minute my S3 OLED is running software version 11.0k-01-2-648, any way, is 1.5TB the best I can do for this unit and does the sofwate even really matter in the respect that it says ok this version supports this while this version supports that.

On that note, I also have a S2 DT, whats the max supported drive I can dump in that and if I'm not mistaken, I think it uses IDE connection drives or whatever it is, the ribbon stuff.

Last but not least, not sure wher WinMFS stands right now as the few times I've checked the site not alot of posts / updates seem to be goin on so, what would be the best way to mirror / copy the drives ?

What I was thinking was using a dual drive bay connected via USB and workin em that way. Kinda the same idea of what I was gonna do with WinMFS except until I thought of dual drive bays I was planning on using two seperate external enclosures to do the copies.


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## lessd (Jan 23, 2005)

Lensman said:


> Apologies for dredging up this month-old thread, but I seem to recall that there was an upgrade method for putting a 2 TB internal into a Series 3. Or am I dreaming?


Your not dreaming as i have a special image that will use an internal 2Tb drive in a TiVo-HD only, it was being passed around some time ago.


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## TiVo_Fanatic (May 29, 2006)

lessd said:


> Your not dreaming as i have a special image that will use an internal 2Tb drive in a TiVo-HD only, it was being passed around some time ago.


I talked to weaknees today and they said for my S3 OLED I can use a 2TB single internal and AFAIK, I think I can also use 2TB in my S2DT but has to be two single 1TB's.


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## dwit (May 5, 2004)

TiVo_Fanatic said:


> I talked to weaknees today and they said for my S3 OLED I can use a 2TB single internal and AFAIK, I think I can also use 2TB in my S2DT but has to be two single 1TB's.


Procedure(S3)?


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## TiVo_Fanatic (May 29, 2006)

dwit said:


> Procedure(S3)?


?

Anyway, I hard back from them again and this is max supported for S3 OLED THX model and the S2DT's

S3 OLED: 2TB SATA via a single 2TB drive.
S2DT's: 2TB via two 1TB IDE drives.


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## lessd (Jan 23, 2005)

dwit said:


> Procedure(S3)?


Weaknees may have some means to use more than 1.2Tb on a 2TB drive for the original Series 3 if so I know nothing about such an image. As I said I do have a special image that will let you install a 1TB to 2TB drive into any TiVo-HD using the WinMFS software, you can't back up the image after you install it. (well you can back it up but it will not install anymore)


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## Soapm (May 9, 2007)

lessd said:


> Your not dreaming as i have a special image that will use an internal 2Tb drive in a TiVo-HD only, it was being passed around some time ago.


Is your special image still floating around and if so, what is the exact name so I can google it?


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