# External Hard Drive



## tennisknight (Jun 7, 2012)

I currently have Directv with an added external hard drive via an eSATA cable. Can I take that hard drive and use it in a Premiere Tivo so I can watch my pre-recorded shows on that?

Thanks for anyone's help in advance!


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## logicman (Sep 14, 2005)

I believe the only external drive compatible with the Premiere is the Western Digital My Book AV which is once again available.


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## L David Matheny (Jan 29, 2011)

tennisknight said:


> I currently have Directv with an added external hard drive via an eSATA cable. Can I take that hard drive and use it in a Premiere Tivo so I can watch my pre-recorded shows on that?
> 
> Thanks for anyone's help in advance!


I believe that recordings on any TiVo hard drive are viewable only on the particular TiVo that recorded them. So if you mean could you watch old shows already recorded on your external drive by connecting it to a Premiere, then no. And there's also the compatibility issue mentioned by logicman.


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## ThAbtO (Apr 6, 2000)

Your recordings will be deleted when you remove the drive the Tivo.


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## jrlbc06 (Apr 29, 2012)

If I'm upgrading from HD to Premiere XL4, can I remove the drive from the HD and plug it into the Premiere to expand its capacity? I know the recordings won't transfer. Does it need to be formatted first to erase the current content?

Is it worth doing if the drive is > 2 years old or would I likely be running the risk of it failing shortly and losing the recordings.


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## jrtroo (Feb 4, 2008)

No, this will not work. As noted above in post #2, ONLY the Western Digital My Book AV external drive solution works with a Premiere.


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## Ed_Hunt (Jan 2, 2004)

You didn't say if you have a WD drive. If you do then yes you can move it to the premier, it will format itself when you plug it in. Dives can last far more than 2 years, their downfall is generally heat so make sure it has circulation around it.



jrlbc06 said:


> If I'm upgrading from HD to Premiere XL4, can I remove the drive from the HD and plug it into the Premiere to expand its capacity? I know the recordings won't transfer. Does it need to be formatted first to erase the current content?
> 
> Is it worth doing if the drive is > 2 years old or would I likely be running the risk of it failing shortly and losing the recordings.


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## jrlbc06 (Apr 29, 2012)

Sorry yeah I wasn't clear.

I do have the WD expander on the HD and that was what I was talking about moving. Thanks.


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## jrtroo (Feb 4, 2008)

The additional clarity helps address your question, but it still would not work. The TiVo looks at the total storage as one big drive, and shows are saved across both of the drives (internal/external). Once disconnected, it is treated as being empty when connecting to a new unit.

If you have the rights, you can save to a PC or keep both units active for a period and transfer the content.


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## jrlbc06 (Apr 29, 2012)

As I said in my original question, I am not looking to transfer content. I am simply asking if I can use the drive to expand the capacity of the new Tivo.


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## unitron (Apr 28, 2006)

jrlbc06 said:


> As I said in my original question, I am not looking to transfer content. I am simply asking if I can use the drive to expand the capacity of the new Tivo.


I seem to recall seeing something a few months back about two different models of WD eSATA externals that were extremely similar and one was for DTV boxes and one was the TiVo one, and the one for DTV boxes would not be accepted by the TiVo.

So get the exact model number from tivo.com and see if it matches exactly with what you've got.


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## Ed_Hunt (Jan 2, 2004)

unitron said:


> I seem to recall seeing something a few months back about two different models of WD eSATA externals that were extremely similar and one was for DTV boxes and one was the TiVo one, and the one for DTV boxes would not be accepted by the TiVo.
> 
> So get the exact model number from tivo.com and see if it matches exactly with what you've got.


He was already using it on an S3 so it's the right one.


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## unitron (Apr 28, 2006)

Ed_Hunt said:


> He was already using it on an S3 so it's the right one.


I didn't notice that jrlbc06 had piggybacked onto tennisknight's original post, and when jrtroo says "No, this will not work." I'm not absolutely certain to which one *he*'s replying.


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## jrtroo (Feb 4, 2008)

Yes, the piggybacking threw me off too. I went to the top, read the OP, and answered. 

I'll note that the poster jrlbc06 stated they knew the recordings would not "transfer" (in this context this appeared to mean recordings on the external drive), but did not note anything about intentions to transfer generally. ("won't transfer" is different than "I have no plans to transfer")


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## jrlbc06 (Apr 29, 2012)

Sorry for the confusion, didn't want to start a new thread. I appreciate the advice anyway!


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