# Hard drive from a new series 2dt to a series 2 single tuner



## surfpunk (Mar 22, 2009)

okay, when my series 2 single tuner died, I promptly replaced it with a TiVo hd, but kept the series 2 because it had lifetime service.
I'm 98% certain it's a bad hard drive. 
I recently stumbled across an incredible deal on a new series 2 dual tuner and picked it up. They are both 80hr models. Anyone know if I can just swap the new drive into the old one ?
TiVo still wants to send me a refurb unit for 3x what I got the new series 2 dt for:down:


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## Resist (Dec 21, 2003)

I know that if you don't let Tivo refurb your old single tuner or replace the drive in it youself, then your lifetime subscription will be lost.

If you had let them refurbish the single tuner what they do is not fix it but replace it and since they no longer have any single tuners anymore they would have replaced it with a dual tuner. I heard the cost would have been $150.


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## unclemoosh (Sep 11, 2004)

surfpunk said:


> Anyone know if I can just swap the new drive into the old one ?
> TiVo still wants to send me a refurb unit for 3x what I got the new series 2 dt for:down:


I would buy a new larger drive and Instantcake. For less than $100 you could have 500+ hours instead of 80.


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## classicsat (Feb 18, 2004)

Actually TiVo wants to send you a replacement unit and move your existing Product Lifetime to it for that price.

You can use the drive in the Series 2 DT, but you have to image it with the software for the old TiVo. You will end up with a working TiVo that could die at any time (although the chances of that happening are small), and a new TiVo you cannot use unless you are willing to invest in another drive and a subscription.

You may be better off in the long run taking TiVo up on their offer, unless you use antenna (the new Series 2 TiVos are not antenna compatible). You will get a new TiVo you can use long ter.


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## Resist (Dec 21, 2003)

classicsat said:


> the new Series 2 TiVos are not antenna compatible


Since when?


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## classicsat (Feb 18, 2004)

The Series 2 DT has never supported antenna (although it may kind of work). It was made known from the get go that its tuners supported only analog cable. A version of the 540 called the 542 also was cable only for its tuner. When the DTA antenna box support was added to the Series 2 line, those boxes were intentionally omitted from that support, because the never supported antenna to begin with, and adding box support could put them in an unwanted position with the FCC. 

This is all because of an FCC rule stating that anything with an antenna tuner must directly tune digital channels. TiVo got around that by making the tuner in it not tune antenna channels. Although that rule went into effect in Feb 2007 and the Series 2 DT launched nearly a year earlier, TiVo made the DT antenna-less to keep the product simpler, so there would be no confusion between it an what would be an antenna capable Seties 2 DT.


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## Xybernauts (Apr 26, 2009)

I'm interested in doing what surfpunk suggested, but in the opposite way. Basically i want to transfer my lifetime subscription from my series 2 540140 to a series 2 duel tuner. Is that possible? Also i want to transfer my hard drive on the 540140 to the duel tuner, is that possible also or will the 540140 hard drive be incompatible with the series 2 duel tuner system? I want a duel tuner system with all my recordings and season passes, settings, etc but without losing my lifetime subscription.


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## classicsat (Feb 18, 2004)

Generally you cannot transfer the Product Lifetime. That is something TiVo has to do, and won't do except to replace a broken TiVo.

And no, you cannot just install the 140Hr drive into the other TiVo. It will need imaged with the proper software image, which will wipe your settings and recordings.


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## jbkmsp (Sep 3, 2009)

classicsat said:


> Actually TiVo wants to send you a replacement unit and move your existing Product Lifetime to it for that price.
> 
> *You can use the drive in the Series 2 DT, but you have to image it with the software for the old TiVo.* You will end up with a working TiVo that could die at any time (although the chances of that happening are small), and a new TiVo you cannot use unless you are willing to invest in another drive and a subscription.
> 
> You may be better off in the long run taking TiVo up on their offer, unless you use antenna (the new Series 2 TiVos are not antenna compatible). You will get a new TiVo you can use long ter.


How do I "*image*" the new drive, is that with "instantcake"? I am NON-tech (enough to get me in trouble!) and I only know how to take out a drive and put in another (no understanding of masters, slaves and jumpers, etc.) Like the poster, I am just trying to make my lifetime subscription work with minimal expense (I can get a new _unused_ dt for $20). Can I only use one of the drives if my original is a 40gb single drive? (I know its time to upgrade to a HD tivo but have other major expenses at the moment)

Thanks for your time and knowledge.


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## unclemoosh (Sep 11, 2004)

jbkmsp said:


> How do I "*image*" the new drive, is that with "instantcake"? I am NON-tech (enough to get me in trouble!) and I only know how to take out a drive and put in another (no understanding of masters, slaves and jumpers, etc.) Like the poster, I am just trying to make my lifetime subscription work with minimal expense (I can get a new _unused_ dt for $20). Can I only use one of the drives if my original is a 40gb single drive? (I know its time to upgrade to a HD tivo but have other major expenses at the moment)
> 
> Thanks for your time and knowledge.


Go to dvrupgrade.com. Instantcake and instructions are available there. It is not really difficult and the instructions are very straightforward. You can always come here for help.


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