# Replacement HD for the Bolt



## ParityBit

Okay, so I thought I did enough research to replace my 500 GB drive with a "supported" 2TB.

My choice was a : Samsung Seagate 2TB (ST2000LM003)

As it turns out, this was a BAD choice. In 2 weeks it had multiple reboots, 4 flashing lights, loss of the ability to run Apps on my TiVo and finally the fatal green screen of death boot loop.

I put my 500GB back in and things have been smooth sailing.

What 2TB/3TB should I buy that would be able to stay functional and reliable?

The only one I have seen people mention was this one ... https://eshop.macsales.com/item/Toshiba/MQ03ABB300/

I have never used that site, and I do not want to make another mistake and loss of time/return (maybe money) just to swing and miss again.

Thanks a ton. I am loving my TivO setup .... when it works.


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## iokajoe

Why not hook up an external drive to the internal SATA port? I just got my bolt a couple of days ago and hooked up a 3.5" WD Red 6gb drive, yielding 900+ hours of HD capacity. You'll need an external enclosure for the 3.5" drive and the appropriate SATA cable, and you'll need to whittle away at the enclosure a bit to make a hole for the cable.


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## OmeneX

Yeah been following your TiVo ups and dows ParityBit especially with the HDD problemos. All I can say is I personally haven't heard bad things about that 3TB yet. It was released in Jan 2015 so the tech behind it isn't that old either.

I know we have a few users here using that drive. There was also the _"Tivo Bolt hard drive replacement & install by Intellibeam.com"_ YouTube video back in October in which they use that drive, and a few other places I heard of it being used. From this small handful it's difficult to gauge how that drive is doing when used with a TiVo specifically. No reports of it failing in any TiVo installations. But again not that many that I know of. Maybe someone else knows something.

When doing deeper web searches and info gathering - I think I remember reading a couple failure claims outside of TiVo in PC usage scenarios.

Then when referencing the external 2tb version of that drive - the reports were much more plentiful and favorable that I remember. Of course again a couple bad reviews in a bunch of good reviews. I do know that the 2tb external version was shucked quite a bit in some NAS communities.

That's all I got for you man on those Toshiba drives. Sorry man. The 3TB is an obscure drive since it was one of the / if not the first 3tb bare metal drives in a 2.5 format. And commanded a premium price. It still does in a way - being rare and priced high from before. http://www.theregister.co.uk/2015/01/13/toshibas_mighty_mini_mq03abb300_hdd/

As far OWC website - my company has bought SSD's from them before back when we were first testing SSD drives to use and the amount you could get was 32/64gb sized ssd for a high price and 120gb was a luxury.

We in fact bought an OWC branded SSD - which some reviews claimed were among the best at the time -- for macs -- we bought ours for PC's. At anyrate they are a legit company who Macheads would know more about then a more PC centric guy like me. (Not hatin!) 

Oh and remember I told you I ended up going with Seagate's newer offering 2TB Mobile HDD? ST2000LM007 I installed it this morning and all is well so far. I'll be monitoring. http://www.seagate.com/consumer/upgrade/mobile-hdd/ *_Link shows the ST2000LM009 model which is the same as the ST2000LM007 I'm using, with the exception of SED encryption features from what I can tell. Click the non encryption button for model change._*

They rate slightly higher then their previous models and spinpoints according to Storagereview.com http://www.storagereview.com/seagate_mobile_hdd_review So you could try this route with me if you wanted.

Seagate also makes a 3tb drive - and this was the drive I was going to go with if not the 3tb toshiba. ST3000LM016

There just isn't much selection out there right now. If you really wanted some safe choices for after market it would be something like a 1TB Western Digital Red or Western Digital WD10JUCT (The one in TiVo Bolt 1tb I believe). Basically NAS or AV drives.

Or do a DIY and hook up an external 3.5

All I got man.


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## NJ Webel

ParityBit said:


> Okay, so I thought I did enough research to replace my 500 GB drive with a "supported" 2TB.
> 
> My choice was a : Samsung Seagate 2TB (ST2000LM003)
> 
> As it turns out, this was a BAD choice. In 2 weeks it had multiple reboots, 4 flashing lights, loss of the ability to run Apps on my TiVo and finally the fatal green screen of death boot loop.
> 
> I put my 500GB back in and things have been smooth sailing.
> 
> What 2TB/3TB should I buy that would be able to stay functional and reliable?
> 
> The only one I have seen people mention was this one ... https://eshop.macsales.com/item/Toshiba/MQ03ABB300/
> 
> I have never used that site, and I do not want to make another mistake and loss of time/return (maybe money) just to swing and miss again.
> 
> Thanks a ton. I am loving my TivO setup .... when it works.


That is the drive that I use, with no issues to date. :up::up:


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## thyname

TiVo is great, but let's face it: it can have issues, and it does drive me crazy when it does. Most of the issues are from the "forced marriage" with the cable companies, who hate TiVo (issues with CableCard pairing, tuning adapters, SNRs, etc). So I personally don't mess with the TiVo internal drives. I know many people have great success with these, but I personally don't want to add another variable to the equation. Feel free to call me "technology challenged " Thus I only use their only approved external drives: https://www.tivo.com/assets/popups/popup_dvrexpander.html

I had two of these for many years (don't remember maybe 8 years), and work flawlessly. Besides, unlike an external drive used for a Directv Genie, where the drive replaces the internal one, this extends it. For my Bolt, 1.5 tb is plenty, as I delete stuff immediately upon viewing. In the first few months with Bolt, I have never seen space used more than 25%.

I had more space befor with Roamio Plus and the extender


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## cyclone23

iokajoe said:


> Why not hook up an external drive to the internal SATA port? I just got my bolt a couple of days ago and hooked up a 3.5" WD Red 6gb drive, yielding 900+ hours of HD capacity. You'll need an external enclosure for the 3.5" drive and the appropriate SATA cable, and you'll need to whittle away at the enclosure a bit to make a hole for the cable.


What enclosure did you use? I tried that and the Bolt saw that the external device was hooked up, but said the device wasn't supported.


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## iokajoe

cyclone23 said:


> What enclosure did you use? I tried that and the Bolt saw that the external device was hooked up, but said the device wasn't supported.


Don't use the eSATA port on the back of the bolt, use the internal SATA port that the current internal drive is hooked up to. That eSATA port on the back of the bolt only supports a very limited set of expansion drives.

I used the "Rosewill RX304-APU3-35B" enclosure and it works great - just run a cable from the internal SATA port on your bolt to the eSATA port on the back of this enclosure.


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## mark1958

ParityBit said:


> Okay, so I thought I did enough research to replace my 500 GB drive with a "supported" 2TB.
> 
> My choice was a : Samsung Seagate 2TB (ST2000LM003)
> 
> As it turns out, this was a BAD choice. In 2 weeks it had multiple reboots, 4 flashing lights, loss of the ability to run Apps on my TiVo and finally the fatal green screen of death boot loop.
> 
> I put my 500GB back in and things have been smooth sailing.
> 
> What 2TB/3TB should I buy that would be able to stay functional and reliable?
> 
> The only one I have seen people mention was this one ... https://eshop.macsales.com/item/Toshiba/MQ03ABB300/
> 
> I have never used that site, and I do not want to make another mistake and loss of time/return (maybe money) just to swing and miss again.
> 
> Thanks a ton. I am loving my TivO setup .... when it works.


ParityBit do your self a favor and stay away from the 2.5" drives and go with a 3.5" enclosure, I modded my sisters Bolt early this spring and she has had Zero issues to date. Here is a link to my mod : http://www.tivocommunity.com/tivo-vb/showthread.php?t=540001

Good luck with what ever route you take.

Btw OWC is an outstanding company to deal with I have purchased many products from them with out an issue, and never a problem with returning anything.


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## ParityBit

I found it easy to change the drive itself, just the stability was bad. I almost feel like I was the only one with it! 

Everything went well last night in addition to recording with the original 500GB. Although I found out I did have to re-pair the cable card which is in process right now. Hopefully that works. I called Verizon and the automated voice said they are working on it.


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## mark1958

ParityBit said:


> I found it easy to change the drive itself, just the stability was bad. I almost feel like I was the only one with it!
> 
> Everything went well last night in addition to recording with the original 500GB. Although I found out I did have to re-pair the cable card which is in process right now. Hopefully that works. I called Verizon and the automated voice said they are working on it.


You are correct it is very easy to just swap out the 2.5" drive But it is hit or miss on the stability end of things, per many many threads on the forum.
My sister lives about an hour and a half away and I did not want her to have issue after issue as she does not have the know how for fixing.

I have read of others changing the stock sata cable in their units with the Esata cable in my post and just leaving the top cover off without modding the case without any stability issues. That way if you have any issues down the road you can just replace the original drive and return if still under warranty.
There are many more choices of 3.5" drives that will work without stability issues that come along with the 2.5" drives.
Just my two cents.


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## ParityBit

mark1958 said:


> You are correct it is very easy to just swap out the 2.5" drive But it is hit or miss on the stability end of things, per many many threads on the forum.
> My sister lives about an hour and a half away and I did not want her to have issue after issue as she does not have the know how for fixing.
> 
> I have read of others changing the stock sata cable in their units with the Esata cable in my post and just leaving the top cover off without modding the case without any stability issues. That way if you have any issues down the road you can just replace the original drive and return if still under warranty.
> There are many more choices of 3.5" drives that will work without stability issues that come along with the 2.5" drives.
> Just my two cents.


You have given me some good food for thought. I honestly did not think about doing something like this, and it seems pretty easy to only have to flip a cable inside. I guess I do not care much about the extra piece of equipment because I have my TiVo with all my other components. I just really hate the though of modding the box or leaving it open.


Does that mean it just extends my current drive? 
Does it appear any different in the menus and stuff? 
Can I use any drive? Like https://www.amazon.com/Red-3TB-Hard...UTF8&qid=1471180326&sr=8-2&keywords=red+drive
 Any other external drives supported besides the one on the TiVo website?

I am sure I will have more questions.


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## mark1958

ParityBit said:


> You have given me some good food for thought. I honestly did not think about doing something like this, and it seems pretty easy to only have to flip a cable inside. I guess I do not care much about the extra piece of equipment because I have my TiVo with all my other components. I just really hate the though of modding the box or leaving it open.
> 
> 
> Does that mean it just extends my current drive?
> Does it appear any different in the menus and stuff?
> Can I use any drive? Like https://www.amazon.com/Red-3TB-Hard...UTF8&qid=1471180326&sr=8-2&keywords=red+drive
> 
> I am sure I will have more questions.


It will not change anything as far as the menu goes, and as long as you don't go over a 3Tb drive the Tivo will do all the setup for you.
I do understand not wanting to leave the cover off but you could always just put the cover particularly over the case with just enough room for the Esata cable to exit the case.
At least you could have a peace of mind as far as anything falling inside the Tivo and doing any damage just a thought.
And I have read of people using the WD Red drives.
Hope this helps, if you need any thing else feel free to Pm me.
Good luck which ever route you take.

Btw it does not add any to the original drive as it will no longer be connected, when you remove the stock sata cable and replace it with the Esata cable the Tivo will now be connected to the external drive via a 3.5" drive enclosure.


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## ParityBit

I have been trying to re-activate my cable card. I get normal channels, but not HBO/Fox and those channels I was told to check. I have done it automated by calling the Verizon number and they said it should take 30 min at most, but still nothing. I also am keeping it on the page where the TiVo gives me the number to call and the ID numbers.

Any idea what could be going wrong? The Mac address is all zero's.


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## mark1958

ParityBit said:


> I have been trying to re-activate my cable card. I get normal channels, but not HBO/Fox and those channels I was told to check. I have done it automated by calling the Verizon number and they said it should take 30 min at most, but still nothing. I also am keeping it on the page where the TiVo gives me the number to call and the ID numbers.
> 
> Any idea what could be going wrong? The Mac address is all zero's.


Unfortunately if Verizon is anything like Charter there are Not many CSR that are well versed in cable card pairing, bottom line is it's not a hard thing to do it's just getting a hold of a competent CSR to send the correct pairing signal.
You might have to call Verizon back and ask for a supervisor, and maybe they can better help you with this situation.

Btw make sure to have the cablecard ser.# as well as your Tivo Ser.# I'm not sure if they need the mac addresses or not but they should be able to let you know every thing they need when you call in.


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## ParityBit

Should I call Verizon (I am on hold still) or TiVo support?

https://forums.verizon.com/t5/Fios-...ableCard-Pairing-Nightmare/td-p/505319/page/2


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## mark1958

ParityBit said:


> Should I call Verizon (I am on hold still) or TiVo support?
> 
> https://forums.verizon.com/t5/Fios-...ableCard-Pairing-Nightmare/td-p/505319/page/2


I doubt that Tivo support can help you with the cablecard pairing, from what you have posted your Tivo is working, your just not getting your premium channels and that is because your cc is not paired correctly.


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## ParityBit

You are correct. The Verizon Tech fixed it in a few min and all is good. So I think I am back at square one.

I think I am going to go with one of two options with a HD.

Purchase the https://eshop.macsales.com/item/Toshiba/MQ03ABB300/ and roll the dice there
Purchase the https://www.tivo.com/shop/detail/westerndigital


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## thyname

Unfortunately that WD external extender is no longer in production and cannot be purchased in the usual places but Tivo and some other at full price. When it was widely available years ago it could be easily found below 100. It also need a new eSATA cable for Bolt which TiVo shipped it for free.


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## ParityBit

thyname said:


> Unfortunately that WD external extender is no longer in production and cannot be purchased in the usual places but Tivo and some other at full price. When it was widely available years ago it could be easily found below 100. It also need a new eSATA cable for Bolt which TiVo shipped it for free.


Wow, so that is very unfortunate for me. Are there no other external drives supported except for that one? Where would I get the new eSata cable?


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## mark1958

ParityBit said:


> You are correct. The Verizon Tech fixed it in a few min and all is good. So I think I am back at square one.
> 
> I think I am going to go with one of two options with a HD.
> 
> Purchase the https://eshop.macsales.com/item/Toshiba/MQ03ABB300/ and roll the dice there
> Purchase the https://www.tivo.com/shop/detail/westerndigital


If you are going with one of these two options I would lean more in favor of the extender from Tivo, but with that said if it were me I would go with a 3Tb drive in a enclosure.
But I would defiantly stay away from the 2.5" form factor until a stable solution is found for all the issues that have been posted with them.
Also Weaknees have many options they are just more costly.
With a external enclosure and the Wd red label drive you would be in the $150 range and more than triple your recording space.


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## mark1958

ParityBit said:


> Wow, so that is very unfortunate for me. Are there no other external drives supported except for that one? Where would I get the new eSata cable?


Tivo still sell the expander and it comes with the Esata cable and uses the Esata port on the Tivo, but they are $130 and will still only yield 1/3 the storage space as a 3Tb drive in an enclosure.
Glad to here that Verizon got you squared away with your cc issue.


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## thyname

ParityBit said:


> Wow, so that is very unfortunate for me. Are there no other external drives supported except for that one? Where would I get the new eSata cable?


That's the only TiVo "supported" external. However, others may work, but TiVo does not endorse them neither support. But then, TiVo does not support several uses and setups that we all know work well, such as using Bolt as a bridge for wired Ethernet.

I had one from before, from the time I had Roamio Plus. When I got Bolt, I realized that the cable it came with did not work with Bolt, so I called TiVo and they shipped one to me at no cost to me. There are threads here on how to make existing cable work, but I believe that if you order the HDD from TiVo it already comes with the Bolt supported cable


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## OmeneX

Just to pipe in here Parity - when I call cable company support to get my card repaired. (CoX)

1. The tech starts the repairing process.
2. After a minute or two I start getting signal from non premium channels.
3. I ask the tech to double check I have premium channels and VoD associated and activated on my account.
4. Say thank you and hang up.
5. Go to the TiVo Bolt user interface and force a connection with TiVo servers, and download all the guide and updated data. (This takes awhile)
6. Premium channels and VOD work for me after completed.

I don't get premium channels or VOD till after the forced connection with TiVo servers. This is how it's worked for me when repairing the cable card. If I was to ever have a problem after this I would just have to call back and try another repair.

Oh and if you decide to go with a 3.5 External good luck. It's a good work around IMO and 3.5 drives offer greater reliability and less expensive for more data storage.

I considered doing the same for awhile - but my entertainment layout is such that I try to minimize as much extra visible "stuff" as possible. But oh boy was I close to going thru with it.

Let us know how it goes duders.


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## ParityBit

So far my TiVo has been rock solid, since I put back in the 500GB I think I am going to monitor my HD usage for a couple weeks and also see how reliable it is. Then I will make an executive decision at that point.


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## gespears

I asked a while back if anybody had any issues with the Western Digital 2.5 Drives but received no response. I guess that means the only issue is with the Seagate Drives? Just asking.


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## tivoyahoo

Is the net takeaway from this thread that 2.5" isn't the way to go - hit and miss, except for perhaps the $165 Toshiba 3TB 2.5" - https://eshop.macsales.com/item/Toshiba/MQ03ABB300/ ?

I believe I'd read it gets less dicey if you stay with a 2TB 2.5" instead of going over 2TB and I was looking at this drive from my local electronics retailer:
Seagate 2TB $110 Model #STBD2000102
http://www.frys.com/product/8297816

but I couldn't find any info on TCF on that model. and it looks like it is marketed as a thin form factor at 9.5mm. what's the thickness of the drive in the Bolt? does a 15mm thickness fit fine? or is drive thickness a consideration at all if you go with an internal replacement 2.5"? I haven't even opened the Bolt yet so don't know what the drive space is like.

but then they offered this *HGST 4TB 3.5" 5400 for $99*:
http://www.frys.com/product/6943757
and it seemed like *for the $ per TB and the reliability of a 3.5" that seemed like the external route was the direction to go vs. a 2.5".* And it looked liked going to a higher capacity 6TB would mean a $200+ drive - is that correct? So over $100 more to gain the extra 2TB with a 6TB vs the $99 4TB. Didn't see the value in doing that and seemed like $25/TB seemed optimal by comparison.

So I picked one up (actually two) while the sale price was in effect, but haven't taken out of the box. also picked up an esata enclosure and esata to sata cable to connect to motherboard - not sure I have the right ones but will get to that down the line. But as next step am checking TCF for opinions on the drive for Tivo suitability, most likely for Bolt but perhaps Roamio also. *Anyone want to give thumbs up or down on the hgst drive and say pay more $$ for a WD instead?* Specs are below. I think I'm convinced that external 3.5" is the way to go. Also wanted to give a *heads up to OP and others on that $25/TB drive (on sale til 8/20) as I'm not seeing better pricing on a $/TB basis on a tivo suited drive.* but if there is, please post. and I'm still weighing a 5TB or 6TB option for added capacity. and instead I could have bought WD Red 6TB for $229: http://www.frys.com/product/8297916 but again, seemed like the 4TB HGST was the better value at $99:

Hitachi GST H3IK40003254SP (0S03359) 4TB 5400 RPM 32MB Cache SATA 6.0Gb/s 3.5" internal HD
Model #0S03359
UPC #705487188967

Product Links:
https://www.amazon.com/HGST-Deskstar-0S03359-Frustration-Free-Packaging/dp/B005SZ8NE2

TCF Reviews/Comments (only a few found when I searched but positive):
http://www.tivocommunity.com/tivo-vb/showthread.php?p=10471058#post10471058

http://www.tivocommunity.com/tivo-vb/showthread.php?p=10484762#post10484762

http://www.tivocommunity.com/tivo-vb/showthread.php?p=10511087#post10511087


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## mark1958

tivoyahoo said:


> Is the net takeaway from this thread that 2.5" isn't the way to go - hit and miss, except for perhaps the $165 Toshiba 3TB 2.5" - https://eshop.macsales.com/item/Toshiba/MQ03ABB300/ ?
> 
> I believe I'd read it gets less dicey if you stay with a 2TB 2.5" instead of going over 2TB and I was looking at this drive from my local electronics retailer:
> Seagate 2TB $110 Model #STBD2000102
> http://www.frys.com/product/8297816
> 
> but I couldn't find any info on TCF on that model. and it looks like it is marketed as a thin form factor at 9.5mm. what's the thickness of the drive in the Bolt? does a 15mm thickness fit fine? or is drive thickness a consideration at all if you go with an internal replacement 2.5"? I haven't even opened the Bolt yet so don't know what the drive space is like.
> 
> but then they offered this *HGST 4TB 3.5" 5400 for $99*:
> http://www.frys.com/product/6943757
> and it seemed like *for the $ per TB and the reliability of a 3.5" that seemed like the external route was the direction to go vs. a 2.5".* And it looked liked going to a higher capacity 6TB would mean a $200+ drive - is that correct? So over $100 more to gain the extra 2TB with a 6TB vs the $99 4TB. Didn't see the value in doing that and seemed like $25/TB seemed optimal by comparison.
> 
> So I picked one up (actually two) while the sale price was in effect, but haven't taken out of the box. also picked up an esata enclosure and esata to sata cable to connect to motherboard - not sure I have the right ones but will get to that down the line. But as next step am checking TCF for opinions on the drive for Tivo suitability, most likely for Bolt but perhaps Roamio also. *Anyone want to give thumbs up or down on the hgst drive and say pay more $$ for a WD instead?* Specs are below. I think I'm convinced that external 3.5" is the way to go. Also wanted to give a *heads up to OP and others on that $25/TB drive (on sale til 8/20) as I'm not seeing better pricing on a $/TB basis on a tivo suited drive.* but if there is, please post. and I'm still weighing a 5TB or 6TB option for added capacity. and instead I could have bought WD Red 6TB for $229: http://www.frys.com/product/8297916 but again, seemed like the 4TB HGST was the better value at $99:
> 
> Hitachi GST H3IK40003254SP (0S03359) 4TB 5400 RPM 32MB Cache SATA 6.0Gb/s 3.5" internal HD
> Model #0S03359
> UPC #705487188967
> 
> Product Links:
> https://www.amazon.com/HGST-Deskstar-0S03359-Frustration-Free-Packaging/dp/B005SZ8NE2
> 
> TCF Reviews/Comments (only a few found when I searched but positive):
> http://www.tivocommunity.com/tivo-vb/showthread.php?p=10471058#post10471058
> 
> http://www.tivocommunity.com/tivo-vb/showthread.php?p=10484762#post10484762
> 
> http://www.tivocommunity.com/tivo-vb/showthread.php?p=10511087#post10511087


If you have decided to go the external route, here is a link to my mod (http://www.tivocommunity.com/tivo-vb/showthread.php?t=540001 ) it also list's the esata cable, HD, and enclosure I used.
Just avoid the DVRdaddy!!!!!


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## JCN

This is where I left off. Just looking for reassurance. I thought this was the best value per gig.

Quote:
Originally Posted by ggieseke View Post
If you go 3.5" TiVo uses the WD AV drives most of the time. For a 3TB drive that would be the WD30EURX. The WD40EUEX 4TB is the largest one in that line.

A lot of people (myself included) use the WD Red drives for larger capacities. That's the WDxxEFRX line for drives up to 6TB. The 8TB version is the WD80EFZX.

This was my question:

I am going to order the WD60EFRX seems to be the best vale per tb. It comes 64mb and 128mb. Is 64 the one I need. I was also thinking of this enclosure, https://www.amazon.com/Mediasonic-Pr...9:Mediasonic. Thanks.


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## ggieseke

According to the WD website, the entire EFRX line is 64MB cache. It doesn't jump to 128 until you hit the EFZX (8TB) line.


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## tivoyahoo

ggieseke said:


> According to the WD website, the entire EFRX line is 64MB cache. It doesn't jump to 128 until you hit the EFZX (8TB) line.


thanks for the clarification :up: but I am confused on this too:


> If you go 3.5" TiVo uses the WD AV drives most of the time. For a 3TB drive that would be the WD30EURX. The WD40EUEX 4TB is the largest one in that line.


WD40EUEX ?? supposed to be WD40EURX ? that one is $160 on Amazon:
https://www.amazon.com/Western-Digital-WD40EURX-3-5-Inch-Internal/dp/B00G3YN37Y

although it may be $144 no tax and free shipping at:
http://www.itosolutions.net/ProductDetails.asp?ProductCode=WD40EURX

but the WD40EFRX red is is $148 at walmart:
https://www.walmart.com/ip/30579529

between WD40EURX and WD40EFRX if they were priced the same, which is better choice for tivo?

The green ezrx line are $125 4TB:
https://www.amazon.com/WD40EZRX-Western-Digital-Internal-IntelliPower/dp/B00EHBEUZO



JCN said:


> I am going to order the WD60EFRX seems to be the best vale per tb.


what price are you seeing on that drive? if it was $25/TB like the 4TB hgst in post #26, then the 6TB would need to be in the neighborhood of 6 x 25 = $150, but I don't think I've seen that drive under $200. Certainly a good drive though and may be well worth the premium $ per TB.

on the Mediasonic enclosure, I think it's a malformed link in post #28, but is this the one you meant from this july post:
http://www.tivocommunity.com/tivo-vb/showthread.php?p=10933316#post10933316

https://www.amazon.com/Mediasonic-ProRaid-HUR3-SU3S3-Drive-Enclosure/dp/B00KCEAXJW/

that's a 2 bay. Am wondering what thoughts are on this aluminum sabrent with 80mm fan for $26:

https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/774177-REG/Sabrent_EC_UEIS7_EC_UEIS7_USB_2_0_and.html

compared to the Rosewill models, which have been favorably reviewed in TCF threads but are over $30. what do you get for the extra $? fan control, led lights, higher quality?


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## JCN

Quote:
Originally Posted by JCN View Post
I am going to order the WD60EFRX seems to be the best vale per tb.

I'm going to research that again but I think it was the mindset of the value between the 4-6 and 8 tb.


----------



## JCN

ggieseke said:


> According to the WD website, the entire EFRX line is 64MB cache. It doesn't jump to 128 until you hit the EFZX (8TB) line.


You are absolutely right! In the 6tb it changes in the pro version and nobody was talking about that version. Thanks for clarifying that. Now I just need to get the proper enclosure with proper air flow. Open for suggestions.

The difference in the WD red between 4-6 and 8 is a few bucks per tb.


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## JTHOJNICKI

ParityBit,

I went with the 3TB Toshiba from MacSales (OWC) for my Bolt in January 2016 (hardest part of the upgrade was trying to avoid breaking those damn case pins). Easy install and rock solid so far. That said, for the same price I put a 6TB WD Red in my Roamio OTA. Initialization for the 6TB took a couple more steps, but still simple with MSFR. Plus the 3.5" NAS drives all have MTBF ratings of 1M continuous operating hours or more


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## tivoyahoo

since this thread is entitled: "Replacement HD for the Bolt" it's worth adding this assessment from this post: http://www.tivocommunity.com/tivo-vb/showthread.php?p=10931228#post10931228


ggieseke said:


> Internal drives are tricky because most 2.5" drives over 1-2TB are crap "archive" drives.
> 
> If you go the external 3.5" route, you can go up to 4TB with the WD EURX line, which is what TiVo uses. After that you have to use the Red drives (WD60EFRX for 6TB or WD80EFZX for 8TB).
> 
> Anything over 3TB will require MFS Reformatter.


The 2.5" Toshiba MQ03ABB300 5400RPM 3TB seems to be an exception given the positive reviews and stand out from the 2.5" pack, but still it's $165 ($55/TB) at this site:
https://eshop.macsales.com/item/Toshiba/MQ03ABB300/

so even if it was as rock solid as a good 3.5" (and that's probably wishful thinking), it's still not cost effective compared to a 3 .5" even factoring in the external enclosure. It seems like the only real pro of going that route is not having the external enclosure / extra piece of hardware and having to route the sata cable through the case. I have more reading to do, but it seems like the scale tilts pretty strongly in favor of 3.5", certainly in the reliability and cost categories if not in "style points" for not being as sleek with the extra outside component.


----------



## JCN

tivoyahoo said:


> since this thread is entitled: "Replacement HD for the Bolt" it's worth adding this assessment from this post: http://www.tivocommunity.com/tivo-vb/showthread.php?p=10931228#post10931228
> 
> The 2.5" Toshiba MQ03ABB300 5400RPM 3TB seems to be an exception given the positive reviews and stand out from the 2.5" pack, but still it's $165 ($55/TB) at this site:
> https://eshop.macsales.com/item/Toshiba/MQ03ABB300/
> 
> so even if it was as rock solid as a good 3.5" (and that's probably wishful thinking), it's still not cost effective compared to a 3 .5" even factoring in the external enclosure. It seems like the only real pro of going that route is not having the external enclosure / extra piece of hardware and having to route the sata cable through the case. I have more reading to do, but it seems like the scale tilts pretty strongly in favor of 3.5", certainly in the reliability and cost categories if not in "style points" for not being as sleek with the extra outside component.


I agree, that's the reasons I moved to this solution. As JTHOJNICKI said the nas drives are designed for this constant run application. Just placing the cover on the bolt because of the cable exit doesn't bother me in the least. Because of the design you can't stack anything on top and it's in a AV cabinet anyways.


----------



## JCN

tivoyahoo said:


> thanks for the clarification :up: but I am confused on this too:
> 
> https://www.amazon.com/Mediasonic-ProRaid-HUR3-SU3S3-Drive-Enclosure/dp/B00KCEAXJW/
> 
> that's a 2 bay. Am wondering what thoughts are on this aluminum sabrent with 80mm fan for $26:
> 
> https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/774177-REG/Sabrent_EC_UEIS7_EC_UEIS7_USB_2_0_and.html
> 
> compared to the Rosewill models, which have been favorably reviewed in TCF threads but are over $30. what do you get for the extra $? fan control, led lights, higher quality?


I would only be using the 1 bay. You definitely want cooling and this unit offered that with temp read out. Thought it would be best for the dollar. Could be used for future raid setup. The only thing I'm concerned about now is that at a power hiccup these units need to be manually turned on. If your not there you lose recordings.


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## ggieseke

tivoyahoo said:


> WD40EUEX ?? supposed to be WD40EURX ?
> ....
> between WD40EURX and WD40EFRX if they were priced the same, which is better choice for tivo?


EUEX was a typo. Sorry.

Between those two drives I'd normally say "whatever's on sale that week", but if they were priced the same the AV Green would probably edge out the Red simply because TiVo uses that line. OTOH, the Green line seems to be merging into the Blue line and I don't know what they might send you if you RMA a bad drive under warranty. Either one is an excellent choice.

Testing the crap out of any drive before using it is way more important than the microscopic differences between those two drives.


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## JCN

ggieseke said:


> EUEX was a typo. Sorry.
> 
> Between those two drives I'd normally say "whatever's on sale that week", but if they were priced the same the AV Green would probably edge out the Red simply because TiVo uses that line. OTOH, the Green line seems to be merging into the Blue line and I don't know what they might send you if you RMA a bad drive under warranty. Either one is an excellent choice.
> 
> Testing the crap out of any drive before using it is way more important than the microscopic differences between those two drives.


The advantage of the green is to cut out when not in use but doesn't the Bolt demand all the time. Learning all the time.


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## bkc56

This thread started with drive replacement, but seems to have migrated more towards adding a drive. As such, my question is perhaps a bit off-topic for this thread, so I apologize.

I have a ton of experience with driver replacement in Series 1 (having done it multiple times on multiple units) but the Bolt is all new to me.

So if you have a drive failure in a Bolt, and need to replace the drive, do you have to download an appropriate image for the disk and setup it up just as one needed to do for a Series 1 drive replacement?

Does anyone have a pointer to a thread that might provide the details of this process specific to the Bolt?


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## aspexil

This is the one I purchased at the sametime as the Bolt. It has been running since Oct 2015 with zero issues.

https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B00I8O6OQ4/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s01?ie=UTF8&psc=1


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## atmuscarella

bkc56 said:


> This thread started with drive replacement, but seems to have migrated more towards adding a drive. As such, my question is perhaps a bit off-topic for this thread, so I apologize.
> 
> I have a ton of experience with driver replacement in Series 1 (having done it multiple times on multiple units) but the Bolt is all new to me.
> 
> So if you have a drive failure in a Bolt, and need to replace the drive, do you have to download an appropriate image for the disk and setup it up just as one needed to do for a Series 1 drive replacement?
> 
> Does anyone have a pointer to a thread that might provide the details of this process specific to the Bolt?


For all the Series 5 (Roamios) and Series 6 (Bolt) TiVos internal drive replacement up to 3TB is plug and play (you do nothing to the drive just put it in) larger than 3TB requires some prep but not a software image -search around and you should find the threads with instructions.


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## ParityBit

I am looking at all options, but it appears the one that fits my needs the best is rolling the dice with a new internal. I do not need 6GB of space!



aspexil said:


> This is the one I purchased at the sametime as the Bolt. It has been running since Oct 2015 with zero issues.
> 
> https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B00I8O6OQ4/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s01?ie=UTF8&psc=1


This is the one I had which was bad! after a week. I have no idea if it was a bad drive or the TiVo made it bad. I wish I ran the Samsung tools/tests on it first ....

So for the past week, since I put in the new drive, everything has been great! No red lights, all my apps work and it it looks/sounds great.


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## bkc56

atmuscarella said:


> For all the Series 5 (Roamios) and Series 6 (Bolt) TiVos internal drive replacement up to 3TB is plug and play (you do nothing to the drive just put it in)...


Fantastic. So much easier than the "good old days". We've been running 144 hours/tivo for over a decade, so I suspect 150 hours (1T) will not be a problem. Hopefully the supplied disk will last a long time, but it's good to be prepared before you NEED it.


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## tivoyahoo

ParityBit said:


> So for the past week, since I put in the new drive, everything has been great! No red lights, all my apps work and it it looks/sounds great.


:up: what's the new drive? the 3TB Toshiba 2.5" for $165?
https://eshop.macsales.com/item/Toshiba/MQ03ABB300/


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## ParityBit

tivoyahoo said:


> :up: what's the new drive? the 3TB Toshiba 2.5" for $165?
> https://eshop.macsales.com/item/Toshiba/MQ03ABB300/


No, the original  I wanted to make sure my Bolt was not faulty to begin with. I have lifetime and I did it before testing it (like keeping it a month) so I would be screwed if it was bad. I am going on the assumption it is okay and it was the drive at this point.

If I do another upgrade, I will try that drive I think. I really hate having only 500GB and I do not want to run a 3.5 drive.


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## mark1958

tivoyahoo said:


> thanks for the clarification :up: but I am confused on this too:
> 
> WD40EUEX ?? supposed to be WD40EURX ? that one is $160 on Amazon:
> https://www.amazon.com/Western-Digital-WD40EURX-3-5-Inch-Internal/dp/B00G3YN37Y
> 
> although it may be $144 no tax and free shipping at:
> http://www.itosolutions.net/ProductDetails.asp?ProductCode=WD40EURX
> 
> but the WD40EFRX red is is $148 at walmart:
> https://www.walmart.com/ip/30579529
> 
> between WD40EURX and WD40EFRX if they were priced the same, which is better choice for tivo?
> 
> The green ezrx line are $125 4TB:
> https://www.amazon.com/WD40EZRX-Western-Digital-Internal-IntelliPower/dp/B00EHBEUZO
> 
> what price are you seeing on that drive? if it was $25/TB like the 4TB hgst in post #26, then the 6TB would need to be in the neighborhood of 6 x 25 = $150, but I don't think I've seen that drive under $200. Certainly a good drive though and may be well worth the premium $ per TB.
> 
> on the Mediasonic enclosure, I think it's a malformed link in post #28, but is this the one you meant from this july post:
> http://www.tivocommunity.com/tivo-vb/showthread.php?p=10933316#post10933316
> 
> https://www.amazon.com/Mediasonic-ProRaid-HUR3-SU3S3-Drive-Enclosure/dp/B00KCEAXJW/
> 
> that's a 2 bay. Am wondering what thoughts are on this aluminum sabrent with 80mm fan for $26:
> 
> https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/774177-REG/Sabrent_EC_UEIS7_EC_UEIS7_USB_2_0_and.html
> 
> compared to the Rosewill models, which have been favorably reviewed in TCF threads but are over $30. what do you get for the extra $? fan control, led lights, higher quality?


If you keep your eyes open on Amazon you can find the 30Eurx for around 110.00 shipped.

Delivered today
Your package was left in the mailbox.
Track package
Western Digital 3 TB WD AV-GP SATA III Intellipower 64 MB Cache Bulk/OEM AV Hard Drive WD30EURX
Sold by: Techdeal LLC
$103.52
Condition: New, never used, sealed with 3 yeas warranty


----------



## tivoyahoo

mark1958 said:


> If you keep your eyes open on Amazon you can find the 30Eurx for around 110.00 shipped.


Thanks. :up: What enclosure are you putting it in?
and what cable are you using?

I posted on the Rosewill models here:
http://tivocommunity.com/tivo-vb/showthread.php?p=10975401#post10975401

Am wondering what all the enclosure options are for 4TB+


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## mark1958

tivoyahoo said:


> Thanks. :up: What enclosure are you putting it in?
> and what cable are you using?
> 
> I posted on the Rosewill models here:
> http://tivocommunity.com/tivo-vb/showthread.php?p=10975401#post10975401
> 
> Am wondering what all the enclosure options are for 4TB+


I used this one for my sisters mod this spring and its working well for her so far
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00N1Q2M6...TF8&colid=1RSUWGZVW1MPC&coliid=I1R8RV5SFLCV7R
It has a good fan and rpm/temp read out.
The cable is here, http://www.addonics.com/products/aasa90l6i-e.php


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## tivoyahoo

mark1958 said:


> It has a good fan and rpm/temp read out.
> The cable is here, http://www.addonics.com/products/aasa90l6i-e.php


was wondering on this:


tivoyahoo said:


> the Rosewill 304 adds this:
> 
> "-LCD displays internal operating temperature.
> -Overheating alarm exceeding set temperature (60C/140F+/-7%).
> -Available temperature setting for variable fan speed"
> 
> so it appears the fan is controlled in a thermostat type way. In other words, you don't turn a dial to adjust the fan speed, but you set the desired temperature (like a thermostat) and the fan adjusts speed to maintain that temp. At least that's how I read it, although it would be nice to read a post from someone firsthand that's used the 304.


and then I don't see any firmware updates for the 304:

http://www.rosewill.com/rosewill-ar...led-display-panel.html#product_tabs_Downloads

do you know if it'll do 8TB? specs say 6TB. just curious more for future upgrade.

your casework is really nice. I'm afraid I'd butcher the back if I tried. so I'm looking for a 90 degree angle sata connector to esata cable. don't know that anyone has found one on TCF and posted. or maybe I just haven't come across it yet.

But I guess I could take the cable you posted and run it outside the case. and then connect a regular esata cable to the port. thoughts? thanks


----------



## mark1958

tivoyahoo said:


> was wondering on this:
> 
> and then I don't see any firmware updates for the 304:
> 
> http://www.rosewill.com/rosewill-ar...led-display-panel.html#product_tabs_Downloads
> 
> do you know if it'll do 8TB? specs say 6TB. just curious more for future upgrade.
> 
> your casework is really nice. I'm afraid I'd butcher the back if I tried. so I'm looking for a 90 degree angle sata connector to esata cable. don't know that anyone has found one on TCF and posted. or maybe I just haven't come across it yet.
> 
> But I guess I could take the cable you posted and run it outside the case. and then connect a regular esata cable to the port. thoughts? thanks


I'm not sure about the 8Tb compatibly because I ever intended on using over a 3Tb drive, now on the cable I do know it could easily be routed out of the bolt without going to the extreme that I did with my sisters.
A simple slit in the plastic case would allow the cable to exit the case. 
But with that being said it only took me about a couple of hours with a dermal tool to complete the work on my sisters, and believe me when I say I'm no expert with hand tools by any stretch.
My sisters has worked so well for a long enough time that I have decided to make the update my self because 1TB just doesn't get it!


----------



## ParityBit

So I have a question. Is it possible to copy stuff (no protected, so like PBS and DisneyHD) files off my TiVo and put them on my Plex server? Then delete the files off my TiVo to free up space?


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## mark1958

ParityBit said:


> So I have a question. Is it possible to copy stuff (no protected, so like PBS and DisneyHD) files off my TiVo and put them on my Plex server? Then delete the files off my TiVo to free up space?


You can transfer unprotected video to a computer, but I have never used plex sorry.


----------



## atmuscarella

ParityBit said:


> So I have a question. Is it possible to copy stuff (no protected, so like PBS and DisneyHD) files off my TiVo and put them on my Plex server? Then delete the files off my TiVo to free up space?


Kind of. You can copy the files to your computer no problem, however Plex can not play a native TiVo file, so you would have to "process" the file with something like video redo first. Might be easier to just copy the file back to your TiVo when you are ready to view it.


----------



## OmeneX

Hey Parity - good to read you again!

Here's some info for you - hope it helps.

There is Video Redo and it is good stuff! Dan203 had a hand in it. http://www.videoredo.com

I currently use Archivo by fflewddur (Awesome person!) since it's pretty quick and easy. Here's a link discussing it in the TCForums from the developer himself. http://tivocommunity.com/tivo-vb/showthread.php?t=532868 -- and here's his website https://straylightlabs.net/archivo/

Here's a picture Archivo in action on my Plex.


http://imgur.com/0XPfZmh

 (Don't wanna embed it) You'll see it converts to file type of your choice during archiving and finds your TiVo on your network and other easy to use stuff. It will delete for you from TiVo with a right click.

There is also KMTTG - which is powerful and used by many members here.https://sourceforge.net/p/kmttg/wiki/Home/


----------



## JCN

OmeneX said:


> Hey Parity - good to read you again!
> 
> Here's some info for you - hope it helps.
> 
> There is Video Redo and it is good stuff! Dan203 had a hand in it. http://www.videoredo.com
> 
> I currently use Archivo by fflewddur (Awesome person!) since it's pretty quick and easy. Here's a link discussing it in the TCForums from the developer himself. http://tivocommunity.com/tivo-vb/showthread.php?t=532868 -- and here's his website https://straylightlabs.net/archivo/
> 
> Here's a picture Archivo in action on my Plex.
> 
> 
> http://imgur.com/0XPfZmh
> 
> (Don't wanna embed it) You'll see it converts to file type of your choice during archiving and finds your TiVo on your network and other easy to use stuff. It will delete for you from TiVo with a right click.
> 
> There is also KMTTG - which is powerful and used by many members here.https://sourceforge.net/p/kmttg/wiki/Home/


Thanks for the easy layout. I first tried KMTTG and looks like a very robust program, a bit over my head. I downloaded Archivo and found it more friendly for a not so smart guy. Up and running very quick.


----------



## JCN

tivoyahoo said:


> was wondering on this:
> 
> and then I don't see any firmware updates for the 304:
> 
> http://www.rosewill.com/rosewill-ar...led-display-panel.html#product_tabs_Downloads
> 
> do you know if it'll do 8TB? specs say 6TB. just curious more for future upgrade.
> 
> your casework is really nice. I'm afraid I'd butcher the back if I tried. so I'm looking for a 90 degree angle sata connector to esata cable. don't know that anyone has found one on TCF and posted. or maybe I just haven't come across it yet.
> 
> But I guess I could take the cable you posted and run it outside the case. and then connect a regular esata cable to the port. thoughts? thanks


They have a sata to sata 90 degree cable and a adapter from sata to esata to plug into the HD case. I been looking pretty hard myself. I don't like their shipping cost.


----------



## JCN

JCN said:


> They have a sata to sata 90 degree cable and a adapter from sata to esata to plug into the HD case. I been looking pretty hard myself. I don't like their shipping cost.


Well the shipping has been resolved.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00PI5X34M/ref=ox_sc_act_title_1?ie=UTF8&psc=1&smid=A3M6GWBAN49ZSM

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0001Y7UAI/ref=ox_sc_act_title_2?ie=UTF8&psc=1&smid=ATVPDKIKX0DER


----------



## bkc56

OK, back with one more question on internal drive replacement...



atmuscarella said:


> For all the Series 5 (Roamios) and Series 6 (Bolt) TiVos internal drive replacement up to 3TB is plug and play (you do nothing to the drive just put it in)...


For this case (internal, 3T and smaller), is there a thread or post that summarizes the most compatible brand(s) and label color(s) to use for replacement/upgrade in a Bolt? Much of the discussion on this thread seems to be focused on external drives and enclosures.

As I've done for the last 16 years with my Series 1 Tivo's, I want to know what disks to look for should I ever have a drive failure in my Bolts. Hopefully this won't be an issue for years, and by then the costs of a 1T or 2T replacement drive should be a lot lower.


----------



## atmuscarella

bkc56 said:


> OK, back with one more question on internal drive replacement...
> 
> For this case (internal, 3T and smaller), is there a thread or post that summarizes the most compatible brand(s) and label color(s) to use for replacement/upgrade in a Bolt? Much of the discussion on this thread seems to be focused on external drives and enclosures.
> 
> As I've done for the last 16 years with my Series 1 Tivo's, I want to know what disks to look for should I ever have a drive failure in my Bolts. Hopefully this won't be an issue for years, and by then the costs of a 1T or 2T replacement drive should be a lot lower.


At this point I believe 2.5 inch 3TB drives are very rare - there is one from Toshiba that some people have used, but it is not an AV drive. For 2TB I think there are more choices but the WD AV drives in the Bolt top out at 1TB so it would again be have to be a non AV drive.


----------



## ncbill

I'd just love to know if anyone (on their Roamio or Bolt) has gotten a stable setup that includes a 8TB drive (red/blue/purple/plaid) since my 3TB Roamio is at 97%.


----------



## ggieseke

ncbill said:


> I'd just love to know if anyone (on their Roamio or Bolt) has gotten a stable setup that includes a 8TB drive (red/blue/purple/plaid) since my 3TB Roamio is at 97%.


I released the 8TB version of MFS Reformatter in late April so there are probably a few out there. I'm offloading enough stuff with kmttg right now to keep my Roamio Pro 3TB at about 80% until I can find the time to finish re-writing it into a copy & expand program.

IMO, the WD80EFZX Red drive is the only 8TB drive that's suitable for TiVos and they aren't cheap. If people start using "archive" drives we'll probably see a bunch of failures similar to the problems a lot of people are having with internal 2.5" Bolt drives over 2TB.


----------



## JCN

Other sellers on Amazon have the WD Red 6 TB for $125.48. Just a heads up.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/offer-listing/B00LO3KR96/ref=dp_olp_new?ie=UTF8&condition=new


----------



## cyclone23

I have several, mostly unused, portable hard drives Seagate, WD (both regular and NAS Mybook units). They are anywhere from 2 to 5 Tbytes in size. Based on my prowling around the forum, it seems that the NAS units would be more likely to have drives that would stand up to the usage in the Bolt application. 

If this is correct, which WD drives should I be looking for?

OOPS! I forgot to add that the drive would be in an external enclosure, cabled to the internal SATA port.

Thanks


----------



## aaronwt

ggieseke said:


> I released the 8TB version of MFS Reformatter in late April so there are probably a few out there. I'm offloading enough stuff with kmttg right now to keep my Roamio Pro 3TB at about 80% until I can find the time to finish re-writing it into a copy & expand program.
> 
> IMO, the WD80EFZX Red drive is the only 8TB drive that's suitable for TiVos and they aren't cheap. If people start using "archive" drives we'll probably see a bunch of failures similar to the problems a lot of people are having with internal 2.5" Bolt drives over 2TB.


I'm still not having any issues with my two 4TB drives, in my Bolts. And one Bolt has been recording on multiple tuners, around twenty hours a day, every day. For close to a year now. Although the drives have each been in at least two Bolts since October. But they have now been in the same Bolts since December/January.


----------



## Puppy76

Is it possible to hook up like RAID 1 or 5? The cost of a second (or third) drive is nothing compared with the pain of trying to replace lost shows (although then you're still reliant on the enclosure and Tivo not dying...)

Does everything here apply to the Romio? (I plan on buying the $400 Romio OTA next year when my Bolt's year of service is up.)

I think 3TB would be okay, as I've made due with 1TB, and the 8TB Seagate NAS drives I bought for my PC earlier this year were like $350+ each.

I wish the drives in these things were easier to replace, and I wish the external connection could just completely replace the internal drive without opening it up!

1TB is just painfully small, and drives are cheap enough that doing like 2x 3TB for redundancy just seems like a no brainer...


----------



## Johnwashere

hmmm I wonder what I should do. Im getting my cable installed Monday and have just setup my new 500gb Bolt... I dont want to get to involved with my tivo if I get a new hard drive soonish- since that will kill everything with a new hard drive.


----------



## Puppy76

Johnwashere said:


> hmmm I wonder what I should do. Im getting my cable installed Monday and have just setup my new 500gb Bolt... I dont want to get to involved with my tivo if I get a new hard drive soonish- since that will kill everything with a new hard drive.


In terms of shows you've recorded, you can just copy them off on to a PC first. The Bolt is FAST at that (not that it wasn't perfectly fine on an S2 even!)

BUT you will be stuck calling your cable company to get them to re-pair your cablecard.

Why on Earth they don't just have an automated system for doing that, I don't know...


----------



## ParityBit

I am confused. Is this the drive type in a Bolt +?

https://www.amazon.com/Samsung-Mome...=UTF8&qid=1475360866&sr=8-1&keywords=WD30NPRZ

I read here the Blue was the type in the Bolt + but I can not find one on Amazon.

Anyone try one in the Bolt yet?


----------



## atmuscarella

ParityBit said:


> I am confused. Is this the drive type in a Bolt +?
> 
> https://www.amazon.com/Samsung-Mome...=UTF8&qid=1475360866&sr=8-1&keywords=WD30NPRZ
> 
> I read here the Blue was the type in the Bolt + but I can not find one on Amazon.
> 
> Anyone try one in the Bolt yet?


Not sure what you are asking, the drive you link to is a 4TB Samsung drive that was pulled from a USB enclosure and is being sold without warranty. It is also the same drive that has almost a 100% failure rate by people who have tried it a Bolt.

The drive that is in the Bolt + is a 3TB Western Digital WD30NPRZ, which is not currently being sold to consumers. It appears to be an OEM only part.

If you are looking for a replacement drive for a Bolt I would look at the 2TB drives from Western Digital or Seagate. Seagate does make 3 & 4 TB 2.5 inch laptop hard drives that are sold on Amazon with 2 year warranties but I have not seen anyone say they have used them yet.


----------



## ParityBit

atmuscarella said:


> Not sure what you are asking, the drive you link to is a 4TB Samsung drive that was pulled from a USB enclosure and is being sold without warranty. It is also the same drive that has almost a 100% failure rate by people who have tried it a Bolt.
> 
> The drive that is in the Bolt + is a 3TB Western Digital WD30NPRZ, which is not currently being sold to consumers. It appears to be an OEM only part.
> 
> If you are looking for a replacement drive for a Bolt I would look at the 2TB drives from Western Digital or Seagate. Seagate does make 3 & 4 TB 2.5 inch laptop hard drives that are sold on Amazon with 2 year warranties but I have not seen anyone say they have used them yet.


I guess I do not know what I am asking either (big surprise) I almost filled my 500GB drive so I may need to just jump in again after my last attempt and failure.

This seems to be my best bet I guess? I have no desire to mod my case with an external.

https://eshop.macsales.com/item/Toshiba/MQ03ABB300/


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## atmuscarella

ParityBit said:


> I guess I do not know what I am asking either (big surprise) I almost filled my 500GB drive so I may need to just jump in again after my last attempt and failure.
> 
> This seems to be my best bet I guess? I have no desire to mod my case with an external.
> 
> https://eshop.macsales.com/item/Toshiba/MQ03ABB300/


I am not a hard drive expert so I don't know if the Toshiba is worth paying more for than the Seagates I linked to on Amazon. My brother works for Western Digital so I try to buy WD drives if at all possible. Western Digital & Seagate are the 2 big players, Toshiba & Samsung are only what I would consider to be minor players.


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## i2k

atmuscarella said:


> I am not a hard drive expert so I don't know if the Toshiba is worth paying more for than the Seagates I linked to on Amazon. My brother works for Western Digital so I try to buy WD drives if at all possible. Western Digital & Seagate are the 2 big players, Toshiba & Samsung are only what I would consider to be minor players.


I've been running the 3TB Toshiba now for 5 months with 0 issues. Highly recommend it.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## ParityBit

atmuscarella said:


> I am not a hard drive expert so I don't know if the Toshiba is worth paying more for than the Seagates I linked to on Amazon. My brother works for Western Digital so I try to buy WD drives if at all possible. Western Digital & Seagate are the 2 big players, Toshiba & Samsung are only what I would consider to be minor players.


I had a Seagate 2TB Laptop HDD SATA III 2.5-Inch Internal Bare Drive 9.5MM (ST2000LM003) and it went bad on me after a week inside the Bolt. That is why I went back to the stock 500 GB



i2k said:


> I've been running the 3TB Toshiba now for 5 months with 0 issues. Highly recommend it.


I have had my eye on this one for a long time. I was actually thinking of getting it initalliy, but I was unsure of the website/quality of the HDD.


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## atmuscarella

i2k said:


> I've been running the 3TB Toshiba now for 5 months with 0 issues. Highly recommend it.
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk





ParityBit said:


> I had a Seagate 2TB Laptop HDD SATA III 2.5-Inch Internal Bare Drive 9.5MM (ST2000LM003) and it went bad on me after a week inside the Bolt. That is why I went back to the stock 500 GB
> 
> I have had my eye on this one for a long time. I was actually thinking of getting it initalliy, but I was unsure of the website/quality of the HDD.


The problem with all these 2.5 inch drives is no one has been using them in a TiVo long enough and in great enough numbers to get any kind of data to make decisions on.

Beyond the Samsung one that seems to fail for nearly everyone, everything else is really an unknown. A single failure here and there is normal for all brands/Models and a few months of running correctly tells us nearly nothing.

TiVo doesn't even know if the ones they are installing originally will have reliable long term use as none of these drives have been around long enough to know. The 500GB & 1TB versions are WD drives designed for a DVR so they should be good, but the WD 3TB in the Bolt+ is not so who knows. In 3-5 years we will have a better picture of how various high capacity replacement 2.5 inch drives function in a DVR until then, all we can do is hope for the best.


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## ParityBit

Yeah I noticed. No one knows. I think I may just get that 3TB and see what happens. I wish they had it on Amazon because of the return policy. (and Prime and all that)


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## jlcoss

atmuscarella said:


> TiVo doesn't even know if the ones they are installing originally will have reliable long term use as none of these drives have been around long enough to know. The 500GB & 1TB versions are WD drives designed for a DVR so they should be good, but the WD 3TB in the Bolt+ is not so who knows.


For what it's worth, the original 1TB drive in our 13-month old Bolt died yesterday. Searching the forum for better options now.


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## jth tv

jlcoss said:


> For what it's worth, the original 1TB drive in our 13-month old Bolt died yesterday. Searching the forum for better options now.


Model number of the 1TB Drive ?


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## jlcoss

jth tv said:


> Model number of the 1TB Drive ?


The model for the original 2.5" drive is WD10JUCT-63CYNY0 (Manufactured 16 JUL 2015); drive also says WD AV-25. Looks like that drive is available for around $70.

I've opted to replace it with an externally mounted 3.5" drive per Tivo Bolt with Esata cable added


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## i2k

jlcoss said:


> The model for the original 2.5" drive is WD10JUCT-63CYNY0 (Manufactured 16 JUL 2015); drive also says WD AV-25. Looks like that drive is available for around $70.
> 
> I've opted to replace it with an externally mounted 3.5" drive per Tivo Bolt with Esata cable added


Old thread, but my 3TB is still flawless

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