# TiVo.com has the "Western Digital My Book AV DVR Expander 1TB"



## rdrrepair (Nov 24, 2006)

I was getting ready to purchase a set of Breakout Cables for a replacement Roamio and saw the DVR Expander listed. The last time I saw this it had zero for price. Tonight it shows $129.99 & it had an ADD button.










So, curiosity got the best of me. Clicking ADD allowed me to one to my cart.










I clicked on checkout and it brought up my address with a get it date between March 27 - 29 depending on one, two or standard shipping. At that point I bailed.

Is it back? Or, a website glitch?


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## tenthplanet (Mar 5, 2004)

Amazon has it from third party sellers for 350 dollars. I can't find the expander in the Tivo store anywhere..oh well


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## rdrrepair (Nov 24, 2006)

I ordered a few. I'll let you know if I get them.

Here's my order history page, including today's order. It shows three at $129.99 each plus shipping. Another order from a November of 2012 pegged these at $199.99 each.


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## justen_m (Jan 15, 2004)

Shouldn't an external 1TB 3.5" drive and enclosure cost like $50?


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## rdrrepair (Nov 24, 2006)

justen_m said:


> Shouldn't an external 1TB 3.5" drive and enclosure cost like $50?


 You would think... I've got 30 days to return them so I'm not sweating it. And, if they're really not available then there's nothing to return.


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## JoeKustra (Dec 7, 2012)

rdrrepair said:


> You would think... I've got 30 days to return them so I'm not sweating it. And, if they're really not available then there's nothing to return.


If you do get them, inside might be a WD10EURX. That could be more valuable since they are discontinued. I used one in a basic Roamio for a year until it died.


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## rdrrepair (Nov 24, 2006)

JoeKustra said:


> If you do get them, inside might be a WD10EURX. That could be more valuable since they are discontinued. I used one in a basic Roamio for a year until it died.


 I get why people here recommend not to install an external drive. Once the TiVo marries the two drives together it gives you two points of failure and all recordings are lost.

Those two external expanded, from November of 2012, are still going strong. One is attached to an S3 OLED and records only General Hospital, the other is attached to a Premiere. I'm getting ready to replace the Pemiere with a Roamio and am upgrading that to 8TB and transferring the shows over.


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## dianebrat (Jul 6, 2002)

rdrrepair said:


> One is attached to an S3 OLED and records only General Hospital,


You do know that the OLED S3 doesn't require the Expander? It accepts almost any drive 1TB or lower by having them grandfathered in.


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## chicagobrownblue (May 29, 2008)

justen_m said:


> Shouldn't an external 1TB 3.5" drive and enclosure cost like $50?


I'll buy one from you for $50.


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## chicagobrownblue (May 29, 2008)

rdrrepair said:


> I get why people here recommend not to install an external drive. Once the TiVo marries the two drives together it gives you two points of failure and all recordings are lost.


I can see some Bolt owners preferring external expansion. I would consider it due to anecdotal disk failures and heat problems in the Bolt. The Bolt should be faster pushing programs to a PC backup.


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## rdrrepair (Nov 24, 2006)

dianebrat said:


> You do know that the OLED S3 doesn't require the Expander? It accepts almost any drive 1TB or lower by having them grandfathered in.


I'm under the impression that the S3 OLED was 2TB max internal and 1TB max external. I'm unsure what you mean by "Grandfathered In". Why would I go lower?

My original line of thought. Way back in the dark ages. lol

When TiVo made the S3 I was on SD and I had a tube tv. My massively large 250GB was sufficient to handle the load. Then I purchased the 1TB expanded because I wanted to "max out" that box.

That S3 stayed on the 4:3 screen when I purchased a HD rear projection Sony XBR for my "Bar Room". Because the S3 had all my wife's GH on it, and she could transfer all around to our other S2. Sure, I tried talking the wife into hooking up the S3 to the new Sony but she didn't want it.

Her compromise... Get another TiVo for my new TV. Nice and easy I backed out of the room and with zero hesitation I ordered a 2TB Premier XL4 Elite as my new cutting edge toy. Also ordered two expanders too. Better to beg for forgiveness than ask permissions. Besides, she was in a giving mood as long as I ignored her TiVo.

So, I've got two expander on my two oldest HD TiVo's and they've served me faithfully. Not so much as a hiccup so no complaints here.

The S3 is still recording GH but is more of an overflow unit. I'm also hesitant to do anything with it because of the MPEG limitations on some cable channels. I'm thinking of installing it in either the rv or the summer house where it can still play with its old S2 friends and the SD tv's.


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## Mikeguy (Jul 28, 2005)

justen_m said:


> Shouldn't an external 1TB 3.5" drive and enclosure cost like $50?


Not if it's a TiVo Expander.


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## UCLABB (May 29, 2012)

I'm rather puzzled. How are you going to use these expensive drives and aren't there better alternatives for additional capacity?


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## rdrrepair (Nov 24, 2006)

I've been a TiVo owner since Christmas of 2000 and have sold a few friends on the TiVo brand. Two have already expressed an interest so I'm not going to return them. Yes, I warned them.

But, knowing TiVo, chances are it's a website glitch.


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## dianebrat (Jul 6, 2002)

rdrrepair said:


> I'm under the impression that the S3 OLED was 2TB max internal and 1TB max external. I'm unsure what you mean by "Grandfathered In". Why would I go lower?


I'm saying the OLED S3 doesn't need an expander with the blessed firmware on the HD.. there's a grandfather clause in its logic because people started using unofficial drives before they were announced and Tivo kindly let those slide, it won't marry to certain Seagates that were a known issue, but unlike all models after it, the OLED S3 accepts random 1TB or lower drives externally.


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## UCLABB (May 29, 2012)

dianebrat said:


> I'm saying the OLED S3 doesn't need an expander with the blessed firmware on the HD.. there's a grandfather clause in its logic because people started using unofficial drives before they were announced and Tivo kindly let those slide, it won't marry to certain Seagates that were a known issue, but unlike all models after it, the OLED S3 accepts random 1TB or lower drives externally.


What do you suppose TiVo's thinking is on this? Requiring a quality drive so people don't connect any old piece of junk? Save people calling TiVo when things go south with the crap drive?


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## foghorn2 (May 4, 2004)

UCLABB said:


> What do you suppose TiVo's thinking is on this? Requiring a quality drive so people don't connect any old piece of junk? Save people calling TiVo when things go south with the crap drive?


All you said is true, with cable, the drives have to be set up as expanders and no way in hell will tivo support any old drive. Look at the mess with people changing Bolt drives with POS seagates.


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## shwru980r (Jun 22, 2008)

I thought I read in another thread that Tivo was telling customers that they didn't support external drives anymore. Tivo might get an ear full from those customers who were told to pound sand.


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## kdmorse (Jan 29, 2001)

UCLABB said:


> What do you suppose TiVo's thinking is on this? Requiring a quality drive so people don't connect any old piece of junk? Save people calling TiVo when things go south with the crap drive?


Pretty much. And it was a real problem.

The original stated plan was to support any old e-Sata drive. What vendor? Any vendor... How big? Any size... After all, eSata is eSata, what could go wrong? It would be the solution to all your storage problems.

Reality didn't work out that way. Since the Tivo doesn't treat the external drive any different than the internal drive, any problems accessing it were pretty catastrophic to the reliability of the unit as a whole. If it didn't service an I/O fast enough, or responded oddly, or didn't implement the eSata standard exactly the same way they did, or the cable didn't get seated right, or was bumped, etc... things would go south really quickly - and the Tivo would take the blame.

And while that sounds like a theoretical concern, it manifested itself mightily early on. There were eSata drives that were essentially USB drives with a eSata controller slapped on top of them. There were eSata drives that overheated pretty quickly under 24x7 operation. There were eSata drives that just didn't respond the way the Tivo expected (blame is irrelevant, someone wasn't following the spec). There were cables that didn't sit well. (An aforementioned Seagate drive was a popular problem child - partly because it was a new revision of a Seagate drive that worked fine, and it was hard to tell which you would get). And Tivos married to external drives crashed, rebooted, GSOD'd, and failed recordings left and right.

So they picked one known good one, whitelisted it, and endorsed it. It solved many of the aforementioned problems. It didn't solve the 'bumped cable' problem. And they kinda swung and missed on the 'connector firmness' issue, because the cables they shipped didn't firmly connect to all the holes involved. And they had plans of continuing to whitelist new ones as time went on, clearly that didn't happen.

I had one unofficial, and two official expanders that I used for a very, very long time. They eventually died and took their host boxes recordings out on the way down - but I knew the risks. And like the OP's general hospital box, mine were my 'reruns of old shows' or 'wildcard movies wishlist' boxes.


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## rdrrepair (Nov 24, 2006)

shwru980r said:


> I thought I read in another thread that Tivo was telling customers that they didn't support external drives anymore. Tivo might get an ear full from those customers who were told to pound sand.


 Yeah, I heard that too. Yet, TiVo shows it on their website as working on their Bolt and Roamio TiVo's. Here's a screenshot of the latest TiVo offering on the March Madness page.










At this stage, wouldn't the bigger issue be offering a product for sale with a feature listed and then telling said customer to "Pound Sand?"

Back when I purchased my Two S3 OLED, TiVo sold these models with two cable card brackets and the promise that when the new standard for "M Cards" were worked out that my TiVo would accept it. Didn't work out that way and Time Warner kept charging me for 4 cable cards. Yep, TW and TiVo both told me to "Pound Sand"

Knowing a risk before a said standard was in place was my risk. I can accept that. TiVo currently making something, selling and promoting that item with it working on preceding models. That potential risk, I would think, would be on them.

I've got a Bolt from WK that has a 3TB internal with a 10TB external. I know the risk, my wife knows the risk and I tried talking her out of it. But, I also purchased lifetime service and I know the risks and pitfalls there too. In those regards I'm betting on WK, Tivo and my threshold for pain... But, I'm pretty sure my wife will suffer from selective amnesia and I know that pain too.

_Edit:spelling_


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## ClearToLand (Jul 10, 2001)

kdmorse said:


> ...*Since the Tivo doesn't treat the external drive any different than the internal drive*, any problems accessing it were pretty catastrophic to the reliability of the unit as a whole...


RAID0, even in a 2-bay NAS, is a bad idea. On a 2-bay NAS, either 'bite the bullet' and go RAID1, or accept that it's only tv and go JBOD. Another TCF member, within the past month or so, said something to effect of "_*If you only have one copy of 'something', it must not be that important to you.*_" Adding additional points of failure / ways to lose the data on your TiVo's internal HDD doesn't make sense to me.

JBOD, in a DAS-like environment (USB or eSATA), with a sprinkling of ReadyNAS-like functionality for ease of moving (from internal to external HDD) & viewing (streaming) recordings, would, IMO, have a much higher success rate on a standalone TiVo unit.

For me, kmttg does an excellent job of moving and Streambaby does an excellent job of streaming back (.tivo or .mpg; but Trick Play is limited with .tivo) with virtually unlimited storage at a minimum cost. If, with kmttg, you decrypt to .mpg and additionally save .txt, .srt, .edl files, you now get (standalone) AutoSkip, Closed Captions (via Streambaby) *AND* the ability to view via Plex wherever you install a Plex client or DLNA (media streamer, etc...).

Win-win.


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## rdrrepair (Nov 24, 2006)

It only took a couple of days. Website glitch.

*TiVo.com DOES NOT HAVE the "Western Digital My Book AV DVR Expander 1TB"*








I spent a few hours last night researching NAS options. So much to learn. So many options. Looks like I'm going to have a fun project.


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## JoeKustra (Dec 7, 2012)

rdrrepair said:


> Looks like I'm going to have a fun project.


You should have a plush TiVo doll to gift. So it's not a total loss. 

The drive shows out of stock now.


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## tenthplanet (Mar 5, 2004)

rdrrepair said:


> It only took a couple of days. Website glitch.
> 
> *TiVo.com DOES NOT HAVE the "Western Digital My Book AV DVR Expander 1TB"*
> View attachment 33595
> ...


Sorry about your order, I was hoping you would get them.


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## rdrrepair (Nov 24, 2006)

I received a nice email from TiVo several hours after I saw my order was canceled. At least they gave a reason, the website just said canceled.


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## Mikeguy (Jul 28, 2005)

rdrrepair said:


> I received a nice email from TiVo several hours after I saw my order was canceled. At least they gave a reason, the website just said canceled.
> 
> View attachment 33610


"For options and guidance please call our Customer Support Hotline . . . ."

Of course, there are no meaningful options (that they will tell you about, at least).


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## eric_mcgovern (Jan 9, 2002)

I ordered one - and have received a tracking number. Says it will get here on Thursday. If they don't have them, I wonder what they sent me?


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## rdrrepair (Nov 24, 2006)

eric_mcgovern said:


> I ordered one - and have received a tracking number. Says it will get here on Thursday. If they don't have them, I wonder what they sent me?


 You must have ordered yours before I did.   Or, the hamsters came in and took the order off the top of the printer. lol

I hope you get it then. Keep us posted. Good luck!


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## tenthplanet (Mar 5, 2004)

eric_mcgovern said:


> I ordered one - and have received a tracking number. Says it will get here on Thursday. If they don't have them, I wonder what they sent me?


 They are in the wild, but very expensive, so if you got a tracking number you'll probably get one.


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## JoeKustra (Dec 7, 2012)

eric_mcgovern said:


> I ordered one - and have received a tracking number. Says it will get here on Thursday. If they don't have them, I wonder what they sent me?


The TiVo doll and a note saying try again.


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## Mikeguy (Jul 28, 2005)

JoeKustra said:


> The TiVo doll and a note saying try again.


Yeah, but will the doll have a face or not?


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## eric_mcgovern (Jan 9, 2002)

I already have a tivo doll....with a face....


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## Mikeguy (Jul 28, 2005)

eric_mcgovern said:


> I already have a tivo doll....with a face....


Twins!


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## sfhub (Jan 6, 2007)

Mikeguy said:


> Twins!


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## tommage1 (Nov 6, 2008)

JoeKustra said:


> If you do get them, inside might be a WD10EURX. That could be more valuable since they are discontinued. I used one in a basic Roamio for a year until it died.


A drive that lasts a year is considered good/valuable? Knock on wood but most of mine are still going well for multiple years. I do keep backups to be safe.


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## nrnoble (Aug 25, 2004)

Can the official TiVO expander drive be upgraded to somethting like a 4TB by swapping out the HDD.


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## dianebrat (Jul 6, 2002)

nrnoble said:


> Can the official TiVO expander drive be upgraded to somethting like a 4TB by swapping out the HDD.


No, it's not the case, it's the firmware on the drive and only certain 500GB and 1TB drives are on the OS approved list.


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## eric_mcgovern (Jan 9, 2002)

Well my drive showed up today - brand new expander....guess I caught a unicorn.


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## tommage1 (Nov 6, 2008)

eric_mcgovern said:


> Well my drive showed up today - brand new expander....guess I caught a unicorn.


Heh, I'd sell it, especially if you can get anywhere near what they are asking at Ebay or Amazon. I would never use an expander myself, even Tivo branded, not on any current model Tivos for sure. Congrats though, use, sell or return, seems like a good deal based on current market


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## rdrrepair (Nov 24, 2006)

eric_mcgovern said:


> Well my drive showed up today - brand new expander....guess I caught a unicorn.


 I'm guessing they've now met the minimum legal requirements. Soldier on...


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## Skanter123 (Feb 28, 2015)

A Tivo tech rep told me today that WD expanders that were previously authorized are no longer recommended.

Another, a week ago, said they had blocked the use of eSata on latest software due to corruption issues. I don’t think there is an official TIVO line on eSata use.

I just got a new Bolt, deciding whether to hook up WD expander. I don’t want to void warranty just yet by putting i n a new internal.


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## foghorn2 (May 4, 2004)

The Roamios and Bolts work just fine with the expander. Too much mis information here!!


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## Mikeguy (Jul 28, 2005)

foghorn2 said:


> The Roamios and Bolts work just fine with the expander. Too much mis information here!!


Please, enough with bald "mis-information" claims nowadays! It's information based on people's experiences and valid concerns, based on the implementation of the technology. If you've separately had a good experience, good for you and great to hear!


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## tommage1 (Nov 6, 2008)

rdrrepair said:


> I'm guessing they've now met the minimum legal requirements. Soldier on...


Maybe they just had one left, since you ordered 3 they decided to fill the order for one so they didn't have to do two cancellations, his and 2 of yours.


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## ej42137 (Feb 16, 2014)

Mikeguy said:


> Please, enough with bald "mis-information" claims nowadays! It's information based on people's experiences and valid concerns, based on the implementation of the technology. If you've separately had a good experience, good for you and great to hear!


You realize he's talking about the misinformation coming from TiVo support, right?


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## Mikeguy (Jul 28, 2005)

ej42137 said:


> You realize he's talking about the misinformation coming from TiVo support, right?


Ah, I thought the OP was referring to people here who advised against using an expander. My bad if it was a reference to TiVo . . . .


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## JoeKustra (Dec 7, 2012)

eric_mcgovern said:


> Well my drive showed up today - brand new expander....guess I caught a unicorn.


But did you get the plush doll?


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## tommage1 (Nov 6, 2008)

Mikeguy said:


> Ah, I thought the OP was referring to people here who advised against using an expander. My bad if it was a reference to TiVo . . . .


I thought that too (based on people who have had bad experiences, I've seen some horror stories here). Expanders were probably nice to have with older model Tivos with small drives. And HD pre-compression for S3 and up, about 6 GB per hour, now almost all HD CABLE recordings are only 1.5-1.8 GB per hour. Or for those who are not comfortable with taking apart a Tivo at all. But now with large drives so cheap for anyone who can take apart a Tivo I see no reason to use an expander with a fairly current model. Even a Premiere, you can pop in a 3TB for cheap, up to 8TB (10TB?) if you don't mind starting fresh. The two points of failure has always kept me from considering expanders or two internals (some S2 models). Heck the Roamios and the Bolts use flash drives now so they already have two drive points of failure, why add a third?

What is all this talk about a plush doll?


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## rdrrepair (Nov 24, 2006)

tommage1 said:


> Maybe they just had one left, since you ordered 3 they decided to fill the order for one so they didn't have to do two cancellations, his and 2 of yours.


 That sucks because obviously I ordered before him.  Nah, just kidding, I didn't need it for myself anyway. 

Two friends wanted them if I got it and I would have tried to sell the last one for a profit anyway, so all's good. 

Anyone else get one too?

BTW, No doll here.


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## eric_mcgovern (Jan 9, 2002)

JoeKustra said:


> But did you get the plush doll?


Nope - guess I will be a single tivo doll household.


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## shwru980r (Jun 22, 2008)

tommage1 said:


> I thought that too (based on people who have had bad experiences, I've seen some horror stories here). Expanders were probably nice to have with older model Tivos with small drives. And HD pre-compression for S3 and up, about 6 GB per hour, now almost all HD CABLE recordings are only 1.5-1.8 GB per hour. Or for those who are not comfortable with taking apart a Tivo at all. But now with large drives so cheap for anyone who can take apart a Tivo I see no reason to use an expander with a fairly current model. Even a Premiere, you can pop in a 3TB for cheap, up to 8TB (10TB?) if you don't mind starting fresh. The two points of failure has always kept me from considering expanders or two internals (some S2 models). Heck the Roamios and the Bolts use flash drives now so they already have two drive points of failure, why add a third?
> 
> What is all this talk about a plush doll?


If the flash storage on a Roamio or a Bolt fails Can it be replaced like a hard drive?


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## tommage1 (Nov 6, 2008)

shwru980r said:


> If the flash storage on a Roamio or a Bolt fails Can it be replaced like a hard drive?


Would probably require a Tivo company repair. If you got lucky they might replace the system itself for $49.


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## tenthplanet (Mar 5, 2004)

shwru980r said:


> If the flash storage on a Roamio or a Bolt fails Can it be replaced like a hard drive?


Probably, I would contact Weekknees to see what could be done if the need arises.


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## tommage1 (Nov 6, 2008)

rdrrepair said:


> That sucks because obviously I ordered before him.  Nah, just kidding, I didn't need it for myself anyway.
> 
> Two friends wanted them if I got it and I would have tried to sell the last one for a profit anyway, so all's good.
> 
> ...


If you see the offer again maybe do separate orders, 1 per order.


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## tommage1 (Nov 6, 2008)

Skanter123 said:


> A Tivo tech rep told me today that WD expanders that were previously authorized are no longer recommended.
> 
> Another, a week ago, said they had blocked the use of eSata on latest software due to corruption issues. I don't think there is an official TIVO line on eSata use.
> 
> I just got a new Bolt, deciding whether to hook up WD expander. I don't want to void warranty just yet by putting i n a new internal.


Well as long as you don't break any tabs taking it apart you should be able to put the original drive back in for warranty purposes. I don't think there is any sort of security strip you have to break to take it apart.


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## wtkflhn (May 12, 2006)

foghorn2 said:


> The Roamios and Bolts work just fine with the expander. Too much mis information here!!


 I have one of the older versions that I had not been using for several years.. But the drive was so small on my TIVO ota that I decided to try it out. Its been running for about a year without any issues. It doubled my storage space..


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## scandia101 (Oct 20, 2007)

ej42137 said:


> You realize he's talking about the misinformation coming from TiVo support, right?


And you know what he meant because of what exactly? Why are you correct and Mikeguy and others are wrong about what he meant?


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## foghorn2 (May 4, 2004)

The drives in the expander are excellent WD Greens, should not go bad faster then the drives inside the TiVo.
I got several from the Cox store for $99.


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## dianebrat (Jul 6, 2002)

scandia101 said:


> And you know what he meant because of what exactly? Why are you correct and Mikeguy and others are wrong about what he meant?


And you know BOTH CSRs recommending against Expanders and TCF members recommending against them are both accurate and confirmed facts so technically it doesn't matter which one was being referred to


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## ej42137 (Feb 16, 2014)

Skanter123 said:


> A Tivo tech rep told me today that WD expanders that were previously authorized are no longer recommended.
> 
> Another, a week ago, said they had blocked the use of eSata on latest software due to corruption issues. I don't think there is an official TIVO line on eSata use.
> 
> I just got a new Bolt, deciding whether to hook up WD expander. I don't want to void warranty just yet by putting i n a new internal.





foghorn2 said:


> The Roamios and Bolts work just fine with the expander. Too much mis information here!!





scandia101 said:


> And you know what he meant because of what exactly? Why are you correct and Mikeguy and others are wrong about what he meant?


It seems obvious. The only proximate message to foghorn2's saying there are problems with the expander is the one from Skanter123 referencing statements by TiVo support. That was clearly misinformation but it was attributed to TiVo support.


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## rdrrepair (Nov 24, 2006)

And yet, the only real official site still shows the procedures to hook an expander. I wouldn't believe a front line or even a tier two support representative in the current TiVo structure. I'd believe the collective knowledge of the members here first.

START. Short true official version... TiVo software supports only their 2 authorized expanders at 500GB and 1TB. TiVo will still sell, when in stock, an expander for you to use. TiVo does not keep them in stock in sufficient quantities. END

Collective knowledge of long time members. Expand your internal instead. You're better off with only one point of failure instead of two. Don't use an external.

My personal experience. My Premiere and an OLED S3 TiVo still has working official expanders. I've never had an issue with them. I know the risk.

https://support.tivo.com/SupportPor...iguration/How-to-Add-or-Remove-a-DVR-Expander









*How to Add or Remove a DVR Expander*

Getting Started

Information

Publication

*Getting Started*

Spend more time recording and less time erasing shows! Get more recording space for your favorite programs by adding a TiVo-verified DVR Expander to your TiVo device.

*Requirements*

TiVo-verified DVR Expander
Compatible TiVo device:
BOLT Series
Roamio Series
Premiere Series
Series 3 DVRs

TiVo Software Version 9.2 or higher
Stable power source. If possible, use the SAME power source for both the TiVo device and DVR Expander. 
*Setup Instructions*

*How to Add or Remove a DVR Expander*
*Connecting the DVR Expander*
Use the procedure below to add a TiVo-verified DVR Expander to a compatible TiVo device.

1. Disconnect the AC power cord from your TiVo box.
2. Connect the eSATA cord to the DVR Expander and TiVo box. Make sure not to pinch the eSATA cord or run the eSATA cord by an amplifier, speaker, or any other device with a strong magnetic field.
*IMPORTANT:* Use the eSATA cable supplied with the DVR Expander. Use of a third-party eSATA cable is unsupported and may cause various performance problems including rebooting, poor recording quality, and lost recordings.

3. Connect the AC power cord to the DVR Expander and electrical outlet. The power LED illuminates.
*NOTE:* The LED light may not be visible in bright lighting conditions.

4. Wait approximately 15 seconds for the hard drive to reach operating speed.
5. Power on the TiVo DVR by reattaching the AC power cord.
*NOTE:* If possible, plug the TiVo box into the same power source as the DVR Expander. This ensures both units turn off and turn on at the same time should there be a temporary loss of power.

6. A few minutes after the TiVo box has finished restarting, a screen will appear asking to marry (or link) the expander:
Select *Yes, set up external storage device* to begin marrying the DVR Expander to the TiVo box.
*NOTE:* If you decide to set up your DVR Expander later, select *Skip for now*. You can continue the setup process later by pressing the TiVo button on your TiVo remote to go to the TiVo Central screen.

*For devices running the TiVo Experience 4 (Software Version: 21.7.X):*

*TiVo Model* *Menu Path (from TiVo Home)
BOLT Series & Roamio Series DVRs* *Menu > Settings > Remote, CableCARD, & Devices > External Storage*

*For devices running the previous User Interface or TiVo Experience 3 (Software Version: 20.7.4.RC2 or earlier):*

*TiVo Model* *Menu Path (from TiVo Central)
BOLT Series & Roamio Series DVRs* *Settings & Messages > Remote, CableCARD, & Devices > External Storage
Premiere Series DVRs* *Settings and Messages > Settings> Remote, CableCARD, & Devices > External Storage
Series 3 & earlier DVRs* *Messages and Settings > Settings > Remote, CableCARD, & Devices > External Storage*
7. From the External Storage screen, select *Yes, set up this device*. The Set Up External Storage screen will appear.
8. Once you have read the warning message, press *Thumbs Down* on your TiVo remote three times, then press *Enter*.
9. The TiVo box will automatically restart again. After a few minutes, a screen will appear verifying the setup was successful
*NOTE:* After the TiVo box has finished restarting, you can check the new recording capacity of your TiVo box and DVR Expander system. Press the TiVo button on your remote to go to TiVo Central.

*For devices running the TiVo Experience 4 (Software Version: 21.7.X):*

*TiVo Model* *Menu Path (from TiVo Home)
BOLT Series & Roamio Series DVRs* *Menu > Help > Account & System Info > System Information*
and look at the Recording Capacity field.

*For devices running the previous User Interface or TiVo Experience 3 (Software Version: 20.7.4.RC2 or earlier):*

*TiVo Model* *Menu Path (from TiVo Central)
BOLT Series & Roamio Series DVRs* *Settings & Messages > Help > Account & System Info > System Information*
and look at the Recording Capacity field.
*Premiere Series DVRs* *Settings & Messages > Account & System Info > System Information*
and look at the Recording Capacity field.
*Series 3 & earlier DVRs* *Messages & Settings > Account & System Information > System Information*
and look at the Recording Capacity field.
*Temporarily Disconnecting the DVR Expander*
Follow these instructions when temporarily disconnecting the DVR Expander (to clean or move your entertainment center, for example).

*IMPORTANT:* Always unplug the power cord from the electrical outlet before disconnecting the AC adapter from the DVR Expander.

1. Power off the compatible TiVo box by disconnecting the AC power cord.
2. Disconnect the AC adapter cord and eSATA cable from the DVR Expander.
*Reconnecting the DVR Expander after Temporary Disconnection*
1. Reconnect the AC adapter cord and eSATA cable to the DVR Expander.
2. Power on the TiVo box by reattaching the AC power cord.
*NOTE:* Disconnecting the DVR Expander while the TiVo device is powered on will cause the TiVo box to restart. The box will not recover until the DVR Expander is reconnected and the box is subsequently restarted, or the drive is permanently removed (see below). Programs are not recorded when the DVR Expander is disconnected.

*Permanently Removing the DVR Expander*
Under normal operating conditions, there is no reason to remove the DVR Expander. Removing the DVR Expander does not allow you to play your recordings on a different TiVo box. Because each recording is distributed equally between the DVR's internal drive and the DVR Expander, you cannot gain additional storage by using more than one DVR Expander. You should only remove the DVR Expander if you wish to stop using it.

*IMPORTANT:* If you permanently remove the DVR Expander, you will lose all or most of your existing recordings on both the TiVo DVR and the DVR Expander.

1. Power off the compatible TiVo box by disconnecting the AC power cord.
2. Disconnect the AC adapter cord and eSATA cable from the DVR Expander.
3. Plug in the power for the TiVo box. When the box restarts, it will detect the DVR Expander is missing and display "External Storage Missing."
4. Press the *Clear* button.
5. The WARNING screen will appear and ask for confirmation to remove the DVR Expander. Press *Thumbs Down* three times, then press *Enter*.
6. The TiVo box will begin permanently removing the DVR Expander. Wait until the box restarts.
*IMPORTANT:* Do not unplug the TiVo box before it finishes removing the expander and automatically restarts. Doing so may cause serious damage to the box and DVR Expander.


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## mattyro7878 (Nov 27, 2014)

Good Times!!!


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## Skanter123 (Feb 28, 2015)

rdrrepair said:


> And yet, the only real official site still shows the procedures to hook an expander. I wouldn't believe a front line or even a tier two support representative in the current TiVo structure. I'd believe the collective knowledge of the members here first.
> 
> START. Short true official version... TiVo software supports only their 2 authorized expanders at 500GB and 1TB. TiVo will still sell, when in stock, an expander for you to use. TiVo does not keep them in stock in sufficient quantities. END
> 
> ...


I ried to connct my WD expander HD to Bolt (Hyra) and it would not be recognized. Tech told me this capacity was disabled in latest software version, though other techs have said it is "not recommended". I think "my expander" will go into into "my trashbin".


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## foghorn2 (May 4, 2004)

Skanter123 said:


> I ried to connct my WD expander HD to Bolt (Hyra) and it would not be recognized. Tech told me this capacity was disabled in latest software version, though other techs have said it is "not recommended". I think "my expander" will go into into "my trashbin".


The cable end won't seat all the way in, the rep should have offered to ship you one with a deeper slimmer end.


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## rdrrepair (Nov 24, 2006)

eric_mcgovern said:


> Well my drive showed up today - brand new expander....guess I caught a unicorn.


Hey Eric, how'd you make out with using your expander? What unit did you put it in, running what software?



Skanter123 said:


> I ried to connct my WD expander HD to Bolt (Hyra) and it would not be recognized. Tech told me this capacity was disabled in latest software version, though other techs have said it is "not recommended". I think "my expander" will go into into "my trashbin".





foghorn2 said:


> The cable end won't seat all the way in, the rep should have offered to ship you one with a deeper slimmer end.


Skanter123, Why would you toss it out? When, where did you get your expander? What Is the model number of your expander? If it's from a previously installed expander, from another unit, did you divorce it from the other TiVo? I think I remember someone saying that was required too. Maybe not, it's been so long. Why does Foghorn2 think your cable isn't seated all the way?


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## dianebrat (Jul 6, 2002)

Skanter123 said:


> I ried to connct my WD expander HD to Bolt (Hyra) and it would not be recognized. Tech told me this capacity was disabled in latest software version, though other techs have said it is "not recommended". I think "my expander" will go into into "my trashbin".


There are known issues with the cable needing a slight trim with a Bolt.
Did you get a message ON the Bolt saying it was not recognized or did it just not show? if it just didn't show it's almost always the cable, you were using the eSATA cable, not USB, correct?


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## scandia101 (Oct 20, 2007)

dianebrat said:


> And you know BOTH CSRs recommending against Expanders and TCF members recommending against them are both accurate and confirmed facts so technically it doesn't matter which one was being referred to


I made no claim of any kind. Why would you even think I did?


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## scandia101 (Oct 20, 2007)

ej42137 said:


> It seems obvious. The only proximate message to foghorn2's saying there are problems with the expander is the one from Skanter123 referencing statements by TiVo support. That was clearly misinformation but it was attributed to TiVo support.


It seems obvious to you. At least two other people who posted here seemed to think what he meant was different than what you thought so how obvious could it be?


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## dianebrat (Jul 6, 2002)

scandia101 said:


> I made no claim of any kind. Why would you even think I did?


Because both topics have been brought up in this thread, thus both are facts in evidence, unless you're now saying you didn't read the thread before replying.


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## ej42137 (Feb 16, 2014)

scandia101 said:


> It seems obvious to you. At least two other people who posted here seemed to think what he meant was different than what you thought so how obvious could it be?


I think anyone who reads these messages as they were written will draw their own conclusions. I'm okay with that.


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## scandia101 (Oct 20, 2007)

ej42137 said:


> I think anyone who reads these messages as they were written will draw their own conclusions. I'm okay with that.


And you needed to tell someone that they were wrong.


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## ej42137 (Feb 16, 2014)

scandia101 said:


> And you needed to tell someone that they were wrong.


Sometimes telling someone when they are wrong is helpful, sometimes it is a microagression, and sometimes it amounts to living under a bridge and waiting for billy goats. The readers, including yourself, are going to make their own judgements. I remain comfortable with what I have written.


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## Mikeguy (Jul 28, 2005)

Really? Still? 

OK, OK--you're all right. Done! 

And now, back to our regularly-scheduled programming.


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## Skanter123 (Feb 28, 2015)

rdrrepair said:


> Hey Eric, how'd you make out with using your expander? What unit did you put it in, running what software?
> 
> Skanter123, Why would you toss it out? When, where did you get your expander? What Is the model number of your expander? If it's from a previously installed expander, from another unit, did you divorce it from the other TiVo? I think I remember someone saying that was required too. Maybe not, it's been so long. Why does Foghorn2 think your cable isn't seated all the way?


After living with Bolt for a while, I realize that 1T is more than enough storage. Half the programs are streamed now, and there is no need for external or larger HD. I've reformatted my WD and using for extra backup to anoher computer.


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## eric_mcgovern (Jan 9, 2002)

rdrrepair said:


> Hey Eric, how'd you make out with using your expander? What unit did you put it in, running what software?


Expander is working great, I threw it on my Bolt Vox and it is running whatever the latest release of Hydra is. I did use a different eSATA cable than what was in the box, mainly because I wanted something a bit longer. Been working great for a few weeks now.


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## rdrrepair (Nov 24, 2006)

eric_mcgovern said:


> Expander is working great, I threw it on my Bolt Vox and it is running whatever the latest release of Hydra is. I did use a different eSATA cable than what was in the box, mainly because I wanted something a bit longer. Been working great for a few weeks now.





Skanter123 said:


> I ried to connct my WD expander HD to Bolt (Hyra) and it would not be recognized. Tech told me this capacity was disabled in latest software version, though other techs have said it is "not recommended". I think "my expander" will go into into "my trashbin".


So much for TiVo tech support saying that they deactivated this feature in the software releases.

What size Hard Drive is in your VOX, original or upgraded, @eric_mcgovern ?


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## eric_mcgovern (Jan 9, 2002)

rdrrepair said:


> So much for TiVo tech support saying that they deactivated this feature in the software releases.
> 
> What size Hard Drive is in your VOX, original or upgraded, @eric_mcgovern ?


It is a stock Bolt Vox 3TB.


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## rdrrepair (Nov 24, 2006)

I wonder why @Skanter123 couldn't mary it to his unit?


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## HoTatII (Sep 21, 2016)

TiVo Expander installed 2 yrs. ago still working fine on my Roamio OTA with all the Hydra updates including the latest 21.8.1 RC6...

Sent from my LG-H932 using Tapatalk


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## Skanter123 (Feb 28, 2015)

rdrrepair said:


> I wonder why @Skanter123 couldn't mary it to his unit?


Beats me. Bolt would not recognize it.

As I said - no longer needed. So much streaming nw (not like the old days with Premier) 1T is more than enough for me. Have not been over 10% so far.


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## barronld1 (Sep 27, 2014)

Its been over a month since the last post on this thread but in case someone is still it as I did I have a current update. On Tuesday this past week (6/12/18), I logged into my TiVo account and went to my cart to see if the WD 1TB I had left in it several weeks ago was still in it. It was - ready to order it so I placed the order ($129.99 plus $9.81 for shipping) and got an order number and a message indicating that I would get an update when it shipped. I didn't known that these were getting hard to find and were crazy expensive if in stock. I had a busy week but last night I realized I never received a shipping notice. I checked my e-Mail but nothing after the confirmation about my order being placed and that I would be updated when it shipped. So I logged into my TiVo web site and checked my recent orders looking for an update and tracking number. Instead of a tracking number, a note said my order was cancelled! I was pretty disappointed since my new TiVo BOLT VOX 3TB from e-Bay was coming the next day. I called them this morning and I was told that they had some "glitches" with some online orders being accidentally cancelled when they were doing website maintenance. I was asked if I wanted to reorder and after I said I did, I asked if they had any to ship to me as I couldn't find any on the website. She said she would check and, after a long wait, she said they were out and didn't know when they would get more in stock. After checking many sellers and seeing how much higher the prices had risen, I decided to wait until they were back in stock. After doing a lot more checking on other options, I decided to wait until Monday when weaKnees was open to talk to them about adding an additional hard drive. They would install an new additional internal 4 TB Drive for the same cost as a 1 TB external WD Drive. I decided to think about it for a few days or less and may just use the New BOLT VOX 4TB DVR without and additional drive.


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## ej42137 (Feb 16, 2014)

External drives are notoriously unreliable, and the the 1 TB drives are really old to boot. You are more than doubling your risk of losing all your recordings for a mere 25% increment in storage. If it were me, I'd have Weaknees install it's largest (and newest) 10 TB drive with 1500 hours to make the upgrade actually worthwhile.


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## Elliot2 (Dec 15, 2016)

I see how to disconnect it but how do I clear it and connect it to a new TiVo


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## dianebrat (Jul 6, 2002)

Elliot2 said:


> I see how to disconnect it but how do I clear it and connect it to a new TiVo


You can either plug it into a PC and delete the partitions, or just plug it into the new Tivo and it will offer to format it.


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