So - while we wait... details on bigger Hard drive for HR20-700?

[redsheanazar]

I found this. Would this one work? SimpleTech Duo Pro Drive

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...%2bPro%2bDrive

[FLskydiver]

I bought a Antec MX-1 External Enclosure and a Seagate 7200.11 750 GB HDD and am using this with my HR-20. I love it! Best prices can usually be found at Newegg. Should cost under or well under $200. I bought these from Dell since I had some gift cards from my recent laptop purchase.

The MX-1 is attractive for a number of reasons. It is a well built USB or eSATA enclosure that comes with both esata and USB cables (many externals do not include esata cables). It also comes with a robust stand to optionally support the enclosure on edge. Many enclosures do not include a stand or include a very flimsy or fragile one.

The MX-1 also has a large fan which spins at a low RPM, so it is very quiet yet moves air efficiently over both the top and bottom (in a U-shaped flow) and provides adequate cooling for a HDD that will always be on.

I also find the case and single recessed blue LED visually pleasing.

The drive is mounted with silicone bumpers so vibration is minimized, as is noice. I do hear a slight chunking from the Seagate drive but inside the case it is very quiet and only noticed in complete silence.

I've recorded 29 HD movies so far from the premium channels and a few episodes of Lost and still show 70% remaining space. I was at 95% full with about 25 HD movies on the internal HDD. It is easy to switch back and forth; but I've pretty much watched or re-recorded (or re-scheduled) everything I had on the internal HDD so that is becoming not very necessary.

Initial set up went like this:

Install the HDD into the enclosure (no preparation such as formatting the HDD in a computer required); connect the esata cable; power on the drive, power on the DVR.

The DVR to my surprise booted to the internal HDD. I did a red-button reset and it then booted to the external correctly.

I programmed my favorites lists again (it's a good idea to write down the channel numbers you have in your current lists first) and tested a few recordings. Everything worked fine.

I then put the DVR into standby (I hit the power button) and then pulled the plug. Turned off the power to the external HDD (did not disconnect the esata cable) and plugged the DVR back in.

It booted from the internal HDD correctly.

I powered it off after watching a movie and pulled the plug. Powered on the external enclosure and plugged the DVR back in. It booted to the external HDD. My favorites list was intact, as was the previously recorded programs.

I was under the impression that the esata cable needed to be removed from the DVR to boot from the internal HDD but that isn't so (at least in my case).

I'm very happy with this arrangement. I'm quite surprised at how well it works.

Hopefully, someday, D* will enable us to migrate programming and settings such as favorites lists and Season Passes (or whatever they are called in the non-Tivo world) from the internal HDD to the external when we first set it up. That would be a welcome feature.

Some features DID migrate to the new HDD. I didn't need to reprogram many of the settings; such as the one limiting output choices to 1080i.

Ideally, the external HDD would add a full xx gigabytes of recording capacity to the HDD that is already available inside. We're not there yet, but I hope we get there someday.

When they do implement that, I hope they don't make us wipe out the contents of our current external enclosures to do it. I guess they'd think of that, but I'm accommodating that will make things even more complicated.