TiVo TCD658000 HD XL Digital Video Recorder Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)If you're too lazy to do more research aside from looking at this page, then you may be a bit surprised when you open the box. Here's what you need to know:

1) This TiVo requires a CableCard. It does NOT work with your cable box. It in fact replaces your cable box, so things like On Demand won't work anymore. Cable TV companies are required by the FCC to give you a CableCard on request, but they will likely charge fees for installation and for using the CableCard. It also (at least for me) can be a giant pain to get to a representative who can actually help you. I wasted hours trying to deal with my cable company. Also, try to get them to let you install it yourself, as it's really, really easy and shouldn't cost you twenty bucks to have someone else slide a card into a slot. Seriously, your blind, senile great-grandmother could do this.
2) The TiVo DOES have an Ethernet jack on the back along with the telephone jack. If you can use a wired network connection, then you don't need to shell out extra for the wireless adapter. I'm now returning mine to Amazon for a refund.
3) Lifetime service (totally worth it in my opinion) now costs $399 up from $299, but you can get it for only $299 with a multi-service discount if you already have another TiVo. Even better, you can resell your TiVo in the future with the lifetime service and transfer the service to the new owner. You can't do that with a monthly or yearly plan!
4) The remote is awful compared to the old remotes. Plus, they switched around the buttons! It also now uses 4 AAAs rather than 2 AAs. However, old remotes should work with this TiVo, too. (I haven't bothered trying.)

Nonetheless, don't let this scare you off. The TiVo HD XL is a really solid product, and TiVo is definitely still the king of DVRs. The XL is a bit pricey, but if you do the math, you'll realize this is actually the best way to go. You really won't save money or time by rolling your own or by buying the cheaper one and attaching an external hard drive.

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Product Description:
TiVo HD XL - You're ultimate HD cable experience.Discover a whole new universe of entertainment - in crystal-clear THX sound and picture-optimized for digital cable.It's all the digital entertainment you want, whenever you want it!With the Emmy Award-Winning TiVo service, plus movies, music, and videos from the internet, TiVo HD XL makes the most of broadcast and broadband.

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Antec MX-1 USB/e-SATA 3.5-Inch Hard Drive Enclosure Review

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(More customer reviews)The video speaks for itself.Basically, I prefer this over my Thermaltake for one reason: The ease of swapping drives in and out of it when I need to.Right now it's sitting in my entertainment unit with my media PC, and it contains my entire life collection of stuff.It may not be the most attractive or the most durable.But if you need flexibility there really are no better out there.If you want something that's built like a tank and looks like a rock concert then get the Thermaltake N0012USU Max 4 Active Cooling 3.5-Inch USB 2.0 eSATA Hard Drive Enclosure instead.

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Product Description:
Keep your data safe and cool in Antec's MX-1 portable Hard Drive enclosure. Features a blower fan to keep your drive running cool, and allowing you to operate the enclosure continuously. Simply install your drive, connect it to your computer and start transferring your data at blazing speeds over USB2.0 or eSATA. There's not even any need to install drivers. The MX-1 is made with a special dual-layer design that reduces noise and is lightweight for easy transporting.

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Western Digital My DVR Expander 500 GB eSATA Desktop External Hard Drive WDG1S5000VN Review

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(More customer reviews)What can you say - for a device like this, "scoring" is it easy. It either works as advertised, or it doesn't - this thing works as advertised. It's easy to hook-up/install, or it is not - the directions couldn't be clearer, and it was a snap to hook-up.

I have a Comcast DVR Scientific Atlanta 8300HD. I was constantly running into low space issues. No matter how hard I tried to keep up with "house keeping" it always seemed to run at or near capacity. And with the 2008 Summer Olympics coming up, I was finally motivated to find a solution.

I did few Google searches, and yielded some promising results. Other users of the SA-8300HD had the same problem and came up with varying solutions - build you own eSATA external drive, or buy an out-of-the-box device. I'm pretty tech savvy, having built a number of PCs and external USB drives. The cost of DIY-ing a similar device was about $100-110, delivered. For $40 more, I could get a pre-built and certified device. I didn't want any hassles, so I went with this.

It looks like and is the same size as any of the WD MyBook external drives. It's a little smaller than a hard covered book. It comes with an external power supply and an eSATA cable, and a Quick Install guide.

Total time to install - 15 minutes, tops. I could have done it in less than ten, if I read the install guide fully. I jumped the gun and instead of pulling the plug on the DVR, I just turned it off. YOU HAVE TO UNPLUG THE DVR BEFORE CONNECTING THE EXPANDER. Which is what the directions says, but I skipped.

So, to install, you:

1)Check Capacity of your recorder (mine was at 62%)
2)Unplug the DVR
3)Plug in the Expander
4)Connect the Expander to the DVR with the eSATA cable
5)Plug the DVR back in.

The DVR will go through its boot process. When the clock reappears, turn on your TV and then your DVR. A message will appear:

"Detected an external DVR Expander - do you want to format it for use with this DVR?"

Hit Yes and the message disappears. There is nothing to tell you it is performing the install/format. A few minutes later, a new message appears:

"The DVR Expander is ready to use"

Go to the recording section and check capacity. Mine dropped to 16%!

My recommendation - do not hesitate, buy this. Even if you are tech-savvy, is your time/effort worth $40? This is certified and guaranteed to work. WD drives are typically sturdy, and their MyBooks are highly rated.

Hurry - the Olympics start August 8!!

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Product Description:
Western Digital My DVR expander, 500GB, eSATA, Compatible with Scientific Atlanta 8300 Series, TiVoSeries3 and TiVo HD DVRs. Quiet and Cool - A unique no-fan passive cooling system and special hard drive design makes it quiet for the living room or bedroom

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Western Digital My DVR Expander 1 TB eSATA Desktop External Hard Drive WDG1S10000VN (Black) Review

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(More customer reviews)If you're a Tivo owner with a HD Tivo, then chances are you've come to the right place. This drive is the right choice for upgrading your capacity. It is the ONLY brand that is supported by Tivo, your warranty will remain in effect, and it is a painless install.

This package is the right enclosure, the right eSATA cable, and most importantly the right drive. This drive is NOT a standard PC drive. It is specially designed for 24/7 spinning, low noise, PVR use.

Note that 1TB should give you over 165 hours of HD, not the "60 hours" in this listing. Also note that most Tivos don't recognize drives over 1TB, so spending more won't help you.

If you really want to get into the details of upgrading your Tivo storage, look here: [...]

All my info is current as of Spring 2009. Things change.

Click Here to see more reviews about: Western Digital My DVR Expander 1 TB eSATA Desktop External Hard Drive WDG1S10000VN (Black)

Product Description:
Record more -- delete less. Add My DVR Expander from WD to your eSATA-ready DVR and you'll instantly have space for up to 120hours of high-definition or 600 hours of standard-definition TV. Just plug itin to record even more TV shows, sporting events and movies. It features cool,quiet operation and a soft amber LED to help avoid annoyance at night, even inthe bedroom. Save your programs longer and never miss your favorite shows.Active eSATA port required.Firmware updates from Tivo that need to be downloadedto Tivo boxes before they will work with our new DVR Expander.

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Western Digital My Book AV DVR Expander 1 TB USB 2.0/eSATA Desktop External Hard Drive WDBABT0010HBK-NESN Review

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(More customer reviews)I received my 1TB WD My Book AV Expander today.Here's how it went down:

Unpack, plug into back of DVR with included eSATA cable, plug WD HDD into wall outlet, turn on DVR and TV.See prompt on TV about new attached storage. Look for and find remote that kids misplaced.Then Press A on remote to format. Wait 30 seconds. Now when I press List it shows 5% Full (used to be 40%). It didn't even interrupt the current recording. No more taping over my World Cup matches. How easy is that?

So far no heat from new hard drive and it's whisper quiet.Drive also comes with a USB cable (not needed for this project as the Scientifc Atlanta 8300HD supports eSATA only for adding storage.)From WD's website this drive is on the list of supported drives for Time Warner SA8300HD but it was still a relief to see it immediately recognized.

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Product Description:
Record more. Delete less. WD's My Book AV DVR Expander instantly adds more recording hours to your DVR. With both USB 2.0 and eSATA interfaces, the drive is compatible with many DVRs and other AV devices. Or use this drive with your compatible camcorder to off-load video without a computer.

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