“Can you expand storage via an external hard drive through the USB port?”
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Yes, you can expand storage via an external hard drive through the USB port.
Sorry, there was a problem. Please try again later.The answer saying "yes" to expanding storage through USB hard drive is completely misleading. TiVo has blocked through firmware/software the use of the USB for any kind of hard drive. this is exactly why they added the eSATA connection, but even so, if you plug any kind of drive in the eSATA, it will not like it and not use it, unless is an "approved" one from the list they have on their website, and mind you these "approved" drives, are massively expensive compared to today's prices for storage; and they are not that big. Tivo says, this tight requirement is to prevent failure of any "normal" hard drive and thus failure of the TiVo unit as a whole. Meaning that when you connect a hard drive that is from the "approved" list, the TiVo uses *both* drives, internal and external in tandem to record even one show and does this in their encrypted and scrambled method of recording. All this is basically to put locks on piracy and whatnot, but they also say is an algorithm for efficiency in the way the drives are being stressed/used. And also for "efficient" data transfer and thus video quality. If you ask me, yes, this is related to put roadblocks for pirates and for efficiency for the drives, but also is because the big network's people in suits, have a hold on how their content is distributed and recorded, and they definitely don't want you to record and have, let's say, a library of hundreds of hard drives with terabytes and terabytes of video of their content in your personal collection/library, drives that you can just plug and unplug to your leisure. And just for this reason alone, don't expect any loosening in this restrictions, but on the contrary, I'll not be surprised if they remove the "expansion" ports all together.
Sorry, there was a problem. Please try again later.It has a eSATA drive and you have to use a particular notebook Everyman hard drive from Washington digital call the DVR expander, the USB port is not for that
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