Need help choosing external hard drive for HMC HD DVR

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Goldenrhino

Well-Known SatelliteGuys Member
Original poster
May 29, 2012
31
0
Texas
The DVR model is an HR34-700. Can someone please recommend an external hard drive that would work well with this model. I've been told it needs to be an "esata", but I don't know much else.
 
Oops! Sorry for the useless link. I saw the title included the HR34 and figured there would be more recent information.
 
Oops! Sorry for the useless link. I saw the title included the HR34 and figured there would be more recent information.

Sorry if that sounded like I was being a jerk about your link. Appreciate the suggestion. But when I looked at the thread & it had 48 pages with only 1 comment from 2012, I thought there might be more current info.
 
Sorry if that sounded like I was being a jerk about your link. Appreciate the suggestion. But when I looked at the thread & it had 48 pages with only 1 comment from 2012, I thought there might be more current info.

No problem at all! I was trying to be helpful, and I wasn't.
 
Thanks for the tips guys. Question: since these are "internal" hard drives, does that mean they need to be installed inside the DVR? Or do you still just plug them into the SATA slot in the back of the DVR?
 
If you get an enclosure or dock, you put the drive in that, and then run an esata from the dock to the back of the DVR. The internal drive shuts down and it formats the external (power cycle) and uses it for timers, and recordings.

Here is my drive and BlacX dock sitting on my ent center:

7f7125a0.jpg
 
I highly recommend the WD20EURS, a 2TB A/V Green Western Digital, designed for 24/7 DVR use. The Antec MX-1 case is esata and has built in fan, runs about $50 and is very stable.
 

FWIW the Thermaltake BlacX N0028USU does not work with the Directv DVR's. It is for "USB", not "ESATA". I had to send it back & exchanged for model #ST0005U.

Newegg.com - Thermaltake BlacX ST0005U External Hard Drive SATA Enclosure Docking Station 2.5” & 3.5” USB 2.0 & eSATA
 
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