I'm running been out of room on my 300g drive, and am tempted by some good deals on the L01R300 from Maxtor.

My understanding is that this is a DM 11 drive, to new to be included as a yeah or nay at http://www.replaytvupgrade.com/#drivecompatibility (Replaytvupgrade) .

Any reports on how these have worked for people? TIA.

Have you considered using DVArchive to solve your storage problem?

I bought a 500 gb seagate and it works fine. The new maxtors may work, and you can always put it in a computer if it doesn't work in the replay.
(I bought 2 identical 300 gig diamondmax 10's when they first came out and they did not work for me, but I have heard of some that did work)

Do you have more than one ReplayTV?
If so there will be a serious problem seeing the 500 gig 5XXX's guide remotely.

Thanks all,

-I do use DVA, and like it a lot. However, I've got it full too, and it isn't as easy to access, share, etc.

-I do have 2 replays, and didn't realize that there might be problems viewing one if the other went to 500g. Is there any FAQ entry or thread that might discuss this in more detail.

If anyone can report on their new Maxtors, I'd still be very interested.

I don't think there are any flags up. There's no particular reason a 500 gig maxtor wouldn't work. Occasionally there is a model from this brand or that brand that gives trouble. The bottom line is you'll have to just put it in and try. If you do, pls report back the results either way so others know.

With that said, loading a guide from a remote replaytv can be a problem with big drives. The bottleneck is related to the number of shows you have recorded, not the drive size itself. Larger drives, of course tend to have a larger number of shows on them. One way to deal with this is to record everything in high quality.

People will chime in. I'm fuzzy on the number of shows(limit) that isn't problematic, 140 perhaps?

500 gigs recorded all at high would be 166 hour shows.

The "number of shows" bottleneck was recently dicussed in this thread announcing the latest version of DVArchive: http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=698267&page=2

What's true for an instance of DVA is generally true also for any individual Replay unit. Performance starts to suffer with as few as 80 shows and, in my opinion, drops off appreciably after 150 shows. Beyond 500 shows and you could force an error reboot of your Replay when trying to load the remote show data.

500 GB, in my opinion, is really not suitable for a Replay drive. It is much easier and secure to store that much video on your PC using DVA. Large drives get mussed in my experience and you would lose an awful lot of data if you had to re-image. This just doesn't happen with DVA and even if it did it is very easy to backup storage on your PC.

Thanks all,

-I do use DVA, and like it a lot. However, I've got it full too, and it isn't as easy to access, share, etc.

-I do have 2 replays, and didn't realize that there might be problems viewing one if the other went to 500g. Is there any FAQ entry or thread that might discuss this in more detail.

If anyone can report on their new Maxtors, I'd still be very interested.

Dave,

DVArchive is just as easy (if not easier) to access/share as any other networked Replay. Did you know you can run multiple instances of DVArchive on a single PC, allowing you to create themed libraries of archived shows? The most recent version of DVArchvie (3.2, released last month) uses less memory, and seems to perform even better.

If it were my 500MB drive, I'd run 3~4 DVArchive LAN servers using the same physical drive (just different storage directories). Then setup some "tasks" to offload shows from your 300GB drive automagically at 3:00 am every day. Your storage problems are solved, and the performance will be great.

The "number of shows" bottleneck was recently dicussed in this thread announcing the latest version of DVArchive: http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=698267&page=2

What's true for an instance of DVA is generally true also for any individual Replay unit. Performance starts to suffer with as few as 80 shows and, in my opinion, drops off appreciably after 150 shows. Beyond 500 shows and you could force an error reboot of your Replay when trying to load the remote show data.


What I could never figure out is if this number applies to one unit on the network or if it applies to the combined number of shows of all units on the network. For example, if I have 6 RTV's and 2 DVArchive servers with hundreds of shows, will I have problems?

Cheers

From everything that's been posted, the limit applies on a per unit basis. You can avoid problems, for example, by running more than one instance of DVA or by spreading your library over multiple Replays. So to answer your question Smooth, yes and no. As long as you limit yourself to reasonable numbers on each storage instance you're likely to have no problems. Overloading any single instance will likely create problems even when accessed from another device.

I don't understand this constant "load up DVArchive" instead of your Replays because they are slow. All my Replays have 300gig drive. My PC with DVArchive is very fast unit with 6 drives. My Replays can have 50-60 shows at any one time during peak seasons. My DVA server has had a max of 50-60. When cycling through the guides, the Replays update in 1-2 seconds or less. Once they update you can arrow down the show list rapidly. The DVA server on the other hand is dramatically slower. Each arrow down command on the channel list takes a second or 2. The number of shows on the DVA server seems not to matter. It is the same speed whether there are 30 shows or 60.

I don't know if I would call any PC with 6 drives a "very fast unit"... How are these drives mounted?

If you only have 50 or 60 shows on DVA, you probably barely need 1 drive, let alone 5 or 6. Which drive are your shows stored on? What other services are you running on this PC? Have you diabled all power saving measures (save those for your monitor)? I don't have this lag at all, even with about 90 shows.

Machine is a Athlon dual core 4400 with 2x1meg L2. Boot drive and paging/'scratch drive are WD SATA Raptors, dual DVD burners, 2 SATA 3.0 300 and 400g Seagates, 2 Seagate 300g ATA150 in removable cages, 2 gig Corsair DDR. It is not used solely for DVA, but DVA and Poopli are the only 2 apps running constantly.

Which drives are the shows stored on?

One of the ATA150 removables.

Hmmm... and your DVArchive.XML file is (presumably) in your local profile?

Try this... Try moving one show to your C drive (you have to setup that directory within DVA) and then put that show in a special channel on DVA. Then hide all your other channels.

See if this doesn't make a difference.

Maybe there is some sort of lag associated with the removeable cage.

Let one of your Replays load up with about 300+ recordings, and you will understand the problem. Most folks who are looking to install a 500GB drive inside a Replay will not be able to exhibit the restraint you have shown. Their expectation is typically based upon having lived with a 40GB, 80GB, or 160GB drive, and they think having one huge drive will make life wonderful. The 2 seconds delay to load a DVA server guide you are suffering through would seem like a blessing if you ever saw the 20~30 second delay caused by a networked Replay with too many shows.

I have 5 5Ks. I record anything that interests me and a lot of things interest me, LOL. I watch shows with no story arc relatively quickly. Shows which follow an arc (Veronica Mars, LOST), I'll record the entire season before watching. I leave everything on the drive for requests on Poopli.

The DVA behavior is not new, it has been the same with many incarnations of my computer and its drives. It was no slower with a 3200+ 64 than it is now. I may have exaggerated slightly, but arrow down on the Replays goes bink,bink,bink and the DVA server gives bink...,bink....,bink...., which can be annoying. You hit the remote several times and overshoot. Then you have to wait for it to stop, then up arrow to what you want.

The ~100 show listing limit is [i]per a catagory, not a ReplayTV. Few want to deal with catagories because of the manual labor required moving over shows and deal with thinking about catagory names.

Considering catagories are a here-to-stay viable solution, and 500+ gig hard drives are here to stay as well, I came up with this zenish solution:

Make 4 catagories: Summer, Autumn, Winter, Spring
At the beginning of each season change the 'default catagory' that the ReplayTV records to (found in settings) to the new season.

It would keep the guide snappy, particularly at the beginning of each season (nice). The older stuff isn't always in your face haunting you. If a whole year goes by to the next summer and the summer catagory still has old junk from last summer in it.. it's good timing.. intuitive to a spring cleaning. Maybe there's room for one more catagory 'Ancient shows' you could dump the year old ones you can't bear to delete. It will cost you though. To keep them you will have to manually move each show to the 'Ancient shows' catagory. That will make you a bit more liberal about which you delete.

It's Good TV Feng Shui!

So 'cow, I'm curious...
Do you have seven pairs of underwear? Monday, Tuesday, Wedensday....
OR
Twelve pairs? January, February, March ....

I'm thinking he has 4 pairs - Summer, Autumn, Winter, Spring - an idea that good has been used before he thought of applying it to TV! :D

I'm thinking he has 4 pairs - Summer, Autumn, Winter, Spring - an idea that good has been used before he thought of applying it to TV! :D

Here in TX you can get by with just 3--it is too hot in the summer, if you get my meaning.

It's summer and she's from Texas
http://rubyurl.com/fZA

I think Y'all should watch it.

More germaine is the fact that categories don't help at all... the issue is the total number of programs regardless of category.

i'll take your word for it; ah bummer, I was afraid of that. All I remember messin with catagory strategies and putting old shows in one catagory..I remember loathing that tab. I had tooo many shows in it and it took forever.

Actually, I'd appreciate it if someone tested that out (I don't have any replaytvs hooked up right now).

Plyons may have falsely concluded that because his 'default' catagory was fullest and first to load up when the guide is remotely accessed.

It was a good 1.5 years ago when I was messing around with catagories, use them sparsely. I thought I was doing the catagories tests to figure out it was a way around long show lists. Don't remember the conclusion.

If you test be sure the catagory that comes up first only has few shows in it.

The categorys do help, but when you go to the 'all' category accidentally, that's when things go wrong. I have too many shows on a 500 gig replay and I just have to be carefull. I have to pause whatever I am watching before I try to use the channel guide and switch to the next replay. And when I do look at the other replay guide, it will put a skip in whatever is recording at the time.

The categorys do help, but when you go to the 'all' category accidentally, that's when things go wrong. I have too many shows on a 500 gig replay and I just have to be carefull. I have to pause whatever I am watching before I try to use the channel guide and switch to the next replay. And when I do look at the other replay guide, it will put a skip in whatever is recording at the time.


That's right. I made two extra blank catagories and put them on either side of the 'all' catagory. One was DontgoL[eft] and the other was DontgoR. heh.

...Plyons may have falsely concluded that because his 'default' catagory was fullest and first to load up when the guide is remotely accessed.

All shows is the total (but received) and the first to load, so that's the whole point. I haven't tested exhaustively, but I never found a way to default to anything but All shows on loading a fresh cache. That means keeping All shows under 100 even though I record to categories.

So I agree with plyons10 (until someone proves otherwise) and I agree with nded re Seasonal Bovine UdderWear... tho I'd prefer no proof on that or otherwise. :o

It's summer and she's from Texas
http://rubyurl.com/fZA

I think Y'all should watch it.

'cow the proper expression is "all y'all" not "y'all" Of course, I can't exactly hold it against you, being that you're from Southern California, as was I, and this isn't exactly something that we would pickup from the local dialect, so until someone from Lousiana took the time to explain, I didn't know either...

How old are you? Do you plan to WATCH any of these shows? Or am I missing the point?

How old are you? Do you plan to WATCH any of these shows? Old enough to know better.

Will I ever watch them all? No. Like adone36 I record quite a lot. Many non story-arc items get watched. Whole seasons of other shows are recorded but ultimately never viewed.

Just having them available is the bullfrog's beard (http://www.conceptlab.com/frog/banff2005/banff2005-hertz-frogmouth.jpg). :cool:

I watch virtually everything. Right now with everything in repeats, I've run through a huge backlog of last season shows I never watched. By the time I watch 24 and a couple others, the new season will be starting. The beauty of Replay is that you can record a whole season of a show that follows a storyline. They cancel it and leave everyone hanging. If you watch 1 or 2 and there is nothing compelling, you just delete the whole season. I watch NOTHING live.

Just having them available is the bullfrog's beard (http://www.conceptlab.com/frog/banff2005/banff2005-hertz-frogmouth.jpg). :cool:

Next time you show a dead frog with a web server implanted in its head suspended in a clear liquid from a blue ethernet cable that kicks when people watch (via webcam) and control it remotely (with a web browser), could you include the video??

http://www.conceptlab.com/frog/aceart-frog1.mov

Actually, Ken... the Replay guide defaults to the category last browsed. So as long as the last category you viewed on that Replay instance wasn't the "ALL" category, you will go back to that, presumably, smaller category.

I use this feature all the time. Our living room Replay, for instance, is almost always set to default to the "Baby" category on DVA, where I've archived our Baby Einstien videos (they make little Benjamin poo!). Meanwhile, in my bedroom, the "Music" category is usually the one that comes up, as I often watch an old music concert or video before going to bed.

And this doesn't help at all in my experience in getting the guide data to load any quicker if you still have over 100 shows on the DVA (or other unit) without regard to the categorizations.

Another factor that slows down your Replay is the numbers of channels you have programmed, even when they hold no recordings. Good practice dictates that you clean out your channel guide of obsolete entries periodically.

Ironic, isn't it, that Cow's proposed "solution" would therefore only make matters worse?

It's like rain on your wedding day!

You can start out making butter, but if you don't pay attention to those pesky details it'll turn out to be cheese.

Actually, Ken... the Replay guide defaults to the category last browsed. So as long as the last category you viewed on that Replay instance wasn't the "ALL" category, you will go back to that, presumably, smaller category. Think so?

I know it retains 'last viewed' for some interval, which may be of marginal value if one spends a lot of time doddering around on a stale cache. But after a time, or after (either) the remote (or local) machine reboots, times out, loses connection, etc... it defaults back to "All shows". I never really nailed it down as I said, but my experience trying to overcome that "too full" lag by parking on a category was always (soon) rewarded with the "All shows" load attempt when least expected (and too often) a reboot perhaps losing 3 minutes of a local recording.

If someone knows of a trick to "reserve the default parking place" without regularly having to re-navigate from "All shows" I'd love to hear it. On every attempt so far, the butter has turned into cheese. :o

A reboot will always clear the last viewed property. And the 5Ks will reboot after 7 days. I try to avoid unexpected scheduled reboots by manually rebooting all units Monday mornings before leaving for work. Just made it part of my morning routine. In your case you may have to spend additional time to reset the last viewed category. If it's worth the effort....

Mine seldom (if ever) do a scheduled reboot during a recording. The unexpected reboot is caused by trying to load a remote guide too large. And that's just the thing, in order to *park* on a category you first must load "All shows" without that reboot.

Ironic, isn't it, that Cow's proposed "solution" would therefore only make matters worse?

It's like rain on your wedding day!

edited to: what the H are you talking about?

'cow the proper expression is "all y'all" not "y'all" Of course, I can't exactly hold it against you, being that you're from Southern California, as was I, and this isn't exactly something that we would pickup from the local dialect, so until someone from Lousiana took the time to explain, I didn't know either...

If you are talking to just two people use "y'all", more than two "all y'all". For the grammar teachers on this forum, when diagramming a sentence with "all y'all" in it, treat the second "all" as non-existent and there is an implied "of" in-between.

So I don't completely hijack this thread, a 500GB drive is too big and will bog down the Replay. Throw it in your DVA server.

-Twill

edited to: what the H are you talking about?

The reference, I believe, is to the Alannis Morisette (sp?) single, "Ironic."

BTW thanks all for chiming in on this. Just had occasion to revisit this thread given the great deal on 500g drives at Staples this week.

FWIW, I have a 300g drive nearly full, with 200+ shows in the default category. Despite running this way for a good year now, no delays, no slow bootups, no problems.

I will have to look into the new version of DVA, didn't realize it had been upgraded. It found it very powerful but something of a hassle to work with my other programs last I checked.

I don't understand this constant "load up DVArchive" instead of your Replays because they are slow. All my Replays have 300gig drive. My PC with DVArchive is very fast unit with 6 drives. My Replays can have 50-60 shows at any one time during peak seasons. My DVA server has had a max of 50-60. When cycling through the guides, the Replays update in 1-2 seconds or less. Once they update you can arrow down the show list rapidly. The DVA server on the other hand is dramatically slower. Each arrow down command on the channel list takes a second or 2. The number of shows on the DVA server seems not to matter. It is the same speed whether there are 30 shows or 60.

Tony, I'll take your word for what you see, but the Replay makes a snapshot of the remote Replay and then it is done talking to it. That's why there is all this problem with the Replay when you select a remote Replay with a large number of shows on it. The first thing the Replay does is to download ALL the information from the remote Replay and then creates a snapshot file (http://www.wirns.com/twiki/GuideSnapshot). Once the snapshot file is created, then you will see that the Replay doesn't even communicate with the remote Replay any longer. So, if you watch your Ethernet traffic lights, you will see that once the snapshot is loaded, there isn't even any Ethernet traffic as you arrow up and down the channel list...

You may have noticed that when you changed viewing remote Replays that you haven't viewed for a day or so, the first thing that comes up is the cached channel guide. Then the snapshot file is refreshed, and then the updated channel guide is displayed. The fact that when you first select a stale remote Replay and it displays an entire channel guide right away is where you can see that all the channel guides for all the remote Replays are stored on that local Replay (I could make an option for extract_rtv5 to extract the show information from a remote Replay's snapshot file). A reboot erases all the remote snapshots, which is why you will periodically see that you switch to a remote Replay and it will say zero shows while it builds a snapshot file...

Anyway, maybe there is something else about the information from DVA that makes arrowing around go slow, but I think if you watch the Ethernet traffic, you will see none, so the speed of DVArchive shouldn't have anything to do with it...

Henry