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8300HD and External SATA - It Works!! - Page 13

post #361 of 8986
7/7/05 at 11:18am
Quote:
Originally Posted by DEIFan View Post

Since I don't know of a way to see where a recorded program goes for storage, I'm not sure how to compare the two.

If you hooked up the lights on the external drive and you are watching a recorded show... you should see the activity lights blinking away.

Also note, that a file saved will NOT span across drives. It seeks space required by drive and will not fragment a file across the two.

Cheers!
-Bill.
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post #362 of 8986
7/7/05 at 1:47pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by templeofdoom View Post

Correct. SATA port is not currently enabled on any Passport systems that we know of.

Check out the below thread for 8300 on Passport discussion.

http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showt...4&goto=newpost

Thanks for the confirmation. Although, this totally blows I need more disk capacity and have thought about going with DirecTv but then I just found out that they are downrez'ing (1280x1080) HD on sat now.
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post #363 of 8986
7/7/05 at 3:01pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by smook View Post

If you hooked up the lights on the external drive and you are watching a recorded show... you should see the activity lights blinking away.

Ok, I'll check that out as I record some things this weekend.
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post #364 of 8986
7/8/05 at 6:26am
Smooks & Deifan

What I did to test external drive. Without filling up your internal drive, you can extend the record time out of the test show to be a recorded, to say 20 hours ( you will get the recording to go to the larger drive),(you can manually stop the recording at any time when you have enough to test ).

ps..I have read not all the forums updates yet, but in diagnostics for sara models you can verify the type of hard drive in the unit. ( It has been installed with a 160 gb regular ata133 maxtor in previous cases.
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post #365 of 8986
7/8/05 at 8:30am
Which is the preferred SATA drive to use, the 300g Maxtor Quickview or the 400g Seagate Barracuda? (The Seagate will get you an extra 100g, but I wouldn't be suprised to see both at 500g soon). One advantage to the Maxtor is that it uses a thermostatically controlled fan.

Tony
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post #366 of 8986
7/11/05 at 1:08pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by pbendo View Post

I am in Palm Beach County, Florida, using the 8300HD with Adelphia running SARA running v1.87.23.1. I hooked up a WD Caviar 320GB SATA using the cable from Cruz and a Kingwin external box. I got the first 2 screens indicating success (do you wish to format...this external drive works with this DVR...don't disconnect without powering off first) but my recording capacity remained unchanged in the DVR preferences menu. When in the diagnostic screens, both the internal and new external drives show up with appropriate capacity listed for each drive.

I have rebooted (with the power cord actually unplugged for 60 seconds) so many times I have lost count.

Has anybody else had the same problem? (recording capacity unchanged?)
Does anybody have any suggestions?


2 weeks after original install, the usage meter (recording space used/available) has now adjusted for the new drive. The sequence of events goes like this:
1. I keep recording for a couple of weeks until the meter approaches 100%
2. A message pops up saying that there is not enough space to record a sheduled show, and that I must erase some shows to make room.
3. The DVR functionality is unresponsive (i.e. I can't playback any recorded shows, or erase any shows)
4. I reboot via unplugging power cord for approx 15 seconds.
5. I get the standard startup message (this external harddrive will work...)
6. I go to the DVR page and the meter now shows only 20% usage and all shows play as usual!!

My only explanation is that the unit had to hit 100% before the recording meter reset to show the new capacity. Who knows? It works perfectly now, so I'm Happy
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post #367 of 8986
7/12/05 at 6:18am
Quote:
Originally Posted by pbendo View Post

4. I reboot via unplugging power cord for approx 15 seconds.
5. I get the standard startup message (this external harddrive will work...)
6. I go to the DVR page and the meter now shows only 20% usage and all shows play as usual!!

My only explanation is that the unit had to hit 100% before the recording meter reset to show the new capacity. Who knows? It works perfectly now, so I'm Happy


You should have received the startup message (and add'l space) after the install.
Programs will be recorded on the drive with the most available space, so it should have immediately started recording on the new drive. (also, there have been reports of buffering problems when the internal drive is maxed out, so you might want to delete some programs from the internal drive)
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post #368 of 8986
7/12/05 at 8:29am
so what are the pro's/con's of connecting the external HDD to the power-in on the back of the 8300 instead of into a wall outlet or power strip ?
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post #369 of 8986
7/12/05 at 8:54am
I just got a Maxtor 300GB QuickView Expander (QVX) and installed yesterday on a 8300HD through Time Warner Cable in Houston. Works great! I was up and going in 10 minutes. The Quick-Start instruction sheet that came with the drive was simple and straight-forward.

Essentially the sequence I followed:

1. Before powering down the 8300HD, record the amount of recording space currently consumed in the DVR (mine was 68%).
2. Turn-off the 8300HD and remove A/C power cord from 8300HD.
3. Set-up Maxtor QVX and connect eSATA cable to drive and 8300HD
4. Plug-in A/C adaptor to Maxtor QVX drive.
5. Wait 30 seconds.
6. Insert power cord back into 8300HD.
7. Wait for reboot seqence (2-3 mintues).
8. Turn on TV (if it was not already on).
9. Turn on 8300HD
10. 8300 immediately recognized drive was connected and prompted to format drive to work with this DVR. Confirm all the prompts to format drive.
11. This completed in less than 30 seconds. Now check the amount of recording space consumed (mine was now at 28%).

Glorious!
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post #370 of 8986
7/12/05 at 8:55am
Quote:
Originally Posted by NorthJersey View Post

so what are the pro's/con's of connecting the external HDD to the power-in on the back of the 8300 instead of into a wall outlet or power strip ?

For me this didn't work, or at least wouldn't work for the intial power-up/install. The timing just didn't work out; I found that the HD had to be spun up before the cable box was powered up in order for it to properly see the new external. Haven't tried it since.
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post #371 of 8986
7/12/05 at 9:10am
Quote:
Originally Posted by TheScooter View Post

I just got a Maxtor 300GB QuickView Expander (QVX) and installed yesterday

What is the noise level of the fan on the Maxtor 300GB? (noisy, quiet?).
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post #372 of 8986
7/12/05 at 9:12am
SA directions CLEARLY say:
Quote:
Do not plug in the power cord for the SATA drive to a switched outlet or to the AC outlet on the 8300HD.

See page 16 (22 of the pdf) of the following:
http://www.scientificatlanta.com/Exp...ed/4003986.pdf


As BenDover says: the HD needs to be up and spinning before the 8300 is powered up. Keep in mind that the 8300 has two powered up states: On (when you are viewing programs) and Standby. It is only powered down when unplugged.
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post #373 of 8986
7/12/05 at 9:38am
My wife got me one for my anniversary present (Maxtor 300 GB Sata). She ordered it yesterday and it arrived today. Standard shipping! Most simple thing I've ever had to hook up. Disk space went from 44% to 14%.

So easy to hook up a child can do it.
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post #374 of 8986
7/12/05 at 9:48am
Just to note, it was the Quickview Expander - made specifically for the SA Explorer 8300 series. Part J08M300

I'd link the part number on the maxstore site, but I can't since I don't have enough posts yet.
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post #375 of 8986
7/12/05 at 10:05am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Hookbillswife View Post

I'd link the part number on the maxstore site, but I can't since I don't have enough posts yet.

Here's the link: Maxtor QuickView Expander - 300GB External Drive

Can someone please post on the noise level of the fan?

Tony
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post #376 of 8986
7/12/05 at 10:30am
Quote:
Originally Posted by tony57 View Post

Here's the link: Maxtor QuickView Expander - 300GB External Drive

Can someone please post on the noise level of the fan?

Tony

I didn't even notice it. Must be quiet.
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post #377 of 8986
7/12/05 at 12:06pm
i got my 250 mb drive from discountechnology.com hooked it up last night took 1 take,and a second to read the space left..recorded CSI miami (as a test) everything fine..good help on the phone..Works for me
Cablevision in NJ 8300HD box
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post #378 of 8986
7/12/05 at 3:31pm
A quick question, does the Maxtor [made for DVR] package spin down the drive when not in active use?

v/r,
C-F
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post #379 of 8986
7/12/05 at 4:52pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by CANNON-FODDER View Post

A quick question, does the Maxtor [made for DVR] package spin down the drive when not in active use?


I will know shortly. I will receive my unit this Friday. Yippie!

I expect and have heard that the fan is variable and does spin down.
Cheers!
-Bill.
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post #380 of 8986
7/13/05 at 5:00am
Quote:
Originally Posted by CANNON-FODDER View Post

A quick question, does the Maxtor [made for DVR] package spin down the drive when not in active use?

v/r,
C-F


I just assumed it was always on. I know the 8300 turns off the drive when I turn off the power (unless it's recording). I don't know how to tell if the drive is running on the Maxtor. The light was on when I got up this morning.
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post #381 of 8986
7/13/05 at 7:13am
just got my 160g qv expander last night and hooked it up. The thing is very silent, only way to know that it's working is the power light on the front of it. I connected the power to the wall instead of the back of the 8300hd (thanks for advise and link to 8300 manual). DVR usage went from 66% to 33%. One thing, I went into the diag pages of the 8300, and found the page that reports about the new 160g drive, but I can't find on which page that the 8300 reports the total disk storage inside/outside the server, in a total #. Which page is that on ?
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post #382 of 8986
7/13/05 at 9:29am
Quote:
Originally Posted by NorthJersey View Post

just got my 160g qv expander last night and hooked it up. The thing is very silent, only way to know that it's working is the power light on the front of it.

The fan will only go on when its hot, so when you first plug it in the fan should be off. If it runs cool enough, the fan may never go on (per the FAQ). Is it quiet when the fan is running? (Is there a fan in the SA 8300? I never hear it)
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post #383 of 8986
7/14/05 at 8:18am
still haven't heard any fan noise from the QV. don't think the 8300 has a fan, it runs quitely (except when you are recording to the internal drive, at times)
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post #384 of 8986
7/14/05 at 10:05am
Quote:
Originally Posted by NorthJersey View Post

still haven't heard any fan noise from the QV.

Excellent. I'm currently using a seagate, but the fan from the enclosure is driving me nuts. I'm going to try another enclosure, but if its still noisy, I'll switch to the maxtor (even though I'll lose 100g)

Tony
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post #385 of 8986
7/15/05 at 10:05pm
What is the warranty on the QV?
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post #386 of 8986
7/15/05 at 11:45pm
Just tonight replaced the Seagate 400gb (ST3400832AS) I originally purchased with a Maxtor Maxline III 300gb (7L300S0). So far, 100% of the performance problems and glitches I've had with controlling "live" TV (both SD and HD) as well as playing back recordings (both SD and HD) seem to have disappeared completely!

I must therefore attribute all of my previous difficulties to the Seagate 400gb drive, despite its claim to be "state of the art".

Aside from being $120 less expensive (yes, 100gb less capacity, I know) the Maxtor seems to be essentially completely silent inside the very same EP-301SA enclosure (with the built-in fan on the bottom). This is in stark contrast to the very noisy Seagate. I had originally thought the spinning/blowing noise was from the fan, but now that I've replaced the drive and things are near-silent I have to conclude that the fan in the enclosure is noise-free as is the new Maxtor MAxline III drive, and it is the Seagate 400gb drive which was making the noise.

Also, the Maxtor drive has a 16mb cache whereas the Seagate drive only has an 8mb cache. Surely this has to be a contributing factor to my so-far glitch-free experience (limited though it is at the moment). At the very least, it can't hurt and can only help performance I would think.

Also, when I removed the Seagate drive from the enclosure it was quite hot. I don't know if the fan speed in the enclosure is temperature sensitive, so that the whole thing will once again become noisy if the fan speed increases as the drive heats up, but for now it doesn't seem like that's happening. And maybe the Maxtor just runs cooler.

Finally, the internal drive in the SA8300 is also a Maxtor (4R160L0), and the newly available QuickView "expander in a box" product comes from Maxtor. I know these are all standard SATA drives, but perhaps the firmware and software is just "happier" with a Maxtor "partner" externally. I know... ridiculous.

Nevertheless, the Seagate is being returned to Newegg tomorrow and the Maxtor begins a new life of use as an external drive for the SA8300. Hopefully it will continue to be a perfect one as it currently looks like it will be.

My review: avoid Seagate. Go with Maxtor.
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post #387 of 8986
7/16/05 at 12:03am
I purchased a Quickview Expander drive directly from Maxtor, and it arrived in a white box. Did anyone else receive theirs in a white box?
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post #388 of 8986
7/16/05 at 6:16am
Quote:
Originally Posted by DSperber View Post

Just tonight replaced the Seagate 400gb (ST3400832AS) I originally purchased with a Maxtor Maxline III 300gb (7L300S0). So far, 100% of the performance problems and glitches I've had with controlling "live" TV (both SD and HD) as well as playing back recordings (both SD and HD) seem to have disappeared completely!

I must therefore attribute all of my previous difficulties to the Seagate 400gb drive, despite its claim to be "state of the art".

Aside from being $120 less expensive (yes, 100gb less capacity, I know) the Maxtor seems to be essentially completely silent inside the very same EP-301SA enclosure (with the built-in fan on the bottom). This is in stark contrast to the very noisy Seagate. I had originally thought the spinning/blowing noise was from the fan, but now that I've replaced the drive and things are near-silent I have to conclude that the fan in the enclosure is noise-free as is the new Maxtor MAxline III drive, and it is the Seagate 400gb drive which was making the noise.

Also, the Maxtor drive has a 16mb cache whereas the Seagate drive only has an 8mb cache. Surely this has to be a contributing factor to my so-far glitch-free experience (limited though it is at the moment). At the very least, it can't hurt and can only help performance I would think.

Also, when I removed the Seagate drive from the enclosure it was quite hot. I don't know if the fan speed in the enclosure is temperature sensitive, so that the whole thing will once again become noisy if the fan speed increases as the drive heats up, but for now it doesn't seem like that's happening. And maybe the Maxtor just runs cooler.

Finally, the internal drive in the SA8300 is also a Maxtor (4R160L0), and the newly available QuickView "expander in a box" product comes from Maxtor. I know these are all standard SATA drives, but perhaps the firmware and software is just "happier" with a Maxtor "partner" externally. I know... ridiculous.

Nevertheless, the Seagate is being returned to Newegg tomorrow and the Maxtor begins a new life of use as an external drive for the SA8300. Hopefully it will continue to be a perfect one as it currently looks like it will be.

My review: avoid Seagate. Go with Maxtor.

I have to admit that this is a strange observation, no doubt true, but just strange b/c Seagate drives are known for being among the quietest drives and therefore are often used in HTPC setups. All drives get hot, but there would certainly be differences in 7200rpm drives vs. 5400rpm drives. The drive internal to the 8300 is 5400 IIRC.

Anyhow, I have a 400gb seagate and have had no problems (performance) and no noise issues. Quite possible you had a bad unit?
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post #389 of 8986
7/16/05 at 7:11am
An off tipic question. Any of you guys have Firewire enabled on your 8300's yet? I've been trying to get an answer from my cable company )Tele-Media) on this, but they won't return my calls. I currently have two 3250 boxes with Firewire enabled, but would trade them in a second if I could get 8300's with Firewire enabled.
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post #390 of 8986
7/16/05 at 7:21am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Matt_Stevens View Post

An off tipic question. Any of you guys have Firewire enabled on your 8300's yet? I've been trying to get an answer from my cable company )Tele-Media) on this, but they won't return my calls. I currently have two 3250 boxes with Firewire enabled, but would trade them in a second if I could get 8300's with Firewire enabled.

I've seen this topic before and it baffles me. I have two 8300HD boxes and neither of them even has a firewire port!
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