How to increase recording capacity on your TiVo^® DVR

How to increase recording space on your TiVo DVR

With the Western Digital My DVR Expander for high-definition TiVo DVRs, you can increase the recording capacity of your TiVo DVR.

The Western Digital My DVR Expander is available in 1 TB or 500 GB sizes. Once the expander is plugged into the eSATA port on your TiVo DVR, it will be "married" to your DVR. The 1 TB expander will add over 140 hours of HD recording space (or over 1200 hours of standard definition recording space); the 500 GB expander will add 65 hours of HD recording space (or up to 600 hours of standard definition recording space).

The cannot be used as a mobile storage device to transport shows from one TiVo DVR to another device. If a DVR Expander is disconnected from the TiVo DVR to which it is married, and formatted by another DVR, all or most of the recorded content on the original TiVo DVR and all of the content on the DVR Expander will be lost.

Connecting the DVR Expander

In order for you to connect your DVR Expander to your TiVo^® DVR, you must first have a high-definition TiVo DVR that is running software version 9.2 or later. Once you've checked your software version (from 'TiVo Central,' choose 'Messages & Settings' > 'Account & System Information' > 'System Information') follow these steps.

Hide the steps: Power off the TiVo DVR by disconnecting the AC power cord.
Connect one end of the eSATA cable to the DVR Expander and the other end to the TiVo DVR.
Connect one end of the AC power cord to the DVR Expander and the other end to the electrical outlet. The power LED illuminates.
Wait approximately 15 seconds for the hard drive to reach operating speed.
Power on the TiVo DVR by reattaching the AC power cord.
Follow the on-screen instructions.

Temporarily disconnecting the DVR Expander

Follow these instructions when temporarily disconnecting the DVR Expander (to clean or move your entertainment center, for example).

Show the steps: Power off the compatible TiVo DVR by disconnecting the AC power cord.
Disconnect the AC adapter cord and eSATA cable from the DVR Expander.

CAUTION: Always unplug the power cord from the electrical outlet before disconnecting the AC adapter from the DVR Expander.

Reconnecting the My DVR Expander after temporary disconnection

Follow these instructions to reconnect your DVR Expander after temporarily disconnecting it.

Show the steps: Reconnect the AC adapter cord and eSATA cable to the DVR Expander.
Power on the TiVo DVR by reattaching the AC power cord.

CAUTION: Do not reconnect the power to the TiVo DVR with the DVR Expander disconnected. This will cause you to permanently remove the expander and lose all or most of your recordings.

Permanently removing the DVR Expander

Under normal operating conditions, there is no reason to remove the DVR Expander. Removing the expander does not allow you to play your recordings on a different DVR. Because each recording is distributed equally between the DVR's internal drive and the expander, you cannot gain additional storage by using more than one DVR Expander. You should only remove the DVR Expander if you wish to stop using it.

Show the steps: Power off the compatible TiVo DVR by disconnecting the AC power cord.
Disconnect the AC adapter cord and eSATA cable from the My DVR Expander.
Plug in the DVR power cord and follow the onscreen instructions.

Need more help?

Support article: My DVR Expander Quick Start Guide