Got a digital video recorder from the cable company? Save more shows on it with a new hard drive

cablebox_485.jpg

How to Record More TV

Cost: $100-$200
Time: 10-60 Minutes
Easy | | | | | Hard

Like TiVo before it, the cable-box digital video recorder (DVR) is a gadget that´s easy to love-until you realize that last week´s game has been erased to make room for Desperate Housewives in high-definition. Fortunately, you can easily double or even triple your DVR´s capacity by adding more hard-drive space. Be aware that since you don´t own the box, the cable company can fine you for messing with it. That said, if you have a Scientific-Atlanta 8300-by far the most common cable DVR-with the correct operating system, you can swap the internal drive for a bigger one [see steps below]. Or take the safe route and just plug an external hard drive into the SATA port on the back of the box. A caveat: You have to leave the external drive on all the time, and its fan can get noisy. Of course, you can always just turn up the volume on that extra month´s worth of recorded games.

Before you start, determine which operating system your box uses-SARA or Passport-by putting the box into diagnostic mode. To do this, hold down the â€select†button on the front of the box until the â€mail†light flashes, then hit the â€info†button. Scroll down to find the OS. Only SARA boxes can take a new internal drive, but either will work with an external drive.

Internal Upgrade

Parts: (available from several sources online;
search froogle.com for the best deals):

  • Internal 3.5-inch IDE hard drive, up to 300 gigabytes: $100â€$150
  • Security torx bit #10 tool: $5â€$10

  1. Use a security torx bit #10-a star-shaped wrench with a small hole in the middle-to remove the box´s cover. Then use a Philips screwdriver and a regular torx bit to take out the drive bracket.
  2. Before removing the drive from the bracket, carefully peel off the tamper sticker. If you bend it too far, the word â€void†will appear and the cable company could see that you tampered with it.
  3. Unplug the data and power cables from the old hard drive and plug both into the new one. Reassemble the box and restart. It may take up to an hour for the box´s software to load on the new drive.

External Upgrade

Parts:

  • 3.5-inch SATA hard drive in an external enclosure, up to
    300 gigabytes: $150â€$200
  • SATA-to-eSATA cable: $15â€$20
  1. Connect the hard drive to the cable box-the eSATA end of the cable goes into the SATA port on the DVR.
  2. Power up the drive. Then turn on the
    cable box.
  3. When prompted to format the hard drive, choose â€yes.â€

How to Get Shows Off the Box

All DVRs encrypt their recordings to prevent piracy, so you can´t simply copy them to your PC or Mac. You can, however, record a show to your computer. The trick is to use a digital video converter, such as Pinnacle´s new $50 Dazzle DVD Recorder (pinnaclesys.com). Plug one end into the analog outputs on the back of your cable box and the other into your computer´s USB port. Hit play on the DVR, and use Dazzle´s included software to capture the video to your computer in real time. From there, you can burn shows to DVD for archiving.

Want to read more articles like this, plus tips and tricks, home hacks, DIY projects, and more? Subscribe to Popular Science and enter to win $5,000!

1 Comment

Fantastic basic information that many of us with the SA boxes can easily put to great use.
I love these little DIY's!

Popular Tags

Regular Features



Download Our iPhone App

Stay up to date on the latest news of the future of science and technology from your iPhone with full articles, images and offline viewing



Follow Us On Twitter

Featuring every article from the magazine and website, plus links from around the Web. Also see our PopSci DIY feed



Become a Fan On Facebook

Share links with friends, comment on stories and more


December 2009: Best of What's New

In our December issue, Popular Science names the 100 best innovations of the year: bombproof wallpaper, self-parking cars, the fastest helicopter, and 97 more. Plus inventor profiles and videos.

Check out the best of what's new here.

Popular Science Photo Pool


Share your photos in the Pop Sci pool at www.flickr.com!
tags_sprite.png
POP_embeddedForm_cover_May09.jpg

Events and Promotions