How to Expand DVR Capacity
Most DVRs only have between 160 to 250 gigabytes of room available to record movies and show. If you love to record shows often, you will likely need more memory than this amount. Once you increase the storage capacity of your DVR, you will be able to record and save all of your shows and movies instead of deleting them to make more room. Fortunately, you can easily expand the DVR capacity in a matter of minutes, as long as the DVR has an eSATA cable port. This works for rented DVR units, store-bought DVRs and satellite DVRs.
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Instructions
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Purchase an external hard drive with an eSATA cable, which links it to a DVR. Check the brand to make sure it is compatible with your DVR.
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Go to the settings menu of your DVR and look at how much memory you have available. Power off the DVR and unplug it from the outlet.
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Hook up the eSATA cable to the hard drive and plug the power cord into an outlet.
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Plug the other end of the eSATA cable into the DVR.
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Turn on the external hard drive by pressing "Power." Wait five minutes for it to warm up.
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Plug the DVR back into the outlet and power it on. Wait five minutes for the DVR to recognize the hard drive and download any necessary drivers. Check the settings again on your DVR to see if the memory capacity has expanded. If so, you are now ready to record your shows as usual.
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Tips & Warnings
You cannot choose whether to save programs on the DVR or the external hard drive. It will choose for you.
You can lose your recorded programs during a power surge.
References
- Photo Credit Thomas Northcut/Photodisc/Getty Images
