Can I save money by buying blank computer hard drives from a store and putting them in my TiVo?
All of our upgrade kits come with hard drives that have been specially prepared for use in your TiVo. With a preformatted drive upgrade kit, you simply follow our instructions and install the drive–no PC is necessary. If you are looking to save a few dollars and are willing to invest the time, then you can purchase a blank DVR hard drive and, if applicable, a SATA to IDE adapter and prepare it yourself. If you have a PC, if you have basic Linux knowledge (not a must, but helpful) and if you have a rudimentary understanding of your PC’s insides (eg. you know what an IDE cable is, you know what “primary” and “slave” means and you know what a “jumper” is), then you may be able to perform the drive preparation on your own. Keep in mind that older-model TiVos use IDE hard drives, which are not readily available any longer. Please note, though, that in our opinion, all hard drives are not created equal. We only use drives that are specially made for use in digital video recorders; they are
