Western Digital Boosts TiVo Storage
‘My DVR Expander’ Now Compatible with TiVo HD, Series3 HD DVRs
By Glen Dickson -- Broadcasting & Cable, 10/23/2007 2:56:00 PM
Hard-drive manufacturer Western Digital, best known for the external storage modules it sells for PCs and laptops, is now marketing its storage solutions to TiVo subscribers as a way to expand their digital-video-recorder libraries.
After launching a “My DVR Expander” product in June that works with Scientific Atlanta 8300-series high-definition DVRs, Lake Forest, Calif.-based Western Digital now says the $200 device has proven itself compatible with TiVo HD and Series3 HD DVRs.
The My DVR Expander device -- which connects to the TiVo DVRs through their external SATA (eSATA) ports -- provides 500 gigabytes of hard-drive storage, allowing a TiVo subscriber to store up to 300 additional hours of standard-definition content or up to 60 hours of HDTV.
The Western Digital device is available now in the United States from Best Buy retail stores and by ordering via TiVo’s online store. Western Digital said it expects the device to work with other DVRs in the future as set-top vendors enable the eSATA ports on DVR set-tops already deployed in the field.
"We're thrilled to team up with WD to enhance the personal viewing experience on TiVo by providing subscribers with an easy-to-use solution that allows them to get even more out of their DVR with extra hours of space for more of the content they enjoy," TiVo vice president of product marketing Jim Denney said in a statement. "With the growth in HD content available today, DVR capacity becomes more important to our subscribers who do not want to miss a minute of their favorite TV shows."
