Apricorn DVR Xpander 1TB eSATA Interface with eSATA Cable and AC Adapter

by Apricorn

Product Details

• Product Dimensions: 8 x 1.8 x 4.8 inches ; 4.2 pounds
• Shipping Weight: 4.2 pounds
• Shipping: Currently, item can be shipped only within the U.S.
• ASIN: B000Y7J9W4
• Item model number: ADVRX-1TB
• Average Customer Review: 3.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (13 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #86,709 in Electronics (See Top 100 in Electronics)
• Date first available at Amazon.com: October 8, 2007

Product Description

The DVR Xpander does exactly what its name implies, it instantly expands the number of television shows, movies and sporting events you can store on your DVR. The Digital Video Recorder (DVR) has changed the way you watch TV, putting you in complete control of when and how you watch the programs you love. Unfortunately there is never enough space on the DVR hard drive to record everything you want to watch, especially if you are recording it in high definition. When the hard drive is full you must delete shows to free up space for the new programs you want to watch. The DVR Xpander solves the storage space problem by allowing you to instantly add up to 562 hours of standard TV or 125 hours of high definition programming with the DVR Xpander 1 Terabyte. DVR Xpander is the perfect companion for the Scientific Atlanta 8300 series DVR or any DVR equipped with an active eSATA port. Many cable companies offer Scientific Atlanta 8300 series DVR¿s with an activate eSATA port. If you are uncertain whether your DVR supports external storage, you can check Apricorn¿s website, search the internet by DVR model number, or contact the DVR manufacturer. DVR Xpander has an ultra-cool fan that keeps the enclosure at optimal temperature which will extend the life of your hard drive. The sleek aluminum enclosure operates in horizontal and vertical configurations. The package includes a 500GB, 750GB or 1TB DVR Xpander and stand, eSATA cable, AC power adapter and Quick Start Guide.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

18 of 21 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars DVR Expander NOT compatible with TiVo DVRs, December 31, 2008

By 

The Secret Star (USA) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Apricorn DVR Xpander 1TB eSATA Interface with eSATA Cable and AC Adapter (Personal Computers)

I purchased this 1TB Apricorn DVR Expander, and I unfortunately discovered that it does NOT work with the TiVo HD DVR and TiVo Series 3 DVRs, even though the product description states that it will work with ANY DVR that has an active eSata port. I only purchased this DVR Xpander because it offers such a high amount of extra recording hours (562 hours of SD programming, and 125 hours of HD), and I have had to regrettably send this Expander back to the company that I purchased it from. Clearly, this will be and IS the same problem with the 500 GB Apricorn DVR Expander, too.

If anyone out there has a TiVo HD or Series 3 DVR and you want to add extra recording space to your DVR, then don't purchase this 1TB (or 500 GB) Apricorn DVR Expander because neither device will work. If you want to add extra recording hours to your TiVo DVR, then you will have to purchase the Western Digital My DVR Expander, which is the only Expander on the market that is compatible with the TiVo HD and Series 3 DVRs. (This is the official word from the TiVo Company Customer Service Technical Support staff themselves.)

Also, if anyone out there does buy the Western Digital My DVR Expander for their TiVo DVR, then be aware that that Expander actually adds a lot MORE recording space to a TiVo DVR than what the product description states on the box. The recording space on the box for the Western Digital DVR Expander states that it will only add 300 hours of SD recording space and 60 hours of HD, but it will actually add 626 SD hours and 72 HD hours to a TiVo DVR. My personal TiVo HD DVR originally held only 184 SD hours and 21 HD hours, but my recording space went to 810 SD hours and 93 HD hours when I plugged in the Western Digital Expander to my DVR.

Overall, the Western Digital My DVR Expander is truly a BETTER buy than the 1TB (or the 500 GB) Apricorn DVR Expander for those who own a TiVo HD or Series 3 DVR.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Apricorn DVR Xpander works the way it is supposed to, November 24, 2008

By 

Fisherperson (Vero Beach, FL USA) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Apricorn DVR Xpander 1TB eSATA Interface with eSATA Cable and AC Adapter (Personal Computers)

The Apricorn DVR Xpander 1TB did everything it was advertised to do. After buying, spending many hours trying to get it to work, and then returning a Western Digital 1TB hard drive from Costco because it really did not have a SATA drive under the cover, even though it had a SATA connector, I purchased the Apricorn. I had it up and running on my DVR in 5 minutes and have increased my Explorer 8300HDC DVR by a factor of almost 7. Great product, doing just what it was supposed to, and it is quiet. I would recommend it to anyone.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars This DVR Expander is Awesome!, December 19, 2008

By 

Ned (Arlington, VA) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Apricorn DVR Xpander 1TB eSATA Interface with eSATA Cable and AC Adapter (Personal Computers)

This DVR Expander is almost too good to be true! I've had it for about 3 months now, and it continues to work like a charm. The setup was extremely easy - simple plug and play. I just followed the directions and it took all of about 2 minutes.

Absolutely no negative issues to report; I disagree with the other review about it being loud - our unit is completely quiet, just like a normal DVR cable box.

We had some initial concerns about whether or not the eSATA port on our box was deactivated, but this was not the case and it turns out this hard drive is completely compatible with our setup. We're running a Cisco RNG 200 DVR HD cable box with Comcast service.

After rebooting the box with the hard drive, the box automatically recognized it, and our DVR space usage dropped from 80% to 11%! We no longer have to worry about deleting shows - right now we have 112 recordings, mostly HD, and have used less than 50% of the space. This product is worth every penny!