# External hard drive for DCT3416?



## Cyclosoma

Hi there,


I recently got a Motorola DCT3416 DVR and noticed it has both a USB and a SATA port on it.


Has anybody had any luck hooking up an external hard drive to this device to increase its storage capacity? (10 hours of HD is going to fill up fast










I'm wondering if there's a list of "approved" drives/connectors that I just wasn't able to find in my searching, and/or any tips, tricks or advice people have.


Thanks!


----------



## Burnerbum

I had my box replaced with the DCT3416 yesterday and i connected a drive to the sata port but nothing happened. I guess they have this port disabled like the rest of them on the back, usb, ethernet. I guess they don't want you to build your own VOD at home. Too bad, because your are right, the internal HD fills up fast even with SD recordings. I have been searching to see if there was a way to enable it but can't find anything. I assume it's done with a firmware which they control and we couldn't change if we wanted too. I wish i could find a good PVR that i could buy and control myself but no one seems to make them. Actually DVD recorders with Hard drives are getting hard to find and i wouldn't buy a recorder without one.


----------



## smckenna3

Today I went to my local Comcast store to get my DVR box swapped out due to a problem with the video ouput. Anyway, one of the store assistents said that it was now possible to copy programs on the DVR to a PC via the ethernet connection. She said it had been activated within the last month.


Anyone know the procedure for getting recordings onto a PC?


----------



## Don18074

I'd love to see how too! I just picked up this box too!


----------



## bfdtv




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *smckenna3* /forum/post/0
> 
> 
> Today I went to my local Comcast store to get my DVR box swapped out due to a problem with the video ouput. Anyway, one of the store assistents said that it was now possible to copy programs on the DVR to a PC via the ethernet connection. She said it had been activated within the last month.
> 
> 
> Anyone know the procedure for getting recordings onto a PC?



Unfortunately, there is no such procedure. The store assistant was misinformed.


Motorola is working on a firmware update to allow encrypted storage to an external SATA drive -- that capability is coming in the second half of 2007. The recordings will be encrypted, and only playable from the DVR where they were recorded. Comcast intends to roll out this update in the second half of 2007.


Motorola has no plans to support PC/Mac file transfer.


----------



## biggied




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *smckenna3* /forum/post/0
> 
> 
> Today I went to my local Comcast store to get my DVR box swapped out due to a problem with the video output. Anyway, one of the store assistents said that it was now possible to copy programs on the DVR to a PC via the ethernet connection. She said it had been activated within the last month.
> 
> 
> Anyone know the procedure for getting recordings onto a PC?



I've been playing w/my motorola DVR for a couple of weeks now and far as I can tell that ethernet port is completely unused. I've tried every thing I can think of including pinging from my router -- that ethernet port is simply off, for lack of a better word.


I'm just hoping when they decide to disperse the update ware to turn it on it doesn't cause my box to freak out and quit working.


----------



## Sim-X

it's almost 2008, I thought Comcast was going to roll this out in 07?


----------



## bfdtv




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *Sim-X* /forum/post/12313236
> 
> 
> it's almost 2008, I thought Comcast was going to roll this out in 07?



Looks like it was delayed another six months. Comcast should support that feature in some markets by mid-2008.


If you want more storage now, you have to pony up for a high-def TiVo ($250) and external hard drive.


----------



## toadtaste

I don't expect Motorola to have this release available until late 2008 at the earliest. I have been requesting this from them for about a year now and have been getting little response from them.


----------



## totalownership

I guess it's still dead huh? I thought I read somewhere that people were able to transfer with certain boxes in certain areas. I sure would like to keep a permanent record of the Superbowl


----------



## bfdtv




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *totalownership* /forum/post/13044809
> 
> 
> I guess it's still dead huh? I thought I read somewhere that people were able to transfer with certain boxes in certain areas. I sure would like to keep a permanent record of the Superbowl



Cox was rumored to support drive expansion with Motorola hardware in a few markets but I have not seen any confirmation of that.


I do not expect to see external expansion on Motorola DVRs in 1H 2008. People do have dual-tuner HDTV DVRs with external hard drives on Brighthouse, Comcast, Cox, FiOS, TWC, etc, but that is because they (1) have a Scientific Atlanta DVR or (2) spend $200-$250 on a TivoHD.


----------



## kcrommett

I've been verry irritated as well. What is the point of a DVR with, ethernet, USB, and firewire, but we cant use it?? thats crap. Its not like the content we want to record didnt COME from the cable companies nextwork anyway!!


----------



## bicker1

How much extra money are you willing to pay for the cable companies to support the extras you want? There is no such thing as a free lunch, and unless millions of people are willing to pay a lot more for something, it isn't responsible to incur the costs associated with offering that something.


(By the way, you already have Firewire support.)


----------



## TravelFan1

Reading the posts so far, it's not clear to me whether this is a Comcast of Motorola issue at this time - can anyone clarify? I'd really would love to plug an eSata drive to allow me to store many more HD programming than what I could now.


----------



## bicker1

Essentially, it is a service issue. I don't expect to see MSOs offer eSATA unless things change such that it represents a much lower customer support exposure.


----------



## Sim-X

Coming up on may, still nothing.... Why put all the stuff on back if you can't use it, so stupid


----------



## bicker1

Because it is much less expensive for Motorola to design and manufacture one box, and then let each of their customers decide which services to enabled on those boxes, than it would be for them to design and manufacture a separate model for each of the possible combinations of available services. Furthermore, by having the one box, Motorola's customers can decide to offer additional services at a later date, without having to invest in new equipment.


----------



## Sim-X

still no external support... what the hell - Almost August!!!!


----------



## lance_60031




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *bicker1* /forum/post/13443407
> 
> 
> ...
> 
> (By the way, you already have Firewire support.)



Bicker could you expand the comment about firewire support? Thanks,


----------



## bicker1

You'd be better off searching the forum for that information. I've read it, and even tried to get it working a few times, but I'm no experts about the particulars.


----------



## sconset




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *bicker1* /forum/post/13443407
> 
> 
> How much extra money are you willing to pay for the cable companies to support the extras you want? There is no such thing as a free lunch, and unless millions of people are willing to pay a lot more for something, it isn't responsible to incur the costs associated with offering that something.
> 
> 
> (By the way, you already have Firewire support.)



Ask Cablevision and their customers they are still in business and have external drive support. Unless it is required by law...


----------



## bicker1

From what I can tell (from my father) Cablevision already has enough of their own problems!


----------



## Sim-X

you think comcast will ever add external support?


----------



## bicker1

Probably not until the number of customers choosing a cable provider based on external support becomes significant, which may be never.


----------

