Registered: Oct 2001
Location: Clarksville, TN
Posts: 9

Which 100GB drive?

Got a quick question. Newegg.com ( www.newegg.com/app/ViewProduct.asp?page=2 ) has the Western Digital 100GB 7200rpm drive (model WD1000BB) for $236 shipped, and the Maxtor 100GB 5400rpm drive (model 4W100H6) for $239 shipped. Now if this was for a regular PC, I would almost definitely pick the Western Digital. It's $3 cheaper, and faster. But, this is for a Tivo (DirecTivo to be precise) so speed's not really a concern. I checked the noise levels, and the max for the Western Digital is 38 decibels while the max for the Maxtor is 36 decibels. Not a big difference, but the Maxtor wins in the noise department.

I guess my question is, do any of you have either drive, and how does it perform in your Tivo? Is it kinda loud and hot? Or quiet as a whisper and cool to the touch? Or something in between. Thanks for any help!

BTW I know the 80gig is a better deal, but my friend is insisting on the 100gig. I just want to get him the best he can get.

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Registered: Jul 2000
Location: Phoenix, AZ, USA
Posts: 345

The people who have the super-dual-100Gig TiVos used the Maxtors, since they were the first available.

No reports of big problems. I've also seen no real hard evidence that the extra heat of 7200rpm be a factor either.

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-sonnik
PVRHack.sonnik.com

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Registered: Jun 2000
Location: Whittier, CA, USA
Posts: 335

I tried a Western Digital 100 GB in one of my combo units, but the head seek noise was too loud, so I took it back and exchanged it for a Maxtor 100 GB.

The Maxtors have a Acoustic Management SETup utility (AMSET) that allows you to put them into a quiet mode of head seeking.

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Registered: Oct 2001
Location: Clarksville, TN
Posts: 9

Thanks guys. I went ahead and got the Maxtor.

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Registered: Aug 2000
Location: Lincoln, NE
Posts: 3582

Does anyone have the precise figures of their capacity? Are they exactly the same size to the byte?

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Registered: Aug 2000
Location: Henderson, NV
Posts: 1039

Glad to hear you went with the Maxtor. Here's why I'm glad you avoided the Western Digital:

I got my first Tivo (14hr) in August of 2000, and added a Maxtor 60G after the first week. It's been running fine ever since.

I got my second Tivo (20hr) in June 2001. Put two 60G WD's in it after a week. Two months later, one of the drives goes bad. I get a replacement from WD within a week, and re-upgrade. One week later, the other drive goes bad. Get another replacement within a week, and send both bad drives back at the same time. System runs fine for about two months. Now one of the drives is bad again. I haven't had a chance to diagnose it and see if it's repairable, but I doubt it.

Now here's the real kicker. I've got a WD 8G, a WD 27G (7200rpm) and a WD 60G in my PC. Within the last two weeks, the two-year-old 27G drive AND the one-month-old 60G drive have both been giving me a lot of problems. Running the WD diags on them finds lots of bad sectors that it successfully remaps. But neither one seems like it's going to last much longer. I've been in the process of burning everything onto CDs so I don't lose it all (I've already lost some things, unfortunately).

So whereas I used to love WD and hate Maxtor, I'm starting to rethink my opinion of Maxtor, and I definitely now hate WD. The only good thing about WD is their RMA process is fast if you're willing to give them a credit card number. But I'd much rather have a reliable drive than a good RMA process. I haven't had to deal with Maxtor's RMA process in at least 6 years, so I can't comment on that.


And before anyone suggests it, both Tivos and my PC are all on UPS's, so I'm sure it's not an AC power problem.


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Dan T.
RKBA!

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Registered: Apr 2001
Location: Hinsdale, IL, US
Posts: 75

Maxtors RMA process is identical and also easy.

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quote:

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Originally posted by josetann:
I checked the noise levels, and the max for the Western Digital is 38 decibels while the max for the Maxtor is 36 decibels. Not a big difference, but the Maxtor wins in the noise department.

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Seriously, I have 4 WD drives and 14 maxtors in my house right now performing various tasks, all of which are >60 gig. The maxtors are quieter, more reliable and easier to return when they do fail.

It's a no brainer, stop shopping and get a maxtor.

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Registered: Jan 2000
Location:
Posts: 2401

Wow! You've got 18 hard drives in your house!! Pretty cool.

Care to share what all these drives are doing?

Are you the guy who posted a few months ago that you've about reached the terabit mark???

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Maxtors ROCK. I have 600 Gig in one of my servers in the house that serves up MP3's to all of the stereo's. They are quiet and hardly fail.

Good luck

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2 Philips DirecTiVo DSR 6000, 2.5, 35 hrs

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Registered: Sep 2000
Location: Silicon Valley, CA
Posts: 416

You have 600GB for MP3 and only 35 hours for TiVo???

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I am still trying to find the time to upgrade the DirectTivo. I just bought them. If I upgrade it before the rest of the honeydoo's then I will be watching Tivo from spots house. My wife is going out of town this week so I should be upgrading one then.

The other I do not use as a recorder. It was a $99 reciever with a better guide. I would love to turn the drive off. I just wanted the Tivo guide to use. It is in the bedroom.

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2 Philips DirecTiVo DSR 6000, 2.5, 35 hrs

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Registered: Aug 2000
Location: Lincoln, NE
Posts: 3582

quote:

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Originally posted by purple6816:
The other I do not use as a recorder. It was a $99 reciever with a better guide. I would love to turn the drive off. I just wanted the Tivo guide to use. It is in the bedroom.

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Well, the guide data is on the hard drive, not memory, so the drive will run regardless. But if you don't connect it to a video source, it won't try to record, resulting in less hard drive activity. Tell it you have cable with a box or satellite (whatever you want listings for) on the line inputs, but don't connect anything to them.

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Registered: Oct 2001
Location: Clarksville, TN
Posts: 9

It is the DirecTivo. He doesn't have any line-ins and can't chose the video source. It's gonna be DirecTV irregardless.

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I think I can put it in standby mode. Not sure what that does.? But, I will try it to see if it is quieter at night.

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2 Philips DirecTiVo DSR 6000, 2.5, 35 hrs

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Are there any Western Digital 7200 rpm success stories? The retailer here is selling them at a whopping discount.

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7200 is a waste of money. The speed buys you nothing. Get a 5400 it runs cooler and cost less. Usually.

Faster is better but, not in this case.

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2 Philips DirecTiVo DSR 6000, 2.5, 35 hrs

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I haven't seen any 100G Maxtor's that cost $300 Canadian (what is that in USD? $189?)

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