External Hard Drive with Quantum TV

[quantum_failure]

You can keep both, but there is a cach. The old DVR can't be used to watch live tv. It can't be connected to the network. You can use it like a standalone vcr- to view your old recordings.

[CRobGauth]

You will be charged for it.

And if it ever loses power, you can't use it anymore.

[omega34]

how do you set it up to watch just the old recordings ?

[CRobGauth]

Disconnect it from the cable, but don't power it off.

Connect to an unused port on your TV.

Watch away.

If you lose power though, you can't watch anything any more.

Don't forget to leave yourself enough time to return before the 30 days are up or you will get charged for it.

[RCL4]

I have the same problem.  Just upgraded and plugged in external 1TB drive - NADA.  So now with whoopdeedo Quantum, I have 1TB storage instead of the 1TB plus 80GB with my old system.  The Customer Service slimeball who sold me the upgrade said the external drive would work with the new set top box.  Of course, he lied about a few other things also, but I didn't know that at the time either.  Verizon needs to reign in their sales people if it really cares about its customers.  Instead, I think it has simply trained all of its people to "apologize for the inconvenience."   I've heard that about a hundred times in the eight calls I had to make to get the delivery sorted out and to get the darned new system working.  Please note that every problem was at Verizon's end, not mine.  

[jaja714]

Such a scam.  Not only is it $20 more a month but you also lose the $20 lifetime promo discount from when you signed up.  So, it's actually an extra $40 a month.  

Then, when you realize that you are actually losing hard drive space ... I went from 1.5TB (500 internal + 1TB external) to 1TB (external disabled)., reversing the upgrade only gets you back half the money.  When I reversed the upgrade to go back to the original equipment, I was told I would never get that lifetime $20 discount I got when I signed up.

So, I am now being charged $20 extra ... per month ... lifetime! ...  just becasue I tried to upgrade and was dissatisfied.

[ShemShem]

I feel everyone's pain here with regards to an external (WD) hard drive compatible with the Quantum media server boxes. I just don't understand why Verizon would bother put both an eSATA and USB port onboard without any intentions for (future) usage with an external drive. Can anyone at a senior level at Verizon confirm a future firmware upgrade that would make an external drive compatible with this hardware as your (phone) tech support and CSR's seem split and/or clueless on the matter supplying false details just to make a sale. Just not cool. 

btw, with regards to customers not having enough HD space with the new media servers to record all their TV shows, you do realize you can access aired episodes via On-Demand.

[CRobGauth]

Last word I had heard was that they had no plans to enable eSATA as they felt that the current recording size met or exceed the competition.

DVR is no intended to be a personal library. It is to record to view things later.

And I don't believe that Verizon built these boxes.
They bought an off the shelf product that the vendor had.

[el12509]

I just received my new boxes and same issue, when i plugged in the external, there was nothing.

The Agent explicitly told me that I would be able to use my external drive, and i wish I read these forums first.   I wish they would have had all the information.  

I will say for me, its actually a little lower cost as i had 4 boxes and upgraded to a 5th, so even with the 5th, I am paying the same price as 4 previsously.  Still very disappointed about not able to connect the external drive.

[jaja714]

The Agent told you that the external drive would work?  Of course he did.  He wanted you to pull the trigger on the upgrade and he knows full well that, when you call back later to complain that statement can easily be denied.  My Agent promised me the same thing and ... guess what?  The external drive is not recognized and all of the other Verizon Agents deny that I was promised oherwise.

The bottom line is that I paid $150* to upgrade and an extra $40 a month ... for less space!

*NOTE: why was my fist bill $150 higher even though I was promised a one-time upgrade fee of $50?  If anyone out there knows the answer to this question, please tell me because the Verizon agents cannot.