'Tested' Hard Drives

Hey folks, I'm researching which drive to get and this thread is helping.  However the problem is the data we're collecting here is spread across dozens of posts.  It would be very helpful if we could consolidate the list of good/bad drives into a master list, so I've started one here:

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1wQM3C4ytkmjdNsk2-wbaNq0358B1idx3UzSG6OVTwTo/edit?usp=sharing

Feel free to add/update as you see fit.  I realize this is open to the world so I ask that we be good citizens.  But hopefully this helps create a more workable list for those out there like me trying to understand the universe of options.

Thanks!

Nevermind - I see that doubleTap has already put this info into a table above - thank you!

I’m not trying to put a damper on anyones fun but has anyone considered the longevity of using consumer level desktop drive in a DVR?

I'm not trying to put a damper on anyones fun but has anyone considered the longevity of using consumer level desktop drive in a DVR?

Tivo, DirecTv, and Dish users have been adding storage to their DVRs using consumer level desktop drives for years.  It’s not something I worry about at all.  Plus with the Tablo, if the drive goes bad, it is a repetitively cheap replacement.  

Just received and setup my 4 Tuner Tablo (bought during the great Black Friday sale from Newegg).  I had a Western Digital AV drive in an old powered external enclosure that I used with my Simple.TV setup before I gave up on them.  

Works great with my Tablo, and being a DVR purpose built drive, is extremely quiet and should last a good long time.

Drive is:
WDC WD20 EURX-63T0FY0 (2000 GB)
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822236603
So far, I’m really liking the Tablo…video quality for both Live and Recorded content seems very good and haven’t experienced any buffering or 1080i to 1080p deinterlacing issues with my setup (all hardwired gige).  Would love a richer Roku interface, but I know Tablo is working on that.
I'm not trying to put a damper on anyones fun but has anyone considered the longevity of using consumer level desktop drive in a DVR?

Tivo, DirecTv, and Dish users have been adding storage to their DVRs using consumer level desktop drives for years.  It’s not something I worry about at all.  Plus with the Tablo, if the drive goes bad, it is a repetitively cheap replacement.  

You’re referring to the external additional storage, not the primary internal drive used by the DVR.    I’m pretty certain all of the above DVRs use hard drives optimized for video.     I do agree that the cost of hard drives is relatively low.

Okay, so this really stinks. Ive been following Tablo since just missing out on the crowd funding and finally pulled the trigger. Like many others, waited for Black Friday due to all the emails Tablo kept sending me to promote possible discounts. So I make a move, buy a 4-tuner unit from Newegg along with a recommended drive 2TB Seagate Backup Plus Slim STDR2000100. The drive TABLO SAID TO USE. The drive looks like it formatted but then it records 1/2 a show, shuts down. just wont stay powered up or connected. I can pause and rewind and it does play what it actually records so i know the drive works. It just doesn’t stay ON…i think thats the issue anyway.


Regardless, this is SUPER frustrating. This is a lot of money to spend after following SPECIFIC TABLO RECOMMENDATIONS for things not to work. Where are things at? Has anyone figured out why, all of a sudden, this drive doesn’t work? Perhaps there is an older version of the drive firmware that I can load? Cant imagine the drive/hardware changed…so… must be firmware?

Seems like Tablo is working it on their end? What can they really do? Cant we just MAKE my STDR2000100 the same as the WORKING STDR2000100’s that people are already using with success?

Let them work it on their end. Can we, as a community, to figure this out?

I have an idea and I will see what happens. I read that you can download the seagate utility and one feature is the ability to adjust the sleep time. I hope it is set to 15 min and i can just change to NEVER. might be a simple fix?
Okay, so this really stinks. ... 2TB Seagate Backup Plus Slim STDR2000100. The drive TABLO SAID TO USE. The drive looks like it formatted but then it records 1/2 a show, shuts down. just wont stay powered up or connected. I can pause and rewind and it does play what it actually records so i know the drive works. It just doesn't stay ON....i think thats the issue anyway.

Regardless, this is SUPER frustrating. 

Let them work it on their end. Can we, as a community, to figure this out?

I agree this is frustrating. I didn’t realize some HDD’s don’t work when I bought my Seagate Backup Plus Slim STDR2000102 ‘Blue’ which turns out as other have said it tries to format and just sits at “formatting hard drive” forever and will not finish.

After reading further it sounds like the color and last numbers in the model number made a difference and most people with the black Seagate STDR2000100 worked OK. So I went ahead and purchased this, but since then Tablo has stopped recommending the Seagate Backup Slim Plus and others have come forward saying they have had problems with it. I haven’t received my STDR2000100 yet so I haven’t tried it out.

3rd HDD’s a charm I guess…

CONFIRMED GOOD
BRAND NAME Seagate
PRODUCT NAME Backup Plus Slim 2TB Portable External Hard Drive with Mobile Device Backup USB 3.0 (Black) STDR2000100
SIZE 2 TB
LINK http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00FRHTSK4/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
COMMENTS Glad it worked!

CONFIRMED GOOD
BRAND NAME Seagate
PRODUCT NAME Backup Plus Slim 2TB Portable External Hard Drive with Mobile Device Backup USB 3.0 (Black) STDR2000100
SIZE 2 TB
LINK http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00FRHTSK4/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
COMMENTS Glad it worked!

Well I am getting this same HDD (STDR2000100) tomorrow and I will try it out. Hopefully it works fully and doesn’t have any issues others have described.

@packerbacker @wormlips Folks - we finally have some of these drives (ones that are having this issue) in the office, and we’re testing with them now. We’re anxious to test some in the field, too. If you’ve got a non-functional Seagate disk, send me a note and we can try and format for you remotely.

My drive says Windows/MAC compatible. Did they always say this? Thought maybe the drive was formatted with an incorrect file structure. I think it was formatted with exFAT. I downloaded the Seagate app and then used it to show the drive. I deleated the partition and re-added it, then i was able to reformat the drive using NTFS and given the option of file size...i chose the smalles 512.

 

it did record a few shows over night, think it may have worked now. Just something to look into on these drives. how do they come formatted from the factory. This is an STDR2000100 so should have worked right out of the box.

 

i sent a note, i am interested in any help that will be given. If i can not get things working I need to know so it can all be returned to Newegg before its too late.

Amazon just lowered the price on this recommended hard drive to $74.99!

WD Elements 2TB USB 3.0 Portable Hard Drive (WDBU6Y0020BBK-NESN)

Amazon just lowered the price on this recommended hard drive to $74.99!

WD Elements 2TB USB 3.0 Portable Hard Drive (WDBU6Y0020BBK-NESN)

Must have been a short-lived price reduction, because it is $87.99 (same as Newegg) now…

CONFIRMED: GOODBRAND NAME: SeagatePRODUCT NAME Backup Plus Slim (STDR2000100)SIZE: 2TBLINK: http://www.amazon.com/Seagate-Backup-Portable-External-STDR2000100/dp/B00FRHTSK4COMMENTS: After NOT reading the blog post and getting a Backup Plus Desktop (which of course didn't work), I went to get the 2TB slim. This drive works great so far.

I have a seagate 2tb slim is recognized but after choosing to format it fail to recognize the drive. This is the same drive as mentioned above any ideas?

@Blackjack Was the drive originally detected? Did you receive a ‘hard drive temporarily unavailable’ message after you initiated the format? Let me know through a ticket - we’ve got a few things we can try.

@wormlips

Sorry. didn’t see your question, also didn’t see the 11/28 post where Seagate BUP recomendation was revoked and went ahead and got the STDR2000100 from Amazon. Just set up a few hours ago. It formatted through Tablo set up (shows as Seagate BUP Slim BK 0143 (2000GB) under hard drive on settings) and I’ve recorded one program so far. I’ll double check a few more recordings to make sure it’s recorded in it’s entirety as others have mentioned some problems. 
@roraniel
That may be a better way to setup hard drives (via pc), I just tried to let Tablo setup do it. For whatever reason the 1st STDR2000101(silver Amazon) would not format after numerous attempts~returned~just got the STDR2000100(black Amazon) and it formatted and is recording…so far. 
@roraniel&wormlips
Maybe they sell differently formatted/same model hard drives to different vendors? I don’t know if that’s a dumb thing to ask/say…just hoping this one works as it should without any further tweaking!
Aloha

Glad you got it working. Just to clarify, what I did was plug my brand new HD into my PC and formated it. Then I plugged it into the Tabo and did the setup.


I realize the Tablo setup process does a format but I formatted it first via PC and it worked. Others may want to try this just to see if it works.