Tivo Upgrade

Ways of increasing the amount of time available on your TiVo abound. The first, and most obvious, is to chuck your old device and buy a new one. This, however, is not generally the most cost-effective move, and may be downright impractical for those with integrated units.

Another option is to hack your TiVo and add an additional hard drive. Numerous websites will give you step-by-step instructions on how to do this. Mind you, this is hacking, and will most certainly void your warranty.

If you decide to do it yourself, you're going to need a hard drive for the extra space. First, determine whether you have a single or dual drive configuration. Most models have room for two drives, but not all, so be careful. Then, look up your specific model on the Internet and see what sort of IDE drive will work. The specific instructions are widely available, and promise the upgrade will take one to two hours.

For those uncomfortable with doing the hacking themselves, a number of places offer upgrade kits. You mail the company your TiVo, they do the upgrade and send it back. The cost of the service varies, depending on the amount of additional space desired, but, in general, the cost ranges between $175 and $300. Going the commercial route has the advantage of keeping the warranty intact, which is always a good thing. Numerous retailers have been approved by TiVo, which should set your mind at ease.