Upgrading DVD Recorder HDD to larger size

HB13DISH

I wasn't sure whether to post this thread in The Work Bench or here, but I thought posting here might attract more responses as it only involves changing the HDD.

I have a Pioneer DVD recorder with 160 GB HDD.
At the time I paid a lot of money for this HDD size, and the next size 250 GB was over the budget limits.
Although I keep deleting files from the HDD, it is always almost full (this should be added to Murphy's Laws ). So I am thinking of the possibility of changing it to 500 GB or 1 TB.
My question is if anybody had any experience upgrading their DVD recorder (not necessarily this make and model), and what problems did you have.
My hunch is that the maker may have a software limitation on the HDD model and size (to keep their servicing department busy and milk more money out of the customers pockets) and therefore changing the HDD might ruin the new HDD, or worse, even the present HDD might not work again.
I haven't opened the box yet, just waiting until I get some positive feedback.
(I think the warranty has expired already, but I will have to check this point).

Please post your replies here for any model and if you can attach any good quality photos, this would be greatly appreciated.
Hopefully this thread can have a lot of excellent information from as many members as possible.

BombedOne

You'll face two problems in general, both are solvable:

1. Generally, IDE hard drives are used in older DVD recorders. You'll have to find such format big capacity hdd.

2. HDD's in dvd recorders are formated into proprietary filesystem. Generally, tools are available for formatting and reading/writing such hdds from PC.

So you'd better open up your dvd recorder, check what kind of HDD it has, connect it to PC, and start to checking out what FS is used. After you find FS, you'll have to find apropriate tool for it, to format new hdd in this FS.

Generally, cheap chinese dvd hdd recorders are much simpler. For example, in my own unit, 160gb hdd was built in. I've replaced it with 500gb one, and just used built-in "format" command - now I have 500gb space.

astral69

I looked into this with my Pioneer DVR 720H

Physically changing the disk looks to be quite simple,
but the formatting needs a special Remote.
Sorry cannot see the link on my bookmarks.

Basically I gave up on the idea, and now all my recording is on my Dreambox 7020, where upgrading the disk is simple.