DaveZatz

It seems like adding an eSATA port to personal video recorders is the thing to do. Enabling that port so that you can actually slap an external hard drive onto your PVR is another story.

TiVo recently issued an update that enables the eSATA port on TiVo HD boxes. But you can't just plug in an external hard drive and expect it to work. Rather, you'll need to install TiVo software on that drive before your TiVo will recognize it. Dave Zatz speculates that this means TiVo will begin selling hard drives under its own brand name soon. Makes sense to us.

At the same time, it seems that a growing number of Scientific Atlanta set top boxes have working eSATA ports. If you got your PVR from your regional cable company, odds are you have either a Motorola or Scientific Atlanta box. WeaKnees has a list of SA boxes that may work with external eSATA hard drives.

It's official. You don't have to pay $800 to pick up a high definition TiVo. The new TiVo HD is available from TiVo's website for $299.

All the details are pretty much what we had expected:

• Dual CableCards, located at the front
• M-Card support for tuning two channels with one card
• Support for analog cable (standard definition) and ATSC over the air high definition recording
• No OLED front display
• No THX certification
• Comes with the standard Series2 remote control, not the Series3 remote
• 160GB hard drive for recording 180 hours of standard def or 20 hours of high def programming

You can also pre-order upgraded units with larger hard drives from DVRupgrade and WeaKnees.

Dave Zatz has been playing around with one for a few weeks and he's impressed. He also managed to grab a video of the new opening sequence, which you can check out after the jump.

The update to Verizon's FiOS TV service includes enhanced graphics, automatic updates, an improved search capability, and widgets for weather, traffic, and community information.

Zatz has some great screen shots showing the following features:

• An indicator of how much free space you have left on your hard drive
• Ability to configure the commercial skip button to fast forward 30 seconds, 1 minute, 2 minutes, or 5 minutes
• Search for HD only shows
• Integrated video on demand
• Ability to record shows and view program guides from your cellphone expected this fall

People have been hacking their TiVo recorders as long as there have been TiVo boxes. You can add more storage, enhance your networking experience, or make your TiVo remote control a bit more useful.

While some of the more advanced hacks require some technical know-how and some modifications that could potentially leave you with a dead PVR, there are plenty of beginner-level hacks. Our buddy Dave Zatz has compiled his top 5:

1. Program your TiVo remote control to add a 30-second "commercial skip" button.
2. Add an extra hard drive or replace your existing hard drive with a larger one (or pay someone to do it for you).
3. Transfer video to your TiVo box.
4. Remove the DRM from TiVoToGo programs you've moved from your TiVo to your computer.
5. Stream AAC, WMA, OGG and MP3 files to your TiVo.

Zatz's article has all the steps you need to take to perform these hacks.