High definition TV recordings take up a lot of space. So when you make the switch from standard def to high definition, you might be surprised to find that you can't fit hundreds of programs on your PVR any more. You'll be lucky to get 20 or 30 on your high definition TiVo or whatever set top box your cable or satellite provider stuck you with.

Fortunately more and more set top box makers are adding an eSATA port to their units. That means you can attach an external hard drive. But most external drives are built for computers, not A/V systems. So they're often noisy and kind of ugly.

The TenBox from TenLab is neither of those things. It is, however, rather expensive. The TenBox looks like an A/V component, uses quiet fans, and comes in 1TB, 1.5TB, and 2TB capacities. The top of the line 2TB model will set you back $2,000, so that's about a buck per gigabyte. 2 terabytes should be enough space to store 330 hours of HDTV or 1300 hours of standard def programming.

TenLab says the TenBox was designed specifically to work with DirecTV's HR-20/21 series recorders, but it should work with any PVR with an enabled eSATA device.

[via Electronic House]