Does Charter activate ext HDD in SA8300HD?

[waltinvt]

I can't get a straight answer from customer service. I know the receiver has a SATA port for an external HDD but I don't know if I can use it, if they have to activate it or if I can somehow activate it myself.

Besides being able to add additional storage, I'd like to be able to transfer movies between my two receivers.

One other question assuming the sata port does work: Can a sata to usb adaptor be used at the receiver end so an external HDD with only a usb connection be used?

 

[MLBurks]

I can't get a straight answer from customer service. I know the receiver has a SATA port for an external HDD but I don't know if I can use it, if they have to activate it or if I can somehow activate it myself.

Besides being able to add additional storage, I'd like to be able to transfer movies between my two receivers.

I just had a brief stint with Charter that left me frustrated. They gave me a Motorola DCH6416 with a 120 gig internal hard drive. For me, that is tiny. I have a USB external drive I wanted to use. I asked customer service while ordering if I would be able to utilize my EHD. She said yes. I also asked my installer and he said yes. Well, I plugged in my USB drive (320 gig Freeagent) and nothing happened. I called customer service again and asked what's going on. She said that they have no way to tell if those ports are enabled in any given area. And if they are not enabled, they have no way to turn them on. I told her that is a deal killer for me. I asked about the eSata port and she said that if the USB port is disabled, likely the eSata is disabled as well. For me that is a deal killer. I will be canceling.

One other question assuming the sata port does work: Can a sata to usb adaptor be used at the receiver end so an external HDD with only a usb connection be used?

I investigated this before with a PC tech and he told me that there is no such thing as a SATA to USB adapter and therefore no way to use a USB external drive with a eSATA port. I wish he is wrong. I have 2 USB external hard drives and can't use any of them with DirecTV as they only support eSATA.

 

[waltinvt]

I thought I saw one but it may have been the reverse - an adaptor cable for using a sata HDD with a USB connection. Can't remember now.

I guess what I don't understand (with my extremely limited tech savy) is if the receiver has a SARA version that will support the ext HDD, why can't the port be made active through the receiver's service setup menu? Why does it have to be "turned" on at the local district office - especially when Charter already allows for it in it's pricing structure?