March 10, 2010, 1:33 PM — If you're a TiVo aficionado, you know that there's no such thing as too much storage. And now you can let your TV show and movie collection spill out of the box, across your home network and into an HP MediaSmart server.
HP has announced a new application that allows you to link an HP MediaSmart server located anywhere on your home network to your TiVo device and transfer content back and forth. You can watch the TiVo content stored on the HP MediaSmart server on a network-conneced Windows or Mac PC.
HP MediaSmart Servers can be used as central storage devices and can automatically back up data from multiple computers over the home network. However, MediaSmart drives are especially adept at streaming videos and music to other networked devices, including Mac and Windows PCs or iPods. Content movement between the TiVo and the server is controlled via the Windows Home Server Console on the server.
Compatible HP home servers include the $549 HP MediaSmart EX490, which has a 2.2 GHz, 64-bit Celeron processor and a 1TB hard disk, and the $699 MediaSmart EX495, which comes with a 2.5 GHz, 64-bit Dual Core Pentium processor and a 1.5 TB drive.
Network-attached storage (NAS) devices have become popular for home and small business networks since they are relatively easy to setup and connect and can be located centrally or in a secure location liked a locked closet. Of course TiVo devices, like the just-announced TiVo Premiere and Premiere XL, allow you to record, pause and rewind live TV broadcasts.
HP MediaSmart Expander for TiVo is available free via the Windows Home Server Console on the MediaSmart server.
