HDR-Fox T2 500GB > 1TB Hard drive replacement.

Wallace

Traveler 34122
I have done a search but not found anything specific for the HDR-Fox T2.

I would like to change out the original 500GB disc for a new 1TB one. I have so few recordings I am not bothered about them and realise they will go. (I still use my Toppy 5810 mainly).

Is it just a case of out with the old in with the new and the Humax will format the new drive etc?

Is the ORIGINAL firmware on the disc or stored in 'memory'? I have loaded the custom firmware so I know I will have to re-load that. Again, that should be no problem.

Quite a few questions there, sorry about that.
 
Ha. Searched this forum, not there. Sorry.

Anyway. I bit the bullet (again) and fitted a Samsung 1TB SATA HDD from my 'spare' Topfield 5810 (I have two of them - sad or what?).

Very smooth operation. Formatted the new HDD and away we go.

As I was using the custom firmware, I found that I had to revert back to Humax's own (v1.02.20) and then flash again with the custom firmware, before packages would install. Nevertheless it was all straight forward.

I have now got a 1TB HDR FOX-T2, running custom firmware and I have also removed the orange filter from the front of the VFD so now I can actually see the display!!

Thanks all for making this possible.
 
As I was using the custom firmware, I found that I had to revert back to Humax's own (v1.02.20) and then flash again with the custom firmware, before packages would install. Nevertheless it was all straight forward.
Strange, did you try restarting the box after the format and before trying to install the packages?
 
Yes, I did reboot the box after the format and before I tried to install the packages.
I tried to install the packages in a PuTTy session but it failed, something about directories. Then I tried via Firefox (http). Firefox went to the Hummy webif page, and there was a button stating to install the full web interface click here and I did so. It tried to install but failed as in the PuTTy session.

I also tried just reflashing withe the custom firmware (and rebooting after) but that was the same.
The only I could get it to work was to reflash the original firmware, then the custom. It then allowed me to install the packages and everything was back to normal.
 
...went to the Hummy webif page, and there was a button stating to install the full web interface click here and I did so.

You got the new bootstrap daemon that was added in 1.09 which is started whenever the mongoose binary isn't found (which it wouldn't be on a new disk).

I also tried just reflashing withe the custom firmware (and rebooting after) but that was the same.
The only I could get it to work was to reflash the original firmware, then the custom. It then allowed me to install the packages and everything was back to normal.

I don't claim to understand what was going on here, but at least you're back up and running!
 
You got the new bootstrap daemon that was added in 1.09 which is started whenever the mongoose binary isn't found (which it wouldn't be on a new disk).

I don't claim to understand what was going on here, but at least you're back up and running!

Well, at least it proves that you can turn back your customised firmware to plain old vanilla !

It would be interesting to see if anyone else has to do this when they upgrade their HDD
 
Just for reference here is a good article about upgrading the hdr HDD.

http://www.avforums.com/forums/pvrs...pgrading-humax-hdr-fox-t2-2tb-hard-drive.html

Mod: Hope it's ok to post this link to another site? Please remove if not.

I would like to thank you for this link, very informative. Although I said I didn't have any programmes that I wanted to keep when I changed out my HDD, I did have some. The tuturial was very tempting.

I decided to take the new 1TB HDD back out of the Hummy and use the instructions from the link to copy all the programmes over from my 'old' 500GB HDD to the new 1TB one. It did take a couple of hours or more but worked a treat.

I have changed from my original 'new' Samsung 1 TB HDD to a brand new Western Digital 10EVDS which is specifically designed for PVR (AV) use. The Samsung can now go back in my 'spare' Topfield 5810.

I had no problems to report with the Samsung HDD, but just thought I would get a 'designed for the job' AV disk instead.
 
Interesting. I can't imagine what they have done to make it designed for the job, other than maybe beef up the passive cooling (which all hard drives could do with anyway).
 
Indeed, but if you check out the spec it does say specifically for PVR and AV applications. Of course, it could all be 'salesmanship', lol.
 
Interesting. I can't imagine what they have done to make it designed for the job, other than maybe beef up the passive cooling (which all hard drives could do with anyway).

AV drives don't have the built in error checking routines of drives designed for PC use. This can interrupt the datastream momentarily, not good for a pvr where the odd wrong bit won't be noticed anyway. They are also specced to run continously, a pvr with a drive that goes to sleep on the job is also not a good idea.
 
Oh. And there was I thinking the data would be buffered and go on and off in bursts.
I suggest you Google CE (Consumer Electronics) drives. A PC drive will appear to work fine at first, once small sector read errors appears after extended use it will get increasingly less reliable as a pvr drive. In any case feel free to install whatever drive you want to. I await your posts in 18months time :).

I have a Foxsat-hdr with a 1TB CE drive installed in November 2008, it's still working as well as the day it was installed.

Why do you think the original drives installed by the quality pvr makers are not bog standard PC drives. ?

Suggest you educate yourself :eek:

One of a million hits on Google

http://blog.mvidatarecovery.com/wha...ard-disk-and-a-consumer-electronics-ce-drive/

PVR's do not have the data handling of PC's. They extract the data from the Mux and stream it to a hdd, if the drive can't keep up you get problems. They do not have the capability to buffer the data till the HDD can accept the data.
 
Wow. I am glad I chose to remove the Samsung 1TB (PC) HDD and replace it with the WD unit.

I thought, why would manufacturers go to the trouble to make HDD specifically for PVR's if standard PD HDD's will do? Secondly, why PVR manufacturers would not simply fit a standard PC HDD in their machines. Now I know.

Thanks Graham for the info and link.
 
Wow. I am glad I chose to remove the Samsung 1TB (PC) HDD and replace it with the WD unit.

I thought, why would manufacturers go to the trouble to make HDD specifically for PVR's if standard PD HDD's will do? Secondly, why PVR manufacturers would not simply fit a standard PC HDD in their machines. Now I know.

Thanks Graham for the info and link.

A PC can and (and does) delay writing to a hard disc to improve performance. Delayed writes are written during a proper shut down of windows, hence the warning message.
 
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