Humax HDPVR-5000t recordings to PC

[Woncler]

Hello all Humax experts.

I'm having a little bit of trouble transferring SD and HD recordings from my Humax HDPVR-5000t (humaxdigital com/global/products/product_stb_terrestrial_hdpvr5000T.asp) to my PC. I have formatted my mobile HDD to ext3 and downloaded ext-drivers to my Windows 7 so that I can browse the files. Transfer is successfull and I get 5 files per recording to my HDD: .ts, .cxm, .hmt, .nts and .thm. But when I try to play the ts file in any media player (WMP, VLC, Splash) it doesn't play. I can't do anything with the ts file, even convert it to another format. I've read something about encryption but I don't completely understand the process. How can it be so hard to transfer one damn movie to PC? Any suggestions?

I was also wondering the differences between the Finnish HDPVR-5000t and HDR-Fox T2. Could it be possible to install a custom HDR-Fox T2 firmware to HDPVR-5000t? Because they seem have a lot in common. I've understood that the transfer process is much easier with custom firmware.

 

[Black Hole]

Everything written about the HDR-FOX T2 and HD-FOX T2, and the custom firmware/software written for them, applies to the HDR-FOX and HD-FOX only. The exploits used to transfer decrypted recordings (and install custom firmware at all) rely on "features" which Humax may consider errors on their part, and unless those features are propagated onto other machines or other exploits can be found you are limited to what you can do with what you've got.

The HDR-FOX T2 always copied recordings to USB in a decrypted form for StDef, but retained the encryption for HiDef. This is, we understand, an agreement they made for the use of the EPG data. The likes of Raydon discovered how to make a HiDef file be treated as if it were StDef, but that would be of no help to you if in your case StDef are also copied encrypted.

 

[Woncler]

That's a shame I did a little more research and my Humax indeed encrypts all recordings. So I guess there's no way to play them on PC, or is there?

 

[Black Hole]

The two key exploits are:

1. Decryption of StDef when copied to USB;
2. Decryption on-the-fly when streaming via DLNA.

Without either of those there is no way in (not that has been found anyway, and the HD/HDR-FOX community has no particular motivation to go looking any further).

Note that the HD-FOX has neither of these natively, but with sufficient similarity of hardware it is possible to force it to run HDR-FOX code and achieve decryption through USB copy. It may be possible to achieve something similar with your 5000, but it will take somebody with the skills (and a 5000 to work on) to see whether it can be tamed.

 

[Woncler]

Okay, well, thanks anyway!

 

[Black Hole]

I think this note on page 36 of the 5000 manual is the clincher:

Note: When a file is moved to a different storage, it will be copied. However, video recordings cannot be copied to other storages.

There is also no mention of a USB route to firmware update, and the Ethernet port is referred to as "service".

It might be possible to massage the HDR-FOX official/CF update files to load onto the 5000, externally the box appears identical and it's a good bet the internal hardware is pretty similar (why reinvent the wheel), but if it is not already programmed to look for update files by USB they won't load - and if they did there is a risk you will render your 5000 useless (AKA "bricked"). The obvious way in is to see what the Ethernet "service port" has to offer.

 

[Woncler]

Actually it is possible to update firmware via USB and I've done it once. But it was Humax' official firmware update file. The ethernet port is a bit weird because in Menu there isn't any reference to Internet or Ethernet.

 

[Black Hole]

Being a service port it is probably on a predefined IP address.

The USB update option is a possibility, the main risk being whether there are differences in the file system which would mean no way back (by restoring the official firmware) after experimenting with alternative firmware updates. The relevant .hdf files would need to declare themselves the correct identity (a file for the HDR-FOX would not load on the 5000 as is).

 

[Woncler]

Well it has MAC-address written on the back I don't know it this has anything to do with the case but here's the link to the .hdf file which I used to update my 5000 (humaxdigital com/uk/support/downloadcenter_model.aspx?category_seq=199). But if I'd try to update it with a custom firmware, could it be possible to restore it to factory settings or will it totally brick? Because if that's the case, I'd rather watch my recordings from the box than break it.

 

[Black Hole]

The current custom firmware would probably not install, it has the wrong ID codes. If it did, or if you had a modified one with the right codes, it is definitely unexplored territory and probably not worth the risk.