My Humax HDR-Fox T2 packed in

Not sure - maybe, probably yes - but why would you want to do that? Have you no idea all the things the CF can do for you?
  • Decrypting everything makes recordings usable off the box, even if the box fails (no need to mess about with keys later);

  • Remote programming recordings - useful if you're away and forgot to set something;

  • Advert skipping;

  • Sharing recordings around the house via network;

  • Etc etc etc...
I can't predict what you would personally find most useful, but there's plenty to play with. We are all pretty much agreed that the HDR-FOX+CF is the best PVR out there, but without CF it's just another PVR.

If you do decide to just change the key and then get rid, be careful to remember that you have changed the key! The existing key is based on a combination of the MAC and the serial number, so if you change it you do not then automatically have a record of what it is (should you want to do the same again on yet another box).
 
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If you do decide to just change the key and then get rid, be careful to remember that you have changed the key! The existing key is based on a combination of the MAC and the serial number, so if you change it you do not then automatically have a record of what it is (should you want to do the same again on yet another box).
Wasn't that one of the reasons for using the all zeros key? Easy to remember for those of us with increasingly senior moments.
 
installed a later version and its fine; no I did check it over fully , recording /tuning etc. But I can't recall if it was tuned before I did the CF install. I may have reset it again. I also have a dead PC to contend with so my mind is all over the place.

Anyhow it worked with the highest firmware version.

Thanks all. Now to learn how to change the key.
 
Now to learn how to change the key.

<snip>

2. Decryption key can be configured via WebIF >> Settings >> Advanced Settings.

3. A unit's original decryption key is derived from its MAC (6 bytes), and the first 10 digits of its serial number, ASCII encoded (10 bytes):

Code:
humax# nugget dump 0x0dadd58 0x10
00dadd58: 00 03 78 bd 11 f3 36 33 37 31 30 34 34 39 36 30  ..x...6371044960
In this example, the encryption key is 000378bd11f336333731303434393630 - the eagle eyed amongst you will spot that it's the box MAC address + the first 10 digits of the serial number, although not all bits are actually used.
 
Thanks. I'm out of the house now so was leaving this till later. Yup, I've copied MAC and serial number off original box. Phone camera ID'd the numbers so emailed them to myself for cut and paste later. Hoping this all works easily as I also have a deadish PC to revive. Went to bed leaving it robocopying Humax files from one disk to another happily and next morning it was poorly. Won't go past Windows logo, won't be fixed with Advanced Recovery or a Windows install on a USB stick. So I've had the equivalent of the National Grid recent meltdown to deal with.
 
So I've done all this and seems to have installed ok; box will record SD and HD ok but will only allow me to watch HD recordings brought over from the original box; the SD recordings are all still encrypted!
 
So I've done all this and seems to have installed ok; box will record SD and HD ok but will only allow me to watch HD recordings brought over from the original box; the SD recordings are all still encrypted!
You misunderstand (or are being loose with terminology). Unless you have physically done something to create new versions of the recordings having decrypted them in the process, all the recordings are encrypted. When you play a recording, the Humax checks a flag in the metadata to see whether it is and encrypted recording or a non-encrypted media file. Assuming it is encrypted, the Humax passes it through a decryptor in the process of sending the video to the TV.

If you have not done anything to the original files, they are all (HiDef & StDef) encrypted on disk, and require the key from the original recording unit to play them. Trying to play them with another unit will produce a "this recording is scrambled" message on screen.

Using the CF WebIF to change the key of the player unit to match the key of the recording unit will result in these files playing. I suspect you have not got that stage right, and that the HiDef recordings you have been able to play are actually already decrypted. You can check this by setting the encryption key to something random, and trying again - if the HiDef recordings still play, and the StDef recordings still don't, I've hit the nail on the head.
 
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