New to Forum - HDR FOX T2 and HDR 2000T

NeilN

Member
Hi everyone

I'd been a Toppy owner for many years, and when it died (Still got it to repair) I replaced it with an
HDR FOX T2. Primarily because like the toppy.org website the hummy his this. And what a help you guys have been since purchasing my T2 in 2012. I registered for their 2 year warranty. Two months in there was a temperature related tuner fault. Humax were actually very good they couried a new unit to me and the courier took the faulty away. No problems since. And running latest firmware. Had considered upgrade to CF after warranty expiry but never bothered because I can do everything I need to do.

I like to be able to play recordings on my android tablet and have finally refined the method.
In the old days I'd foxy the .hmt file then copy/decrypt the HD record to a USB EXT3 formatted drive.
mount on my computer win7 with ext2fsd and copy the file over. I would edit the ads etc with VideoRedo TV svuite V4 and output a H264 TS. Which would then be converted using Handbrake.

More recently I upgraded TV Suite V5 which Ironed out the audio sync problems on mp4 rendered files and provides the correct profiles for android tablets :) Do not need HB anymore. All I need to now is edit the cuts and render direct to mp4 android profile and they play perfectly on my tablet. :)

Now just before Christmas I started to notice the HDD would start making a series of clicks then go back to normal. There was no noticeable effect on picture. But over a week or so I noticed it worsen and monitored it.
During playback no issues at all. Record manually started or timer. it would startstop doing this clicking. It got to the point where the picture would blank out and sound go and once it actually crashed the T2.

After going through the forum I decided to replace the HDD in the T2 and also decided to purchase the HDR 2000T (I know it has it issues but will do exactly the same as I do with the T2) as a standby.

The replacement HDD for the T2 is the Seagate Pipeline HD ST1000VM002 1TB. It went in formatted with no problems. Now was the issue over recovering the recordings from the faulty hard drive. When playing the TSR never runs so I disconnected the new drive and reconnected the old drive sat upside down on top of T2 HDD housing, unplugged the antenna cable. I set it playing and from my computer over a couple of days FTP'd the entire 400GB to my computer.
Afterwards disconnected the faulty HDD and re-assembled the T2 and then FTP'd the whole lot back again. All recordings play perfectly :)
One HDR FOX T2 restored to perfect working order :)

Now on investigating on this forum as to whether or not I could transfer the HD recordings from the 2000T to my computer in the same way as the T2. I found I could for both SD and HD (uPnP inspector and Wget for SD recordings. USB copy/decrypt for HD)

Further reading led to see if you can stream HD recordings from the T2 to some form of media player.
Apparently you can so I performed the following steps on both the 2000T and the T2.

1) Foxy the .hmt file of the desired recording. As described elsewhere on this forum
2) Create a new folder or use an existing folder and move the desired 'decrypted' recording to this folder using the Humax remote control.
3)Using uPnP inspector get the URL for the desired recording.
4)Using Wget with the URL for the desired recording, Transfer the recording to your computer.

Both boxes will decrypt and stream HD video. This only occurs once the box has re-indexed the files. This can be done by renaming the video, or moving it to a different folder.
The transferred recordings play perfectly on VLC player on the computer straight off, and after editing/conversion with TVSuite they play perfectly on my tablet.
Recordings made on the T2 and transferred this way play perfectly on the 2000T from a USB key or when FTP'd to it. The same also applies to 2000T recordings playing on the T2.

This is all I need my Humax's to do. Which is why I don't need CF.

Many thanks for all the information posted by everyone, it has been invaluable. I now hope the a few can learn from my experiences with these two devices. Overall I love my T2. It has done everything I have asked of it. And only cost me £40 and some of my time to restore it to full working order again (might even order a couple more of these drives). As for the 2000T. I've not had it long enough to make any real evaluations other than so far it seems to perform equally well.

I know it a long post but thanks for taking the time to read it.

N
 
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I think this would be better posted in the HDR-2000T section.

I have to say though: you've made a lot of hard work for yourself by avoiding the CF. Just because you can do what you need without it doesn't mean it is the most efficient method (in terms of your time), and had you been using CF on the HDR-FOX to routinely decrypt recordings the old drive could have mounted on the 2000T via USB and the recordings would have played. And, generally, for copying recordings to computer - straightforward network storage access in File Explorer with no messing about with FTP, Foxy, UPnP Inspector, and wget. I know I documented the process for CF-phobes, but that doesn't mean I think it's a good idea to be one.

You may well have found that other facilities of the CF also came in useful - you don't miss what you don't know about. Try it - see what you've been missing.
 
I think this would be better posted in the HDR-2000T section.
Why? Its about both.
I have to say though: you've made a lot of hard work for yourself by avoiding the CF.
Wholeheartedly agree. And what Neil has been doing seems to me like an awful lot of work just to watch tele:) Of course, he may be choosing to do it the hard way 'because he can'.
 
Hi
Sorry guys I originally posted on the wrong forum. Thank you for moving it.

Yeap it was long winded but it suited my needs. I didn't want to risk bricking the T2 back then. I still don't now. I am considering now getting a second hand T2 which I will use to play with CF. Once fully up to speed with CF, I will most likely up grade my newly repaired T2 to it.
As for why both I covered both boxes. I'm just highlighting the equalities I found with them. The ability to transfer decrypted HD with Wget now reduces the time of this long winded process and a 5GB HD video takes about 10 mins to transfer. I couldn't find much on the forum for the T2 about transferring HD video with wget. But this was highlighted on 1800T/2000T forum. So tried it out on both boxes, and the method works for both. So I posted my findings for those who don't want to go for CF but still want to stream or transfer recordings from either box.
 
Thanks BH. I must have missed that one but have fully read it now - oh well I learned by trial and error but got there in the end. :)
Perhaps I should have signed up to the forum when I bought my T2. You live and learn :)

Back then I was not in a position to replace my T2 and it was still under the Mfrs 2 year warranty, which only ran out just under six moths ago.
So was just not prepared to take any risk with it at all.
The scenario is different now. So I don't think it will be too long before I look at using CF.

Just confirmed that I can successfully stream foxy'd HD recordings from the T2 to the 2000T and vice versa. Also HD recordings made on T2, foxy'd and FTP'd to the 2000T also stream back to the T2 successfully.
VLC on the computer also plays the HD streams from both boxes.

So all in all with the ability to stream HD/SD and transfer them. The time factor is not much of an issue. It only takes a few minutes to FTP a bunch of HMT files, Foxy them then FTP the bunch back. Then red select the target videos and move to a different folder. They are then ready for streaming or transferring.

So to play with CF I'll be keeping my eyes open for a second hand T2 to experiment with first.

Thanks again BH. Just a point to note I'm looking into using the terminal emulation program called ZOC. It supports many communication methods like ssh, ftp, serial port etc. It also has a scripting language (ReXX) that might be useful for automation. I'll keep you posted on my findings. I use it at work for controlling equipment via scripted multiple ssh and serial connections.
 
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BH

It is worth summarizing my findings and results from experimentation listed in my previous posts on this thread. And putting it in the thread you pointed me to?
I have now tested the above thoroughly and it works every time. (Foxy, file transfers with wget/IE11, stream to PC, stream T2 to 2000T and vice versa. Both SD/HD recordings). So far, it seems to be the best way I have found to decrypt without CF based on the information provided by many people on this forum as a whole and it works for both the T2 and 2000T. I can write up the full sequence with some screen captures I you want me to. (a How to guide, maybe for the wiki)
 
I'll review this topic at some point and see what improvements to my info can be made. Meanwhile, you are free to become a wiki editor and create your own page on there.
 
Thanks BH. I've only really tested the different methods listed in other threads and come up with a sequence that I have found works for both my hummy's.
If others can try them and report back then maybe a full wiki guide would be useful for those like me who don't to use CF.
My second hand T2 should arrive tomorrow so this will be having CF installed. So I will be soon playing around with it.
 
Hi guys

Made an observation yesterday. I went through my T2 drive and foxy'd every HD recording .hmt file.
I then moved a recording to a different folder to force the re-indexing of it. Streamed perfectly to my lappy.
Buy accident I forgot to move another video to a different folder to re-index it before playing it. It was visible in uPnP inspector and streamed straight away.
I tried streaming some of the other foxy'd but not moved recordings and they all stream straight away.
So it would appear that you only need to move one file to cause the whole lot to be re-indexed. That saved a lot of time. Foxy a batch, move one file on the T2 and all will be re-indexed.

Has anyone else observed this behaviour?
 
Take a look at THIS TOPIC in the HDR-2000T section of the forum, and post your observation there. It is more likely to be relevant to 2000T users, because (with no CF) there will be many more users playing in that area.
 
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