Newbie getting used to HDR-FOX T2 - Thanks for the great Mod! A few Q's...

B

BenB

Member
I just got an HDR-FOX T2, and was aprehensive about hacking it, the guides always showed the coding and as a newbie I was scared I'd have to actually tyoe and understand this stuff!!
How pleased I was to launch my browser and find a simple one-click installer and nicely explained apps!!!

Thanks loads to those who've developed this, it really is nice to use!

The only thing I can really see myself as using it for is copying off the odd recording. Can I just ask, how long does removing the encryption take after the recording has finished? Am I safe to switch of the box? I assume (Sorry I've only had it a day!) that it will continue to record anyway if it's switched off (Standby, obviously!!), not like my old old Humax that killed the recording if you turned the box off!

If there a nicer way of accessing the browser interface than going through the box menu and making a mental note of the IP? No shortcut to type?

I've moved to the T2 from a BT vision box, having got fed up with the crashing, the dependence on having expensive BT broadband, the 5-minute boot cycle if it does crash, and most annoyingly the failure to record anything if for any reason your broadband needed a quick reset.

There are, however a couple of things the Vision box (sorry to have to keep mentioning the name!) did quite well, and I'm wondering if they would be anything that would be hackable?

• Hitting record (On the BT Vision box) on a channel that is already on, records the whole program that it is the buffer, not just from the point you press record. If it could be rewound to, then it's saved instantly, even if you press it in the closing seconds of the broadcast (Handy if the box has been on, but the TV has been off and you come in to find the end of a program you wanted to see!). Would that be a possible hack??

• I find the 'Media' view a bit large, I'd rather see more of the recordings on screen, could there be an option for a smaller font, so it's easier to navigate? I'd happily lose the graphic. For example I have a USB HDD with 100+ films on it, a smaller font and a couple of columns of lists would make it easier to wizz through them.

• When watching a channel and being told it's 'Also available in HD - Click Here to View' - I'd love the box to just show me the HD version straight away, why on earth would I chose the SD version!! I know that's asking a bit much, it is an entirely different channel after all!

Anyway, thanks again for the work on the mod, really good stuff!
 
Hi, BenB.

The Hummy continues to record in standby.
Recording from the buffer is described in the manual (HDR only). It needs to be enabled in Settings.
If you Bookmark (shortcut) the IP address make sure to change to manual in Internet settings.

HTH
 
Thanks 4291. I'm pleased it can record from buffer, that's come in handy plenty of times! TBH i was dissappointed it didn't do it, so I'm glad it does!!
 
For the IP address once I'd used it once the next time I only have to enter 192 (in my case) and it autofills the rest of it for me. Plus I have dragged icons onto the desktop so I can click straight to it from there. I don't have my IP set to manual and it's not changed since I got the machine and hooked it up in May (but I accept that it could change at some point if I had a power cut and everything rebooted or something like that but I'd deal with that at the time by re-checking the menu on the Hummy if my shortcuts stopped working).
 
4291 said:
Recording from the buffer is described in the manual (HDR only). It needs to be enabled in Settings.
Click to expand...
I don't see any such setting and I think it is on by default? Where do you think it is? All the manual says is:

To record the Time Shift Recording buffer

Rewind to the point you wish to record and press the Record button on the remote control.

Note:

The recording will not appear immediately in the Media list as time is required to transfer the buffer into a recording.
 
BenB said:
Am I safe to switch of the box? I assume (Sorry I've only had it a day!) that it will continue to record anyway if it's switched off (Standby, obviously!!), not like my old old Humax that killed the recording if you turned the box off!
Click to expand...
Which model of Humax was that? All the models I am familiar with continue to record from standby.
 
Re: Recording the Time Shift buffer, I'll have a look later, but I guess that is still a good enough work-around.

My old Humax is a 8000T I believe. Single tuner, about 6 or 7 years old or so i think
 
MartinLiddle said:
I don't see any such setting and I think it is on by default? Where do you think it is? All the manual says is:

To record the Time Shift Recording buffer

Rewind to the point you wish to record and press the Record button on the remote control.

Note:

The recording will not appear immediately in the Media list as time is required to transfer the buffer into a recording.
Click to expand...
Possibly on by default. The option is in Settings>>Preferences>>Recording>>Time Shift Recording.
I have mine set to Off as I can't record from buffer and don't need to pause live TV. It stops unnecessary activity on my USB HDD.(I think)
 
Just tried downloading an HD recording to my computer and it won't play !?! VLC media player launches but says 0:00 and doesn't play. Any ideas? Encryption is definitely removed (Just added and removed the flag again manually)

Edit- none of the .ts files are playing on my computer at all?!? VLC Media Player 1.1.11
 
Just because the enc flag is removed doesn't mean the file is decrypted.

I (and others) had trouble using VLC. I now use SplashPlayer. That's available free for the 'cut down' version. I liked the program so much I paid for the full version.
 
4291 said:
Possibly on by default. The option is in Settings>>Preferences>>Recording>>Time Shift Recording.
I have mine set to Off as I can't record from buffer and don't need to pause live TV. It stops unnecessary activity on my USB HDD.(I think)
Click to expand...

I guess that's on the Foxsat. This is the Freeview HDR forum - no such option on my HDR-Fox T2. All these forums for boxes with similar names get confusing - I did the same thing the other day.
 
BenB said:
Just tried downloading an HD recording to my computer and it won't play !?! VLC media player launches but says 0:00 and doesn't play. Any ideas? Encryption is definitely removed (Just added and removed the flag again manually)

Edit- none of the .ts files are playing on my computer at all?!? VLC Media Player 1.1.11
Click to expand...

Removing the Enc flag allows the file to be decrypted - it doesn't actually decrypt it. You can decrypt the file by doing one of the following:
1) Copying to an external drive or the virtual drive using the OPT+ button on the remote
2) Downloading to a network drive using the OPT+ button in the web interface
3) Using the Decrypt option on the OPT+ button in the web interface

2) and 3) are significantly faster than 1)

As Wallace says, VLC is not recommended. If it plays the video it will usually glitch on the audio. Use Splash Player.
 
Just tried Splashplayer too... nothing's playing, HD or SD, it just says 'failed to open input file' after a bit of thinking. I've just been pulling the .ts file off. What am I doing wrong!?!!

Edit - Hitreply a bit late!!
Thanks for your replues, will try Downloading through the 'Opt+' button instead of ftp!


Also, any easy way of making regular DVD versions of ts files?
 
Thought I'd hit Decrypt before I downloaded - I get the message "This file has not been indexed by the media server. Cannot decrypt."

Would the Auto-Unprotect package have already done this??

Do I not need to bother with this?
 
fenlander said:
I guess that's on the Foxsat. This is the Freeview HDR forum - no such option on my HDR-Fox T2. All these forums for boxes with similar names get confusing - I did the same thing the other day.
Click to expand...
My box is an HD-FOX T2 and those options are there via the Menu button on the remote. A difference obviously. I cannot turn on share which I believe you can.
 
BenB said:
Thought I'd hit Decrypt before I downloaded - I get the message "This file has not been indexed by the media server. Cannot decrypt."

Would the Auto-Unprotect package have already done this??
Do I not need to bother with this?
Click to expand...

You just need to wait a while for the media server to catch up (I'm assuming you have turned on media sharing in the settings? If not, do that then wait 5 minutes)
Download does a decrypt on the fly so decrypting in advance isn't necessary (although it doesn't hurt).

I appreciate this is a bit confusing - there are a lot of options now so I'll try and clarify some of them:

Using FTP to transfer files directly off the box is, in Humax's words, for "Archive purposes only" - by which they mean that you need to put them back on the exact same Humax in order to view them (they're encrypted).

Using OPT+->Download in the webif uses the built-in media server to decrypt the file on-the-fly and send it to your browser. This only works if the media server is turned on and has had time to index the file (which is usually pretty quick). This doesn't require auto-unprotect to be running for SD files but does for HD.

Using OPT+->Decrypt also uses the build-in media server to decrypt the file.

Using TV Remote->OPT+->Copy to copy a media file to an external disk doesn't use the media server and will decrypt the file during the transfer. Auto-unprotect is needed to make this work properly with HD content. The ENC icon in the on-screen media browser and web interface is a flag that indicates whether the media is flagged as 'Must remain encrypted', not 'Is encrypted' - that's probably the most confusing thing!

HTH.
 
I'm struggling here, I still get the message 'Failed to open input file, with Splash Lite trying to open the files I've downloaded through the Opt+ button. (Tried SD and HD files)

These are files that were on the machine before I installed the modded FW.
 
Are the files downloading with their real names, or as a number followed by .TS ?
If their real names, then they aren't being decrypted properly - I suspect you haven't enabled the media server, see me last post.
 
af123 - Thanks for clarifying! Turns out I had sharing turned off!!!! I thought the fact i could see them in the system was enough! Have enabled it, reset, and will try again now!

I thought ftp'ing would be most affective, but now I see I'll stick to the Opt+ download option!

(Can already see something different is happening, as the 'program name_2011blahblah.ts is renamed '74.ts' as it downloads! Says it will take 10 minutes, will see if it plays!)
 
BenB said:
I thought ftp'ing would be most affective, but now I see I'll stick to the Opt+ download option!
Click to expand...

We were all very disappointed when we discovered the limitations of the embedded FTP server. Prior to that, it sounded like a really useful addition!
 
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