NEWBIE QUESTIONS

[nofuse]

I am thinking of taking the plunge and replacing my old Topfield TF5800 but would like to ask a few questions first.

1. Back to back recording - how does the hummy deal with them if padding is applied, the toppy running mystuff (an epg replacement) would merge the recording or if on different channels adjust the padding so both recordings could still take place if you were already using both tuners.

i.e. recording 1 -BBC 1 1930-2000 padding would be 1927-2005
recording 2 - ITV1 1945-2015 padding would be 1942-2020

If I wanted to record say channel 4 from 2000 to 2030 the toppy would adjust the padding on recording 1 to 1927-2000 and then switch and record channel 4 from 2000-2035, is the hummy this intelligent?

2. If using custom firmware and the web interface maybe with an iphone away from home does the hummy have to be left on or can you wake it remotely to allow you to set timers etc?

3. Is it really that complicated to backup recording? the toppy was just a case of connecting a usb cable transferring and using most editing software to remove adverts etc then burn to DVD, I know it wasn't HD but it seems even std is a little harder on the hummy.

4. One of the main reasons for thinking of getting one is the ability to stream my recording to a sony bravia, do I have to remove the encryption first for HD recordings?

Thanks for any advice.

 

[brianmt]

Simple answers
1) yes
2) no
3) no, can't see how you would engineer such a thing easily
4) easy to backup and edit sd, nearly all conversations on this board is how to do it in HD
5) You'd have to ask Sony if they support Humax HD files. I would think not. Should support SD but there again I'd ask Sony what files do they support

 

[Black Hole]

Not-so-simple answers:

1. Back to back recording - how does the hummy deal with them if padding is applied, the toppy running mystuff (an epg replacement) would merge the recording or if on different channels adjust the padding so both recordings could still take place if you were already using both tuners.

Overlapping or abutting programmes on different channels are recorded complete with padding both ends - the HDR-FOX can run two recordings simultaneously. Abutting programmes on the same channel are still two separate files, but the padding in between is deleted. This means if there is any under- or over-run, the end of one programme might be found attached to the beginning of the next (or the other way around).

Accurate Recording (no padding) overcomes this by using the broadcast flags to start and stop recordings at exactly the programme times, but this relies on the broadcasters getting the flags right - and some of us have too much experience of them feing wrong so refuse to use it.

2. If using custom firmware and the web interface maybe with an iphone away from home does the hummy have to be left on or can you wake it remotely to allow you to set timers etc?

Away from home (or even at home if the box isn't on at the time) it is the Remote Scheduling interface you want (a hosted web service). You can set the HDR-FOX to wake up periodically, then it will check and pull down whatever you have set up for it from the external web service.

3. Is it really that complicated to backup recording? the toppy was just a case of connecting a usb cable transferring and using most editing software to remove adverts etc then burn to DVD, I know it wasn't HD but it seems even std is a little harder on the hummy.

It is as complicated as we say it is. Without our side-stepping, ALL recordings are encrypted and Humax only provides a way to copy decrypted files to USB if they are StDef. The DLNA server (which came out in firmware 1.02.20) provides a way in to download them too. Run the custom software and the right background utilities, and HiDef files can be treated the same. I don't think we've cracked HiDef editing on a PC yet (not for free anyway), but the tools are now there to do it on the box.

4. One of the main reasons for thinking of getting one is the ability to stream my recording to a sony bravia, do I have to remove the encryption first for HD recordings?

You may be able to stream StDef to it (my LG doesn't decode it properly), but it is very unlikely to make anything of the HiDef files. HiDef recordings would have to be auto-unprotected first, but after that they will be decrypted on-the-fly.