Problems with FFWD & rewind when streaming from HDR-T2 to HD-T2

[Alan99]

Apologies if this question has already been answered, but I've searched the forum and can't find any information relating to it.

I have just bought an HD FOX-T2 with the sole purpose of being able to use it as a slave player for the HDR FOX-T2 we already own. Having connected them together via the home network, I am very disappointed with the user interface (or rather lack of it) for playing back recorded contect on the HD. In particular, how do I get the following features to work:

1) Fast forward and rewind when playing an HDR recording on the HD?
2) Pause playback on one machine, and continue from the same place on the other machine?
3) Do I have to keep the HDR powered up constantly, to allow the HD to see it?

The only way I have found to navigate through a program when playing back on the HD is to skip forward 2 minutes at a time or skip back 15 seconds at a time - less than useful if you want to skip an hour into the program, or fast forward through the adverts.

Without features 1 and 2, the streaming feature from HDR to HD appears to be practically useless, particularly as that was the reason for purchasing it.

I haven't attached an external HDD to the HD unit. Would that make a difference, and enable these features?

Alternatively would the CF provide these features?

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

 

[Black Hole]

Easy one first:

3) Do I have to keep the HDR powered up constantly, to allow the HD to see it?

Yes. If you select a not-broadcasting service (LCN 49, The Food Network, is a good one) the hard disk activity will be minimal.

1) Fast forward and rewind when playing an HDR recording on the HD?
2) Pause playback on one machine, and continue from the same place on the other machine?

The facilities available to the DLNA client are limited. Switching to the custom way of things will reap you enormous benefits, and several of us use an HD-FOX to access the HDR-FOX. At first the major problem was that the playback got terminated at 4GB because of a bug in the DLNA client, but this is now fixed in 1.02.27+.

The trick is to decrypt the content of the HDR (the custom software can do this shortly after the recording has completed), and then add standard networking facilities to the HDR (server) and HD (client). The HD will then be able to list and play (and use the OPT+ button) as if they were local, and the "last played" point is recorded for either machine to access.

You will need at least a pen drive in the HD-FOX (formatted Ext2 - follow the instructions) to host the custom software.

 

[af123]

As you've discovered, fast forward and rewind don't work, but using the left and right (cursor) keys you can quickly skip around so it's easy to get to an hour in, say.

I find that + skip is good enough for the remote watching I do anyway.

 

[Black Hole]

Good point, I had forgotten that.

 

[Alan99]

Thanks to both Black Hole and af123 for your replies.

I'll try using the left and right cursor keys and see if that gives us sufficient remote playback control. If not I'll upgrade the units to the CF.

One question regarding upgrading to CF - will I lose all of the existing recordings on the HDR when I upgrade? I have been informed by SWMBO that that is not an option!

 

[af123]

I'll try using the left and right cursor keys and see if that gives us sufficient remote playback control.

I'm not in front of mine to check at the moment, but I think you need to bring up the timeline bar first by pressing play or skip, then use the cursors to move around.

One question regarding upgrading to CF - will I lose all of the existing recordings on the HDR when I upgrade? I have been informed by SWMBO that that is not an option!

Fair position! No, the only thing other than a hardware fault that removes recordings is if you reformat the disk through the on-screen Humax Menus.

 

[Alan99]

Fair position! No, the only thing other than a hardware fault that removes recordings is if you reformat the disk through the on-screen Humax Menus.

Thanks af123. That's what I hoped would be confirmed.

 

[Gary]

The facilities available to the DLNA client are limited. Switching to the custom way of things will reap you enormous benefits, and several of us use an HD-FOX to access the HDR-FOX. At first the major problem was that the playback got terminated at 4GB because of a bug in the DLNA client, but this is now fixed in 1.02.27+.
.

How do I get this to work (access HDR from HD as though it was the HDR)? Do I just install the custom software on the HD? Or is there more to it than that?

 

[Black Hole]

You need to run the Samba custom package on the HDR and auto-mount on the HD, see HERE (click). In addition, the recorded content on the HDR will need to be decrypted, you do that with auto-unprotect + unencrypt.

 

[osmyth]

Following on from this - is it possible to set a recording on the HDR while looking at it via the HD, i.e. view the HDR Guide on the HD and record from it?
The HD doesn't have an HDD connected to it.
Thanks.

 

[Black Hole]

The mount makes the HDR's internal drive appear as if it were a locally attached USB drive on the HD-FOX (or some people mount it directly under My Video), so although using the HD-FOX user interface would not command the HDR to make a recording, it might be possible for the HD-FOX to make its own recording onto the HDR's drive...

Under Menu >> Settings >> System >> Data Storage you have to "Select the HDD for PVR", until which all operations relating to setting a recording are inactive. I just tried it, and with an Ext2 UPD for CF hosting and the network mounted HDR-FOX, the "Select HDD" option is greyed out.

 

[osmyth]

Thanks Black Hole. As per my other thread and doing things totally incorrectly, I'm now going to try an HDD (Ext3) to host the CF for the HD. Will first try the mount to view the HDR, then i'll try the "Select the HDD for PVR" as you suggest above.