salvage drive

[crensdale]

Hello
I'm helping someone remotely with a Foxsat HDR which sounds like it's on the way out (not reliably booting up). Just have a couple of questions as I've not messed about with them myself.
From what they've said, it sounds like the internal drive may be ok, in that apparently there aren't any abnormal noises.
If so, presumably getting a second hand Foxsat HDR and swapping in their existing drive should work and keep their recorded programmes?
What about connecting their existing drive via USB? Would that work without having to format the drive? Would that also work on a newer (maybe Freeview) model Humax?
They're using the standard firmware.
Thanks

 

[Luke]

Is this a nice to have, or something that your friend finds essential?

Just have a couple of questions as I've not messed about with them myself.

Neither have I, but here are my initial thoughts ...

I'm helping someone remotely with a Foxsat HDR which sounds like it's on the way out (not reliably booting up). Just have a couple of questions as I've not messed about with them myself.
From what they've said, it sounds like the internal drive may be ok, in that apparently there aren't any abnormal noises.

Not all drive faults make noises.

If so, presumably getting a second hand Foxsat HDR and swapping in their existing drive should work and keep their recorded programmes?

Did they take action to ensure that when they made any HD recordings that they were not encrypted? If they didn't then the HD recordings will be unplayable on anything other than the original FOXSAT-HDR that they were recorded on.
If it were a fault with the drive, then one solution to HD recordings being encrypted would be to take out the drive and archive the recordings before sorting out the drive, either by fixing or substitution, then copy them archive back and reinstall the working drive in to the same FOXSAT-HDR. Obviously that does rely on the FOXSAT-HDR boot up issue being due to the current state of the drive rather than anything else.

What about connecting their existing drive via USB? Would that work without having to format the drive? Would that also work on a newer (maybe Freeview) model Humax?

It is possible to get the non-encrypted FOXSAT-HDR recordings to play on some freeview Humaxies. With some Humaxies you would need to edit the content of the disk to delete/hide some of the recording's side car files which would confuse the freeview Humax if it could see them. If it does work then not all the skip, fast forward and other trick play functions would work.
On some of the older HD freeview recorders it is possible to get them to play non-encrypted recordings from a FOXSAT-HDR with full trick play but the effort to extract and manipulate may not be worth it unless you already know how to do this.
Does your friend use Audio Description as that would be very problematic to get a freeview Humax to play with Audio Description from a FOXSAT-HDR on a freeview box.
Are subtitles essential?

They're using the standard firmware.

Even people who use the custom firmware are using the standard firmware. Do you mean that your friend is using standard software without also using custom software, including Raydon's patch?
I presume that you do, but please confirm.

 

[crensdale]

Is this a nice to have, or something that your friend finds essential?

You mean the box itself? The only reason to stick with a Foxsat HDR would be to preserve the recordings.

Neither have I, but here are my initial thoughts ...


Not all drive faults make noises.

No, but they said it makes the usual noises on powering up, which is about all I can go on, unless you can suggest something else.

Did they take action to ensure that when they made any HD recordings that they were not encrypted? If they didn't then the HD recordings will be unplayable on anything other than the original FOXSAT-HDR that they were recorded on.
If it were a fault with the drive, then one solution to HD recordings being encrypted would be to take out the drive and archive the recordings before sorting out the drive, either by fixing or substitution, then copy them archive back and reinstall the working drive in to the same FOXSAT-HDR. Obviously that does rely on the FOXSAT-HDR boot up issue being due to the current state of the drive rather than anything else.

No and understood. I don't think many of the recordings are HD so this may not be too much of an issue.

It is possible to get the non-encrypted FOXSAT-HDR recordings to play on some freeview Humaxies. With some Humaxies you would need to edit the content of the disk to delete/hide some of the recording's side car files which would confuse the freeview Humax if it could see them. If it does work then not all the skip, fast forward and other trick play functions would work.
On some of the older HD freeview recorders it is possible to get them to play non-encrypted recordings from a FOXSAT-HDR with full trick play but the effort to extract and manipulate may not be worth it unless you already know how to do this.
Does your friend use Audio Description as that would be very problematic to get a freeview Humax to play with Audio Description from a FOXSAT-HDR on a freeview box.
Are subtitles essential?

No. So would the SD recordings play ok with the original drive connected via USB to a newer satellite PVR, like the HDR-1100S?

Even people who use the custom firmware are using the standard firmware. Do you mean that your friend is using standard software without also using custom software, including Raydon's patch?
I presume that you do, but please confirm.

Correct. They are not using any custom software.

 

[Black Hole]

It's only telly. There'll be more along soon.

 

[Luke]

You mean the box itself? The only reason to stick with a Foxsat HDR would be to preserve the recordings.

No, I meant the saving of the recordings. I thought that the saving of the recordings was the subject of your thread.

 

[crensdale]

Not sure, probably nice to have. But as Black Hole said, it's only telly...
Think I'm going to get a used Foxsat HDR and take things from there.