Saving HiDef (and other Enc) files - does this work?

EEPhil

EEPhil

Number 28
I have had a brief look through the forum and can't see this method described. However, I
apologise in advance if this has already been discussed elewhere!
Some rhetorical questions.
1) Has anyone managed to stream or save to USB HiDef programmes from the 4000T?
2) Anyone made sense of the .hmj file?
3) Can StdDef files be saved to USB/streamed easily?
4) Is ftp access to the 4000T possible?
[I think the answers are No,No,Yes,Yes - am I correct?]

Let me be clear that I don't own a FVP 4000T. I'm just describing my findings from a 2000T and hoping they might be of some use. I wont bore you with why I was doing this - but the following works for me on a 2000T WITHOUT editing the .hmt file.

I recorded a StdDef programme (not a BBC one with the Enc flag set!). I also recorded a HiDef programme. Using ftp I looked at the Humax files associated with these recordings. Let me call them <StdDef>.* and <HiDef>.* (where <..> is a name like "Hawaii Five-O_20160511_0433" and * is ts,nts,thm, or hmt).
I'm not interested in the StdDef recording so I deleted via ftp the <StdDef>.ts file. I renamed via ftp the <HiDef>.ts to <StdDef>.ts. As this is a StdDef file, it was already indexed in the DLNA database and I could stream what is now the HiDef file - however only for the duration of the StdDef programme.
From the Humax box. The "Hawaii Five-O" [ StdDef programme name] programme is unplayable. BUT it can be copied - in full - to the USB device and has been decrypted. i.e. the HiDef programme has been saved. [ But with the StdDef name ]
Clearly, there are many problems using this method - but it works.

As the .hmt file has not been edited, I wonder if the same procedure could be tried on the 4000T without messing with the .hmj file.
Has anyone tried this on the 4000T? If not, could someone who understands the above, without being spoon-fed, try it and see if it works.

[] edited for slightly more clarity
 
Last edited:
Black Hole said:
An interesting new approach. You are of course aware of the work-arounds available for HDR-1800/2000T, but in case other readers are not - see https://hummy.tv/forum/threads/proposed-method-of-auto-decryption-on-hdr-2000t.6451/

See also http://hummy.tv/forum/threads/using-fox-t2-recordings-with-plex-media-server.2003/#post-25775
Click to expand...
I am aware of the usual work arounds for the 1800/2000T and use them regularly.
It was the fact that they couldn't be used on the 4000T (and the problem with remotely forcing a DLNA rescan after applying a "Foxy" type solution) that made me look into this. This method is of no long-term interest to me - except it could allow a HiDef programme to be saved remotely without having to go back to the Humax and move the file, and then back to the PC to stream it. I could envisage a program on a PC that would rename the files, stream the HiDef file, and then reverse the rename. It might require a permanent StdDef dummy recording long enough to cover all reasonable programmes... but that could be for another thread.
I just wondered whether it might work on the 4000T where currently the contents of the .hmj file are "unknown", and there is no method for archiving programmes with the "Enc" flag set.
 
I guess from the lack of other replies either no one understands this (or I haven't explained it very well). Either that or no-one with a 4000T wants to save any decrypted recordings to an external disk or is willing to test the method to see if it works on a 4000T.

For the sake of completeness...

EEPhil said:
I'm not interested in the StdDef recording so I deleted via ftp the <StdDef>.ts file. I renamed via ftp the <HiDef>.ts to <StdDef>.ts. As this is a StdDef file, it was already indexed in the DLNA database and I could stream what is now the HiDef file - however only for the duration of the StdDef programme.
Click to expand...

Oops! I used a program I'd written to stream the file - which gets the file length from the DLNA database.
If you use something like wget or stream with VLC you get the full HiDef programme. Furthermore, the StdDef file can be a short radio recording.
 
EEPhil said:
. . . or no-one with a 4000T wants to save any decrypted recordings to an external disk or is willing to test the method to see if it works on a 4000T.
Click to expand...
You have to wonder how many users there are that :-
1) Own a 4000T <and>
2) Want to extract Hi-Def Content <and>
3) Need to use the 4000T to extract Hi-Def content (because they don't own a HDR-Fox T2) <and>
4) Have read this thread <and>
5) Have the ability / free time to carry out the instructions

We may be talking very small numbers of users that match all 5 conditions
 
Last edited:
Change the thread into a poll to find out.
But we would need similar polls on other threads to get a comparison between devices.
 
EEPhil, I may find time to try this over the weekend.

Edit: I have tried, and failed at the FTP stage. When I try to delete an SD ts file using FileZilla, I get 'Operation not permitted'. If I try to rename a file, I also get 'Operation not permitted.
 
Last edited:
At least this tells us that Humax have really clamped down on the ability to get HiDef material and other Enc'd files from the 4000T.
It would also suggest that even if someone could make sense of the .hmj file - you can't do anything with it. (Unless someone can find a way to get full ftp access).

My only other suggestion is - (and this is a real pain...)
Is it possible to upload new files to the 4000T?
Can you ftp the StdDef and HiDef file group (ts,hmj,thm,nts) to a PC. Go back to the Humax and delete them. On PC reassemble in the manner suggested above - ftp the StdDef + HiDef(renamed).ts back to the Humax. Then try to save to USB?
Can't see this working.

Might as well consider this idea as Busted for the 4000T (Still might be useful on the 2000T/1800T for streaming)
 
So what is the point of FTP/Samba access on this box then? You don't seem to be able to rename or delete and presumably you can't write either. So all that leaves is a read facility... and the files are encrypted, so no use to anybody for anything. Or am I wrong?
 
prpr said:
So what is the point of FTP/Samba access on this box then? You don't seem to be able to rename or delete and presumably you can't write either. So all that leaves is a read facility... and the files are encrypted, so no use to anybody for anything. Or am I wrong?
Click to expand...
Writing from a position of ignorance - it may be the case that write/delete/rename access is possible but that the recorded files are perhaps root owned and read only through humaxftp. Just a guess - hence my post #13. But take with a very large pinch of salt as my previous ideas are toast.
 
Ezra Pound said:
You have to wonder how many users there are that :-
1) Own a 4000T <and>
2) Want to extract Hi-Def Content <and>
3) Need to use the 4000T to extract Hi-Def content (because they don't own a HDR-Fox T2) <and>
4) Have read this thread <and>
5) Have the ability / free time to carry out the instructions

We may be talking very small numbers of users that match all 5 conditions
Click to expand...
Good points. I may have mistaken this 4000T forum with the other one on myhumax.org - but of course, you can't discuss this sort of thing there.
Not helped by my poor explanation and expectation that people have a reasonable technical abilty.
 
EEPhil said:
At least this tells us that Humax have really clamped down on the ability to get HiDef material and other Enc'd files from the 4000T.
It would also suggest that even if someone could make sense of the .hmj file - you can't do anything with it. (Unless someone can find a way to get full ftp access).

My only other suggestion is - (and this is a real pain...)
Is it possible to upload new files to the 4000T?
Can you ftp the StdDef and HiDef file group (ts,hmj,thm,nts) to a PC. Go back to the Humax and delete them. On PC reassemble in the manner suggested above - ftp the StdDef + HiDef(renamed).ts back to the Humax. Then try to save to USB?
Can't see this working.

Might as well consider this idea as Busted for the 4000T (Still might be useful on the 2000T/1800T for streaming)
Click to expand...
I was able to FTP a SD and HD file group (TS, NTS, HJM, HJTSM) to my pc, where I did as you suggested, but was unable to return them to their previous location in the 'Recordings' folder, as I got the all to familiar 'Operation not permitted'. I was permitted to FTP them to the 'Downloads' folder, then found that I could move it to the 'Videos' folder, but this only moved the TS file, the NTS, HJM, & HJTSM files remained in the 'Downloads' folder.
 
prpr said:
So what is the point of FTP/Samba access on this box then? You don't seem to be able to rename or delete and presumably you can't write either. So all that leaves is a read facility... and the files are encrypted, so no use to anybody for anything. Or am I wrong?
Click to expand...
On myhumax.org success was reported for using Samba to drag and drop SD and radio to a PC and then play those copied files. It doesn't appear to work for everyone and there is conjecture that although it works on some days for windows 10 other OSs aren't so blessed
 
Luke said:
On myhumax.org success was reported for using Samba to drag and drop SD and radio to a PC and then play those copied files. It doesn't appear to work for everyone and there is conjecture that although it works on some days for windows 10 other OSs aren't so blessed
Click to expand...
Jeez, what a bunch of no-hopers.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top