USB Flash for HD-T2

[Mad Ian]

Hi

I want to change the elderly hard drive currently attached to my HD-T2 mainly because it's pretty clunky (a lot of drive clicking) and constantly needs its filesystem checked.

The HD is used for ad-hoc recording - usually once a day when/if there is a clash and two tuners on the HDR aren't enough. My previous box could cope with recording back-to-back programmes on the same mux without needing to tie up both tuners but I've not spent the time tell the HDR how to do that - if it can.

I was considering a 64gb flash drive since the primary purpose will be to load the CF and mount the HDR and other network servers, but I do want recording capability.

Are such devices fast enough? Are there any side-effects / downsides to using a solid state device? For example, will the HD be able to recognise it as the PVR-drive (even if I have to assign it manually? Will boothdrmode work, so that I can still get recordings onto the HDR and thus decrypted?

If solid-state isn't the way to go, can anyone recommend a very quiet alternative hard drive?

 

[Black Hole]

You cannot record to solid state (unless you source a USB SSD). 500GB is the price sweet-spot for a portable drive (portables don't need a power supply, externals do), and they are not particularly noisy.

My previous box could cope with recording back-to-back programmes on the same mux without needing to tie up both tuners but I've not spent the time tell the HDR how to do that - if it can.

Not entirely sure what you mean. The HDR will record back-to-back programmes (as you put it) that are on the same mux using the same tuner, you don't have to tell it anything. However, programmes that are back-to-back in theory often overlap - either because of the padding or because there is a slippage and the AR is tracking it. The HDR cannot record three streams simultaneously regardless of the number of tuners required, and there is a priority system to resolve conflicts (if possible) - see HERE (click).

Supposing you are recording two streams from one mux, the other tuner is available to view and timeshift, and once one of the existing recording completes you can wind the timeshift buffer back to the beginning of a programme and set it to record. If the existing recordings occupy both tuners you can still do this, but only from the limited set of services available on the current muxes.

 

[Mad Ian]

Thanks for this - glad I didn't just go and buy a flash drive then. I'm currently using a powered 500gb drive so will research a portable replacement.

Good point about timeshifting; that would work. It's an occasional problem for which the HD provides the answer, and gives three programmable tuners which the rest of the family understand.