What can CF do on HD Fox T2 without hard disc?

[Owen Smith]

My parents have both an HD Fox T2 and an HDR Fox T2. I've just now installed CF on the HDR. Their HD has no hard disc, it's just used as a DVB-T2 tuner (the bedroom TV is DVB-T only) and for DLNA streaming from the HDR. I can't see what benefit they would get from installing CF on the HD Fox T2, can anyone enlighten me? Can CF even be installed on an HD Fox T2 without a hard disc?

 

[MontysEvilTwin]

Yes it can, you will need a USB stick for the packages (in EXT2 format) which can be prepared using the HD-FOX once the core custom firmware has been installed. If you look in the wiki and Black Hole's guides there is info about this. It is most useful for networking. If you install foxlink (or network shares automount) on the HD-FOX you can access programmes on the remote HDR-FOX like it is a local drive.

 

[Owen Smith]

OK so using a USB stick I can put CF on an HD Fox T2. But you haven't explained what I can usefully do with it, without a hard disc and hence no ability to record I'm struggling to see what benefit CF is. I use CF for remote scheduling, fan package, auto-unprotect etc. all of which are irrelevant on a machine with no hard disc or fan.

EDIT: ah I see you've mentioned foxlink. But the dlna server works fine for the once every three months use my parents make of the remote playback. To be honest they just use it as a DVB-T2 tuner, and I'm struggling to see what CF does for that.

 

[Black Hole]

This has been explained many times before. With DLNA streaming all you get is play and skip. With a network file share (made possible using CF) you get complete control just as if the recording were made locally - the ability to make and use bookmarks, trick play, resume (even when the recording was last played on the other machine), delete, move... But of course everything on the remote machine has to be decrypted (which is not necessary for DLNA).

Nobody says you have to install it at your parents', and I am surprised you installed CF on your parents' HDR to make a rod for your own back (if something - anything - goes wrong, you will get the blame).

 

[Owen Smith]

Actually my dad complained about the high speed fan noise, and I said I could stop that and make the box run cooler but it would need custom firmware and he said OK. Before he retired my dad was a mechanical engineer and draughtsman by trade, so he's quite capable of understanding technical things when explained.

I've also removed the orange filter on the display, because my mum said "and while you're at it is there anything you can do to make the front panel readable?".

My question for the HD Fox T2 was that, given all they use it for is as a live DVB-T2 off air tuner, is there any point installing CF on a USB stick? I understand about the remote playback being better with mounted filing systems, but they don't use that feature. They actually use iPlayer more on the HD Fox T2.

Both boxes are on cabled ethernet (including exterior grade CAT 6 cable to get to the HD Fox T2 upstairs) so there shouldn't be network problems. I've even installed remote scheduling on the HDR, my mum keeps forgetting to set things to record and then remembers when they're staying with me.