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Hi All,
I have been trying to decide which PVR to buy both for myself and for my elderly parents. I have read reams on various machines (user manuals/owner reviews etc) and have been closing in on the Humax HDR Fox T2. However, I have one question that I thought I had understood but now am not so sure about. Can someone please help to clarify this for me. Many thanks in advance …
I am looking at the facility to copy programmes etc out to USB, be that a 1TB drive or a much smaller Memory Stick. Now, I work in IT so I understand all about disk formats (EXT3, FAT32 , NTFS) and file formats (MP4,XviD,DivX) but what eludes me is whether this particular box (or any other for that matter) copies the programme files out to USB in a format that can be directly read by another device, such as my Windows-7 laptop.
On the face of it I think this should be possible. The owner’s manual, which I have accessed online clearly states that the box is capable of copy-to/playback-from a FAT32 formatted drive. Equally, it states that the video output format is XviD, which I believe to be an MP4 compatible format. As such, I see no reason on the face of it why I could not make recordings on the Fox-T2, transfer them to my laptop (in XviD format) and then watch them back on that at a later date.
My reason for wanting to do this is that I work/live away from home in the week, mostly in B&B’s, so it would be nice if I could record programmes I am interested in at home, transfer them to the laptop and then watch them on that the following week.
Is this possible on the Fox-T2 or on any other PVR for that matter? Any info/guidance on this topic would be greatly appreciated.
SD content can be transferred to a usb drive and the HDR FOX T2 will decrypt on copying. The file produced is a standard transport stream container (.ts) with mpeg2 compressed transport stream container, playable using pretty well any media playback software. HD content can be copied to USB but the encryption remains, this means that only the box that recorded it is capable of playback (You can playback from usb).
Welcome to the forum
Thanks for the Welcome Graham. So, it seems that you are confirming my thoughts, albeit maybe a different video format than I thought, as long as I use a FAT32 formatted USB-HDD that the laptop can read, then I should be able to record on the PVR, copy (SD) out to the USB and then watch it later on the laptop.
Correct but very long files will exceed the 4GB file limit of FAT32. The custom firmware available at Hummy.TV will let you use a ntfs formatted drive.
Give Splash-lite a try it’s a very good and free media player.
Thanks for the confirmation and recommendation. I was aware of the $GB limit but from memory from what I have read, SD files are around 1.5GB per hour ?? That means I should be able to get a 2 hour documentary/footie match etc (in SD) within the 4GB limit … correct ??
I rarely record SD but sounds about right. Just started a 30 minute BBC1 recording on my HDR FOX T2, I will post how big it is.
Rob Milward – 1 hour ago »
Equally, it states that the video output format is XviD, which I believe to be an MP4 compatible format.
Where does it say that? As far as I know the format is TS (which Graham has described above).
Manual P38:Media List … shows the Read/COPY formats for the various disk formats (FAT/NTFS) with FAT showing XviD, which is why I assumed this was the output format when writing to USB-HDD. (Based on what Graham has said, I don’t mind what the format is, as long as I can read it from the laptop I am happy !!)
FROM THE MANUAL:P38:
• Please use only the USB storage device which was formatted with ext3, FAT or NTFS file system.
• Compatible USB devices include portable flash memory (particularly keydrives) and digital audio
players (MP3 players) of format FAT12/16/32. It is not possible to connect this unit to a personal
computer for USB playback.
• You can play back XviD/MP3/JPEG files (except files with copy-protection or restricted playback).
• Supported features according to USB file system
ext3: Read, Copy (Digital TV/Radio, MP3, JPEG, XviD)
FAT: Read, Copy (Digital TV/Radio, MP3, JPEG, XviD)
NTFS: Read (MP3, JPEG, XviD)
Rob Milward – 2 minutes ago »
shows the Read/COPY formats for the various disk formats (FAT/NTFS) with FAT showing XviD, which is why I assumed this was the output format when writing to USB-HDD.
Wrong assumption but as you say it doesn’t matter. Probably not relevant for your purpose but it is possible to install custom firmware that would allow HD recordings to be played externally.
800M for 30mins seems okay. Going on roughly 1GB per 30m this still gives 2 hours within the 4GB FAT32 limit, which should, in general, cover most requirements, so I am happy with that. Thanks for doing the test.
One very last question if I may … having got the ‘.ts’ file on the PVR-HDD, when I copy it to the USB-HDD does it auto-convert to a (different) readable codec so that the laptop media player can read it, or, is ‘.ts’ a generic (dare I say ‘standard’) format that (?most/all?) media players can read anyway ??
RE:Wrong assumption … that is why I am on here asking the experts !! … ;0)))
Rob Milward – 3 minutes ago »
One very last question if I may … having got the ‘.ts’ file on the PVR-HDD, when I copy it to the USB-HDD does it auto-convert to a (different) readable codec so that the laptop media player can read it, or, is ‘.ts’ a generic (dare I say ‘standard’) format that (?most/all?) media players can read anyway ??
The copying removes the encryption but doesn’t change the format. It would be quicker to use the FTP server on the Humax and transfer to the laptop with an FTP client but pointless as it doesn’t remove the encryption.
So when I get the decrypted .ts onto the USB I then need to convert it to some different format or can media players, as Graham seemed to suggest, read ‘.ts’ as-it-comes ??
Rob Milward – 5 minutes ago »
So when I get the decrypted .ts onto the USB I then need to convert it to some different format or can media players, as Graham seemed to suggest, read ‘.ts’ as-it-comes ??
Many can deal directly with TS. You can make significant savings in file size by converting but it probably isn’t worth it for things that will be watched once.
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