Can I move disk between models?

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Can I move disk between models?

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leilabd

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My Humax DTR-T1000 has become unresponsive and presumably reached end of life. I've taken the disk out and run diagnostics on it without error and can see the contents on the unencrypted partitions on a Linux box.

I have ordered a new BT-branded DTR-T2100 from a seller on eBay (which I'm assuming is without warranty) and am wondering if there is any possibility of watching the programmes recorded on my DTR-T1000 by putting the disk from the old machine into the new one. Does anyone have any idea? Almost all the recordings are in SD.

| Wed 27 May 2015 19:20:17 #1 |
JamesB

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Sadly, it's not possible. The recordings can only be watched using the machine that made them.

| Wed 27 May 2015 19:45:20 #2 |
MontysEvilTwin

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Standard definition recordings are not encrypted. If you copy the TS files only to another drive they will play on a laptop or a HDR-FOX T2/ HDR-1800T/ HDR-2000T. The high def. ones are encrypted. You can't install the disk in another unit and keep the recordings even if it is of the same type: you would need to run the factory reset/ delete recordings procedure from maintenance mode to make the disk work in that unit, and you'd lose your recordings in the process. In any case, the DTR-2100 has as 2.5 inch disk; the DTR-1000 uses a 3.5 inch one. You can't copy them to the drive in the new unit either. I have tried this by connecting two drives to a PC running Ubuntu: the files copy OK but are deleted when you replace the drive and reboot the unit. I think the YouView box keeps a catalogue of the recordings on one of the encrypted partitions and deletes anything that is not listed.

| Wed 27 May 2015 21:30:01 #3 |
JamesB

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MontysEvilTwin - 21 minutes ago »
Standard definition recordings are not encrypted. If you copy the TS files only to another drive they will play on a laptop or a HDR-FOX T2/ HDR-1800T/ HDR-2000T.

I didn't know you could do that. Thanks, MontysEvilTwin.

| Wed 27 May 2015 21:54:54 #4 |
MontysEvilTwin

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The disk partitions are in XFS format, so a PC running a type of Linux is the easiest way to access the recordings, unless you have access to a Unix machine. I don't have a dedicated Linux PC so I booted my Windows PC into Ubuntu with an Ubuntu live USB stick. The instructions I used to make the live USB stick are available here.

| Wed 27 May 2015 22:31:11 #5 |
JamesB

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Noted. Thanks.

| Wed 27 May 2015 22:49:42 #6 |
Luke

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MontysEvilTwin - 9 hours ago »
Standard definition recordings are not encrypted. If you copy the TS files only to another drive they will play on a laptop or a HDR-FOX T2/ HDR-1800T/ HDR-2000T. The high def. ones are encrypted.

Presumably the SD recordings from DVB-T2 muxies are encrypted as well? Film4+1 and Motors TV? Or do the Youview boxes recognise HD programmes by some other method than being broadcast using DVB-T2 or AAC or MPEG4?

| Thu 28 May 2015 7:33:40 #7 |
MontysEvilTwin

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I am not sure what happens to standard def. programmes carried on high def. muxes. I presume the unit can tell if it is is SD or HD based on data in the transport stream. I have not tested recordings from Film4+1 or similar.

| Thu 28 May 2015 15:51:32 #8 |
leilabd

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MontysEvilTwin - 20 hours ago »
Standard definition recordings are not encrypted. If you copy the TS files only to another drive they will play on a laptop ...

Brilliant! Just what I wanted. I've copied the .TS files on to an external USB drive and can play them using VLC. With luck, I'll be able to access them across my LAN from a tablet and play them on the TV via Chromecast.

If anyone else is doing this, please note I had to rename the files on the Linux machine to remove the colons (:) in the filenames as colons are reserved characters under Windows.

Many thanks @MontysEvilTwin.

Leila

| Thu 28 May 2015 18:04:34 #9 |