Transferring a HDD from one Sat box to another

Harry Palmr

My Manhattan Plaza HDR has an annoying quirk re DVB S2 transmissions alas it looks like just about every HD channel is now S2 spec so I'm missing out esp as certain channels only broadcast in HD (freesports, S4C etc) so I'm wondering about the possibility of taking the HDD with many hours of recordings and putting inside another Manhattan Plaza HDR if I can locate one for sale. Any reason this wouldn't work?

Vic_08

Harry Palmr wrote: »

My Manhattan Plaza HDR has an annoying quirk re DVB S2 transmissions alas it looks like just about every HD channel is now S2 spec so I'm missing out esp as certain channels only broadcast in HD (freesports, S4C etc) so I'm wondering about the possibility of taking the HDD with many hours of recordings and putting inside another Manhattan Plaza HDR if I can locate one for sale. Any reason this wouldn't work?

It will probably work, no guarantees though. There is also a possibility the new box will not recognise the disk and format it, wiping your recordings.

Seeing as the second box will come with it's own disk the safest thing would be to clone your disk and use the copy in the new box.

Transferring disks works with Humax Foxsat boxes, I have done it, as well as cloning to a bigger disk and using a disk tool to re-size the partition.

tsue921i8wljb3

It doesn't work with the newer Humax Freesat boxes. The recordings are encrypted and tied to the box that they were recorded on. Depending on how old the Manhattan box is you're likely to run in to the same issue.

Vic_08

Barbara Round Goth wrote: »

It doesn't work with the newer Humax Freesat boxes. The recordings are encrypted and tied to the box that they were recorded on. Depending on how old the Manhattan box is you're likely to run in to the same issue.

On the Foxsat the HD recordings are encrypted, SD are not. I cannot recall now but the transferred HD recordings may not have played in the new box.

AFAIK it is a (stupid) requirement of the Freesat standard that HD recordings from unencrypted channels are copy protected.

Ironically recordings on a Sky+ from unencrypted channels can be copied and transferred freely.

tsue921i8wljb3

Vic_08 wrote: »

On the Foxsat the HD recordings are encrypted, SD are not. I cannot recall now but the transferred HD recordings may not have played in the new box.

AFAIK it is a (stupid) requirement of the Freesat standard that HD recordings from unencrypted channels are copy protected.

Ironically recordings on a Sky+ from unencrypted channels can be copied and transferred freely.

On the HDR-1000s and newer, everything is encrypted AFAIK.

Vic_08

Barbara Round Goth wrote: »

On the HDR-1000s and newer, everything is encrypted AFAIK.

Just another reason why the likes of enigma boxes with good software are better options for anyone even slightly technically able.

tsue921i8wljb3

Vic_08 wrote: »

Just another reason why the likes of enigma boxes with good software are better options for anyone even slightly technically able.

True. I replaced a failed HDR-1000s with one and I couldn't see myself buying another Freesat box.

Johnboy1951

Harry Palmr wrote: »

My Manhattan Plaza HDR has an annoying quirk re DVB S2 transmissions alas it looks like just about every HD channel is now S2 spec so I'm missing out esp as certain channels only broadcast in HD (freesports, S4C etc) so I'm wondering about the possibility of taking the HDD with many hours of recordings and putting inside another Manhattan Plaza HDR if I can locate one for sale. Any reason this wouldn't work?

Last time I looked both of those had SD as well as HD broadcasts.
I must keep more up to date it seems ......

Vic_08

Barbara Round Goth wrote: »

True. I replaced a failed HDR-1000s with one and I couldn't see myself buying another Freesat box.

The 1000 series failing on everyone is what prompted me to look at alternatives, no way I'd go back.

It has to be said the 2 Foxsat boxes I had were rock solid though, one is now happily installed in my mother's house still as reliable as ever, the other I'm keeping as a backup.

Shoving a big HDD in them didn't work though, it ran without a glitch but as it filled up past about 1TB reading the contents got very slow.

Colian

Possibly I'm on the wrong thread here but there is obvious expertise here so please point me to a more appropriate area or forum if my question can't be answered here. I have (had) a Samsung 32inch F6800 series TV which I managed to knock over and crack the screen so even though it otherwise seems to work is unwatchable. I have a HDD on which the TV recorded nearly 500Gb of recordings. Is there any way to access these recordings through the TV and transfer them in another format or to another device. I understand that they are encrypted to this TV only but is there anyway I could use another TV as a monitor only and play them through the TV with the cracked screen, -any ideas? Otherwise is the TV of any use to anyone as a source of parts, it seems a shame to junk it into recycling,if anyone wants it they can have it. Thankyou

NewClareman

Vic_08 wrote: »

On the Foxsat the HD recordings are encrypted, SD are not. I cannot recall now but the transferred HD recordings may not have played in the new box.

A patch is available for the Foxsat to allow HD recordings in the clear.