Raydons Custom Firmware
Joolio Geordio
Posts: 79 Forum Member
✭
Hi
Rather unexpectedly one of my two Foxsat HDR's has become redundant - speaks quietly I have somehow managed to win a years free Sky subscription - anyway when this expires next September the Foxsat will reclaim its rightful place. In the meantime I was thinking of tinkering with it to boost is capabilities. I have read a little bit about Raydons firmware upgrade and although sounds intriguing I am not sure what it brings to the Foxsat in terms of additional functionality. I have got as far as downloading the programme and read me file but I am building up to the next step.
I would appreciate some advice on what it will allow the Foxsat to do?
Is this functionality immediate or do I need to download apps from elsewhere?
How safe is it? Do I run the risk of bricking my box?
Does the install wipe recordings off the hard drive?
Does it need to be connected to the satellite dish during the install?
Do the existing Humax menus remain with additional menus added or would I be looking at a completely different user interface?
Is there a youtube tutorial or review of what it all looks like after the install?
Sorry for 20 questions I am a total novice to this and very nervous about getting under the hood of the Foxsat. My only previous experience of this type of thing was rooting my Nook ereader.
Current set up is the Foxsat (with 320gb hard drive) is connected to the tv but not the dish. It has a 2tb external hard drive connected to it by USB as an overspill drive. Longer term I plan to set up a NAS storage system to store films and music etc ( I envisage the Foxsat to be playing a central role in the home network) but in the short term I have a second 2tb hard drive plugged to a BT home hub as a crude network storage device. This can be read by my pc and my Roku box but not accessed from a tablet or smart phone. Second Foxsat is in bedroom.
Thanks in advance I would appreciate any guidance as its all a bit daunting
All the best
Joolio
Rather unexpectedly one of my two Foxsat HDR's has become redundant - speaks quietly I have somehow managed to win a years free Sky subscription - anyway when this expires next September the Foxsat will reclaim its rightful place. In the meantime I was thinking of tinkering with it to boost is capabilities. I have read a little bit about Raydons firmware upgrade and although sounds intriguing I am not sure what it brings to the Foxsat in terms of additional functionality. I have got as far as downloading the programme and read me file but I am building up to the next step.
I would appreciate some advice on what it will allow the Foxsat to do?
Is this functionality immediate or do I need to download apps from elsewhere?
How safe is it? Do I run the risk of bricking my box?
Does the install wipe recordings off the hard drive?
Does it need to be connected to the satellite dish during the install?
Do the existing Humax menus remain with additional menus added or would I be looking at a completely different user interface?
Is there a youtube tutorial or review of what it all looks like after the install?
Sorry for 20 questions I am a total novice to this and very nervous about getting under the hood of the Foxsat. My only previous experience of this type of thing was rooting my Nook ereader.
Current set up is the Foxsat (with 320gb hard drive) is connected to the tv but not the dish. It has a 2tb external hard drive connected to it by USB as an overspill drive. Longer term I plan to set up a NAS storage system to store films and music etc ( I envisage the Foxsat to be playing a central role in the home network) but in the short term I have a second 2tb hard drive plugged to a BT home hub as a crude network storage device. This can be read by my pc and my Roku box but not accessed from a tablet or smart phone. Second Foxsat is in bedroom.
Thanks in advance I would appreciate any guidance as its all a bit daunting
All the best
Joolio
0
Comments
Samba is ability to browse network shares. So if you had a computer on the local network with a shared folder you could browse / open files from the shared folder on you device.
The software uses a web browser to access the box. This can be pretty well anything with a web browser. You just enter the IP address your router has issued to the Foxsat.
Much of the advantages you gain with the CF is improving the recording capability, You can for instance set recordings using a computer. You can also set up recordings remotely from anywhere with access to the internet. . Without a dish you obviously can't record.
Does it allow remote viewing when I am not at home? Also to connect to my BT home hub would a wifi bridge work or is a dongle or power line a better option.
Other than a direct cable a pair of homeplugs is the easier option (avoid ones with power saving). You can't view recordings remotely other than on other kit connected to your home network, you would need a slingbox to do that. You can copy recordings to a usb disk and view them anywhere. I use a Nexus 7 to view them frm a usb disk (great for long plane journeys). I can watch the Foxsat recordings on either of my HDR FOX T2 pvrs. I haven't tried it but I could also use my smartphone as well.
Thanks for your help Graham I do the same with tablet and smart phone MX Player is a godsend.
Am I right to assume that the firmware upgrade is on both of your Foxsats? Are you able to view files on one via the other?
Thinking about my next move. As a first step I need to upgrade the hard drive or does this not matter so much as I presume that I should be able to stream from the 2Tb external drives usb'd to the Foxsat or wired into my homehub?
Also does the firmware upgrade allow the Foxsat to play non native video files or do I need to also install the AV2HDR package?
Cheers
Joolio
Would a Western Digital 1tb Green internal desk top hard drive currently around £40 on Amazon be the correct piece of kit to upgrade the Foxsat?
Cheers
Joolio
I have custom firmware on a Foxsat-HDR and two HDR FOX T2's. It's not available on my other Freesat box (A HDR1000s) but this has a built in DLNA client so it can watch recordings over my network from all 3 of the other pvrs. The Foxsat-HDR can only playback recordings with the correct sidecar files so AV2HDR is still required. You can stream from a USB external drive connected to the Foxsat. You can also use a package called Nasmount to view files on a Foxsat on a networked connected NAS storage drive (You still need the sidecar files). It's possible to do a clever trick using Nasmount and two Foxsat-hdrs. You can crossmount the two so the other looks like a USB drive and so can replay recordings (HD have to be free from encryption) and vice versa. I don't think you will be able to do this with your 2TB drive as a drive mounted in this way I guess needs it's own DLNA server.
Not really - Select one of their AV drives
http://www.wdc.com/en/products/products.aspx?id=170
In preference a SATA 3 Gb/s drive - the 6 may require a jumper between two pins.
http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/aw/d/B006IMFT32/ref=redir_mdp_mobile?ref_=pe_385721_37038051_TE_3p_dp_1
It works fine.
Regards,
Lt. Dang
Cheers for the advice much appreciated.
Cheers for the advice Graham, Mrs Geordio is away for part of the weekend so I think I will give it a go then.
My envisaged set up is modified Foxsat connected to Home hub by powerlines. My tv is connected to the wi fi by a wifi bridge ago This should be able to see the Foxsat as should any tablets and laptops on the network. Does that sound about right. All being well I will upgrade the Foxsat not connected to the satellite dish but which is connected to the overspill 2tb hdd I will connect this by powerline to the home hub too.
One question if I install Raydons upgrade to a Foxsat with content on the harddrive will this be wiped off.
Cheers
Joolio
Your recordings aren't affected. None of my kit is connected by WiFi but certainly in theory it should work. Is the 2TB drive a NAS type (Includes a built in file server). If it has a network connection I guess it must be.
You will need to format any drive larger than 1tb yourself on a PC - there are multiple partitions. (The foxsat has a format limit of 1tb).
The upgrade just adds content to the hard drive - all your recordings and schedule will be fine..
Hi Repassac
I think the 2TB drive is a usb one the OP already has been using as external storage for a Foxsat. As he can connect it to his network I think it must be a NAS drive with DLNA server capability.
If you can see the files on the one connected to your router on your home network then the router has the necessary file server.
Which OS is the tablet IOS or Android ?