What HDD for Humax HDR?

2Bdecided2Bdecided Posts: 4,416
Forum Member
✭✭✭
I want to upgrade the 320GB HDD in my Humax box.

What currently available HDDs are suitable? I want to check the price of 1TB and 2TB models (assuming the box will handle the latter?), so any suggestions for either size will be gratefully received.


Is there any easy and/or quick and/or mostly unattended way of copying the files from the existing HDD to the new one? I don't want to connect it permanently once it's replaced. The best way I can think of is a mass FTP to my PC, then back again, but I think that will take days, if not weeks!

Many thanks,
David.

Comments

  • grahamlthompsongrahamlthompson Posts: 18,486
    Forum Member
    ✭✭
    WD AV-GP range. Latest sata 111 models need a jumper on pins 5-6.

    1TB will auto format in the Foxsat, 2TB will need setting up on a PC. I would stick to 1TB as the media list population slows down when you get lots of files.

    Quickest way to transfer I know I either

    Install EXT2FS and enable write mode

    or

    Make a Linux boot disc for your PC

    You will need a way of connecting the drive to a PC

    eg

    http://www.stuff-uk.net/p-791975.aspx?utm_source=gs&utm_medium=fc&utm_campaign=s&gclid=COqtnvOon7YCFXHLtAoddkEAOA

    - very handy gadget :D

    Connect the old drive to the PC and copy the Video folder from the third partition (SDA3) to your PC.

    Install the new disc and let the box initialise it.
    Tip if you don't use the Music/Photo partition then reformat it after the install to reduce this partition to minimum (1GB).

    Remove the new drive, connect to PC, and copy the contents of the old drive video folder to the video folder on the new drive.
  • 2Bdecided2Bdecided Posts: 4,416
    Forum Member
    ✭✭✭
    Graham, you are a fount of useful knowledge, thank you! That gadget does look useful - I could have used that a few times already.

    I've noticed that the media list populates slowly already, but a larger drive will have more HD, so hopefully it won't get any worse (it won't have more video files, just larger ones).

    I was thinking of dumping a lot of mp3s on there, but hoped this wouldn't slow down the access to the media list as there's not on the first page of it?


    You mean this...
    http://www.dabs.com/products/western-digital-av-gp-1tb-3-5--internal-hard-drive--sata-6g-8BKQ.html
    ...or this...
    http://www.dabs.com/products/western-digital-2tb-av-gp-3-5--sata-300-64mb-7BVH.html
    ?

    Many thanks,
    David.
  • grahamlthompsongrahamlthompson Posts: 18,486
    Forum Member
    ✭✭
    2Bdecided wrote: »
    Graham, you are a fount of useful knowledge, thank you! That gadget does look useful - I could have used that a few times already.

    I've noticed that the media list populates slowly already, but a larger drive will have more HD, so hopefully it won't get any worse (it won't have more video files, just larger ones).

    I was thinking of dumping a lot of mp3s on there, but hoped this wouldn't slow down the access to the media list as there's not on the first page of it?


    You mean this...
    http://www.dabs.com/products/western-digital-av-gp-1tb-3-5--internal-hard-drive--sata-6g-8BKQ.html
    ...or this...
    http://www.dabs.com/products/western-digital-2tb-av-gp-3-5--sata-300-64mb-7BVH.html
    ?

    Many thanks,
    David.

    Either, the second one is 2TB, if you use that you will have to set it up manually.
  • [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 146
    Forum Member
    I bought the Sanberg usb / sata /ide connector. It died very quickly, maybe I was unlucky.
    I used the 1TB WD drive listed above with the jumper installed, worked perfectly.
  • grahamlthompsongrahamlthompson Posts: 18,486
    Forum Member
    ✭✭
    excollier wrote: »
    I bought the Sanberg usb / sata /ide connector. It died very quickly, maybe I was unlucky.
    I used the 1TB WD drive listed above with the jumper installed, worked perfectly.

    I've had 3 for some years. Get it replaced. You didn't hot swap the drives did you ?

    Used one to connect a bare drive to a HD FOX T2 for around 6 months - no problems.
  • hedgidjhedgidj Posts: 1,544
    Forum Member
    ✭✭✭
    Hi, my local shop has the WD10EARX, but the drive recommended is the AURX.

    Does anyone know the difference? I want to upgrade my Humax HDR too but it would be much easier to pop in to my local shop to pick up the drive than order it mail order, but I dont want to get one that doesn't work.

    Thanks in advance
  • grahamlthompsongrahamlthompson Posts: 18,486
    Forum Member
    ✭✭
    hedgidj wrote: »
    Hi, my local shop has the WD10EARX, but the drive recommended is the AURX.

    Does anyone know the difference? I want to upgrade my Humax HDR too but it would be much easier to pop in to my local shop to pick up the drive than order it mail order, but I dont want to get one that doesn't work.

    Thanks in advance

    The latter is designed for consumer electronics applications, the former for use in a PC.

    See

    http://www.wdc.com/wdproducts/library/SpecSheet/ENG/2879-701250.pdf
  • hedgidjhedgidj Posts: 1,544
    Forum Member
    ✭✭✭
    The latter is designed for consumer electronics applications, the former for use in a PC.

    See

    http://www.wdc.com/wdproducts/library/SpecSheet/ENG/2879-701250.pdf

    Thanks for that. I will buy one mail order then.

    Cheers again.
  • 2Bdecided2Bdecided Posts: 4,416
    Forum Member
    ✭✭✭
    Thanks for all the help and links. I bought the 2TB one from Dabs.com. I used Parted Magic booting off a CD-R, with both the old and new drives installed directly in my PC (old desktop with SATA card). Downloading and burning the CD took half an hour. Partitioning took 12 minutes. Copying the contents from the old (full) drive over to the new one took two hours. I copied the contents of all four partitions using file manager, so when my Humax booted up with the new drive nothing had changed, apart from the amount of free drive space.

    The only downside is that the new drive is noisier than the old one. I couldn't hear the old one from where I normally sit, but I can hear the new one. It's the spinning, rather than the access, that's audible. It's not loud, but it's there - a very gentle shshshshsh sound. I suppose I'll get used to it, but I wish it wasn't there. It's louder than the hum from the transformer on my sub, and I switch that off when not in use because it annoys me.

    (Once the kids are in bed, our house is very quiet in summer.)


    Hardware-wise, the only marginally fiddly bit (assuming you are vaguely competent) is disconnecting the fan that's on the HDD enclosure.

    I remembered reading that you should put a jumper on pins5+6 of that HDD, but didn't know why (does it force SATA 150?). I guessed the pins were numbered from the left (no diagram at all on the HDD!) and grabbed a jumper from a junk PC motherboard to do it. It seems to work. I didn't try it without.

    I still think SATA connectors are horrible little things that feel like they'll snap if you look at them the wrong way - but touch-wood nothing went wrong this time.

    Cheers,
    David.
Sign In or Register to comment.