USB back up limit on Humax Foxsat HDR

Portabletv2

07-01-2010

I just tried to back up some recordings via usb and using the file manager. But it gave me a warning that only 4gb or less files can be copied at one time.

It so happens that I was using a 4gb stick at the time, but is that just a coincidence ?..is there actually a 4gb limit regardless of the size of the drive you are copying to. If so does anybody know how you can back up anything that is greater than 4gb ..which means pretty much all fims..

Note that I have now backed up something around 2gb, on the 4gb stick,..but I still get the 'no file bigger than 4gb' warning in the file manager which tells me that this wanring is perhaps not related to the amount of back up space available.

Anybody else tried this ?

Johnny Blue

08-01-2010

Somebody much more knowledgeable than I will respond shortly, but in the meantime I can tell you that there is indeed a 4GB limit imposed by the FAT32 file system of Windows.

If you format your USB stick with Linux, using EXT3 formatting, you can get round this 4GB limit.

Search this forum for loads of threads about how to go about this.

germanycalling

08-01-2010

Originally Posted by Johnny Blue:
“If you format your USB stick with Linux, using EXT3 formatting, you can get round this 4GB limit.
”

That's my experience too! I use 3 different external hard drives this way and one USB stick. The OP may wish to be aware that not all USB sticks are suitable, see http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/forums/s...25&postcount=1 for example.

Portabletv2

08-01-2010

Thanks.

I can't reformat my existing drives or sticks as I use them for other stuff too.

So I need to buy something new to do the transfer from the HUMAX to wherever I want it to be.

Does anybody know how much space I need in on this new device to carry a SD film, say max 2.5 hours long ?...and same question for HD ?

grahamlthompson

08-01-2010

Originally Posted by Portabletv2:
“Thanks.

I can't reformat my existing drives or sticks as I use them for other stuff too.

So I need to buy something new to do the transfer from the HUMAX to wherever I want it to be.

Does anybody know how much space I need in on this new device to carry a SD film, say max 2.5 hours long ?...and same question for HD ?”

Space required depends on the bitrate of the transmission.

2.5hrs of BBC SD will be close or just over 4gB and BBC HD is about double at it's present bitrate.

Heres how to work it out.

BBC HD video 9727kbps, AC3 Audio 384 kbps MP2 audio 256kbps. Total 10367 kbbps.

For 1 hr that 10367 X 60 X 60 = 37321200 kilobits

Divide by 8 to get bytes = 4665150 kiloybytes

Divide by 1024 to megabytes and again by 1024 to get gigabytes = 4.449gB for 1 HR