Hi I have used Gparted to format a 8GB usb stick to EXT3.

When it was Fat32 I had no problems copying SD programmes on one box and playing back or copying to another. However I formatted to EXT3 so that I could copy files longer than an hour.

When this was done I tried to copy off one box and on to another but the boxes were tempremental and would not show that a programme had been copied, but when I tried to copy something else it would say it was full.

So when I use Gparted and format to ext3 and save, what should it be save to Boot or file. Hope this makes sense.

Thanks Marina

Well ....... just re-format your memory stick back to fat32 ?

Stick it in any windows computer, right click, select "properties", then re-format as fat32 (NFTS would be the default option, but there will be a list)

If you have a silly computer (mac or linux), then just use gparted instead, to reformat as Windows fat32.

After which, you should be back where you started ........

(ext 3 is the standard Linux filesystem. If you're using windows computers, I'm surprised they even recognised it!).

With a memory stick, it's just a standard usb storage device, and should come up like that via the computer USB hardware. However, if you use the wrong filesystem - eg, Linux on a WIndows computer - then that would cause probelms.

Normally, you don't make a memory stick bootable just to transfer files. Only if you want to run special software directly from it, usually recover/repair for crashed computers.

If the OP wants to use an ext3 volume under windows he needs to install a suitable driver.

http://sourceforge.net/projects/ext2fsd/

I think the partition type need to be "Linux" (83)

Yeah, but what's the "box" ?

Sounds like it can't recognise a Linux filesystem.

If it's a Freeview or sat receiver, then, it's probably set for Fat32, which would have been the default PC filesystem at the time the firmware was written.

If it's a Linux receiver, then why was a Windows filesystem being used?

In fact, what is the "box"? Mastlanlem, can u please tell us?

Humax HDR will write to FAT32 or EXT3 formatted HDD. The need for EXT3 is overcome the 4GB files size limit of FAT32.

I use ext2fsd on my windows 7 PC to read EXT3 formatted HDD. It is possible to delete files from your EXT3 HDD using ext2fsd.

Dan.

Its the Humax HDR. I have formatted back to FAT32. I was trying to copy a programme from my sons HDR to mine, the file is over 4GB as it is 4 hours long.

I have ordered a external Hard drive to see if that will work. As I said it is tempremental, if I copy something off my sons box it will play on mine sometimes. However FAT32 works well between boxes.

I have , since my first post sussed out the correct way under Linux Puppy 5 and Gparted to format to ext3.



mastanlem

HD BBC-HD recordings made in Freesat mode will only play back on the hdr that recorded it. No problem with SD ones though

I think the problem maybe that the Humax does not unmount ext3 external drives properly, so it's possible for the filesystem to be left in an inconsistent state. It's not usually a problem if you're using the drive to copy stuff to a computer since when you attach the drive to a computer it will scan the filesystem for problems and is able to fix most minor ones. However if you're using the drive directly from one Humax to another, the filesystem does not get fixed up and so problems can occur.

Workaround would be to not swap the drive directly from Humax to Humax but plug it into a computer in between.

Hi thanks for your help. Thats sounds more like it. However I am not going to be using the drive with a PC. It is only one programme that I wish to copy so I will see how the Humax copes with a proper hard drive, which I am hopefully having delivered today.

Marina

Apologies if I mixed anyone up! I completely forgot about the 4G limit, and didn't know Hummys have multi-filesystem support ......

(I dived in, becuase the question wnet unanswered several days).

Ths answer to OP would be, it should NOT be made bootable! The stick just needs mounting onto the filesystem as an "extra device". Removing the stick without "dismounting" shouldn't cause probelms, as that's AFTER you've transferred the file (but might make the PVR hang!).

I've never had a Humax. The impression from user forums is, USB data transfer is "iffy". It's at 4x MPEG2 data rate,that's approx 1 hour for 8G, so I wouldn't be surprised if it regularly glitches.

Will a an external USB disk drive work on the Humax? I didn't think so ....... mayb I'm wrong again!

Like most people, I just capture video from the S-Video socket to computer hard drive with a "capture cable". Quality is excellent.

You are confusing the usb transfer of the Freeview 9200 pvr which can be very iffy. The Foxsat-hdr is not iffy. I have a 1TB EXT3 formatted drive in a drive cradle permanently attached, you can,t record direct to it but after recording you can transfer encrypted BBC-HD and all SD recordings made in Freesat mode. And all HD recordings recorded without encryption in freesat mode. Replay from this drive is simply a matter of switching to the external drives. Multiple usb drives can be attached using both front and rear ports and usb hubs.

Capturing already digital mpeg2 in analogue format is a very poor way of working, for a start it can only be done in real time and only what you are watching. You can watch the TV while copying to USB. Secondly you are doing a quality sapping dual conversion. Hdr mpeg2 to SD analogue. Then having to redigitise and compress back to mpeg2 in real time using a very underpowered. real time mpeg encoder. Transferring mpeg2 or mpeg4 digital data is completelly lossless just like the recording of a pvr.

Transfer of 1 hr of BBC-HD takes about 15 min or so. 4GB of SD equates to around 2hrs depending on the channel bitrate

Thank you all for your input.

I received my Seagate Hard drive this morning. I formatted it to ext3 and was able to copy the programme I wanted and play on my HDR successfully.

Marina