I know this topic is dealt with elsewhere and I've read (I think) all the relevant threads and this http://dtt.opennet.co.uk/thomson.htm too but can find no answer.
This is probably a v basic question but how do I connect the new drive with the unit?! I bought 2.5" Samsung Spinpoint M80 5400rpm but the connections are completely different from Thomson one. Can I just buy new connectors?
Many thanks in advance

OK.. tried to edit but too late..
I've just read that I should've bought a 3.5 IDE not a 2.5 SATA so there's my first error! Can it be made to fit or is it an ebay project!?

You probably can get a SATA to IDE adapter but it would be expensive and no guarantee that it would work at all. You can fit a non-SATA laptop drive to the Thomson but it needs a 2.5" to 3.5" adapter but that's just a small thing that reroutes the pins - no clever stuff needed.

Is it too late to send the SATA drive back to the vendor?

thanks for the response Trevor, I can still return the 2.5... but I may be able to use it elsewhere. thought I'd pop into Maplin's to see what they've got. Any advice on the most trouble free replacement drive?
cheers

You'll pay about twice as much as you need to in Maplin for the privilege of buying it over the counter. Sorry, I've been out of the loop with the DHD 4000 so no longer know what works and what does not. It does have a maximum capacity limit of 137GB tho so it would be a waste to get one massively larger than this.

managed to get a new Maxtor Diamond 21, put it in but ... nothing! I've got this clicking sound and never get off the orange to the red! Checked jumper settings and they're set to 'cable select'. I realise the 4000 is old technology now but I was hoping to resucitate it.. any help appreciated

On the 2nd page of this section of the forum you will find:

http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/forums/s...d.php?t=176236

What is the power rating on the tha Maxtor drive?

The DHD4000 has always had a poor specified internal power supply, leading to problems when putting in HDD that took more power than the original 40GB Seagate.

pzboy

trying to find the answer to the question pzboy! The drive doesn't have any accompanying info.
Thanks for the link I had already worked through most of it and continue to do so!

if you can name the size of the drive in gb ,and more about the model number i'll try and find the power rating for you.
Can you explain the clicking in more detail.
One click now and then,continual clicks never ending?dead drives do click you know?But the clicking is constant on dead drives.

Does the drive work if you plug it into a PC?

Looks like the new drive could be too thirsty. The Maxtor Diamond 21 series takes a peak current of 2.8A at 12V compared to the original drive's 0.31A at 12V.

Pop

Have a wee look here : http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/forums/s...light=cheapest

thanks guys, just got back from a few days away so haven't been able to respond.. going to check your posts now..

The 160GB WD1600AABB put in mine is still going, have not had any power supply problems. Think the cost was about £45.

pzboyz

As I am also a 4000 owner I can fully appreciate why you would wnat to keep it going a bit longer. I can't find anything any better presently...it just works perfectly but drive a little too small. I was going to buy a Humax but the EPG loading is slow if it hasn't been left on.

If you find a drive that works, please post here. I too was looking for the answer in the other threads.

An alternative approach is to power the drive seperately. It sounds a bit inelegant, but that's what I do - I simply used both the drive (160GB) and associated power supply from an old external hard drive where the USB port had failed. The machine wouldn't boot using the internal PSU alone.

As I posted here before, the machine has never been so stable - not a single lock up since the mod, about a year ago, despite very heavy use. This led me to conclude that almost all problems on the DHD4000 are PSU-related.

Have you actually tried one? I'm a long time Thomson owner, starting with the DHD4000 and moving on to the DTI6300 and recently picked up a 320GB Humax from their reconditioned stock page. The EPG is the freeview one not the one we're used to but after the past couple of weeks where the Thomson EPG has been full of "To be announced" entries, this one is a pleasure to use! I've not noticed the slowness loading that others talk about - I press EPG after coming out of standby and the majority of the entries on the first page are already there. OK, I don't look days ahead but then who does immediately after power on?

The Humax has other advantages too - USB support so you can copy your favorite recordings off to a PC then to DVD. Ability to record two things at once and also watch another programme that's on the same MUX as one of the one's that is recording. My 9200TBX has a 320GB factory fitted drive too

Thanks Trevor - a recommendation from you goes a long way

Useful info from a fellow Thomson devotee...

Well, the DTI6300 is going on Ebay I think but I suspect I shall keep the DHD4000 to use to record even more rubbish when there are 3 things on the TV worth watching at once (it happens occasionally).

Ok, so the 160gb drive is too thirsty and clicks continually - just as the old one does. I'm waiting for a refund and will then start again with pzboyz' recommendation. I don't think my skills are up to supplying an external power supply though I do understand it If I can eventually fix it, it'll go in the spare room.. I'll update here when I've got somewhere
Meanwhile I've bought a Vaova DTV 3100HDD which hasn't had good reviews on here but I'm finding it pretty nifty. I especially like the radio/tv button...
The manual is a joke having been obviously translated from Chinese and offers zero information.
The controls are a little long-winded - for example: to use 'rewind' of live tv you have to 'pause' wait 5 secs and then use 'jump back'.

I have been running a 3.5" , 160G drive for 'a very long time' now with no problems, up to 4 weeks ago. Then, all the channels on the BBC transponder began to break-up and occasionally the box would freeze. This transponder is the highest frequency on my transmitter (Hannington) so thought it was an aerial problem (we are about 30 miles away in a valley!). I eventually cured all by adding a PSU just for the hard drive.