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Forum Index : Off topic archive. : USB TV recording to external disk

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domwild
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Joined: 16/12/2005
Location: Australia
Posts: 873
Posted: 07:42am 18 Mar 2011
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Hi,

Aldi sold a Tevion DVD recorder (model AP-DVR18) for a mere $80 and it also claims to allow USB recording. Have managed to record to a stick but now I want to get off VCR tapes and want to record to an external hard disk. Am told there are a few hurdles:

1. Best to get an external HD with external power cord as the PVR may not have the wattage on the USB port to drive the hard disk. In this case I hope the disk will stop spinning once the TV recording is finished or won't it?
2. Do I have to watch for and demand SATA or eSATA disks?
3. Any recommendation from you for a hard disk you had success with?

Thanks.
Taxation as a means of achieving prosperity is like a man standing inside a bucket trying to lift himself up.

Winston Churchill
 
VK4AYQ
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Joined: 02/12/2009
Location: Australia
Posts: 2539
Posted: 12:09am 19 Mar 2011
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Hi Dom

Make sure it is a USB 2 output and you should be able to get a 1 TB usb caddy drive with power supply to plug into it, it will run all the time and you will need to turn off the HD when not recording, you can get a dedicated media drive that is more automated for a extra $80 that is programmed with a remote via menu that would be easier to work if yo want to do a lot of recording.

All the best

Bob
Foolin Around
 
domwild
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Joined: 16/12/2005
Location: Australia
Posts: 873
Posted: 12:13am 19 Mar 2011
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Thanks, Bob.
Taxation as a means of achieving prosperity is like a man standing inside a bucket trying to lift himself up.

Winston Churchill
 
domwild
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Joined: 16/12/2005
Location: Australia
Posts: 873
Posted: 11:09pm 28 Mar 2011
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The caddy is one solution and so is a powered hub I have been told in the Whirlpool forum.

A forum member has mentioned the following technical info: The USB 2.0 standard mandates a max. of 500 mA at the port BUT disk manufacturers of USB-powered HDs exceed that. I have also lashed out on a kMart $69 Olin 1200 HD settop box + USB PVR and am having more trouble than Flash Gordon fighting the Moonlanders. Can record to a 8 GB stick but not to this 750 GB USB-powered WD 2.5" disk.

Running a disk in a situation like that will reduce the life of the HD so I have to look at caddy or hub.
Taxation as a means of achieving prosperity is like a man standing inside a bucket trying to lift himself up.

Winston Churchill
 
domwild
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Joined: 16/12/2005
Location: Australia
Posts: 873
Posted: 11:15pm 29 Mar 2011
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Hi,

A warning to forum members if they are trying to use USB-powered HDs, like the 2.5" 750 WD HD I used to record TV programs and which did not work. The USB 2.0 standard mandates a max of 500 mA for a USB port but the disk manufacturers exceed that speci. As a result the disk could not be formatted, which was a suggestion to fix my problems.

I managed to return that HD to Dick Smith and picked up a 1 TB 3.5" WD HD USB 2.0 with mains power from Dick and the Olin 1200 from KMart worked with it. Not only did I get 250 or so GB more, it also cost $10 less! And it worked!

Some USB-powered HDs work, but it is wise not to make the mistake I made, which cost me a lot of time and two USB updates of the firmware.

I have suggested to the importer (Westwell) to place a big warning sticker on their Olin High Def. PVR USB TV recorders not to use USB-powered HDs and also to train KMart staff to utter those warnings.
Taxation as a means of achieving prosperity is like a man standing inside a bucket trying to lift himself up.

Winston Churchill
 
domwild
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Joined: 16/12/2005
Location: Australia
Posts: 873
Posted: 11:18pm 29 Mar 2011
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And the beauty is that the Olin goes into a stand-by mode after recording and that seems to put the HD also into some hibernate mode as I could not feel the disk spinning.
Taxation as a means of achieving prosperity is like a man standing inside a bucket trying to lift himself up.

Winston Churchill
 
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