Before I ditch my lovely digi box....

twopenny

So spent a sunny morning looking for a new twin tuner digi box and they all seem to be less efficient than the one I have that's giving up the ghost.

Before I take it to the skip could you tell me if there's anything I can do to 'repair' the old one please?

It got upset with a move 3yrs ago despite great care and crashed on occasion and required an automatic reboot of the disc on switching on but otherwise has been fine. All channels and clear picture.

Now it's taken to the hard disc being reformatted which means I loose all recordings and timers. About every 3mts.

I'm guessing that's because it's been used daily for over a decade and the disc is struggling.

Is there anything I can do to clean up the disc, is this a question for the techie forum - or have I just had it?

Martin_the_Unjust

Make and model? … and will it allow you to plug an additional drive into a USB port?

mjm3346

"they all seem to be less efficient than the one I have"

Presumably you mean efficient in what it can do rather than energy efficiency? 

twopenny

Hitachi HDR253

http://www.hitachidigitalmedia.com/en-gb/discontinued-products/digital-receivers/digital-tv-recorders/hdr-253

I can't see a USB port. Is that useful?

Martin_the_Unjust

A USB port may have allowed you to add an extra drive.

From a quick google it looks like replacing the existing hard drive is pretty simple though.

twopenny

Yikes! I think I know someone who might do that. It's tough in the sticks post pandemic in knowing who's around and who's not.

How easy would it be to get a new disc? Are they fairly standard or specific to model/make?

It would cost me probably 30% of a new one........but then.....

Yes Mjm, clear picture, picks up all channels and easy to use and still functioning well except for the reformatting and loosing my recorded programmes.

macman

A hard drive is a standard format, either 2.5 inch or 3.5 inch. The only other difference is the capacity.
However these devices tend to use bespoke software on a separate partition, so you'd have to clone that to the new drive.
It can certainly be done, but whether it's worth it is another matter.

twopenny

Thanks Macman. What I was beginning to think.

But then the least you'd expect from a new one would be that it would at least pick up all major channels!

Thanks all. Looks like a new experience.

Neil_Jones

macman said:

A hard drive is a standard format, either 2.5 inch or 3.5 inch. The only other difference is the capacity.
However these devices tend to use bespoke software on a separate partition, so you'd have to clone that to the new drive.
It can certainly be done, but whether it's worth it is another matter.

Its far more likely the software is already built in to the firmware of the device.  You just shove a new drive in it and it'll format it for you.  It will be quicker for the software to check and initiaise the drive (if needs be) on every boot rather than somebody firing it up, running through it, resetting... when you can just flash a few chips, bang a hard drive in, box it up and send it out in the knowledge it'll do alll that when somebody buys it and switches it on for the first time.

You can prove it to an extent by removing the drive and using it as normal.  Anything that requires the drive (recording, playback, timeshift etc) will be non-existent.  Everything else should be functional.  Potentially slower, but still functional.  Sky+ HD boxes work like that - they don't pack up altogether if the hard drive goes, you just get some cryptic messages and a slower box.  It still works.

The HDR253 is a 250Gb hard drive.  You may be able to put a bigger drive in it.  But be aware it may only format it to 250Gb as the clue is in the model name.  However I have an abject feeling that because of the age of this device it may be an IDE/PATA drive.  Which are no longer made.

twopenny

Interesting Neil.

I really don't need more space. originally I found I had programmes several years old I'd never watched!

At the moment it will operate fine up to about 1/3 of the memory. After that once it reaches half it reformats. I think I had too many series timers on this time.

I would like something that worked fully though - as new doesn't seem much better

km1500

if it is pata ide you can get a 250gb one for around £25 on ebay. get one, swap drives, see if it works. If not, sell drive on ebay.