imbest Posted August 26, 2007 Posted August 26, 2007 Finally, I exchanged my wrongly bought T20 torx screwdriver to the T10 and opened up the case. With the case opened, the ventilation seems a lot better. The 1 and only fan seems a dedicated cooling device for the 160GB Seagate HDD. Dun ask me why, the HDD given to me is infact a 160GB. The HDD is using IDE cable and it's just like the way you plug it to your motherboard. I am yet to explore if the recorded shows can be retrieved by connecting the HDD to any PC via USB/IDE. The HOTTEST part is probably the fanless power supply. The biggest processor I can see is written with the following wordings: OMEGA STi5100KUC 9E707049 220MX9E MLT22724 The processor could have a limitation of holding HDD bigger than 120GB, but I need to exchange a bigger HDD to see if it works. But the problem is, there is no "format" function in the SMARTV menu, I doubt you could simply upgrade the hubstation by swapping to a bigger HDD. I believe SMARTV is using HQ and won't allow you to have lower quality/bitrate for recording. This is important, in order to provide the "LiveTV" function, the recording must be done almost 100% as good as the real time broadcast signals. I have a Signal strength of 60% and Signal quality of 100%, is it normal? Sorry that I forgot to bring my digital camera along. Will try to post more pictures once I have taken more pictures. Please stay tuned, I will try to update this thread once I have more time to continue my dissection 8)
technobagus Posted August 27, 2007 Posted August 27, 2007 If I am not wrong, the hubstation probably uses a linux derived OS. There is a possibility that it uses ext2 or ext3 fs.... With that, maybe we can use Ghost to clone the drive to a bigger capacity harddrive (on assumption that the hubstation can access bigger drives) :)
imbest Posted August 27, 2007 Author Posted August 27, 2007 i can't find much info on the STi chip, but 160hr giving 61hr+ recording is a bit weird.....the older version comes with 120GB right? that seagate is MIC sianz half..... i thought if you ghost it, the capacity will follow the original image?
htfreak Posted August 27, 2007 Posted August 27, 2007 Majority of these Seagate drives are made in China Suzhou or Wuxi nowadays. Only the high-end SCSI's are made in Singapore. One probable reason why it is now equipped with a 160GB drive is probably becoz 120GB drives are no longer economically to produce. With single platter able to fulfill 160GB nowadays, it's not surprising for them to provide a 160GB drive at about the same cost as a 120GB.
chousei Posted August 27, 2007 Posted August 27, 2007 Just wanna support this post, I'm v interested to know how to maximise the Hubstation
imbest Posted August 27, 2007 Author Posted August 27, 2007 the challenge to "upgrade" the HDD space is the correct file system. If what technobagus said is correct, we shall be able to swap it with a bigger HDD as long as it's under the ext2 or ext3 file system. Maybe I need to get my hand dirty to plug the hubstation HDD to a linux machine to find out what kind of file system it's using. Windows can't detect meh? Another challenge for upgrading the hubstation is the STi chip used. I can hardly find any info about the maximum capacity it can support so far. guys, can share about the line quality displayed in your hubstation DVR info page? mine was 60% for signal strength and 100% for signal quality for both tuners. What's yours?
pcking1624705747 Posted August 27, 2007 Posted August 27, 2007 i can't find much info on the STi chip, but 160hr giving 61hr+ recording is a bit weird.....the older version comes with 120GB right? that seagate is MIC sianz half..... i thought if you ghost it, the capacity will follow the original image? When U do a ghost using the HDD to HDD function, usually the partitions size will be assigned to the new HDD based on percent instead of bytes. e.g. if the source HDD of say 100GB has 2 partitions of say 60GB & 40GB, a new destination HDD of 200GB after cloning will have 2 partions of 120GB & 80GB. ;D
imbest Posted August 27, 2007 Author Posted August 27, 2007 When U do a ghost using the HDD to HDD function, usually the partitions size will be assigned to the new HDD based on percent instead of bytes. e.g. if the source HDD of say 100GB has 2 partitions of say 60GB & 40GB, a new destination HDD of 200GB after cloning will have 2 partions of 120GB & 80GB. ;D Which version you using now? I can't remember mine but it's all on a FDD :D Will try that out if I manage to loan a bigger HDD. What I meant "weird" was, 120GB is giving 60hr recording time, but how come 160GB is only giving 61hr+ instead of 80hr? Let's hope it's not due to the limitation of STi chip.
SiriuslyCold Posted August 27, 2007 Posted August 27, 2007 Thomson page for this model (I think - the local set has a SHB specific notation) DCI6000
imbest Posted August 27, 2007 Author Posted August 27, 2007 not bad, seems like 320GB is the limit. But 320GB HDD very ex now lah, $200 nia.
technobagus Posted August 27, 2007 Posted August 27, 2007 i can't find much info on the STi chip, but 160hr giving 61hr+ recording is a bit weird.....the older version comes with 120GB right? that seagate is MIC sianz half..... i thought if you ghost it, the capacity will follow the original image? Ghost is supposed to be able to resize automatically based on the target HD size.
technobagus Posted August 27, 2007 Posted August 27, 2007 the challenge to "upgrade" the HDD space is the correct file system. If what technobagus said is correct, we shall be able to swap it with a bigger HDD as long as it's under the ext2 or ext3 file system. Maybe I need to get my hand dirty to plug the hubstation HDD to a linux machine to find out what kind of file system it's using. Windows can't detect meh? Another challenge for upgrading the hubstation is the STi chip used. I can hardly find any info about the maximum capacity it can support so far. guys, can share about the line quality displayed in your hubstation DVR info page? mine was 60% for signal strength and 100% for signal quality for both tuners. What's yours? Heh heh, with http://www.fs-driver.org/ , you can read a ext2/3 partition from Windows.........
imbest Posted August 27, 2007 Author Posted August 27, 2007 but we are not too sure if it's really ext2/3 file system yet mah.
karlie Posted August 27, 2007 Posted August 27, 2007 maybe the box can be telnet to when it it turned on and not connected to starhub
karlie Posted August 27, 2007 Posted August 27, 2007 Interesting the Thomson box is using an ST chip... thanks for checking I always wanted to check it is a low cost chip: http://www.st.com/stonline/products/literature/bd/12934/sti5107.pdf It will not become a HD Box soon....
karlie Posted August 27, 2007 Posted August 27, 2007 note that normally the data would be encrypted on the HD (unless they forgot to do so)
technobagus Posted August 28, 2007 Posted August 28, 2007 but we are not too sure if it's really ext2/3 file system yet mah. Install the driver, connect the Hubstation HDD to a external PATA-USB adaptor, hook it up to your PC. Try to read it.... If it reads..... we have a winner... if not, Life moves on..... Alternatively, try hooking up a bigger capacity HDD to the hubstation, believe that there is an option for 'Optimize' (or something similar), my friend claims that it could be a trigger for formatting..... I dont have a hubstation yet so I can only be a bystander.....
imbest Posted August 28, 2007 Author Posted August 28, 2007 nope, the option for this DVR is very limited. This is actually preventing more potential user problems. hehe....since the box is already so HOT. no optimization, no formating, nothing at all!
imbest Posted September 7, 2007 Author Posted September 7, 2007 guys, I got a problem here......it may not be on linux file system..... i ish want to cry already....... :-[
imbest Posted September 7, 2007 Author Posted September 7, 2007 some updates with pictures: the T10 screws, 3 of them at the back: and the T10 screwdriver bought from homefix: the top view after removing the top cover: one of the side screws you need to remove before removing the HDD case: top view from behind, after removing the HDD case: the STi chip: the broadcom cable modem: the 1 and only 1 fan attached to the HDD holder/case: the seagate HDD info (7200rpm 8.5ms ATA100, no wonder it's HOT): back of the seagate HDD: Close up of the YSTech HDD fan:
imbest Posted September 7, 2007 Author Posted September 7, 2007 I was wrong, the hottest item is actually the HDD! I believe it's an industrial model which is not available in the consumer market. However, the poorly designed HDD holder actually trap all the heat at the bottom. power supply is the 2nd hottest item. I intend to place the HDD outside of the box. i am not sure if we can "upgrade" to max of 320GB through GHOST, but somebody please loan me a bigger HDD to try hoh hehe.....actually the effective capacity of this 160GB is actually 149GB.....
imbest Posted September 13, 2007 Author Posted September 13, 2007 tried putting back the box and turn it on for overnight downloading......it's like the frying pan on fire!!!! decided to open the case up again and place it vertically..... somebody posted another file system that's able to access other similar DVR, going to try that over the weekends, stay tuned! :D
Ong Hai Peng Posted September 14, 2007 Posted September 14, 2007 Don't think you can replace the HDD as they are encoded to prevent user upgrade. This is according to an ex-manager in Maxtor.
imbest Posted September 14, 2007 Author Posted September 14, 2007 maxtor? but it's seagate hdd leh....maxtor OEM to which DVRs?
varun1624705824 Posted September 14, 2007 Posted September 14, 2007 Seagate owns Maxtor... - V. maxtor? but it's seagate hdd leh....maxtor OEM to which DVRs?
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