Swapping drives on the Panasonic DMR-HS2

[oldfart13]

Apparently this can be done. Check here (use Altavista to translate):

http://www.sense.panasonic.co.jp/shop/ncpo/dmr-hs2/

Now, how to do it...

[oldfart13]

Other interesting data can be found here:

http://www.geocities.co.jp/SiliconValley-Cupertino/8188/hs2.html

[TuxOmatic]

I am reading whatever I can find about this unit, and I'm anxiously waiting to read the comments and experiences of the first recipients. These links are interesting . . . a bit cryptic, but interesting. I'm not very educated in these matters, but after reading the post from Dan concerning the inside of the DMR-E20 (see user comments in DVD Writer list), and if the DMR-HS2 has a similar design, it seems to me that physically changing out the hard drive for an 80 gig would be fairly simple. The firmware, on the other hand, might be a problem. These Panasonic links state that a firmware upgrade is required and indicates this is accomplished with a CD-R. If we can get our hands on the newer firmware we should be able to do everything in our own living room. Who knows, maybe someone can "enhance" the firmware with other features, like Firewire OUT!

[thxkid]

Hey I am the one that posted about the DMR-E20, I have one even better since inside the E20 is nothing more than a computer DVD-R/Ram Burner, why can't you just remove it from the the unit and stick it in your computer and use it as as 1x or possible 2x burner, it mounts just like in your CPU tower, has an IDE connection, power supply connection just like in your computer has hookup for your audio and even the pins for master, slave and cable. The drive is either a panasonic or it may be one even made by toshiba. Thats if I get brave enough to pull it out, I guess it just depends if I can find software that can reconize the drive or if the drive can reconize windows. Something to think about.

[oldfart13]

I'm thinking it may be a non standard drive partition (much like the Dishnetwork Dishplayer drives) as the ad for the upgrading outfit in Japan says that the program info on the 40 Gig drive cannot be transferred over to the 80 Gig. There might also be a limitation in the firmware that would disallow drives larger than 40 Gig, hence the need for the upgraded firmware. No using the new 360 Gig Maxtor or Seagates then...

[The village idiot]

Driver for Panasonic DVD-ram drives for windows can be found here:
http://www.panasonic.co.jp/dvdram/lim/eoem/index.html . Kind of an expensive way to get a RAM drive, but I guess it is cheaper than buying a second drive.

[JHebert]

If the hard drive and the DVD-R/DVD-RAM drive in the DMR-HS2 are just standard IDE devices maybe you could open up the enclosure and attach those Firewire/IDE bridge boards to them. Then you could use the DMR-HS2 as an external Firewire DVD burner for your PC and/or pull recordings off the hard drive to your PC if the drive partition is recognizable to the PC.
Of course you would need an easy way to switch the drive connections in the DMR-HS2 between the internal IDE connectors and the Firewire bridge board for this to not be a pain in the a**. Do any of those Firewire bridge boards have a "pass-thru" IDE connector?