Can the hard drive in a recorder be replaced when it fails?

[sync]

Recorders with hard drives are usually considerably more expensive. What happens when the hard drive fails in a few years?

[canadateck]

What recorder do you have,some you can swap for bigger.

[sync]

My current recorder doesn't have a drive but I'm considering getting one that does.

[Frobozz]

The hard drives need to be formatted in a special way that, in at least most cases, requires it to be done by a service center.

[handyguy]

take the old one out, match it with the new one, put the new one in, turn on the recorder, it should automatically format it.

[sync]

take the old one out, match it with the new one, put the new one in, turn on the recorder, it should automatically format it.

Should?

[khaverblad]

Should format; what system has been tested? Would it not be easy enought to analyze the disk using for example DFSee and then use the same tool to format the disk? Or does the average recorder need some kind of factory stamp on the disk? Open for suggestions here since I'm into buying a recorder and I would be highly interested of upgrading the system if possible.

[canadateck]

From what I heard,This is only hear say.I dont know it to be "Fact", But some will let you Swap the drive ,but will not give you anymore recording time then maybe 30mins because of the Firmware or what-ever "Limit" the Recorder has,So if i was to test this, I Would Choose the make I wanted then buy the Recorder with the "Smallest" drive then Upgrade from there. It will format the Drive itself.

[khaverblad]

Hm.. okey. Let's take the Panasonic DMR-E85H that sells with a 80gb disk here in Sweden. I've noticed at in USA it have been or still is sold with a 120gb; so question then would they really have two version of the firmware? How big differens can it be betwen the DMR-E85H and the DMR-E95H? I know that there are some few features that differs and that the 95 has a 160gb disk... Well, worth looking into...

[canadateck]

Most of what i have read, are about the Panasonic Brand,But others too.

[sync]

From what I heard,This is only hear say.I dont know it to be "Fact", But some will let you Swap the drive ,but will not give you anymore recording time then maybe 30mins because of the Firmware or what-ever "Limit" the Recorder has,So if i was to test this, I Would Choose the make I wanted then buy the Recorder with the "Smallest" drive then Upgrade from there. It will format the Drive itself.

Can you recommend a site to find out more about this?

[canadateck]

Here is one place, I Read alot,But remember alot is not "Fact", Until you try it yourself,there is some People there that are very creditworthy.

www.avforums.com/forums/index.php
Here's another Cool site Most is about the Sampo Brand,I really got to get one.
http://www.area450.com/

[Justin42]

The only unit I've heard successfully swapped is the Maxtor inside the Panasonic E80. That's not to be said it can't be done on any other unit but that's the only verifiable success story I've read. (and it can't be upgraded past 80GB)

[canadateck]

I think if they can put a Hard-drive in a Sampo "DVD player" Anything can be done with Hardware Hacks and or Firmware hacks..Ok maybe not anything
It's all in the Fun of just trying.....

[handyguy]

If you put the same hd in your recorder, what would it care? Its got the same hd in it.

[canadateck]

If you put the same hd in your recorder, what would it care? Its got the same hd in it.

Not sure what you mean? But recorders format the drive in a way that your PC Cant Handle/See it, Maybe with tweaking it could. Is that what you mean?If it is a IDE drive then it would be the Same but different Format, Some might be proprietary.

[khaverblad]

But if it's all about pre-format the drive yourself with a specific parameter this can be done with lots of tools. I mean hell, I doubt that the drives used has been pre-manufactured for a specific reason and stamped at the factory that they will end up in a Pioneer recorder.

[canadateck]

But if it's all about pre-format the drive yourself with a specific parameter this can be done with lots of tools. I mean hell, I doubt that the drives used has been pre-manufactured for a specific reason and stamped at the factory that they will end up in a Pioneer recorder.

Well that Brings us to Older MotherBoards,Sorry even New One's at that, Cant handle a hardrive Over 60Gb,No matter how you format it.

[Guitarman]

I have an ILO DVDRHD04 with the 80gig HDD. There have been some who have taken the HDD out of the recorder and attached them to their computers. They are standard IDE drives formatted FAT32 and can be read by the PC. There is even a removable HDD mod for the ILO recorder that will allow easy removal from the recorder into the PC so you can edit the video recorded on the HDD with conventional software.

As far as upgrading to a larger drive, in the ILO's case, the firmware will only recognize 80gig. Someone put a 120gig drive in the recorder. The recorder then reformatted it and only made 80gig available.

I would figure that most DVD recorders with IDE hard drives, the drive could be removed and replaced with something different. The question would be if the recorders firmware will see the full capacity of the drive.

[canadateck]

Edit:Looked at the F A Q.Do you have a link for removable HDD mod.
Thanks good info.

[sync]

I have a Tivo and they use Linux. You can replace the hard drive, but only because hackers created software to do it. You can't assume that just because a device has a hard drive that all you have to do is take it out and put in a new one and it will automatically work.

[Guitarman]

Do you have a link for removable HDD mod.
Thanks good info.

Here is the link to the HDD mod for the ILO DVDRHD04
ilo DVDRHD04 External Hard Drive Mod


sync

You are right. It shouldn't be assumed that you can just plug in a drive and it will work although most DVD recorders with HDD's will recognized a drive that isn't formatted properly and prepare it for use.

The thing to remeber about Tivo's is that most of them are not recording in standard DVD compliant mpeg format and ISO 8.3 structure where as most DVD recorders with a HDD are and the recorder is smart enough to be able to format the drive for the proper use.

The reason for the standard ISO 8.3 structure in the recorder is so the copy from HDD to DVD function on these recorders is fast by not having to re-encode and re-structure the content before copying. This will also allowing most HDD's in these recorders to be able to be read in a PC running Win98se and above with no problem.

You will find those that won't follow these standards though, and will not work in the PC.

[sync]

most DVD recorders with HDD's will recognized a drive that isn't formatted properly and prepare it for use.

That's good to know. How did you come by this information?

Is there a way to find out which recorders will take a replacement drive?

[Captain Satellite]

I wouldn't know, I own a Panasonic!

[sync]

I wouldn't know, I own a Panasonic!

Do they use those new hard drives that never wear out?