DVD Recorder vs. Hard Drive

[docref]

I searched for this answer, but I couldn't find it. I apologize for any crossposts.

I have a Scientific Atlanta 8300HD DVR/Cable Box. I want to save some of my stuff from DVR to DVD. One option is to go buy a DVD recorder. Another option that some people have tried is to buy an external hard drive and then hook it up to the back of the 8300 through the eSATA or Firewire ports.

If you do this, you obviously get more space to record on. But, what happens if you then hook up the hard drive to the computer? Is it in a format you can read and then burn to? Is it in HD?

I saw on another post in this forum that people were having problems getting the 8300HD to record in HD on a DVD recorder. So, I'm trying to find the best way to capture from HD DVR to DVD.

Thanks!

[edDV]

I didn't know the eSATA port on the 8300HD was being supported by firmware. Good news if that starts to happen. Time Warner and Comcast in Houston have both declined to support the port in firmware. Comcast just took over from Time Warner there.

I read somewhere that when implemented the files on the eSATA disk were encrypted and required the same box for playback. That prevents copying or sharing recorded programs. Check that out. I suppose it is the option of the local cable provider.

As for recording HD to a DVD recorder, there is no DVD recorder that inputs HD for capture or records in HD so that is a mute point. Some HD tuner-DVR units only output letterbox 480i, some allow 16:9 480i over composite or S-Video.

At the local option of the cable company, you might be able to copy DVR recorded material over the IEEE-1394 port. The Feds require that local channels appear on the port when tuned on the box. Format is MPeg2_TS or TP depending on the box. Use CapDVHS and HDTVtoMPeg2 to convert to normal MPeg2. HD programming would need to be downsized to 720x480 to author a DVD.

[docref]

I was told by the Cox cable guy that mass groups order the 8300 (cox, comcast, etc). So, they just make all ports accessible cause they don't know who will purchase what.

So, long story short, just to be sure I understand, the files are encrypted. Has anyone had success in unencrypting them. I'm not talking about copyrighted files.

[edDV]

I was told by the Cox cable guy that mass groups order the 8300 (cox, comcast, etc). So, they just make all ports accessible cause they don't know who will purchase what.

So, long story short, just to be sure I understand, the files are encrypted. Has anyone had success in unencrypting them. I'm not talking about copyrighted files.

For the 8300HD my evidence is hearsay other than talking to Houston Time-Warner and later Houston Comcast support after they took over. I know what the box can do if supported by firmware. Let's wait for first hand experience with SciAtlanta eSATA.

[next]

Read through this thread:

http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=516559

It's very long (+5400 posts) and it discusses external drives with the SA8300HD running both Passport and SARA. I have a total of 660GB of storage with my SA8300HD - the 160GB in the box and an external 500GB drive. My investment including the enclosure was ~ $115.

There are a few problems. For example anything recorded to the external drive can only be read by the SA8300HD that originally recorded it. But with huge HD file sizes the extra space really helps for HD time shifting.

[next]

Here's a comment from somebody in Houston:

http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?p=11116985&&#post11116985

Looks like the poster went the WD package route which in my opinion is about twice the price of other options.

[Rich86]

I tried using a Seagate Freeagent Pro 500gb via e-sata on my 8300hd dvr (Sara firmware, I believe).
It doesn't work - the dvr sees a device is there, but will not recognize it as a valid external storage device. It thinks it isn't connected properly. So I returned it. I went exploring in the AVS forum - and found a table of devices being tested against the 8300hd-dvr under various cable service providers including results (sure enough - the Seagate Freeagent Pro is listed as not working).
Based on what I read - I've now ordered:
External Enclosure = Vantec NexStar3, NST-360SU-BK
Drive = Western Digital Caviar SE16, WD5000AAKS 500GB, 16MB

Hopefully this will work properly - I'll let you know once I receive and install it.

[PCDoc]

Aloha Folks,

Hope I can save some of you some time, $$$ and effort. For those of you fortunate enough to have an active eSATA port (like Oceanic in Hawaii), the best drive to use is a SeaGate "ST3500601XS-RK" 500 GB eSATA external hard drive. I just purchased one from CompUSA and it work great! I also tried the Freeagent Pro (reformatted as FAT32, etc) and could not get it to work. The 8300HD will only recognize certain eSATA external hard drives period.

Just hook it up and press the yellow button on your cable remote to reformat when prompted, wait a few hours (Do NOT remove power from the cable box or hard drive), then turn off the cable box, unplug the power cable from the cable box for few seconds to reboot. NOTE: Leave the external hard drive powered on at all times! Wait for the 8300HD to reboot, do not turn it on until you see the digital time readout. Now turn it back on and you should find that you have 4X as much recording space!

As many of you already know, you cannot copy the digitally recorded movies directly from the 8300HD DVR or the external hard drive to your computer because; #1 they use a non-standard drive format, #2 they use a non-standard digital video format, and #3 the stored video movies are encrypted.

FYI: CompUSA may discontinue the SeaGate "ST3500601XS-RK" 500 GB eSATA external hard drive, so don't wait too long to purchase one (about $145.00 with eSATA cable

Mahalo

[next]

I'm not sure I would consider the seagate "the best" but if it works than that is great. There are a number of drives and enclosure combinations that work. I'd be concerned about the amount of time it took to format the drive. I have a western digital hooked up and the formatting took minutes.

This post contains links to both SARA and Passport esata databases. Compliments of Xnappo:

http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?p=5277957&&#post5277957

SARA data base here:

http://baseportal.com/cgi-bin/baseportal.pl?htx=/xnappo/main

Passport data base here:

http://www.baseportal.com/baseportal/xnappo/passport

[Rich86]

I tried using a Seagate Freeagent Pro 500gb via e-sata on my 8300hd dvr (Sara firmware, I believe).
It doesn't work - the dvr sees a device is there, but will not recognize it as a valid external storage device. It thinks it isn't connected properly. So I returned it. I went exploring in the AVS forum - and found a table of devices being tested against the 8300hd-dvr under various cable service providers including results (sure enough - the Seagate Freeagent Pro is listed as not working).
Based on what I read - I've now ordered:
External Enclosure = Vantec NexStar3, NST-360SU-BK
Drive = Western Digital Caviar SE16, WD5000AAKS 500GB, 16MB

Hopefully this will work properly - I'll let you know once I receive and install it.

OK - it all arrived today. I installed the 500gb Western Digital sata drive in the Vantec case as per instructions and connected it to the 8300HD DVR as per its instructions. It saw the drive, offered to format - and off it went. I let the system record 2 high def 1 hour programs. But when I checked the capacity used up - it said 16% - which is what it always was given only the internal drive. However, I forced the 8300 to reboot - and afterwards, with those 2 - 1 hour high def programs recorded - the system went from 16% capacity used up . . . to 2% capacity used up. So I'm guessing it needed to reboot after the format - and now its installed and maybe working ok? Time will tell, but we're off to an encouraging start!
What I really like is the local cable provider insisted the e-sata port on this box is not enabled . . yeah right . . it obviously sees the drive just fine, if using a proper case setup. And priced pretty reasonably at newegg. The case came with both usb and e-sata external cables - and an e-sata adapter bracket for the back of my pc tower.

Update: I've done some further testing, etc. and all looks well. The 8300hd dvr always uses whichever device appears to have more room on it. That means the new external 500gb drive has now become the primary device since it pretty much always has more room available on it than the internal 160gb drive. This includes being used for providing the ability to back up a program while you are watching it (meaning the drive is constantly writing data while watching tv through the 8300). I don't know if I like that - I'd rather use it just when the 8300 internal drive is getting low on space. You can turn the external drive off and on - but the 8300 must be forced into a reboot to see the drive once it has been powered off.