An Elegant Solution?

[Mock Cockpit]

[FG Lurker]

Save yourself a lot of headaches (and needless expense) and just get the correct solution from your TV provider. It will work out of the box and have built-in scheduling information that is downloaded automatically. No fuss, works correctly every time, probably not a whole lot of money.

[Mock Cockpit]

Save yourself a lot of headaches (and needless expense) and just get the correct solution from your TV provider. It will work out of the box and have built-in scheduling information that is downloaded automatically. No fuss, works correctly every time, probably not a whole lot of money.

Well Hikari TV are recommending a hard-disk drive (see here http://www.hikaritv.net/rec/pdf/pm700_rec.pdf ) but I already have a hard disk drive as part of my Bluray recorder but need a way to make it work. If I have to buy another hdd then not to worry, they're not expensive but if I don't need to......

[FG Lurker]

Well Hikari TV are recommending a hard-disk drive (see here http://www.hikaritv.net/rec/pdf/pm700_rec.pdf ) but I already have a hard disk drive as part of my Bluray recorder but need a way to make it work. If I have to buy another hdd then not to worry, they're not expensive but if I don't need to......

To use the recording features of your PM700 the hard disk is going to need to be connected via USB. Short of disemboweling your BR recorder I don't see how this is going to happen.

I suggest getting an aluminum external hard disk case with a USB interface and dropping in a largish 5400rpm hard disk drive. Aluminum will allow it better cooling (important in the summer when your place is 35deg+ when you're not home) and 5400rpm drives produce less heat than 7200rpm ones. 5400rpm will be more than fast enough for the recording needed.

[Mock Cockpit]

To use the recording features of your PM700 the hard disk is going to need to be connected via USB. Short of disemboweling your BR recorder I don't see how this is going to happen.

I suggest getting an aluminum external hard disk case with a USB interface and dropping in a largish 5400rpm hard disk drive. Aluminum will allow it better cooling (important in the summer when your place is 35deg+ when you're not home) and 5400rpm drives produce less heat than 7200rpm ones. 5400rpm will be more than fast enough for the recording needed.

OK, thanks Lurk, that's all I needed to know. I'll order a portable hdd today, any brand recommendations or ones I should avoid?

[FG Lurker]

OK, thanks Lurk, that's all I needed to know. I'll order a portable hdd today, any brand recommendations or ones I should avoid?

Looking at the PDF again they recommend one series of IO Data drives and another series of Buffalo drives. Any USB drive *should* work, but if you want to be sure of not having any problems then one of those two types would be best. (It is true that some devices like this don't like certain hard drives. My homebrew'd Wii won't work with some USB drives but is perfectly happy with others.)

PC 1's in Osaka does mail order and is an extremely good company to deal with. They don't have the Buffalo drives it seems but they do have the IO Data ones.

[Coligny]

Looking at the PDF again they recommend one series of IO Data drives and another series of Buffalo drives. Any USB drive *should* work, but if you want to be sure of not having any problems then one of those two types would be best. (It is true that some devices like this don't like certain hard drives. My homebrew'd Wii won't work with some USB drives but is perfectly happy with others.)

PC 1's in Osaka does mail order and is an extremely good company to deal with. They don't have the Buffalo drives it seems but they do have the IO Data ones.

And if you have to call their tech support, having the recomended drive is a way better idea. Meanwhile...

I don't have hard numbers...

But my rules has always been, as slow as possible for file servers (anyway the ethernet link is usually maxed out WAYYYY before the HD throughtput) better work on heat and wear issues. But for video recording, especially HD, the faster the better...
Heat is an issue... yes but for transient storage of TV show, HD are more than expandable (anyway, we are now facing situation were HD's are always expandable anyway... anything below RAID 6 for medium/long term storage is foolish...)