Swapping HDD from Thompson to Samsung Box

pl34

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Hi All,

I have a day 1 Thompson Sky HD box with which I have installed a 1TB Samsung HDD - its worked perfectly up until recently when it has evidently developed the PSU fault.

I also have a Samsung Sky HD box on multiroom with the standard HDD that continues to work fine.

I would like to do a straight swap of the two HDD's then get Sky out to replace the broken Thompson. Will this work? Will I need to format the HDDs with copy+ or will they work straight away in the different machines?

All and any help appreciated.

Thanks
 
Funnily enough, I'm considering doing exactly the same thing - as I've just got round to getting HDMI input sorted out to my plasma panel, and I thought I might therefore swap the old component out Thomson that's currently the main box with a 1TB drive in, with the newer HDMI only Samsung HD box currently in the bedroom.

I assumed I could just swap the HDs... given that Copy+ was used to prepare the 1TB disk for the Thomson, but it didn't actually know what model of HD box the disk was going into - if you see what I mean.

So like you, I'll be interested to hear from anyone who knows the answer for definite, or has actually done it.
 
Thanks Oily, but that just seems to be information about using Copy+ to install a new large disk. Both myself and pl34 have said we've already done that. The question is, can disks just be swapped between different HD boxes. My guess is they can - but atm it remains just a guess.
 
I think the Copy+ link would help you decide if your Thomson-formatted HDD would be compatible with a Samsung (I think it is - think the problem would be with a move to a new Amstrad bit happy to be corrected) - worth following the link though.

If you are looking to get the old box replaced though, then if its out of warranty I should think you can stick any old HDD in it and get a replacement. However if you are happy to pay £65 for that (and probablly get a refurb box which may be problematic) then I would seriously consider a thomson psu repair/upgrade. Got mine done by Graham who posts on here occasionally and it is now perfect (along with new bigger HDD).
 
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Thanks everyone - I'll give it a go tommorrow and see what happens!

Blacklion - there's no way I am paying Sky £65 to come out, I already pay them £100 p/m inc EPSN etc.

I'll have a tantrum and either they'll do it for free or i'll cancel multiroom (to be honest I'm not that fussed whichever way it goes - but if I cancel multiroom I shall also cut ESPN, movies and whatever else I can that I dont use and probably save £50 p/m). I'm secretly hoping they try and charge me!
 
Thanks everyone - I'll give it a go tommorrow and see what happens!

Blacklion - there's no way I am paying Sky £65 to come out, I already pay them £100 p/m inc EPSN etc.

I'll have a tantrum and either they'll do it for free or i'll cancel multiroom (to be honest I'm not that fussed whichever way it goes - but if I cancel multiroom I shall also cut ESPN, movies and whatever else I can that I dont use and probably save £50 p/m). I'm secretly hoping they try and charge me!

Just remember mate, if you cancel Sky Movies, Sports etc... you wont be able to watch the movies & sports you have saved on your HDD
 
Just remember mate, if you cancel Sky Movies, Sports etc... you wont be able to watch the movies & sports you have saved on your HDD

Couldn't live without the sports - best thing about HD! - But thanks.
 
Finally got around to doing this today - wish I hadnt!

The Thomson with the Samsung HDD displays "No Satellite Signal is being received" - and nothing else.

The Samsung with the 1TB HDD taken straight out of the Thomson kind of works, although the picture is hanging every now and then and the remote response is veeeerrrrryyyyyy sssslllooooowwwwww.

Guess I'll need to copy the images across with Copy+, unless anyone has a better idea?
 
PaddyS said, "I swapped mine from an old Thomson to a new Amstrad and all i needed to do was to change the endians from "little to big" using Copy+ - 2 seconds it took."

I guess that was good advice. It looks like you do need to use Copy+ to get the job done.
 
Finally got around to doing this today - wish I hadnt!

The Thomson with the Samsung HDD displays "No Satellite Signal is being received" - and nothing else.

The Samsung with the 1TB HDD taken straight out of the Thomson kind of works, although the picture is hanging every now and then and the remote response is veeeerrrrryyyyyy sssslllooooowwwwww.

Guess I'll need to copy the images across with Copy+, unless anyone has a better idea?
I think if the disk endian thing is wrong, it just doesn't work. Tried planner rebuilds?
 
Hi All,

I have a day 1 Thompson Sky HD box with which I have installed a 1TB Samsung HDD - its worked perfectly up until recently when it has evidently developed the PSU fault.

I also have a Samsung Sky HD box on multiroom with the standard HDD that continues to work fine.

I would like to do a straight swap of the two HDD's then get Sky out to replace the broken Thompson. Will this work? Will I need to format the HDDs with copy+ or will they work straight away in the different machines?

All and any help appreciated.

Thanks

I moved my 1 TB drive from my 3 year old Thomson box directly to my new Samsung last year and it worked perfectly and played back all recordings flawlessly without going near Copy+.The new EPG update did slow remote reaction however.,although I also checked another 500GB drive in the Samsung and the remote reaction was normal.
 
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I thnk the problem is that the 1tb HDD I have simply isn't compatible with the Samsung box (it's doing exactly as described by a few others on different threads).

I checked the Copy+ compatibility with regards to the "endians" (whatever the hell they are!) and it's only Amstrad that are different in this regard.

On returning the original HDD to the Thomson box it still didn't work properly - unwatchable/blocky - I can only assume my messing around has worsened the psu problem. Not to worry, Sky replacing Tuesday.

Thanks everyone
 
Hi all,
The Samsung boxes are VERY fussy about which HDD they have in. I have upgraded mine but I had to use a 750gb HDD which was the same as the one that was in it. From memory it was a seagate HDD ST3750840SCE. I got it from more computers. I have had it in for about a year and it has been fine. Any other brand of HDD just seems to freeze and then the HD box off - freezing it in standby.

I hope this helps
 
From memory it was a seagate HDD ST3750840SCE.
Wow - that's an awesome memory you have there Adam. I can't remember my wife's mobile number, let alone the serial number of a hard disk I bought a year ago...

;)

Just pulling yer leg. Useful info, cheers!
 

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