Sky HDD Question

Johnboy1951

Can a HDD be taken from one Sky box (gone faulty) and placed into another (previously used) to get access to the recorded material from the first box?

Presumably the replacement box would have to be paired first .... but after that can the recordings be played on the replacement?

Would it matter if the boxes were not the same? ...... maybe Sky+ to Sky+HD or whatever they call these boxes?
(I don't use Sky, but have been asked to swop the HDD if this will work.)

Vic_08

It may be possible to put the disk into a different box and it to work but it depends on the boxes. Unless you are sure they are compatible it wouldn't be a good idea to just try as the replacement box will likely corrupt an incompatible disk.

Most HD boxes (all except the earliest type) have a new version of the sky software and are no longer compatible with older recodings directly.

There are 2 programs available that will copy and convert sky+ disks, copy+ for non HD boxes and ExPVR for HD boxes and converting non HD to work on HD boxes.

http://www.skycopyplus.co.uk/

http://www.ph-mb.com/

Encrypted recordings will only work with the card used to record them, the card will need to be paired to the replacement box to activate the Sky+ function but if the recordings were made with a different card they will not be viewable.

Johnboy1951

Both of those software packages seem to be for copying recordings from one drive to another.

I think what my friend wants is to just take the HDD out of the failed receiver and put it into the replacement ...... with all the recordings present and accessible. I don't even know if there is a HDD present in the replacement box or if the owner took it out.

Yes the same card will be used and presumably he will pair it through Sky, to the replacement box.

I suppose http://www.ph-mb.com/ could be used to copy the recordings to a PC before inserting the HDD into the replacement box ..... just in case it doesn't work.

Maybe after that is set up it could also be used to copy the recordings back to the HDD so they would be accessible from the Sky box again.

I am beginning to think this is just too much trouble ....

mrmt32

The answer depends on the models of the new and old boxes. There are two main software versions in use on these PVRs, a linux-based one (darwin) and an older, legacy firmware.

Moving a disk between darwin boxes will in most cases work fine without having to use any other software (I would still recommend a backup though) but there is one exception.

With 2 pre-darwin boxes it is a bit more hit and miss due to greater variations between the files on each box, but is still possible in some cases. If it is going from a pre-darwin to a darwin box, then you will need to use ExPVR to convert the planner.

The boxes with darwin are all the Sky+ HD boxes except the original Thompson:

• Samsung HDSKY
• PACE TDS850NB
• Amstrad DRX780
• Amstad/Sky DRX890
• Amstad/Sky DRX895

The DRX780 is the exception here; some of the files are in what is called 'little endian' unlike the other HD boxes. It is therefore not possible to put a disk from this box into another without first copying it using ExPVR.

All other boxes will be pre-darwin (Sky+ and Sky+ HD Thompson).

So in summary:
Darwin <-> Darwin (except DRX780) - Should be able to just move the disks between devices

DRX780 <-> Other Darwin Box - Need to copy using ExPVR
Pre-Darwin -> Darwin - Need to copy using ExPVR
Pre-Darwin <-> Pre-Darwin - May work by just moving disks, boxes do differ in Endianess though and may need a conversion using Copy+
Darwin -> Pre-Darwin - Not possible