[macnicol]

How do I copy pgms from HR24-500 to external using a Mac? I've seen the post about using a PC, but haven't seen any about using a Mac to copy programs from internal drive to external drive. My HR24-500 is starting to be squirrely, it locks up sometimes when I power it off and I have to reset it with red button to restart it. Have alot of programs that I want to keep before I have to replace the HDR. I have an external USB drive that I can use to mount bare Sata drives and copy them. I presume the drive has to be NTFS formatted.

Update: base on the first reply, it's obvious I did not explain what I wanted to do. I want to attach an external drive to the HR24-500. I want to transfer the programs recorded on the HR24-500 internal drive to it so that if the internal drive fails I have the programs on the external drive. Can I use a Mac to copy the programs from the HR24-500 internal drive to an external drive that will be connected to the HR24-500?

 

[peds48]

You can't copy bit for bit. Copying to Mac is not different than copying to your VCR or DVD. You need a Video capture software and hardware. El Gato makes some good products for the Mac

 

[Go Beavs]

Here's a thread detailing the process on a Mac: http://www.dbstalk.com/topic/162399-how-to-upgrade-copy-directv-hd-on-a-mac/?hl=%2Bcopy+%2Bmac#entry2452660

Basically, you install Linux on your machine and copy the drive through that OS. The thread is kinda old but may still be relevant.

Good luck!

 

[Laxguy]

How do I copy pgms from HR24-500 to external using a Mac? I've seen the post about using a PC, but haven't seen any about using a Mac to copy programs from internal drive to external drive. My HR24-500 is starting to be squirrely, it locks up sometimes when I power it off and I have to reset it with red button to restart it. Have alot of programs that I want to keep before I have to replace the HDR. I have an external USB drive that I can use to mount bare Sata drives and copy them. I presume the drive has to be NTFS formatted.

Update: base on the first reply, it's obvious I did not explain what I wanted to do. I want to attach an external drive to the HR24-500. I want to transfer the programs recorded on the HR24-500 internal drive to it so that if the internal drive fails I have the programs on the external drive. Can I use a Mac to copy the programs from the HR24-500 internal drive to an external drive that will be connected to the HR24-500?

(you can hit Quote rather than edit your post, makes it a bit easier to follow)

Welcome to DBSTalk!

I've heard of folks making a precise copy of their internal drive, then replacing it with the (almost always larger) drive they copied to. Perhaps someone has made the move you contemplate, but it seems fraught with problems. Or potential problems!

You might be better off getting a Genie and whole home service, then putting all new recordings on it, and watching down the '24, then returning it. Or what Peds said, or getting a GenieGo.

 

[peds48]

Copying a drive bit by bit to another drive wont work on another DVR. The recordings from a DVR are encrypted to that specific DVR (OTA is the exception) and wont played on a replacement DVR.

 

[harsh]

Update: base on the first reply, it's obvious I did not explain what I wanted to do. I want to attach an external drive to the HR24-500. I want to transfer the programs recorded on the HR24-500 internal drive to it so that if the internal drive fails I have the programs on the external drive. Can I use a Mac to copy the programs from the HR24-500 internal drive to an external drive that will be connected to the HR24-500?

It doesn't really matter what OS you're using. The most straightforward way (where a Mac is involved) is to use two USB hard drive adapters and use imaging software to copy everything across.

If you have only one adapter, you'll have to image the DVR drive to files on the computer's hard drive and then swap in the new drive and put the image on it.

The only part that changes from one OS to the next is the imaging software and how you set up to access the drives. The nice part about doing this on hardware platforms other than Macs is that you may have ready access to available SATA ports and you don't have to deal with USB adapters.

Neither NTFS, FAT32 nor HFS are involved.

 

[harsh]

Copying a drive bit by bit to another drive wont work on another DVR.

It appears that the TS seeks only to replace the failing internal drive, not move or copy it to another DVR.

 

[peds48]

It appears that the TS seeks only to replace the failing internal drive, not move or copy it to another DVR.

After the OP was updated, it was not clear back then. the OP said replaced "HDR", that could be DVR, or HDD. Now we know

 

[WestDC]

I use this - http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00G6TG5YE/ref=wl_it_dp_o_pC_nS_ttl?_encoding=UTF8&colid=26P27LLO1B2MA&coliid=I26MPL11WX3NGA&psc=1

 

[slice1900]

How do I copy pgms from HR24-500 to external using a Mac? I've seen the post about using a PC, but haven't seen any about using a Mac to copy programs from internal drive to external drive. My HR24-500 is starting to be squirrely, it locks up sometimes when I power it off and I have to reset it with red button to restart it. Have alot of programs that I want to keep before I have to replace the HDR. I have an external USB drive that I can use to mount bare Sata drives and copy them. I presume the drive has to be NTFS formatted.

Update: base on the first reply, it's obvious I did not explain what I wanted to do. I want to attach an external drive to the HR24-500. I want to transfer the programs recorded on the HR24-500 internal drive to it so that if the internal drive fails I have the programs on the external drive. Can I use a Mac to copy the programs from the HR24-500 internal drive to an external drive that will be connected to the HR24-500?

I believe it is actually a realtime XFS filesystem, it is definitely not NTFS. You will need Linux if you want to mount it, but there's not much useful you can do with it if you did since it is encrypted by the DVR. If you just want to copy bit for bit, you can do it from the shell on your Mac using 'dd':

sudo dd if=/dev/<device name of old drive> of=/dev/<device name of new drive> bs=1024k
The new drive has to be at least as large as the old one - beware "equivalently" sized drives, one 1 TB drive may be slightly smaller than another 1 TB drive, even from the same vendor! I'm not sure whether you can extend the filesystem for the DVR to recognize a larger drive, someone who has experience with that will have to comment, but if it requires extending the XFS filesystem I'd strongly advise using a Linux Live CD to perform that task even if there are XFS drivers available for OS X.

 

[unixguru]

You should be able to run GPartd Live within VirtualBox.

 

[RunnerFL]

I use this - http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00G6TG5YE/ref=wl_it_dp_o_pC_nS_ttl?_encoding=UTF8&colid=26P27LLO1B2MA&coliid=I26MPL11WX3NGA&psc=1

Can't use that to go to a bigger drive though. A cloner clones the exact size of the original. For instance you clone the 1TB original to a 2TB new drive, you only get 1TB usable on the new drive.

 

[WestDC]

Can't use that to go to a bigger drive though. A cloner clones the exact size of the original. For instance you clone the 1TB original to a 2TB new drive, you only get 1TB usable on the new drive.

install the new 2TB drve in the HR and boot it (till) TV comes on -then remove and do it

 

[Rich]

Copying a drive bit by bit to another drive wont work on another DVR. The recordings from a DVR are encrypted to that specific DVR (OTA is the exception) and wont played on a replacement DVR.

Wish I had a buck for every time a post like this has been written. We oughta have a button we could push to put the above message in a post, just to save us some time.

Rich

 

[harsh]

Wish I had a buck for every time a post like this has been written.

I wish I had a buck for every DIRECTV HD DVR user that expressed an interest in backing up their recordings.

 

[Rich]

I wish I had a buck for every DIRECTV HD DVR user that expressed an interest in backing up their recordings.

Hmm, that seemed rather mean and hurtful.

 

[RunnerFL]

install the new 2TB drve in the HR and boot it (till) TV comes on -then remove and do it

The "cloner" will still only make the second drive the same size as the first.

 

[WestDC]

The "cloner" will still only make the second drive the same size as the first.

Whatever you say -LOL!

 

[RunnerFL]

Whatever you say -LOL!

If it's doing something else then it is not a "clone" by definition fo the word. Every "cloner" I've used, plenty, only has the ability to make a drive the same size as itself. None have the ability to think for themselves... It's a standalone cloner, no software.

 

[Laxguy]

OP-

What with all the replies, have you a clear notion of what to do?