TM9100 Drive Support

[gollum]

:|

Hi all
I'm considering getting a TM9100 but would like to know something about the drive installation on this box.

I have a back catalogue of movies in mpeg2 format (not converted to dvd, as I find I get audio/video sync problems), which range from 1.5GB to 4.5GB in length - these have been obtained over the years from a slyst@r2 card setup on another pc and burnt to dvd straight off. I understand the TM9100 can be fitted with a harddrive, which I'm guessing would be set to master. Is it possible to also fit a dvd drive along with the hdd, and set the dvd drive to slave? Will the box recognise it? If it will recognise it, will I be able to read the mpeg2 movies (the whole length) from burnt dvd and play them back using the viewer software within the box? I say the whole length, as a standalone dvd player will only play the first 1GB, then goes back to the menu, as these seem to only be able to read 1GB blocks, hence the commercial dvd's divided into 1GB chunks of video. The burnt dvd's play fine using viewer software like Powerdvd, Win dvd, etc, so I'm hoping they will in the TM9100.

Anyone ever done anything like this with the TM9100 or Dreams? I realise the dvd drive won't physically fit in the TM9100 unit, I'm hoping to sit it along side/on top/wherever, keeping the lead length as short as possible. Whilst thinking about it, what drive types do they take, are they ide based or sata?

I realise this may be a strange request as I guess a lot of you stream via LAN from another box - just wondering whether it can be done. If it can it will save me putting the burnt dvd in another box and streaming it down to the TM.

On another note - are you all finding the TM9100 stable when actually watching stuff. I realise there will be a steap learning curve, with Linux and generally setting it up, thats fine, I expect that! What would irritate me though, is it keep crashing or self reseting when it is setup, with the family huddled round watching something. Man would I get earache!!
I've read conflicting views on them, as I guess I would, just wondering what feelings you guys have for it, bearing in mind it's fairly new and nowhere near as well supported as the Dreams.

Thanks for reading and answering my questions.

G

[Unknown user #1]

Hi

In theory it should be possible to connect IDE DVD (and I think I read somewhere that somebody actually tried it). You'll lose your cardreader though. The other problem is (again, if I remember that correctly) was need for external PSU for DVD drive as TM9100 PSU isn't powerful enough.
In addition, the box didn't automount DVD, so this is something you'll have to do yourself.
As to movies... if these are in correct format, I don't see why it can't be played back on the box. Not sure about 1GB limitation.

realise this may be a strange request as I guess a lot of you stream via LAN from another box - just wondering whether it can be done.

I am actually streaming FROM the box to PC and (hopefully) to my other network players (just need to figure out how to marry TCP stream with UPnP AV protocol ). Theoretically (sorry, I can't provide you with any practical help as I only read about the things, not tried it myself), there are 2 options (and 3rd should be possible too):

1. Setup CIFS/SMB share on your PC, copy movies to it and then install SMB client on TM9100 (could be installed already, dunno).
2. Use movie plugin for Dreambox
3. Not sure if this one works, but if it does, this is going to be THE way to stream to TM9100 - via UPnP AV client on TM9100 (if there is any). This way you will be able to play just about any video on TM9100 (via suitable transcoding UPnP AV server, such as TVersity).

No issues with stability so far (running Juliet 006) but I've heard that many people are complaining about sudden restarts.

[BGonaSTICK]

There is a DVD-drive conversion for the Dreambox, so I'm guessing it's possible in theory on the 9100 too.

I personally FTP files from PC hard disk (or mpeg-2 files burnt to DVD) over to the Linux box HDD. Files of any size seem to play OK on the DM-7000.

I believe the 9100 has an IDE ATA66 I/F like the Dreambox.

[Unknown user #1]

FTP-ing files to TM9100 is lengthy process... I never achieved more than 2MBps

[BGonaSTICK]

That's got to be a serious problem with your FTP client configuration surely?

Is that a steady throughput, or an average over a long transfer?

Are you using passive mode?

Cabled or wireless?

I get about 14Mbps in real terms - which is pretty much the normal sustained operating limit for my 54G bridge once you take all the overheads into account - and the seriously flawed firmware which the manufacturers never fixed (they just bought out a new model... > )

[Unknown user #1]

It is steady, in passive mode, cabled (sort of - Homeplug Turbo). Sometimes it is going to 2.5MBps but it is a rarity.

I get about 14Mbps

Er... 2MBps is 16Mbps...

[BGonaSTICK]

OK, OK