Connect HDD from DVD player to PC externally

[RealGem]

Hi,

My DVD/HDD recorder has packed up today (the motor that ejects and plays the disc), and it would cost more to repair it than to buy a new one.

But I have important TV programs about my work; autism, on the hard disc, that I never got to transfer to DVDs.

And I know there's nothing wrong with the hard drive.

I had to "operate" to remove a disc, and noticed the hard disc looked exactly like a normal internal PC hard drive. It's a Western Digital 160gb one, and I seem to remember you can buy external casings for these, and use them as external hard drives.

Is that true?

And if so, what is the correct terminology please, so I can find out what to buy to get it to connect to my PC.

I'd rather not fit it internally, although I have fitted an additional 1tb one, so it can be done.

Anyone know the best way to attach it externally please?

thanks

 

[bulletng]

You have to be careful with making a HDD from a device like that as external. Sometimes the device has a controller that provides its own file system to that HDD. That means you may not be able to use it properly on Windows. I once had a NAS drive fail on me and I tried everything to get it working on Windows until I found out that NAS device had it's own very specific file system that only worked for that device. I popped it into Linux and used a program that could browse that type of file system and restore the files.

If the device you have doesn't have a specific file system like that (which it probably doesn't, I don't know I've never worked on DVD/HDD recorders before). You should be able to just plug it into your computer and use it like a normal hard drive.

You can purchase Hard Drive Enclosures from anywhere like Newegg. Some devices are USB and others use eSATA (my personal favorite).

Before you purchase that enclosure attempt to explore it using Windows. If all else fails you can restore those files using any Linux OS like PuppyLinux.

 

[boohbah]

maybe do a little research into what file type the dvd recorder saves the programs , then see what it will take to play them, also check the connector pins to the hd and see if they are the same on a enclosure/dock.
perhaps photograph it and post here.
you could get a dock for as little as £10 from amazon if it would connect

maybe there is a forum for the manufacturer of the dvd for info on the file structure. , what brand and model is it.

 

[RealGem]

Thanks guys,

I will dig out the DVD manual to see if it has the file types listed. And I'll try to photograph the drive's connectors too.

thanks

 

[RealGem]

OK sorry for the delay. I had trouble with my camera's software.

Here is a pic of the hard drive in situ:

Regarding file types recorded onto the hard drive, the manual does not mention anything about it. There is a section called "specifications" but only for the DVD and Freeview, not the hard drive.

So I don't know what the file types are sorry.

thanks

 

[boohbah]

after a google the western digital 800bb is an 80 gb drive, i would hazard a guess the pins would be ok
i say guess as we cant see them cos its plugged in

if you unplug the large grey cable strip then we will get a better look at the pins.
if it is a standard connection then you could pop it in a dock .
if the file type is unrecogniseable or unplayable then maybe they could be converted, failing that you could format it and have 80 gb storage

 

[bobkn]

OK sorry for the delay. I had trouble with my camera's software.

Here is a pic of the hard drive in situ:

(snip)


Regarding file types recorded onto the hard drive, the manual does not mention anything about it. There is a section called "specifications" but only for the DVD and Freeview, not the hard drive.

So I don't know what the file types are sorry.

thanks

The WD800BB is an 80GB EIDE drive. (IDE is also known as PATA.) Old.

It's still possible to buy external enclosures for IDE drives, and external IDE drive docks.

Newegg.com - Computer Hardware, Computer Cases, ide hd dock

I have no idea whether the file system used by the DVD recorder would be readable by anything else, but I doubt that it's proprietary.

 

[jimbo45]

Hi there
that looks fairly straight forward - simply get an external powered IDE enclosure which will have the correct power connectors.

Then you can simply connect to a USB port and it will be fine.

Where I've ringed the picture in red shows that the drive is an IDE one -- IDE connectors are ribbon strips and the 4 pin connectors are the power connectors so an IDE==>USB external powered enclosure should do fine.

Once you've got that working show us what the files are and then we can help with software to get these to DVD.

There is another way of course -- leave the machine as is and then in REAL TIME use the VIDEO + AUDIO out of the recorder into a computer and use some sort of Video capturing software on a LAPTOP if your laptop has any sort of A/V input. Problem might be that most modern laptops have plenty of ways of getting VIDEO OUT but few seem to have any method of going the other way of getting VIDEO IN. However some of these USB TV cards might have an A/V in --then you are in business as they'll have the software as well. Hauppage used to do this sort of stuff.

Something like this :

http://www.hauppauge.co.uk/site/products/data_usblive2.html

However remember it's REAL time so a lot of video will need to run overnight etc.

Once you've got the video in to a computer we can tell you what to do next.

cheers
jimbo

 

[RealGem]

Thanks a lot guys

Now I know it's an external IDE drive dock, I think I know what to buy.

I am in the UK so I can't use the Newegg.com link. Also I notice the term "drive dock" is used less in the UK than the US, although they do sell them on Amazon.co.uk.

But I found kits of wires with no dock that seem to be a lot cheaper.
So would these also be suitable?

Bipra USB 2.0 to SATA/IDE Adapter Kit with Power: Amazon.co.uk: Electronics

ide usb power adaptor | eBay

I already have a VCR-DVD USB adaptor like the one jimbo45 suggests, from when I transferred VHS to DVD. But the software couldn't install successfully to my Windows 7 PC, so without the software it probably won't work. Shame, as then I wouldn't need to buy anything else. Looking at the reviews for these things, the software seems not to be very reliable.

thanks

 

[pbcopter]

My experience with DVRs is they use a file system that is not compatible with Windows.
I would Google your model.

 

[RealGem]

My experience with DVRs is they use a file system that is not compatible with Windows.
I would Google your model.

Thanks, but if the file types are not mentioned in the manual, where else are they likely to be published other than a pdf?

it's not under anything like:
LOGIK LDVR808 DVD HDD RECORDER files
LOGIK LDVR808 DVD HDD RECORDER file
LOGIK LDVR808 DVD HDD RECORDER file type
LOGIK LDVR808 DVD HDD RECORDER uses files

I'm only getting what files it PLAYS on a DVD.

thanks

 

[RealGem]

Also, I just thought:

If I do connect the drive to my PC successfully, and the file types are not compatible with Windows, will it matter, if I just burn a DVD?

Won't the newly burned DVD be able to make sense of the files?

thanks

 

[boohbah]

i would think putting the files on a disc will just create duplicate files but on a dvd. unless they can be converted which is possible to work out if we knew the file type
have you considered buying a cheap second hand one and swapping the hardrive, i see on ebay there is one going for £35 but you have to collect in person ,
however others may come up,
there is a 250gb one for sale on amazon for £59

 

[RealGem]

i would think putting the files on a disc will just create duplicate files but on a dvd. unless they can be converted which is possible to work out if we knew the file type
have you considered buying a cheap second hand one and swapping the hardrive, i see on ebay there is one going for £35 but you have to collect in person ,
however others may come up,
there is a 250gb one for sale on amazon for £59

Thanks, that is an idea, but the amazon is not a dvd recorder so no use.

The ebay one is in Cornwall. I am in Wales. It drives me nuts when people are too lazy to box things up. How much effort is it to send a parcel when the buyer pays all costs? An item is up to 12 times more likely to sell if the seller offers delivery. Clearly most people don't know this.

But I will save a search for future reference, thanks.

Does anyone know if those USB IDE kits I linked to earlier are suitable?

thanks

 

[boohbah]

co- incidentally i am in cornwall, and have a friend lives at the same location as the ebay one,
im sure if you purchased it i could have it collected and get it posted to you,
we can work the postage out somehow.
i dont know if a dock or enclosure would work as i have no experience with ide drives

 

[RealGem]

Thanks for the kind offer but I will wait til another one comes up. I got this one off Ebay. They were a popular model.

 

[bobkn]

Does anyone know if those USB IDE kits I linked to earlier are suitable?

That sort of adapter should be OK. I've never used one, but I have no reason to believe that there are any problems with that type. They obviously are intended for short-term use, but that's ideal for your purposes.

If the file structure on the drive isn't one that Windows recognizes, copying the files off it might not be simple.

On the other hand, years ago I needed to archive a bunch of data that was on 3.5" floppies (!) from an old HP microcomputer. Very much not "IBM compatible", as they used to write. Fortunately, I found a utility that would read the floppies on an ordinary high density floppy drive. Only took me half a day to go through the lot. Maybe you'll be able to find a utility that allows you to mount and read the disk from Windows.

 

[RealGem]

Does anyone know if those USB IDE kits I linked to earlier are suitable?

That sort of adapter should be OK. I've never used one, but I have no reason to believe that there are any problems with that type. They obviously are intended for short-term use, but that's ideal for your purposes.

If the file structure on the drive isn't one that Windows recognizes, copying the files off it might not be simple.

On the other hand, years ago I needed to archive a bunch of data that was on 3.5" floppies (!) from an old HP microcomputer. Very much not "IBM compatible", as they used to write. Fortunately, I found a utility that would read the floppies on an ordinary high density floppy drive. Only took me half a day to go through the lot. Maybe you'll be able to find a utility that allows you to mount and read the disk from Windows.

ok thanks a lot Bobkn

 

[boohbah]

let us know how you get on, with any luck the filetype will be mpeg2