[karleccleson]

Decided to start a new thread to keep any questions on data extraction in one place.

I am happy to answer any questions, take suggestions etc...

New location...

http://www.eccleson.org/Syphon

A new version is available: info in the "read.me"

Syphon0.1.3
* Adds ability to detect Drives while programme is running.
* Removed Pull down combo box
* Renamed Menu items

Syphon0.1.2
* Removes "Device not ready" error box due to USB card readers
being present without media inserted

Syphon0.1.1
* Fixes display bug (can now see the application!)

Syphon0.1.0
* First release

[edthedoc]

Karl,

Data extraction is just what I'm looking for: my unit's failed at the "hold" message and I can't access my library which consists mainly of programs for my 6 year old which he's really going to miss. So long as the hard drive itself hasn't gone completely I'm hoping to be able to connect the drive to my PC to extract the files and somehow convert them into a suitable format for burning onto DVD or replaying on the PC. I'd love to be able to put the saved films back onto a new hard drive but suspect that's going to be tricky.

Keep up the great work.

[karleccleson]

Originally Posted by edthedoc

Karl,

Data extraction is just what I'm looking for: my unit's failed at the "hold" message and I can't access my library which consists mainly of programs for my 6 year old which he's really going to miss. So long as the hard drive itself hasn't gone completely I'm hoping to be able to connect the drive to my PC to extract the files and somehow convert them into a suitable format for burning onto DVD or replaying on the PC. I'd love to be able to put the saved films back onto a new hard drive but suspect that's going to be tricky.

Keep up the great work.

As long as the file tables haven't been deleted, it should be able to read the progs off for you. I've had success and failure when this has happened...

No saving to the disk as yet!

Good luck!

[edthedoc]

I've cloned the hard drive onto my PC's hard drive but when I try to access the clone image with Syphon 1.3 the program crashes with an error something like "Access violation at address 00498844 in module...

If I try to access the Fusion hard drive itself with Syphon 1.3 it sees that the drive's there nothing happens when I click on it.

Any ideas?

[edthedoc]

Ran version 1.2 instead and it reads the cloned drive image perfectly now: am now busy downloading all the m2v and mp2 files. Thanks!

[karleccleson]

Originally Posted by edthedoc

I've cloned the hard drive onto my PC's hard drive but when I try to access the clone image with Syphon 1.3 the program crashes with an error something like "Access violation at address 00498844 in module...

If I try to access the Fusion hard drive itself with Syphon 1.3 it sees that the drive's there nothing happens when I click on it.

Any ideas?

Yeah, I cocked it up :-)
0.1.4 should work better :-)

[karleccleson]

Originally Posted by edthedoc

Ran version 1.2 instead and it reads the cloned drive image perfectly now: am now busy downloading all the m2v and mp2 files. Thanks!

I'm really chuffed it has worked! Nothing worse than loosing your entire library!

[edthedoc]

Well, I've got the m2p and mp2 files, but...

ProjectX won't run on my PC and no other programs will recognise/load any of the mp2 files: I've tried VirtualDub, TMPGEnc, Ulead DVD workshop.

[edthedoc]

Sorry, meant m2v and mp2 files.

[Musukebba]

What are your PC specs? Do you have a broadband connection to download the Java Runtime Environment (~16 MB)?

[edthedoc]

I'm using the latest versions of Java (5,5) with Windows XP (SP2). When I run ProjectX it hangs with the message "X Startup, load components..."

Not your fault I know, but frustrating!

[Musukebba]

Try this Windows executable version...

[edthedoc]

Brilliant. This version of ProjectX works! But (there's always a but) how do I actually mux the two files together?

[karleccleson]

Can somebody extract the new run.bin and mail it to me please?

PM me for an e-mail address.
Cheers!
K

[Musukebba]

Originally Posted by edthedoc

Brilliant. This version of ProjectX works! But (there's always a but) how do I actually mux the two files together?

If you just want to go straight to DVD, you can load the PX-corrected m2v and mp2 files straight into IFOedit. It will then mux them and segment the data into vobs, and finally add an IFO file to make the file structure DVD compliant. Add these files to a VIDEO_TS folder and burn as a DVD-Video with Nero.

Otherwise, you can mux the streams with Imago MPEG muxer, and then edit in VideoRedo, either of the Womble products, or the freeware MPEGschnitt. Then you need an authoring app which will work with .mpg files, such as DVD Movie Factory, TMPGenc, or Nero Vision Express.

[martin@mjs.euro]

message to Karl, Great to know we now have 2 developers working on data extraction. I've succeeded in extracting >>>to mpeg/dvd previously with the Fusion Filesystem Reader http://www.hope.co.nz/projects/fusion/ with my 120gb samsung mounted in a usb2 caddy. However i was interested to assess your prog also. Your aim of allowing selective extraction of sections of recorded programs being particularly attractive. Unfortunately things are not going to well. Whilst I can now (with vsn 1.4) of your syphon prog open my drive. When I attempt to save I do not get valid m2v and mp2 files. eg from a test of a small clip (128mb pes) I get a 68.3mb m2v and just a 48k mp2!! Something not right somewhere. I can provide further info via email if you are interested. Also can I ask whether tab sheet 1 and 2 are intended to be operational currently? See the short list on tab1 and a non operational calendar on t2. Thanks for any help

[karleccleson]

Originally Posted by martin@mjs.euro

message to Karl
When I attempt to save I do not get valid m2v and mp2 files.

eg from a test of a small clip (128mb pes) I get a 68.3mb m2v and just a 48k mp2!!

Something not right somewhere. I can provide further info via email if you are interested.

Also can I ask whether tab sheet 1 and 2 are intended to be operational currently? See the short list on tab1 and a non operational calendar on t2. Thanks for any help

Hmm That certainly doesn't sound right.... Although I would expect the audio to be significantly smaller than the video...

I'm going to need to add some debug to the code...
Can you let me know what OS you are using and memory size....

I've alot to do tonight (DIY while Wife and Baby are at the Gramps) so I may not be able to get to it until next week....
K

[martin@mjs.euro]

I'm going to need to add some debug to the code...
Can you let me know what OS you are using and memory size....

Sure, XP sP2 with all MS updates 512mb dual ddr.
Just managed to use v1.1 to open drive (removed usb card reader) this extracted the 128mb pes as 127mb m2v and 96kb mp2. Loading into project x ( am i right in thinking that this step would normally be unnecessary with your software as m2v and mp2 created automatically?) showed the m2v to have and additional approx 8mb of frames from a completely unrelated program!! As before the mp2 just way too small. HTH

[karleccleson]

Originally Posted by martin@mjs.euro

Sure, XP sP2 with all MS updates 512mb dual ddr.
Just managed to use v1.1 to open drive (removed usb card reader) this extracted the 128mb pes as 127mb m2v and 96kb mp2. Loading into project x ( am i right in thinking that this step would normally be unnecessary with your software as m2v and mp2 created automatically?) showed the m2v to have and additional approx 8mb of frames from a completely unrelated program!! As before the mp2 just way too small. HTH

Your specs seem OK :-)

The way in which the fusion stores recordings is by recycling blocks. It doesn't zero them before reuse, hence you get previous recordings sitting around at the end of 64MB blocks.

There is a skip table at the start of each 64MB block and I think that this gives information on how many of the 8KB blocks within the 64MB block are used (but this may only be relevant for the final 64MB block in a recording, I'm still trying to work that out!).

Take a look at the extraction thread in the thomson forum for info on why you need to projectX the two streams
http://forum.digitalspy.co.uk/board/...d.php?t=297714

Can you give me more info on what you recorded? If it is a few minutes of TV, this could be alot less than 128MB in total (the size tool tip is only an indication of the number of 64MB blocks used)....

I was in the middle of something else earlier, so I wasn't thinking straight....

I would expect the ratio to be 17:1

Can you try to listen to it using media player (should just play)?

Can you try this and let me know?

Thanks for all the feedback :-)
I have PM'd you with my e-mail address....

[CJL]

Karl,

Finally got round to trying 1.4 last night. I fitted my original Fusion 40Gb drive as the second drive on the second IDE interface in my PC running XP-SP2. I checked the BIOS and it "saw" the added Maxtor.

With the drive in place the "Open drive" gave me just one option "\\physical drive 2". But on selecting this the header in the dialog showed "\\physical drive 1" and nothing else was shown.

Unfortunately it's not easy for me to try it in any of the other IDE positions as I have two other HDDs and DVD (suppose I could try it there maybe).

Anyway, I'm going to try it in this work PC running W2K in a mo' - hopefully I may have more luck there - I'll keep you posted.

Cliff

[edthedoc]

Getting there, but...!

Imago MPEG muxer won't load most of the m2v files (doesn't recognise the format or something) but ProjectX will load all of them (so the files aren't corrupted).

I'm just looking to merge the files as mpeg to play on the PC. Can I do something to the m2v files with ProjectX to enable Imago MPEG muxer to load them?

[karleccleson]

Originally Posted by CJL

Karl,

Finally got round to trying 1.4 last night. I fitted my original Fusion 40Gb drive as the second drive on the second IDE interface in my PC running XP-SP2. I checked the BIOS and it "saw" the added Maxtor.

With the drive in place the "Open drive" gave me just one option "\\physical drive 2". But on selecting this the header in the dialog showed "\\physical drive 1" and nothing else was shown.

Unfortunately it's not easy for me to try it in any of the other IDE positions as I have two other HDDs and DVD (suppose I could try it there maybe).

Anyway, I'm going to try it in this work PC running W2K in a mo' - hopefully I may have more luck there - I'll keep you posted.

Cliff

Hi Cliff,
Just a thought, did you set the jumpers on the drive correctly? First time I tried IDE I ended up with two masters...

I think I am seeing a pattern here :-) The menu is picking up the wrong box I think....
I'll look into it and get back to you....
Let me know how win2k works out...

Cheers
K

[CJL]

I just left the drive jumpered the way it was (which was probably "cable select"). I was going to change jumpers if it need it but as the BIOS spotted and listed the drive in the expected place (2nd IDE, 2nd drive) I just assumed that the jumpering was OK.

But then again, I should never ASSUME anything!

Cliff

[karleccleson]

Originally Posted by CJL

I just left the drive jumpered the way it was (which was probably "cable select"). I was going to change jumpers if it need it but as the BIOS spotted and listed the drive in the expected place (2nd IDE, 2nd drive) I just assumed that the jumpering was OK.

But then again, I should never ASSUME anything!

Cliff

Hi Cliff,
definately a bug in the menu selection code.
I'll upload 0.1.5 tonight.
PM me an e-mail address for the fix sooner...
This may fix the other problems people have been having with IDE drives :-)

[CJL]

K.

You have mail

Cliff