> From: Gurney
>
> Another lengthy post just disappeared. Damn.

Don't get me started again :-)

> The STB seems to record on anything. It works with a SD card in a card reader, and all three of my flashdrives. The 8Gb one takes 2hrs of video, but I've never tried longer files. Just the big one that I bought specifically for the STB that gives problems, and then only on files approaching 2 hours.

"The 8Gb one takes 2hrs of video" - do I take it this is High Definition (HD) then? Here in the UK, by comparing the playing times against the files sizes of the recordings, it's easy to work out that both Freesat (satellite) and Freeview (terrestrial) Standard Definition (SD) come in at around 35mins/GB, so 8GB should be able to hold about 4hrs:40mins of UK SD. I don't have figures conveniently to hand for UK HD.

> I've also thought of leaving the current shortened programme on it, and seeing if it will fill the rest of the drive up, in 3.8Gb chunks.

As you know, or at least think and hope, that the 8GB drive is working, you can do a test of the STB to either eliminate or incriminate the way it breaks up recordings greater than 3.8GB, by recording a program larger than 3.8GB onto this 8GB drive - in UK SD this would be longer than about 2:13, but say 2.5-3hrs to be certain; you'd have to work out your own equivalent for your local broadcasts.

So, besides the test of copying from the PC to the 16GB drive I suggested earlier, I suggest that you also test the STB recording to the 8GB stick as follows:

1        Calculate how many minutes per GB your STB records at, note that there may be a differences between different stations, particularly if there is a choice between SD and HD;

2        Copy, or rather move, everything off the 8GB drive that you want to keep;

3        Delete all the remaining files on it, as explained previously;

4        Try and record a program long enough to go well over the 3.8GB file size limit, according to your previous calculations;

5        Check that the entire program plays back alright;

6        Check that when you plug the stick into a PC, you can see at least two suitably-sized and named video files.

If everything works on the 8GB stick, then you know that the STB is working ok, and your problem is with the 16GB stick. If not, you know that your 16GB stick is probably alright, and the STB is the problem, and you need to visit the manufacturer's website, to seek further advice, as explained earlier.

> I used to have a Seagate program that would examine HDDrives in minute detail and allow partitioning and other mods. It would be nice to get a similar program that worked on flashdrives.

Sorry, can't help with that.

> That 16Gb drive is a Toshiba, which I thought was a pretty good make.

Yes, I would expect Toshiba to be good, especially as they joint-own one of the two major flash fabs, but the ways of the 'grey' business world are obscure, and therefore unexpectedly fascinating. I have just refound the original thread in a Linux newsgroup where I first heard about these fake chips.

This is the complete thread ...
Flash Drive Recommendations
... but you may wish to go straight to the most relevant post, #9 ...
Theo Markettos

The link to a manufacturer's blog in the latter is also worth reading, if you get sufficiently interested in the case.