Barebones model - does it have to use an ext hdd?

[jonesy63]

In the pre-order page, it mentions it has to have an external hdd connected. I guess if you open it up to install an internal one - no more warranty - correct?
Or have they made a cheap version without SATA connector inside?
Thanks.

[Paul55]

Or is the HDD held in a caddy?

[Gerhardp1]

I too would like to know this.

Can't see why warranty should be destroyed by opening the box and installing a hard drive, people have been doing this for more than 20 years in PCs.

[Wiz HQ]

Hi Guys,
Barebone model is exactly the same inside as the other models, minus the HDD of course. It has a cradle inside that wil suite a 2.5 or 3.5" HDD and as all the the HDDs are actually retrofitted in Aus there is a Sata / power cable that will come in the pack. Now this is not the "official" word, that will be cleared up closer to shipping, but if you purchase the barebone unit we don't want you opening and installing your own HDD, if you don't know what you are doing it could be very dangerous so just spend the extra $ and it is all under warranty. If you chose open the box and install yourself officially you void the warranty and of course your HDD is not covered under the warranty but if you could prove that you had it installed by a professional, or your own experience is sufficient to carry out such job then we would look after you with warranty repairs unless the fault was obviously caused by the tinkering
So if you got the unit, you are a PC builder and you installed a HDD then 5month down the track you get an unrelated fault, we will look after you if you meet the criteria Unofficially

[brettbert]

It states using a comparable hdd. Which make and model will you be installing in the 1Tb model?

[snuke]

I doubt the specs will tell us when released, but any idea what HDD is inside?

As the brilliant WD RED can be added for $124 for 2TB or $239 for 4TB, then there is a good reason financially, and most likely performance wise to install your own drive.
There isn't much to them inside. Compared to opening up an iMac it is like a walk in the park.
I do agree that if you have the slightest doubt in doing then, then just buy it with the drive size you want.

[NoDowt]

Definitely will be great if the official stance remains as above. I'm elbows deep in $1M+ worth of servers & SAN at work, so think I'd fall into the qualified category.

[peteru]

I've had a 4TB WD RED NAS drive in the T3 for about a day (it had to go in the NAS) and it worked well enough to be recognised, partitioned and formatted to full capacity. I recorded and played back a few shows without any trouble.

I haven't had a chance to fill a 4TB drive to capacity, but I can't see any reason for it not working.

The drive was partitioned using GPT and formatted to ext4. That means no silly limits you get with MS-DOS partitions or FAT32. In theory, the T3 supports petabytes.

[glen]

Sorry I posted these questions in another thread but this might be a better place for it to be answered.

Does it support ssd's and is the OS optimised for there use?

My S1 has a slight vibration (which I assume is from the hard disk) that reverberates in the wooden tv cabinet so I am really keen to get it as quite as possible. I rarely have more than 100GB of recordings so I don't need a big drive, a 200GB or 400GB SSD would be perfect for me providing it will work well.

Any info about the noise of the fan?

[peteru]

Does it support ssd's and is the OS optimised for there use?

I have not tested, but I don't see a reason why it would not. The T3 is based on a Linux 3.6.0 kernel, uses GPT for partitioning and formats to ext4. All pretty modern features that work well with SSDs.

Any info about the noise of the fan?

I already posted about that, but here it is again:

Although the unit has a fan, it is very, very quiet and software controllable. The fan can be set to auto/on/off via software and I believe the speed is software controllable too. In my testing with a 3.5" SATA drive, the T3 power consumption never went above 30W. Typical usage was around the 26W mark.

[Gerhardp1]

Hi Guys,
Barebone model is exactly the same inside as the other models, minus the HDD of course. It has a cradle inside that wil suite a 2.5 or 3.5" HDD and as all the the HDDs are actually retrofitted in Aus there is a Sata / power cable that will come in the pack. Now this is not the "official" word, that will be cleared up closer to shipping, but if you purchase the barebone unit we don't want you opening and installing your own HDD, if you don't know what you are doing it could be very dangerous so just spend the extra $ and it is all under warranty. If you chose open the box and install yourself officially you void the warranty and of course your HDD is not covered under the warranty but if you could prove that you had it installed by a professional, or your own experience is sufficient to carry out such job then we would look after you with warranty repairs unless the fault was obviously caused by the tinkering
So if you got the unit, you are a PC builder and you installed a HDD then 5month down the track you get an unrelated fault, we will look after you if you meet the criteria Unofficially

That sounds very reasonable and realistic.

Having run my own PC and network consulting business for over 20 years, I feel relaxed about installing a drive, especially as I have plenty lying around.

A Seagate SSHD will be the ideal, I think. Quiet, Fast, and brings the benefits of SSD without the possible pitfalls of SSD in a recording device.

[glen]

The T3 is based on a Linux 3.6.0 kernel, uses GPT for partitioning and formats to ext4.

Any particular reason why it is using 3.6 and not a later version?

I am guessing that was the latest version that had the required hardware drivers when they started development and they never saw the need to upgrade. Is this correct?

[peteru]

Any particular reason why it is using 3.6 and not a later version?

I am guessing that was the latest version that had the required hardware drivers when they started development and they never saw the need to upgrade. Is this correct?

A later version is about 2 weeks away at any time. You just end up chasing your tail if you want to be sitting on the latest. I guess someone, somewhere decided to draw a line in the sand and said that 3.6.0 works well enough on this hardware, so here it is.

At the end of the day, the kernel version shipping with the box doesn't matter to 99.99% of the users.

[prl]

Or is the HDD held in a caddy?

No. Adding/replacing the HDD is an open-the-box job.

[churchi]

Hi Guys,

Just ordered the bare bones edition. I too am more than capable of installing the HDD myself.

I am looking at either a 2tb or 4tb drive for my new unit.

What model/brand/speed are you all installing that will keep the acoustic noise to a minimum?

I am heading that the WD Red's seem to be the go, what is the thoughts from the users on this forum?

Thanks.

[IanSav]

Hi,

I quite like using Seagate "Video HDD" or "Surveillance HDD" drives in PVRs. They are less expensive than NAS drives and quiet for video / PVR type applications. The "Video HDD" series spins slightly slower than the "Surveillance HDD" series so it draws less power and is a little cooler. They both have a 3 year warranty and are rated for 24/7 operation.

Regards,
Ian.

[Lex200]

Has anyone received an official first shipment barebones model yet?
If so, can you confirm that it is simple to install a hard drive and all the necessary components are supplied.
Thanks

[snuke]

Has anyone received an official first shipment barebones model yet?
If so, can you confirm that it is simple to install a hard drive and all the necessary components are supplied.
Thanks

They only just started to be sent today, so no one will have them yet.

See this thread for HDD install pics, and comments. - viewtopic.php?f=50&t=7602

[bpratt]

Has anyone received an official first shipment barebones model yet?
If so, can you confirm that it is simple to install a hard drive and all the necessary components are supplied.
Thanks

I got the email today that told me my barebones T3 has left, so I'll let you know when I finally get it up here.

I can't imagine it too hard to install over doing a HD in a DP series box.

[prl]

...
I can't imagine it too hard to install over doing a HD in a DP series box.

The cabling is a bit tight, and the power supply board flexes alarmingly when you connect the HDD power connector, but otherwise it's pretty straightforward.

[bpratt]

...
I can't imagine it too hard to install over doing a HD in a DP series box.

The cabling is a bit tight, and the power supply board flexes alarmingly when you connect the HDD power connector, but otherwise it's pretty straightforward.

Well I guess I better make sure I only use the 5kg hammer rather than the 20kg hammer.

[prl]

...
I can't imagine it too hard to install over doing a HD in a DP series box.

The cabling is a bit tight, and the power supply board flexes alarmingly when you connect the HDD power connector, but otherwise it's pretty straightforward.

Well I guess I better make sure I only use the 5kg hammer rather than the 20kg hammer.

Forgot to mention: if you leave the HDD cradle in, you need to pull out the 240V connector o the power supply board to have any chance of getting a screwdriver onto the mounting screw on the rear right (viewed from front) of the HDD. You also need to connect the HDD power and data connectors on the power supply board resp. mainboard after you've screwed in the HDD mounting screws, for the same reason.

[craigh]

Hi Guys,

Just ordered the bare bones edition. I too am more than capable of installing the HDD myself.

I am looking at either a 2tb or 4tb drive for my new unit.

What model/brand/speed are you all installing that will keep the acoustic noise to a minimum?

I am heading that the WD Red's seem to be the go, what is the thoughts from the users on this forum?

Thanks.

I have a WD Red 4TB in mine and it seems to work very well.

[Curious1]

I received BB T3 a couple of weeks ago. Put a WD 3TB drive I had spare in to it. Screwing in the tiny screws on the caddy was probably the hardest part of it all. Just for the record, I am a complete novice at these things.

Also accidentaly deleted some extention (i think..) and all of a sudden I couldnt get the EPG search feature...

Thanks to some suggestions on this forum, I figured I've nothing to lose and upgraded to firmware 4.4 (from 4.2) .. best this I did. all of a sudden hundreds of extensions showed up. I am liking this T3 now (I had my doubts the first week ).
==

[prl]

I received BB T3 a couple of weeks ago. Put a WD 3TB drive I had spare in to it. Screwing in the tiny screws on the caddy was probably the hardest part of it all. Just for the record, I am a complete novice at these things. ...

Did you install the HDD with the caddy still in place? I find it easier to take the caddy out, and then mount the HDD in the caddy. It's still a bit fiddly, though.