Cloning or backing up your JVC HM-HDS1 hard drive.

For all discussions regarding the JVC HM-HDS1 (40GB hard disk and S-VHS recorder)

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Andy Cippico
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Cloning or backing up your JVC HM-HDS1 hard drive.

Post by Andy Cippico »

I have put together some preliminary documentation for this. Take a look at www.cippico.com/technical
Last edited by Andy Cippico on Mon Aug 08, 2005 8:46 pm, edited 1 time in total.
MrGadget

Drive replacements

Post by MrGadget »

Hi There,
When you say "The replacement needs to be the identical model. Do not use any other type of drive. It will not work." I assume you mean exactly the same - ie make AND model ?
My HDS1 is starting to fail and I want to replace the drive but I gather these (Maxtor D540X-4K) are no longer manufactured. Has there been any success using other drives ?
Also I noticed early on with my unit, that if you scheduled a weekly recording to the HD, often it would overwrite the week befores... Is this common ? The JVC support person said it was supposed to do that (so why then does it only do it some of the time? and why on earth would you want it to do that ??)


Thanks

Neil Bates
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Andy Cippico
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Post by Andy Cippico »

Hi MrGadget,

Sorry to hear you're having problems with your JVC. You're not alone, unfortunately.

Anyway, to your question about drive types: In short, yes, you will need to use the same make and model drive as the 'motherboard' can only recognise one type of drive geometry (as far as we know). So, you can either use the Maxtor or a Quantum (model numbers on my website). What I can't tell you is whether you can use the Maxtor image (that I've linked to there) on a Quantum drive.

As regards supply of the Maxtor, I got mine from this guy:
http://tinyurl.com/6k2xd I don't know whether he's got any more, but worth a try.

EDIT 19 Sept 2005: The above link is now dead, but that's the nature of eBay. Sorry.

As regards the weekly recording, in the 4 years I've owned it, I never used that feature! - so I can't really comment. Sorry.

Let me know if you need more help.
Andy
Last edited by Andy Cippico on Mon Sep 19, 2005 6:40 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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andywilks
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Post by andywilks »

Regarding the overwrite feature (if you can call it that!) I seem to remember that being correct. The later HMHDS4 has the ability to choose whether you overwite or not. Don't forget with this 1st generation unit there are a number of missing features etc that weren't 'thought about' until the general public started to play with them.. Even now although you can divide a programme you can't combine 2 together (eg after editing adverts out)- The software writer hasn't bothered to continue developing it any further.... (I think it was Fujitsu who JVC contracted out the job of 'bolting on' an HDD to an existing video mech/board to... and only had 6 months to do all the development work... see this link http://www.fujitsu.com/global/casestudi ... y_JVC.html
Ben Erkens
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Re: Cloning or backing up your JVC HM-HDS1 hard drive.

Post by Ben Erkens »

Hi All,

I'm not familiar with the HDS1, have a HDS4 with problems ;-), but read about the problems with the HD.

One of the things I found was the note that the operating software is stored on HD. HD problems -> VCR useless.

Now I took a look on the FTP of Geert Jan Laanstra and I read the service manual of the HDS1, maybe I could find a clue on resetting this kind of hybrid VCR's to factory settings.

Here the text that raises questions:

----

2. In Case of an HDD Failure
When a HDD/VHS DUAL RECORDER AC cord is plugged into a power outlet, the boot loader is read from the IC8204 (8M FLASH ROM), which activates the HDD and reads the system files in the HDD before getting ready for operation. In consequence, the HDD/VHS DUAL RECORDER cannot be turned on if the HDD fails.

ftp://sas5.el.utwente.nl/Outgoing/JVC_H ... 1eu-sm.pdf

---

The VCR reads software (boot loader) from a 8MB flash rom ?!? That should be the trick to repair a broken HD? Or is this boot loader software the bare minimum and is the rest on HD?

Greetings Ben E...
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andywilks
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Post by andywilks »

Yes, it only checks what type of HDD geometry etc is in use and software version, then loads it all from the HDD
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Geert Jan
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Post by Geert Jan »

Hi All,

The Firmware in ROM contains :
- Bootloader
- Realtime Kernel
- MPEG Video/Audio Libraries etc...

The Harddisk containts :
- HDD VCR Firmware
- MPEG Encoder Firmware
- FAT partition with Intro Movie (moving HDS1 startup screen, see FTP server)
- FAT partition with VCR INDEX
- TRFS partition with recorded (encrypted, :-( ) MPEG Transport Streams..

Why do you want to reset it to factory defaults ?

w.r.

Geert Jan
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Andy Cippico
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Post by Andy Cippico »

TRFS? I've never come across that one before. I'll have to Google that and find out more.
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Geert Jan
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Post by Geert Jan »

Hi Andy,

TRFS : this name is used on the disk and in the firmware....
I've tried to find info on this one as well,
but for now it looks like it's a custom filesystem....
(see debug rs-232 port output of my HDS1)
ftp://sas5.el.utwente.nl/Outgoing/JVC_H ... Maxtor.TXT

maybe you've got better luck....

G.J.
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Post by JulianB »

Hi Andy. I am from Rome, Italy and I have a JVC HM-HDS1 without a Hard Drive because the idiot that gave it to me used it for a PC System. Now I just have downloaded your image file whith the .GHO and .GHS extension of the file but I cannot put on 40GB drive, non even with Norton Ghost software. Can you help me please? Today I have a brandnew Maxtor Dimanod Max 10 80GB and one Maxtor D740X-6L 40GB. May I use one of these drives or I must wait to find a new Diamond Max Plus 8? Thanks. Julian.
Wayne
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Post by Wayne »

you must use the correct 40gb drive, ie the ones listed in andy's link above. (D540X-4K .... 4K040H2)

the only other Maxtor drives they supported was an 80gb which also was model specific and required an eprom chip change as well. (Diamondmax 16, 4R080L06214P1)

i suggest you hit ebay and look for the correct drive on there
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Andy Cippico
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Post by Andy Cippico »

Hi Julian,

Sorry to hear about your missing hard drive. I'd ask the guy that gave the HDS1 to you for it back. He can use any type of 40GB drive in his PC, yet the HDS1 can only work with one specific type: http://www.cippico.com/technical/jvc-hm ... models.htm

Wayne is correct as well (Hi Wayne - long time no speak!). You should set up a search on eBay and wait for one of these drives to come up for sale.

Andy.
Wayne
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Post by Wayne »

there is actually 3 possibly faulty ones on there at the moment that you might get for a couple of pounds if you fancy a gamble :p

yup ... hi andy :)
jrs31
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Hello,

Post by jrs31 »

First, sorry for my poor english. I have an HM-HDS1MS with a maxtor 4K040H2 which fail after few month of good work 2 years ago. I was disapointed to put it to garbage because of too expensive repair. More than 150€ while i bought it 200€ three year ago. I found nothing in internet and today i fall on this wonderfull wab site. Thanks a lot.

So i have a question to repair my recorder, I will have an QUANTUM ICT 20 HDD normally. Could i put it in place of the original Maxtor ( which is an Fireball quantum one in reality i think).
Did someone already try it ?
Wayne
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Post by Wayne »

i dont think so, one of the other guys will confirm this for you, but i beleive that if it does not see the "correct drive details" when the flash rom interegates it, it will not boot up.

i think your best bet is to monitor ebay for the correct drive, and then to use the image available on gert's ftp and start fresh so to speak !
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