How to change HDMI record to ext USB, not int.SD?

I noticed by default that when trying to record using HDMI input it has default file location as small internal SD card. How can I change it to save recorded files on my external USB 3.0 flash drive? I looked all through settings and can't figure it out. I'm also having trouble trying to get any of the PVR apps to enable and connect so I can try to record while viewing movie on KODI or XMBC app. I read other forum member uninstalled zido KODI and installed regular one OK.
Any problems or issues with doing that also??

Thank you in advance for any help you can give me.

I would like to try to record movie for future viewing or be able to record movie I'm watching right now on XMBC or KODI but I don't know if this box can do it or if it can how to set it up.

Thank you again for help.

 

I know I asked several things in last post so I will make individual posts next time.

My main issue now is:
1. how to record to HDMI while watching live TVMC/XMBC or KODI programming?
2. how to change storage location from internal small SD to my external USB 3.0 flash drive for HDMI recordings?

Thank you in advance for help!

 

2) If you plug it before you switch the zidoo on it usually dafaults to it. Else you can change the default sd to sda1 by clicking on the arrow on the top of the record screen

 

The 15.2 release of Kodi works properly on zidoo x9. But be carefull, your database will be lost as this last version does not load and display correctly the backup made with preinstalled version. Thus I have been obliged to re-build the database from the beginning. As I saw only one significative difference between these versions (*), if you are able to play all your files, I would suggest to waive the move to another version.

(*) I was unable to play mp4 video files with apple container. Now no problem.

 

Thank you azidahaka for information. My box version software is 1.0.3.3 if I remember correctly. It says it is up to date when checking online updates-says I have the latest.
I was trying to use a USB 3 flash drive and having no luck in any of the USB outlets.
On the HDMI record screen there was no arrow at top (above VGA/HD/FHD). So I tried turning off, unplugging and plugging back into unit and it detected USB drive but still now arrow.
So I found older USB 2 drive and plugged into box in first USB slot then went to HDMI record and the arrow was there and drive showed up on right side of screen. It still did not give me option to only use plugged in USB drive. It showed small internal SD card as well as USB drive so I guess after small internal SD card fills up then it starts putting recordings on external USB drive. Maybe? Hopefully without recording interruption.
Before I go buy a USB 2 flash drive I'm going to try a small Western Digital My Passport 1 TB drive in the USB 1 slot and see if that shows up. I just hope the external HDD does not draw too much power from USB port of Zidoo box.
So thank you so much for help and now I know it must be in slot 1 and USB 2.0 for it to show up in recorder.
So I really don't think external HDD will work as it is USB 3.0
On your box does both the external and small internal SD card show up in green box on right side of HDMI record screen?
Thanks again!

 

May I suggest you a local update of your box up to the last version of the firmware (v1.0.3.9) , which provides more stability and additional features. You will find links and procedure on this forum. Except if the Development Team states that a direct upgrade to the last version is possible, I recommend to upgrade step by step.
Avoid using external drive for two reasons : too slow for correct recording, and more important, this could damage the box by overheating (no fan).

Do not record anything on the internal SD card: when this card will be filled up, recording will stop, and you could probably meet bad experience (freeze). The system cannot switch to another recording path.
For information, I am using
- on a zidoo connected to satellite decoder: a micro sd card (64 Gb)into an usb3 adaptor
- on a second zidoo connected to a blu-ray player: a SSD usb3 drive (64 Gb)
Recording give, of course better results on the second set, not due to the recording target, but due to poor HDMI input by satellite decoder (1080i and not 1080p).

On my box, the green box shows the paths that are available for recording, including the paths to NAS (if awaked on zidoo boot)

 

Thank you papiguy for all your helpful information. I am downloading v.1.0.3.9 firmware now. I don't know why this box gives me such issues as I work on PC/computers all the time! And long ago satellite cards. When in record HDMI mode it shows arrow on top when I have usb 2 flash drive in and on right side shows internal SD card and usb2 flash drive but it is not letting me select just one, as both are showing up and i can't click on just one or the other. I'll try again. All these issues are driving me crazy! I was thinking in the beginning that I could record realtime TV from XMBC/KODI while watching now I find out I need to buy another box just to plug into HDMI so I'll get a cheaper one just for that. Thank you again and if you have any more suggestions please let me know. Thank you so much for your reply and helpful information. David

 

Also papiguy if I understand correctly when I upgrade the firmware to the v.1.0.3.9 it will be like fresh install and I will have to download and re-install my apps and other customization I've done to the Zidoo box? One thing I don't understand is why that the USB3 drive is not showing up in HDMI record mode but shows up in file explorer and other applications I have .mp3/.mp4 stored on it to watch/listen to. Only my USB2 drive shows up and makes the arrow appear and shows up in green box/left side pane of record to locations for HDMI file storage. Any idea why? I tried two different USB3 drives by different makers and neither one shows up in HDMI record mode, but both show up in file explorer. Maybe my box is lemon?? ...or my technical skills are not what they used to be...

 

The green window only shows the available paths. To switch from the default one to another, please click on the upper arrow until the one you are willing to use is displayed above the recording settings.
I think that recording with kodi is not possible, as kodi uses the internal card as default path, which is a stupidity.

Installing a firmware upgrade does not impact your settings. The problem only exists when pre-installed kodi is replaced.

In case a usb3 drive cannot be detected, this may be due to a "savage" unplug (before unplugging any usb device it is necessary to unmount it. This may be done either in the window "settings/storage/usb../uninstall" or using the Explorer, first window, selection of the device, then click on the left direction button.).
The solution consists in: switching down the box with the rear power switch, after having closed the session with the power button of the remote. Then switching on after a few seconds, and after the home window has been displayed, plugging in the usb3 pendrive.
But in your case, the explorer shows the content of the usb device.
Therefore your problem is between the screen and the chair: you do not click on the upper arrow. Do not be sorrow or upset, it takes a while before being familiar with this pretty good box, but less than it takes for a boy to understand a girl

 

Thank you again papiguy for all your information and help. I will try un-mounting USB3 drive then installing it again and see if HDMI record recognizes it. If not I will just use the USB2 drive in slot #1 as I know that shows up in HDMI record mode. I've downloaded new firmware and going to put on USb flash drive to install in Zidoo box. I'll let you know how that goes for me. Hopefully all good.

 

I do not trust the Update from file option.. are they going to offer the net download of update for the last 1.0.3.9?

What important features i'm missing? and most of all, are the dev going to make some work on recording quality?

 

"do not trust the Update from file option": what is the difference between the online update and the local one ?
- in the first procedure the new formware (zip file) is directly dowmloaded on the internal sd card
- in the second one, the user download the same zip file on his computer, copy the zip file on a usb pendrive. Then the "local update copt the file on the internal sd card.
I updated the 3 zidoo's to v1.0.3.9 and saw real improvements.

"are the dev going to make some work on recording quality?"
For me, the recording quality is rather good. I recorded films from the satellite decoder, a blu-ray player and today from Netflix. and I am satisfied with the results. Of course I shall not blame the Development Team is further improvements are brought to the recorder.

My main concern remains the lack of video editing app.

 

Before doing anything, did you click on the arrow in the recording window ?

 

I'll post a video showing the issue i have when recording on 3.0 USB drive:



Got 7:47 mark and look at the video. You'll see that it show a lot of pixellation and other issues. I'm 99% sure it's either the encoder settings or the bitrate being too low.
Most details of the road are "compressed away" to say so. Stop video at 8:50 and you'll see it better.

Concerning the update, i'll give it a try if you say it's safe, but i heard many nightmare stories of updates of boxes or firmware gone wrong in the past... Would i have to update step by step from 1.3.3 to the last or go in one step?

 

What were your recording settings, namely the resolution (HD or FHD) ?
I was not satisfied by recording on usb pendrive, and changed to usb3 ssd drive (another zidoo is fitted with a micro sd high speed card plugged into an usb3 adaptor, and it works well). With recording resolution set to FHD I did not meet pixelisation (I am not a gamer).

As I wrote in another thread, I updated step by step. It takes a longer time, but having no confirmation that we can go straight to the last version, I think it is more safe.

 

The setting is FHD, the target is a USB 3.0 pendrive (ence it's a ssd).

It might be the way the software compresses video of games, not sure about it. usually Recording software and compressors have presets like "film", "cartoon", "games" etc etc if we could get a choice out of that it might provide an impressive improvement.

I see about the update, it's really unconfortable, but i'll download all the zips and update one by one in these days.

 

Hello papiguy, last night I downloaded the 1.0.3.9 firmware from the forum link on my laptop, saved it to USB flash drive, plugged flash drive into Zidoo box and then went to the update from local page on Zidoo box and selected the zip file and it opened it, box checked if valid then did the upgrade. It did take a while but all went fine.
Thank you for information!
I've tried unmount then plug back in my USB 3 drive and it still shows up fine in file explorer but does not show up as a record destination in HDMI record mode and no arrow above.
When I plug in the USB2 drive it shows up in HDMI record then the arrow shows up to select from. I forgot I have a 32GB micro USB flash drive for phone use and ordered a micro female to male standard USB adapter cable so when it comes in I'll use it and plug it in USB slot 1 for HDMI record. I was surprised but after the update/flash all my custom installed apps were still there. It still even had the correct location for weather. I'm in Houston, Texas, USA. Today it is 26.7 C/80 F. and sunny.
I have an SSD HDD 500 GB but I'm going to upgrade my laptop HDD to that so I don't want to use it for Zidoo box storage. I wonder how many hours of record time I will have with 32GB and recording in full HD?
I guess after I plug in flash drive it will say time in green box on right side of HDMI record screen.
Maybe I'll keep an eye out for another SSD Samsung EVO to be on sale only not a 500GB but smaller.

azidahaka don't worry all will go fine. Just follow the steps. My flash/firmware upgrade did take a while and I was starting to worry just a little bit but the green Android man on the page had a spinning hexagon type icon that kept spinning when it was updating, then it took a long time and said "boot" on LCD display for a while but then Zidoo box restarted itself and all was good. When I 1st launched KODI (after firmware flash) and a few other apps it was updating itself before the app would work but the box does seem to be doing better.
When I get my USB storage/record stuff going right it should be good now. I'll just have to try to decide what other type TV box I want to purchase to use as the source for HDMI recording of KODI/XMBC movies and other things.

 

This is the flash/firmware update procedure link from Zidoo support: http://www.zidoo.tv/Support/faq/tid/4/ftid/0/pid/1.html

Also I didn't push the reset button on the back of the Zidoo box with a paperclip or anything. I just plugged in the flash drive, went to update page on Zidoo box, did the local update and followed the procedure from that step.

 

"I wonder how many hours of record time I will have with 32GB and recording in full HD":
In FHD, a 2 hours movie takes about 3.5 Gb using ts format. I leave you the calculation

 

Thank you papiguy for the information. I purchased a 32GB USB2 flash drive on sale today, plugged into slot 1 of Zidoo box and HDMI record shows it and I can click on arrow to select it all OK. I forgot to check what it said was record time available on FHD but I'm sure it will be plenty! I know this is Zidoo forum but do you have any information/ratings for the:
MXQ Amlogic S805 Android 4.4 Quad Core 8GB XBMC 1080P WiFi KODI Smart TV Box? It is cheaper than Zidoo box and I can get on eBay and then use it as KODI/XMBC source and plug into HDMI input of Zidoo box to record movies. I don't think Zidoo box can play move/TV shows from XMBC/KODI source/app and record same time so I need to purchase another Android box to use for source for movie playback then Zidoo record. Or should I just buy second Zidoo X9?