Hi... A year ago my wife's beloved (by her) TIVO style HR10-250 started to have problems. Plus, of course, it was only MPEG-2 so she couldn't see the MPEG-4 HD content... So, we switched her over to an HR20 and what they sent out was an HR20-100... It worked for three months and then quit. (In another room, we've had an HR20-700 for quite some time and it's worked and still works fine)... They sent us out a replacement for the HR20-100 and it was yet another HR20-100... Now that one has worked fine for a little over three months but just yesterday it started hanging momentarily while playing back a recorded program.... And while it is "hung" you hear a very high pitched sound... So my guess is we are about to have yet another failed box... Any ideas as to what the likely culprit might be that would be making this high pitched sound??? The hard drive?? Can these hard drives be replaced??? And I'm hearing about using external drives... Anyway I could use an external drive to help me in such a circumstance as I am describing?? I am fearing the Directv is putting out a lot of junk and I might get interested in trying to do my own repair... Is the problem I am describing well known??? And if this one goes toast, can I whine and ask for something other than a -100 model as a replacement??? I pay Directv a lot of money and I'm starting to get a bit tired of their less than stellar equipment... Any help would be much appreciated... thanks.. bob...
Another dying HR-20???
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Do you have the Protection plan ?
Call D* and let them know that you would like a replacement and would prefer something newer. You won't get OTA channels anymore as the newer boxes don't have OTA tuners.
Sounds like it is a hard drive, from what you described.
I have used HR20-700's since they came out, I currently have a re furbished one and that has worked very well for over a year or two.
D* tries to give you what you had IF it's available in the truck.
That said, it's very possible you get a newer model.
It'd be pretty unusual to have so many similar failures in such a short time period. I'd look for an environmental cause, like bad power, a miswired outlet, box being put in an enclosed space where its not getting proper ventilation, locating too close to a subwoofer, voltage where there shouldnt be any, like the cable shield, etc.
High pitched whine could be the hard drive but if thats the problem an external drive wont solve it since the internal keeps spinning when the external is attached. Could also be the power supply.
High pitched whine could be the hard drive but if thats the problem an external drive wont solve it since the internal keeps spinning when the external is attached. Could also be the power supply.
might be heat...
Hi... Thanks for the responses... We do have this HD-DVR inside a wooden cabinet and even though we keep the doors open I have been concerned that it might be getting too hot when it is on and running... I know the hard drive runs all the time but by running I mean when you're watching a live or recorded program... So you could be right about heat... I am thinking about taking it out of the cabinet and parking it on top of the unit where it would get plenty of air...
Again, thanks for the feedback... bob...
Hi... Thanks for the responses... We do have this HD-DVR inside a wooden cabinet and even though we keep the doors open I have been concerned that it might be getting too hot when it is on and running... I know the hard drive runs all the time but by running I mean when you're watching a live or recorded program... So you could be right about heat... I am thinking about taking it out of the cabinet and parking it on top of the unit where it would get plenty of air...
Again, thanks for the feedback... bob...
Or you could add a fan to the cabinet, which ever is easier.
Check the internal temp of the unit and let us know.
It's not uncommon for it to run between 120* and 127* though.
Menu> Set Up> System Set Up> More System Info .
Mine is currently running at 120*
Jimbo
Its always recording something or doing some work, so its always 'running'. When you're doing two recordings and a video on demand or other heavy lifting, it might be seeking a bit more, but thats rarely a cause for disk death. Even some heat is okay for disks. But power supplies want more air.
Look at where its drawing air in (probably the bottom) and exhausting it (either the back or the sides), and make sure the exhaust doesnt have a good chance of drawing in through the intake without a shot at fresh air.
The fan does have the ability to run at variable speeds, but even when they get really hot, mine dont kick up the fan. I have one in a huge open cabinet with lots of ventilation and it gets a good bit warmer than the one thats sitting on an open shelf.
Might or might not be your problem. Now that its squealing it might be done, but try it with some longer cables out in the open air.
I knew another guy who went through tivo's like crazy. He was putting them close to his subwoofer. Turns out hard drives and LFE dont get along...
Hope you figure it out.
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