Does OTA module cause 722K Hard Drive Failures due to excessive heat?

[dweber]

My sister and brother-in-law have joined Dish and had a 722K receiver installed on July 12th. They live in Conneaut Ohio and the installer was a Dish installer from Youngstown Ohio.

I mentioned that we were interested in purchasing the OTA module for the 722K so we would be able to get the Erie Pa and some Canadian stations. The stations on 129 are the Cleveland Ohio stations. The installer said that he would not recommend installing the OTA module in the 722K because it causes the unit to overheat and the hard drive then quits. He even mentioned that Dish would refuse to replace a defective drive in the 722K unless the user agreed to remove the OTA module from the 722K. I questioned this since the OTA module is supplied by DISH. He claims that they have stopped stocking the OTA modules because they cause the 722K to overheat and damage the hard drive.

I know that the 622 had a tendency to overheat if there was limited ventilation but I have never heard anything about the OTA module causing problems with the 722K and voiding any warranty if used. Any comments would be appreciated. He has convinced my brother-in-law to not purchase the OTA module.

 

[DishSubLA]

This is NEWS to me. I've had a 722K with OTA module for about 2 years now and no death of the hard drive. In fact, the HDD temp readings are normal. I believe Dish still sells the OTA module, but for more than what on on-line retailers sells them. I haven't had issue with my 222K with OTA module either as excessive heat would cause even a non-DVR box to go nuts. What this installer is claiming just doesn't add up.

However, if one were to record 4 HD channels at the same time with great frequency, say maybe 3/4 to almost all the time over an extended period, the HDD would get beat-up pretty well to where it may fail sooner than if limited to 2 tuners at all times. This reason was cited in a past Tech Forum as to why Dish--at the time--had a 4 SAT tuner prototype and experienced far too soon HDD failures and they killed the project, but that was a few years ago. The forthcoming XiP 813 will be limited to 3 SAT tuners, interestingly, but can have a USB OTA tuner added to the network.

Perhaps the tech was referring to the HDD getting beat-up in what would be a few households and he and his buds speculated about the heat. As for the heat, I see no evidence to support this on my 722K as it reports normal HDD temps the and 222K works well. Far too many people talking out of their you know what's.

 

[eacalhoun]

The installer said that he would not recommend installing the OTA module in the 722K because it causes the unit to overheat and the hard drive then quits. He even mentioned that Dish would refuse to replace a defective drive in the 722K unless the user agreed to remove the OTA module from the 722K. I questioned this since the OTA module is supplied by DISH. He claims that they have stopped stocking the OTA modules because they cause the 722K to overheat and damage the hard drive.

The DISH Network website still sells the OTA module. If what the installer said is true, I believe it would've been yanked from the site. Here it is:
https://customersupport.dishnetwork...ent/prepOrderAccessories.do?order=accessories

(You may need to be logged in to your DISH account to see this page)

 

[ZachS@DISH]

As the two previous comments stated we still do sell it. I use one on my own personal 722k and have had no problems. I am not sure where the installer got that information from but I have never heard of that.

Also if the receiver would ever need to be replaced we would ask that the OTA module be taken out just because the replacement would not have one installed in it. So that part about asking for it to be removed on replacements is true.

 

[SaltiDawg]

.. The installer said that he would not recommend installing the OTA module in the 722K because it causes the unit to overheat and the hard drive then quits ...

Utter nonsense. The OTA module in my 722k is not even warm to the touch.

 

[johnissoevil]

I've had the 722k with OTA module for 2 months so far, no problems yet. The installer you're talking to probably owns a 722k with OTA module, doesn't take good care of it, and just randomly blames it on the module.

 

[r10fret]

Everybody and their brother that works with the MT2 knows it is a defective design and that it overheats the module itself and the surrounding area of the receiver in circumstances where the module is left tuned to OTA channels constantly, This is not news, I have been posting about this for over a year, it is one of the dirty little secrets of dish, cause a receiver to fail and then tie you into a contract.

 

[ZachS@DISH]

If we were to replace a receiver it wouldn't put you into a new contract. With the Protection Plan the replacement would be sent out for free.

 

[navychop]

The black helicopters are circling.

 

[SaltiDawg]

Everybody and their brother that works with the MT2 knows it is a defective design and that it overheats the module itself and the surrounding area of the receiver in circumstances where the module is left tuned to OTA channels constantly, This is not news, I have been posting about this for over a year, it is one of the dirty little secrets of dish, cause a receiver to fail and then tie you into a contract.

You've absolutely got to be kidding. As others have said, the module doesn't even run warm to the touch.

 

[gokartergo]

I just put the module in my 922 about 2 months ago.. Since then my average high temp has actually gone down..

 

[r10fret]

As I have posted repeatedly over the last year the ch3/4 modulator in the MT2 cannot be turned off in the menu or via the tv/video button on the remote. No one uses this output since the same receivers which use the module contain a home dist port. When both tuners are left activly tuned to OTA channels the module becomes hot and this heat can be felt on the ch3/4 output, after a while the OTA channels begin to pixelate and any timers fail to tune and instead display black screens. signal level is not the problem, heat is the problem in the case of the 222k the module is located next to the DC powered satellite in port and the heat is excessive. Have been through 4 OTA modules in 4 months all Made in India stock dealer replacement warrenty. The receiver is not the probelm, the module is. Receiver behaves fine once module is removed.

 

[SaltiDawg]

As I have posted repeatedly over the last year the ch3/4 modulator in the MT2 cannot be turned off in the menu or via the tv/video button on the remote. No one uses this output since the same receivers which use the module contain a home dist port. When both tuners are left activly tuned to OTA channels the module becomes hot and this heat can be felt on the ch3/4 output, after a while the OTA channels begin to pixelate and any timers fail to tune and instead display black screens. signal level is not the problem, heat is the problem in the case of the 222k the module is located next to the DC powered satellite in port and the heat is excessive. Have been through 4 OTA modules in 4 months all Made in India stock dealer replacement warrenty. The receiver is not the probelm, the module is. Receiver behaves fine once module is removed.

This is simply not true on my 722k with OTA Module. Your repeatedly posting it does not make it true on my unit. You think Made in India has anything to do with anything?

 

[r10fret]

Just like no matter how many people say it doesn't make it not true on the boxes I have.

Perhaps there is a series or batch of newer MT2s that are faulty, as they make things they make them cheaper and cheaper and cut corners, perhaps the original MT2s were not made in India but made somewhere else and were made to better specs that do not cause overheating.

 

[SouthRider]

About 1-2 years ago there were serious problems experienced by many on this forum as described above with pixelization, random rebooting, etc. and heat was the primary suspect.

We all went out & got laptop chillers, removed glass from cabinets, etc. to try & solve the problem. It became a nightmare. Dish replaced receivers AND OTA modules 3 or 4 times , but my problems didn't go away. They also had several installers come out & verify EVERYTHING else in my home - including changing all cable barrels in the system, replacing an LNB, and more.

Things still didn't change. My system rebooted randomly & frequently. It was not uncommon for a timer to contain 6 recordings of the same show from 2 to 40 minutes long.

After months of frustration, and considering a switch to Direct, a software update occurred, and the problems went away. Now - ZERO problems since then, and I have 2 722K's with OTA modules that I use the tar out of. It is likely that I am recording 3 shows & watching a 4th on the same receiver every night of the week.

So - NO - I don't think that there is an overheating problem with the OTA module. But many people probably incorrectly still think so - because at that time it is all many people talkedabout or heard.

 

[gdarwin]

I have MT2 modules in every receiver that requires them. No over heating problems here.

 

[SaltiDawg]

... perhaps the original MT2s were not made in India but made somewhere else and were made to better specs that do not cause overheating.

Somehow I don't believe that you'd accept the possibility that the good ones were made in India.

 

[SaltiDawg]

...
So - NO - I don't think that there is an overheating problem with the OTA module. But many people probably incorrectly still think so - because at that time it is all many people talkedabout or heard.

And almost unfathomably some of us in those days had 722ks with OTA Modules that never had an overheating problem nor saw a change in heat associated with any update.

 

[whatchel1]

Order 1 there have been very little problems on the whole. Just out of my 2nd contract w/ E and the 722k I have has had no problem w/ this. I had a 622 before this unit which E* replaced twice. I had once that had the really bad software to start with (E* contacted me to replace it) . Then the 2nd had the HDMI break off when got a TV w/ an HDMI.

 

[KAB]

Just like no matter how many people say it doesn't make it not true on the boxes I have.

Perhaps there is a series or batch of newer MT2s that are faulty, as they make things they make them cheaper and cheaper and cut corners, perhaps the original MT2s were not made in India but made somewhere else and were made to better specs that do not cause overheating.

Just a quick review of you previous posts demonstrated, that despite what all others trying to tell you otherwise, you are bound and determined to ignore the fact that you probably don't have your receiver out in the open and with proper air circulation. Your problems, me thinks, are of your own making.