External Hard Drive Archive Bug Thread

[KKlare]

I have a non-premium WD750GB. It works fine--more than 40 mostly HD "movies" with half usage. The 7 Burns series "War" and 4 of 11(?) Planet Earth are the largest--still got to get to them. It goes to standby although the light circle remains on while plugged in. It is easy to unplug but the front button will not keep it off on reboot. It starts up in a few seconds. I have seen the 500 as low as $125 but bought the 750 for $180+tx from BB on sale, be observant--I use deal-mac.com to watch for this and others.
-Ken

 

[mntwister]

Does anyone else use the Seagate Freeagent? I have never had this hooked up to my computer, out-of-package I hooked it right up to the dvr, does this drive have an automatic "standby" mode? And has anyone had any trouble turning it off? It seems turning it on, you only have to tap the power button, but turning it off takes brute force.

 

[Pepper]

Well since there are separate threads for drives that do and don't work, maybe the above should be there instead.

Meantime, I have encountered an interesting bug last night. Turns out if you have two copies of the same event - in this case an episode of "Bionic Woman", one from the local OTA in HD, the other from Dish local SD - and you choose to move both to external storage, only one of them gets moved. The other one stays on the DVR with the "external" marker and can't be played back or otherwise touched until the receiver has been rebooted.

Trying to copy the leftover event after this has happened immediately results in a "completed" popup with nothing else having been done.

For some shows, I record both feeds in case the OTA channel has excessive pixelization or signal drops.

 

[mntwister]

well, that's a bummer, Pepper. So one cannot save 2 episodes of the same weekly show? Or is it just that you can't store 2 of the same episode?

 

[long_time_DNC]

What if you renamed one of the episodes?

 

[120inna55]

So one cannot save 2 episodes of the same weekly show?

False.

Or is it just that you can't store 2 of the same episode?

True.

 

[BFG]

this is not really a bug, but just wish you could sort the recordings on the ext hd

 

[BEAR57]

This Is Ridiculous

I purchased 2 externals, one for my PC and one for the 622. After reading the threads on the trouble everyone is having with this apparent "beta" version I am returning the drive designated for the 622 and saving the $40 to initialize this feature. Dish is not such a bad satellite provider but they do occasionally have their issues .

 

[Pepper]

Well this is a bug report thread, do you really expect to hear from the hundreds of people who are not experiencing problems here?

Just because it ain't bug-free don't mean it ain't useful.

 

[NightRyder]

Well this is a bug report thread, do you really expect to hear from the hundreds of people who are not experiencing problems here?

Just because it ain't bug-free don't mean it ain't useful.

Exactly. I just started on my second 500 GB Drive. I have over 70 HD movies on the first one. Since I disabled sleep mode and Connected the drives to my A/V receivers switched outlet they have worked flawlessly. What I really want now is the ability to have more than 1 drive connected at a time and a way to sort the contents list.

NightRyder

 

[KAB]

I purchased 2 externals, one for my PC and one for the 622. After reading the threads on the trouble everyone is having with this apparent "beta" version I am returning the drive designated for the 622 and saving the $40 to initialize this feature. Dish is not such a bad satellite provider but they do occasionally have their issues .

If you are going to research something, be thorough!
http://www.satelliteguys.us/dish-hd...ernal-hd-results-drives-working-properly.html

 

[BFG]

I recently activated and found that it appears they did it twice cause I have 2 39.99 charges. You think the system would prevent them from doing that, but who know with dish. My november bill will be generated on 10/22 so I guess I'll wait to see if a -39.99 is applied to cancel out the second hit, or else i guess i'll have to waste my time getting them to fix it

 

[sightpicture]

Seagate Freeagent Pro with ViP 622

Does anyone else use the Seagate Freeagent? I have never had this hooked up to my computer, out-of-package I hooked it right up to the dvr, does this drive have an automatic "standby" mode? And has anyone had any trouble turning it off? It seems turning it on, you only have to tap the power button, but turning it off takes brute force.

mntwister, I too have the Seagate FreeAgentPro 750Gig drive. My issue is this: I can start up the drive and Vip 622, select the movies I want to transfer... as many as I like. (if I pick somewheare around 20 movies it then tells me it will take 9 hrs) it will do the transfer fine the whole 9 hours. The problem is when I try to send another recorded program over at a later time after the unit goes into "standby". I have to touch the "light touch button" and power down the unit, then turn it back on to transfer the new program over.

If I don't reboot the External HDD I get this error: " [ERROR 855] An error occurred while transferring events to your USB Storage Device." when I hit "OK" I then get this error: "This option is currently in use by the other TV." However, I have made sure that the "other TV" (TV2) is off.

The whole above comment/statement might be fixed by your idea that the HDD is going into "standby or sleep mode". I really don't want to have to walk over to the HDD and tap the button to start my transfer.. but, I guess I can live with it if I have too. I don't think I can access any options of the drive via the ViP 622. LOL

The comment about brute force. I think you just have to leave your finger on the button for a longer period of time. "lightly touching it".

Hope I wrote the above so it is easily googled.

 

[sightpicture]

Oh NO!

I just re-read my last comment and attempted to just hit the power button quickly and once then retry transferring more movies and I got this new error: "[Warning 866] The attached USB storage device is currently configured for use with another DISH Network receiver. USB storage devices may only be used with one receiver at a time. To use this device with this receiver, all existing archived events will be deleted. Do you want to delete all existing events?"

NOOOOOOoooooo

I am now going to shut down the USB Device and see what happens when I turn it back on. """Crossing Fingers""""

Ok, I just shut off the External HDD and turned it back on. A message popped up telling me that I just attached an external storage device and hit OK if I would like to manage it. I hit OK... then this older error popped up: [ATTENTION 914] This option is currently in use by the other TV." What other TV? As I stated before the other TV is off!

Ok. Now I am going to shut down both the ViP 622 and the Seagate FreeAgentPro.

I went upstairs and grabbed my other controller and brought it back down with me. I am now if front of my 622 DVR and I have made sure both TV1 and TV2 are off by watching the lights go out. I turned off my External HDD and am looking at darkness from both units. Ok, I decided I would turn on my External HDD first. Ok, it's fully up and running... I then turned on my DVR. First thing I see is the popup asking if I would like to manage my External Storage Device. I hit OK. I attempted to move a recorded program over to the HDD and it worked fine.

Great... now I have to make sure that the other TV (the one my wife watches when she hits the rack) is off so that I can transfer files over with TV1? I am lost here? The crazy thing was that I don't believe the second TV was on.

It looks like I have to jump through a few hoops just to transfer programs over. I wonder what I have to do to view them at a later time?

 

[dfergie]

Thats a new one... I keep my 622 in single mode and haven't heard of those problems...

 

[mntwister]

Oh NO!

I just re-read my last comment and attempted to just hit the power button quickly and once then retry transferring more movies and I got this new error: "[Warning 866] The attached USB storage device is currently configured for use with another DISH Network receiver. USB storage devices may only be used with one receiver at a time. To use this device with this receiver, all existing archived events will be deleted. Do you want to delete all existing events?"

NOOOOOOoooooo

I am now going to shut down the USB Device and see what happens when I turn it back on. """Crossing Fingers""""

Ok, I just shut off the External HDD and turned it back on. A message popped up telling me that I just attached an external storage device and hit OK if I would like to manage it. I hit OK... then this older error popped up: [ATTENTION 914] This option is currently in use by the other TV." What other TV? As I stated before the other TV is off!

Ok. Now I am going to shut down both the ViP 622 and the Seagate FreeAgentPro.

I went upstairs and grabbed my other controller and brought it back down with me. I am now if front of my 622 DVR and I have made sure both TV1 and TV2 are off by watching the lights go out. I turned off my External HDD and am looking at darkness from both units. Ok, I decided I would turn on my External HDD first. Ok, it's fully up and running... I then turned on my DVR. First thing I see is the popup asking if I would like to manage my External Storage Device. I hit OK. I attempted to move a recorded program over to the HDD and it worked fine.

Great... now I have to make sure that the other TV (the one my wife watches when she hits the rack) is off so that I can transfer files over with TV1? I am lost here? The crazy thing was that I don't believe the second TV was on.

It looks like I have to jump through a few hoops just to transfer programs over. I wonder what I have to do to view them at a later time?

It's scary, I know how that felt. I have read on other threads that these external drives like the Seagate will last much longer if you shut them off after use every time. I do that and havn't had much problem since. It comes up with a message that you have disconnected the drive. Then, if you want, turn it right back on and it only takes about 5-`0 seconds to get the message "you have attached a usb drive, would yopu like to use it now" or something like that. I only use the drive with my one dvr, not from another room, and when they enable the use of the hard drive that is in room 1 to the other room using the dvr, I plan on blocking that so no one can erase the programming I have taped. I purchased 4 more Seagate 500gb Freeagents (not pro), but am still on the freeagent pro 750. If you can, to save problems and possibility of erases, why not get a 2nd external drive for that other room? I have read switching has caused at least one erasure of the whole drive, unlike you, they didn't get the option and lost it all.

As for sending a program at a later time after sending some over, I always shut down the drive, so I've never had that happen. Before I did this, it always said, after the first transfer was done, that I didn't have a drive, or that the drive is incorrect or something like that, so to save headaches and not overwork the drive, I just turn it on when I use it. I love the light touch so it's easy.

I think some of the errors you are having is maybe because you are using the same drive for 2 tv's? I havn't done that so I don't know what happens. Sounds like things happen. 2nd drive for the other tv maybe? Indeed it may be the sleep mode thing, but as I said I always turn it off when done so maybe mine never gets into sleep mode. My recommendation is to turn it off when done, and turn it on when you want to use it, as I said I have read on several computer sites that these types of externals wear down if on 24/7.

As for the having to press real hard to turn it off, I blush when I say that I called Seagate and he told me you have to press very lightly on it for 5 seconds or more and you will feel it click off, I never knew you had to press it except for a quick touch, so that's no propblem anymore, thank God I didn't hurt the button by pressing so hard.

 

[gbjbany]

I just activated the EHD feature today so I started transferring some shows tonight. I turned off the receiver to let it transfer while I was upstairs with my daughter, I came back to turn on the 622 and it wouldn't turn on. The EHD was flashing like it was still copying data but I couldn't turn on the receiver. I tried TV2 upstairs, same thing receiver wouldn't turn on.

I had to turn off the hard drive and then reboot the receiver to get it back. I don't know if the shows transferred but I'll check later tonight. I haven't read the whole thread but I hope it's not a bug.

Randall
Didnt see any update or answer to this, but i assume based on this you can put the receiver in "standby"and it will continue transferring.
What about the pop-up to says it's finished, does it switch the receiver on and then prevent download of my guide updates, i was thinking i would do the archiving each night before I go to bed ?

 

[120inna55]

...Didnt see any update or answer to this, but i assume based on this you can put the receiver in "standby"and it will continue transferring...

Yes.

Recently, using my 622, I was recording 3 channels simultaneously (2 sat channels, 1 OTA) while I was xferring 2 HD movies to the external HDD. Then using my Harmony remote, I switched over to my 722 to watch something on it's internal HDD. The Harmony turns off components not being used, therefore the 622 (during xfer) was placed on standby. I'd forgotten this would happen. Ultimately, both movies xferred without a problem. I've since routinely done this and have had no problems.

 

[gbjbany]

Thanks, this was what i wanted to hear, especially as i use a harmony remote too, to control my dvd player etc.

 

[big.burlinski]

I have a problem that is really bugging me. First of all, I do not have any of the problems most people are talking about here, involving failed transfers, USB not connected, drive wake-up problems, etc.

I do have a problem with HD material skipping and stuttering on playback.

My current setup is:

1-"homemade" ext. USB drive, 250G IDE in a newegg special USB enclosure
1-WD Mybook Essentials 750G
1-VIP722

What I notice the skipping/stuttering most on is music concerts off of Rave and MHD. I am really fond of the Tom Petty in Gatorville concert, and I was going to proudly play this for my friends after a Sunday football party, and it embarrassed me by skipping badly and we ended up turning it off. Since then, I have done some more testing, and it seems like most regular movies are fine, it is these specific concerts off of Rave and MHD (I have a ton of them now)

I do know these are MPEG4, and are probably pretty high bandwidth comparably. I also think it's possible that skipping is just more noticeable on music, although I have tried to watch movies with "constant" soundtracks going on, to make it more apparent when skipping occurs, like long sections of the Star Wars movies action sequences.

I have verified that it seems to be the exact behavior on both EHD's I currently have, actually I didn't notice it at first with just the homemade one, but after I discovered it on the WD Mybook, I went back and retested and it is doing it on the original too.

There is a good post a few pages back of things to try, and I have tried those:

Change USB cable (tried the ones that came with both enclosures, and several others, mostly those clear/silver ones that are everywhere).

The 722 and drives are plugged into the same power strip

Tried an external powered USB hub

Anyway, I am not having much success. I just ordered the "cadillac" EHD mentioned in another thread, the Eagle 500 GB with the WD A/V Sata drive, and I will see if that helps. (I was going to build one, but you can't really beat $127.00 shipped)!

Just wondered if anyone can verify they successfully regularly watch HD Music Events successfully without skipping off of the EHD??

Anybody got any other suggestions ??

It's not the end of the world to have to transfer certain recordings back to the DVR to watch, but inadvertently, I will always HAVE to watch something that's on the EHD right now and can't wait for it to transfer

Thanks a lot