Help - Freezing when I watch a recorded show

[muttster]

Just lately I am seeing some freezing of shows that were recorded to the point that they can be almost impossible to watch. I really like my Hughes direct tivo especially after hearing all the negatives about the R-15 I believe it was called. Is the hard drive failing or can something else cure this problem.

If I found a used Direct Tivo on ebay or craigslist, would there be any problem with taking my access card and putting it into the unit?

I have a mac so i can't do the Instant Cake option.

Any help would be appreciated.

[litzdog911]

This could be the classic symptom of hard disk failure, or soon-to-be failure. Can you still get it to restart when you disconnect/reconnect AC power? If so, and you value the recordings on your Tivo, you may want to act fast to replace or upgrade that hard drive.

You could certainly replace your current Tivo. Just be sure to check its "account status" with DirecTV before you buy it. The seller should provide you the "Receiver ID Number" so that you can verify that its account is fully paid up with no outstanding balances. Otherwise you risk not being able to activate it on your account. They may or may not let you use your existing Access Card. Typical policy is to replace the card for ~$20.

But try these tips first:

*** Check your Tivo's internal temperature. If it's running too hot you'll sometimes see problems like this. Look in "Messages & Setup" -> "System Information" and scroll down a couple of pages to see the internal temperature. Anything under 50-deg C is usually OK. If it's higher than that, make sure you have good airflow under and around your Tivo. It's a good idea to raise your Tivo up an inch or so for better airflow. Some folks use pop bottle caps under each corner.


*** Your Tivo is a combination DirecTV+Tivo receiver, you should try re-seating your access card. Remove power, remove the access card, wait a few minutes, re-insert the access card, and reconnect power.

*** If you're comfortable opening up your Tivo (which will void your warranty if you still have one), then disconnect and reconnect all the cables leading to the hard drive(s). Sometimes connections can work loose, or tarnish, and re-seating them will help.


*** If these steps don't help, then it's likely a hard drive problem. You can try a "Clear and Delete Everything" (in the Tivo's "Messages & Setup" menu). That might help the drive repair itself, but you will lose your recordings, Season Passes, and other settings.

*** Finally, if all else fails, then you might want to try connecting your Tivo drive(s) to your PC and run the disk manufacturer's DOS-based diagnostic utilities. These are usually available for download from their web site. Unfortunately they don't always detect all of the failures that can disrupt your Tivo. Some folks have reported success using the SpinRite disk repair utility available from Gibson Research at http://www.grc.com/sr/spinrite.htm or HDD Regenerator at http://www.dposoft.net/#b_hddhid

Also check out these sources of information, much of which you'll find in the Tivo Upgrade Center forum:

http://www.tivocommunity.com/tivo-vb/forumdisplay.php?s=&forumid=25

http://www.weaknees.com/index.html

http://tivo.upgrade-instructions.com/

http://www.newreleasesvideo.com/hinsdale-how-to/

http://www.dvrupgrade.com/dvr/stores/1/instantcake.cfm

http://www.9thtee.com/

[JimSpence]

Since InstantCake or other methods of installing the OS yourself is not an option, the only other option is to buy a preinstalled drive from either PVRUpgrade or Weaknees.

[Dkerr24]

sounds like a good reason to get a PC to me :)