Repair for DirectTV tivo box and getting recordings off

[pbablia]

HELP! My set top box dropped and now the unit won't read my access card. I have many shows recorded on this unit that I want to access and save to DVD. Does anyone know who can fix these units (Los Angeles area) or am willing to ship.:eek:

[rbtravis]

HELP! My set top box dropped and now the unit won't read my access card. I have many shows recorded on this unit that I want to access and save to DVD. Does anyone know who can fix these units (Los Angeles area) or am willing to ship.:eek:
http://www.ccscorporation.net/dss.htm
is the place to go to get TiVos fixed, Reasonable prices,fast service.
http://www.ccscorporation.net/terms.htm :)

[John T Smith]

Just an FYI in case the unit can't be fixed

From reading previous messages here, the files on the hard drive are encrypted, with the key being the unit's ID that is imbedded on a chip in the hard drive (somebody chime in if that is not 100% accurate) which means that your hard drive won't work in any other unit, and even if you could somehow extract the files, there is no way to read them

Hopefully, this is just a matter of a bent frame or card reader, not something that can't be fixed at all

[Dkerr24]

Now of course if you had run the zipper on the unit, that would unencrypt new recordings so that they could be easily copied to PC for burning to DVD... or copying to a portable video player like an iPod.

[pbablia]

Zipper?

[rbtravis]

His TiVo's are hacked. For more information on zipper go to underground forum. This has nothing to do with getting your unit fixed now. Read up on it for after your unit is repaired. :)

[John T Smith]

Forums for DTivo Hacking, Upgrades, Networking, etc
http://www.tivocommunity.com/tivo-vb/forumdisplay.php?f=24

[CrashHD]

The access card holder is probably knocked loose from the motherboard. I've seen it before, and I've always been able to reattach it with a few well placed beads of hot melt glue.

OP- what model dvr are you talking about?
If it's a tivo, it will play back the videos without an access card inserted. I suspect it may be another DTV DVR, as I've heard they don't playback without active sat signal, which probably also means a proper access card connection is also required.

Everyone else- all the talk of encryption/extraction/drive swapping is kind of putting the cart before the horse. If his unit is a tivo, the access card problem does not prevent playback on the original unit. If it is not a tivo...well...tivo skillz do not apply...

[pbablia]

So Crash, if I can't fix this unit (Direct TV Tivo Model R10) would you be willing to try and fix it if I shipped it to you? I do know that the plastic piece that secures the card broke loose. I opened up the case and tried to reposition it - there is a small round resistor directly in back of the plastic piece - I just can't seem to get it to read - the card is not bent and all else looks pretty good. I'd be glad to pay to fix it so I can get my programs off. They will not play without the card inserted and read.

[CrashHD]

That small round thing is actually a switch. When the card is fully inserted, it presses that switch. That switch has to be pressed before the unit will try to read the card. Getting it set back just right is the toughest part of putting the switch housing back on. If your card reader contact pins are undamaged, chances are good that this switch is just not getting activated. If it says "no access card" it is this switch. It will give a different message if the switch is activated but it still can't read the card (don't remember exact message).

Depending on how it landed, one or more of the contact pins could have been bent/broken. If they're broken, it will be tough to fix.

It is odd that the recordings won't play back. I have an unsubscribed R10 with no access card in it, and no satellite hookup, and it plays just fine. If it won't play back recordings, I'm afraid there's something else wrong somewhere else.

Let's try a few other things before we resort to shipping it off. I'd hate for you to ship it, only to find out it's not fixable. Let's first try to figure out why it won't playback recordings.

What software version does it have? (DirecTV Central-->Messages&Settings-->System Information).

My units are at 6.2a-the_rest_doesn't_matter-521. If it's been upgraded to 6.3e or 6.3f, maybe they have changed their behavior, and don't playback without card/sat signal. When I get home tonight, I will see if my 6.3f unit can playback without a card.

Can you post a close-up pic of the card holder?

[pbablia]

Thanks for info - I'll try and look at some of this today - take pics if needed. You have been very helpful! I'll let you know what I find. :)

[buffyangel]

Sent mine to Css and it came back with all the recordings still on it.. I was thrilled! Thanks to everyone on this forum that has mentioned them. I had mine back in a week. So if you were wondering just give them a call...

[Klez]

This just happened to me last night. 3 pins broke on the card reader (after a 7 foot fall). Does anyone know where I can just buy the part? Also if I find a used unit will my zippered drive just go right in, or do I need to reformat?

Thanks

[CrashHD]

Your zippered drive will go right in the new unit. It will be able to playback only unencrypted recordings (i.e. all recordings made after the unit was zippered). You will need to run a script called "51killer.tcl" and reboot, after installing the drive in a new box, before it will access the now playing list.

[codespy]

HELP! My set top box dropped and now the unit won't read my access card. I have many shows recorded on this unit that I want to access and save to DVD. Does anyone know who can fix these units (Los Angeles area) or am willing to ship.:eek:

Since we have a user named CrashHD, I think you should change your username to CrashSD after what happened with your R10. :D