[bobocop]

I have two related questions. Appreciation of patience for my idiocy in advance.

1. How can I definitively tell if the problem I'm having (crazy nasty freezing up and small amount of pixelating) is a second tuner problem or a hard drive problem. Just when I'm sure it's the oft reported second tuner issue, I think i see it on both tuners. But I'm never 100% sure.
Which brings me to....

2. The standard unhacked, four year old hdvr2 I have is in dire straits. We love the unit and the remote/functionality.

The choices as I see them.

a) Buy new one from weaknees or the like. About 3 bills.
b) Buy one on Ebay and keep all fingers and toes crossed. 40-60 bucks?
c) Upgrade hard drive (this assumes I can determine for sure that it's the hard drive and not the tuner issue, which makes me nervous). $120+.
d) Switch to the poorly reviewed and often maligned Directv DVR. Or the HD version of same. Between $30 and $320, depending.

Any advice on either or both questions is greatly appreciated.

Bobo

 

[JimSpence]

Have you tried all of the possible solutions listed in the HDVR2 tuner 2 threads?

I'd re-run guided setup and run the unit in single tuner mode for awhile to isolate the tuner 2 problem. If pixelation, etc, occurs then replace the hard drive.

And the DirecTV DVR isn't all that bad. It takes some getting used to and I do swear at my HR20 from time to time. If you want/need the new DirecTV HD, then you don't have a choice.

 

[rbtravis]

If using the S-Video cable unplug it. Use an RCA cable. Where are you located? CT?

 

[bobocop]

Ok. JimSpence. Embarrassing admission. How do I run on single tuner mode? I unplugged the second tuner input and then nothing worked.
I went all the way through the other thread and there isn't anything I've not tried.

rbtravis,
I have S-Video from dvd recorder to tv (hdvr2 - dvd player is composite).

one more thing. additional symptom. the dvr is re-booting now. usually after it has frozen particulary violently. have been reading the 6.3 threads. any thoughts?

thanks.

 

[Bluesfan]

bobocop,

To run single tuner you'll need to go back and rerun the satellite setup and go through the screens and choose single tuner.

 

[JimSpence]

Ok. JimSpence. Embarrassing admission. How do I run on single tuner mode? ...

one more thing. additional symptom. the dvr is re-booting now. usually after it has frozen particulary violently. have been reading the 6.3 threads. any thoughts?

thanks.

Bluesfan has described how to run in single tuner mode. Only works for tunern1.

With those additional symptoms, I'd have to say that the hard drive is failing, which can be easily replaced.

 

[mzgig]

Having been through all the steps listed in the previous thread (I have a Hughes HDVR Series 2), it was a step-by-step process to eliminate the problem.

Natural assumption was to replace the hard drive, which we did. Still pixelated all over the place. Disconnected the S-video and it worked fine for about 2 months. Started pixelating again. Went back into set up and made it a single tuner and determined the tuner was indeed the culprit. Went on to Ebay and bought a used Hughes HDVR Series 2 and put the newer, larger hard drive into the used unit. It works like a charm.

So, I wouldn't be in a hurry to replace your hard drive until you determine if one of your two tuners is bad.

Shopping on Ebay can be frustrating; just be sure you get the access card number and call DTV to make sure the account is closed and not owing money. I was lucky in that the owner of my used TiVo had merely forgotten to close the account and once I told him it was still open, he called DTV. Then thy married my access card to the used TiVo and my problem solved.

I have since purchased a third TiVo from Ebay just in case I need it in the future. I refuse to go to DTV's own recorder. I am way too spoiled by TiVo and when I see how my sister and my friends' recorders from DTV operate, I am appalled.

Hang in there -- it's worth the fight to keep your TiVo!

 

[classicsat]

Get a new HDD and image it. If that doesn't fix it, get a replacement DVR (with aformentioned account cautions in mind), and stick the new drive in it.

 

[bobocop]

Thanks all for the info. I did a single tuner test and still got pixelating and freezing, so I'm thinking hard drive. I like the last two comments though, makes me feel a bit less nervous about getting the new hard drive.