Can you describe the "groaning type sound"?
Series 1 fixable?
I have a Lifetime Series 1 Tivo that intermittently (a couple to a few times a week) freezes. A couple of times I have come home to a frozen "powering up" screeen. I physically unplug from the back of the unit, wait a while, plug back in (makes a bit of a groaning type sound) and it restarts.
Is this something that is worth trying to fix? I have about ZERO technical skills (got the Tivo becuase it was easy) - have never in my life replaced a hard drive.
Suggestions/advice welcome!!
Thanks,
tta
Is this something that is worth trying to fix? I have about ZERO technical skills (got the Tivo becuase it was easy) - have never in my life replaced a hard drive.
Suggestions/advice welcome!!
Thanks,
tta
1 - 20 of 30 Posts
I assume you've never had the cover off. How long have you had this unit?I have a Lifetime Series 1 Tivo that intermittently (a couple to a few times a week) freezes. A couple of times I have come home to a frozen "powering up" screeen. I physically unplug from the back of the unit, wait a while, plug back in (makes a bit of a groaning type sound) and it restarts.
Is this something that is worth trying to fix? I have about ZERO technical skills (got the Tivo becuase it was easy) - have never in my life replaced a hard drive.
Suggestions/advice welcome!!
Thanks,
tta
Has anything inside it ever been replaced that you know of?
Was the lifetime subscription purchased on or before January 21, 2000?
It certainly sounds like a bad hard drive. DVRUpgrade sells replacement hard drives with instructions which are fairly easy to replace even if you have not done it before. They also will let you send in the TiVo and they will fix it for you.
It sounds like it's starting up powerfully and then just kind of peters out and sounds like it's not going to make it, but the re-start has always worked so far....Can you describe the "groaning type sound"?
No, never had the cover off. I looked harder at it today and it's actually a Series 2. I must have gotten it right when they were introduced. I know that it's only a 40 hour one - my friend got one shortly after I did (because I talked her into it) and that one was 80 hours, which wasn't available when I bought it.I assume you've never had the cover off. How long have you had this unit?
Has anything inside it ever been replaced that you know of?
Was the lifetime subscription purchased on or before January 21, 2000?
Nothing has ever been replaced inside of it, for certain.
Wikipedia says Series 2 was introduced in 2002, so does that make a difference? I'm wondering if I replace the hard drive if that affects the subscription?
Thanks again, tta
Do you think this is a more economical alternative than just getting a new one (with a lot more memory)?It certainly sounds like a bad hard drive. DVRUpgrade sells replacement hard drives with instructions which are fairly easy to replace even if you have not done it before. They also will let you send in the TiVo and they will fix it for you.
I think it would be more economical to replace the hard drive on your S2 (assuming you are content on keeping the status quo) because it has lifetime service. Replacing the hard drive will not affect the lifetime status.
You might want to check out DVR_Dude on e-bay. I've heard he has cheaper prices than DVR Upgrade or Weaknees.
You might want to check out DVR_Dude on e-bay. I've heard he has cheaper prices than DVR Upgrade or Weaknees.
Your TiVo has Product Lifetime Service, but any warranty ran out long ago, so replacing parts will not endanger your subscription unless the motherboard itself needs replacing, and even then there's a way around that for Series 1s, 2s, and the original Series 3.No, never had the cover off. I looked harder at it today and it's actually a Series 2. I must have gotten it right when they were introduced. I know that it's only a 40 hour one - my friend got one shortly after I did (because I talked her into it) and that one was 80 hours, which wasn't available when I bought it.
Nothing has ever been replaced inside of it, for certain.
Wikipedia says Series 2 was introduced in 2002, so does that make a difference? I'm wondering if I replace the hard drive if that affects the subscription?
Thanks again, tta
But since motherboards don't make groaning sounds, it's probably still just fine.
The reason I asked about that specific date is that Series 1s on which lifetime was purchased on or before that date can have that subscription transferred one time to another TiVo, including newer ones.
That was the result of the original wording not having sufficiently made it clear that lifetime meant the lifetime of the unit, not the owner.
But that's not your situation so it doesn't matter.
That groaning could be the fan or the hard drive or both, they've both been at it for 8 or 9 years now around the clock.
At a minimum that thing should be opened up to have the dust cleaned out.
There's also a chance that one or two capacitors in the power supply are about to need replacing, which can probably be determined by a visual inspection once the cover's off.
Too bad this didn't come up a month or so ago. Due to damage done to manufacturing facilities by the flooding in Thailand, the price of hard drives has violently reversed its downward trend and bargains are almost non-existant.
Do you have a friend or relative that likes to tinker with computers?
Do you live in a city of any size?
Thanks for your input, everyone! It seems clear that I need to replace the hard drive, and also lclean out the unit and look at the capacitators. My sister may be able to help me look at those and replace the hard drive (though not for a few weeks), as she's taken an IT class and has put together a computer in that class.
I'll start looking at options for the hard drives. I assume I will be able to get one with a lot more recording capacity, yes?
Also, will I be able to transfer recordings or pretty much just lose the ones I currently have? Not a big deal, just a few favorites.
I'll start looking at options for the hard drives. I assume I will be able to get one with a lot more recording capacity, yes?
Also, will I be able to transfer recordings or pretty much just lose the ones I currently have? Not a big deal, just a few favorites.
Look on the sticker on the back for a model number that starts with TCD and tell us what it is and we'll be better able to advise you.Thanks for your input, everyone! It seems clear that I need to replace the hard drive, and also lclean out the unit and look at the capacitators. My sister may be able to help me look at those and replace the hard drive (though not for a few weeks), as she's taken an IT class and has put together a computer in that class.
I'll start looking at options for the hard drives. I assume I will be able to get one with a lot more recording capacity, yes?
Also, will I be able to transfer recordings or pretty much just lose the ones I currently have? Not a big deal, just a few favorites.
It looks like TCD24008A
Yes, but as Unitron pointed out, not cheaply, at east not for a new one. You might be able to pick up a used hard drive on Craigslist. I'm pretty sure that is an IDE drive, not SATA, and that might make it easier to pick up a used one, cheap. Come to think of it, I might have one lying around here. I'll take a look.I'll start looking at options for the hard drives. I assume I will be able to get one with a lot more recording capacity, yes?
You should, yes. We know the hard drive is not totally dead, so the data should be mostly intact. It might take a couple of tries, and some of the data might be damaged, but I would expect you to be able to recover most everything.Also, will I be able to transfer recordings or pretty much just lose the ones I currently have? Not a big deal, just a few favorites.
That's actually an 80 hour model, otherwise it would be a TCD24004AIt looks like TCD24008A
The TCD24004A comes with a 40GB hard drive, the TCD24008A comes with an 80GB hard drive.
I've got one (a TCD24008A) in which I am running a 1TB hard drive, which for purposes of comparison may be thought of as a 1000GB drive.
So instead of 40 hours or 80 hours, 1000 hours.
So, yes, you can have more storage space.
I can talk you and your friend through the process of revitalizing your unit, but it might be better done as email or over the phone, 'cause I'll need to ask a lot of questions to assess your and her level of understanding and ability in order to be able to give properly worded instruction and explanation.
Hey unitron, that would be great!!! I've gotten comletely buried at work; any chance you're around the week between Christmas and New Year's?That's actually an 80 hour model, otherwise it would be a TCD24004A
The TCD24004A comes with a 40GB hard drive, the TCD24008A comes with an 80GB hard drive.
I've got one (a TCD24008A) in which I am running a 1TB hard drive, which for purposes of comparison may be thought of as a 1000GB drive.
So instead of 40 hours or 80 hours, 1000 hours.
So, yes, you can have more storage space.
I can talk you and your friend through the process of revitalizing your unit, but it might be better done as email or over the phone, 'cause I'll need to ask a lot of questions to assess your and her level of understanding and ability in order to be able to give properly worded instruction and explanation.
I see now I probably should have said talk you and your sister through it, since she's the one that's been inside a computer before. Got my hers and shes mixed up.Hey unitron, that would be great!!! I've gotten comletely buried at work; any chance you're around the week between Christmas and New Year's?
Might as well get both of them in on it and check your friend's TiVo's power supply as well.
Although first we need to be sure there's nothing on worth recording during those days. Not knowing for sure what's wrong makes it hard to estimate how long it'll take to fix.
I should be able to accomodate you somewhere in December's dying days, what time zone and city are you in? (Gotta figure out what you've got for local sources of parts and stuff)
I'll PM you the details. 
Ok, so life has gotten in the way of my quest to fix this issue, but am returning to the problem solving. I am now questioning whether it is indeed the hard drive. Freezes have become much more common, so I ended up disconnecting the wireless connection so it can't connect to TivoService.
It hasn't frozen in several weeks. Of course, I haven't been able to connect either, but I was reading in another thread that if it's the hard drive it wouldn't work regardless of whether one was connected or not. Any additional thoughts on what might be happening and what i might need to fix? It's getting pretty annoying to not be able to record more than a half hour.
Thanks!
It hasn't frozen in several weeks. Of course, I haven't been able to connect either, but I was reading in another thread that if it's the hard drive it wouldn't work regardless of whether one was connected or not. Any additional thoughts on what might be happening and what i might need to fix? It's getting pretty annoying to not be able to record more than a half hour.
Thanks!
I didn't forget about you, exactly, but you forgot to nag me.Ok, so life has gotten in the way of my quest to fix this issue, but am returning to the problem solving. I am now questioning whether it is indeed the hard drive. Freezes have become much more common, so I ended up disconnecting the wireless connection so it can't connect to TivoService.
It hasn't frozen in several weeks. Of course, I haven't been able to connect either, but I was reading in another thread that if it's the hard drive it wouldn't work regardless of whether one was connected or not. Any additional thoughts on what might be happening and what i might need to fix? It's getting pretty annoying to not be able to record more than a half hour.
Thanks!
Hope your holidays were good.
You've added an interesting new dimension to the problem by disconnecting the wireless.
Are you using any kind of cable box or tuning adapter from the cable company, or any kind of satellite receiver or digital broadcast converter (coupon box)?
What kind of wireless router do you have (brand/model), and what brand/model wireless adapter did you have plugged into the TiVo, via, I assume, USB port?
Just to throw a monkey wrench in the middle of this conversation, my experiences with four S1s is that they have a hard time digesting downloaded data. In other words, it usually takes several daily connection attempts for them to successfully process downloaded data and each failure results in a reboot. That being said, I haven't seen any of them get stuck during the reboot process.Ok, so life has gotten in the way of my quest to fix this issue, but am returning to the problem solving. I am now questioning whether it is indeed the hard drive. Freezes have become much more common, so I ended up disconnecting the wireless connection so it can't connect to TivoService.
It hasn't frozen in several weeks. Of course, I haven't been able to connect either, but I was reading in another thread that if it's the hard drive it wouldn't work regardless of whether one was connected or not. Any additional thoughts on what might be happening and what i might need to fix? It's getting pretty annoying to not be able to record more than a half hour.
Thanks!
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