HD-PVR Stops Responding ~Once/Day

[Flash69]

I am personally tired of having my 2 HD-PVRs lock up. It's totally random. Sometimes they work for days or even weeks then out of the blue they start poping errors upwards of 50 a day.

I will say this, sometimes the power button the the HD-PVR resolves the problem. Sometimes I have to unplug the power on the HD-PVR to get it to work again.

So I have decided to give the motherboard USB ports a rest and purchase a good USB PCI card. Can someone point me to the thread that said exactly what NEC card to buy?

[joe123]

Originally Posted by Flash69

So I have decided to give the motherboard USB ports a rest and purchase a good USB PCI card. Can someone point me to the thread that said exactly what NEC card to buy?

I too was having random HD PVR lock ups and I too bought a USB PCI card which slightly helped, but I was still getting the lock ups.

One day I had it and I saved the wiz.bin file, formated the HD, and did a fresh install of XP OS.

Have not had a single lock up in weeks I have the HD PVR back on the MB USB port and using SPDIF for audio, lastest Java, 1.0.5.301 drivers.

[theguru]

I have been problem free over the last couple weeks. I think the change was to install a defragger and set it to do its stuff automatically.

Weird. Cards seem to be working fine now.

[HelenWeathers]

Originally Posted by Flash69

So I have decided to give the motherboard USB ports a rest and purchase a good USB PCI card. Can someone point me to the thread that said exactly what NEC card to buy?

This card has the NEC chipset. I'm useing it and it works well. It's PCI Express.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16812186010

[jsonnabend]

I recently ran into troubles after months of worry free service. My recording drive was mostly full, so I deleted files to get down to 85% full and tried running XP's defragger. It choked at 3% completed.

What other defraggers are people using?

- Jeff

[jerryt]

Originally Posted by jsonnabend

I recently ran into troubles after months of worry free service. My recording drive was mostly full, so I deleted files to get down to 85% full and tried running XP's defragger. It choked at 3% completed.

What other defraggers are people using?

- Jeff

O&O

[jsonnabend]

O&O? What is that?

[edit]Oh, nevermind, it's actually called O&O. Hopefully, it works better than it's branded[/edit]

[joe123]

Originally Posted by jsonnabend

What other defraggers are people using?

I tried several. For me, the best free one is Smart Defrag from IO bit.

I have my C: drive to automatically and continously defrag, and my recording drives to defrag at night only (daily). Choose "Degrag Only" otherwise, it will do recordings re-placement which you dont want with large files.

Also note: Don't defrag the recordings drives continously. Doing this was causing my HD-PVR to skip on the recordings. You don't want to be defraging a show that is currently being recorded.

[MattHelm]

Originally Posted by jsonnabend

I recently ran into troubles after months of worry free service. My recording drive was mostly full, so I deleted files to get down to 85% full and tried running XP's defragger. It choked at 3% completed.

What other defraggers are people using?

- Jeff

MyDefrag. Defrag only once a night, then a full one once in a blue moon.

He just announced he's even working on a move to end of disk. I'll use that to move my backups to the end, then my rips, that'll leave the best part of the disk free for recordings.

[jsonnabend]

I couldn't get MyDefrag to work either. Maybe I have a file lock issue or something.

Do you guys run the defrag with Sage up or down?

- Jeff

[MattHelm]

Originally Posted by jsonnabend

I couldn't get MyDefrag to work either. Maybe I have a file lock issue or something.

Do you guys run the defrag with Sage up or down?

- Jeff

hummmmmm. All my servers are XP, and they never have any locks, unless I'm recording, and I run the daily at 4AM, so there is almost never a problem.

If you are using Vista/7, you need to run with rights to all files. The scheduler can do that, and you can also run as admin by right clicking, if you run the program with options, instead of one of the scripts directly. Here is my defrag only command:

"C:\Program Files\MyDefrag\MyDefrag.exe" -r QuickDefragOnly.MyD -m LogFile="E:\MyDefragD.log" -v D:

Make a shortcut to the command, then add everything after the second "

[ijourneaux]

I think I had a breakthough at least in my installation. My HD PVR would not run 24 hours without a hangup. Step though all of the step that were recommended to getting the HD PVR to work reliably. I was at the point of adding a separate USB/Firewire device so I could separate the HD PVR to it own USB controller and use firewire to change the channels on the STB but the USB/Firewire card wasn't here yet. After I unsuccessful attempt with the older 1.0.5... drivers, I was in the process of adding the 1.5.6.1 drivers back in.

Here is the sequence of events.

1. I removed the HD PVR drivers using HCWClear
2. rebooted
3. Canceled out of the Windows add hardware applet.
4. Installed the HD-PVR drivers using the HCWinstall applet
6. Installed the new HD PVR scheduler
7. Installed the IRBlaster
8. Installed the PVR-150. I wasn’t planning on using the PVR-150. I just wanted to use the IR Blaster on PVR -150 instead of the one on the HD-PVR

I noticed that changing channels using the IR Blaster on the PVR-150 was much faster than when using the HD-PVR with default IRBlaster configuration.

I have not had a hang in 40 hours covering 25 or so recordings. In my case, I have most of the USB devices on the same USB controller, several USB had drives, USB Bluetooth, mouse, Adaptec dual tuner. So if the problem was related to USB contentions, it was related to the IR Blaster.

I had my suspicions about the IRBlaster early in the troubleshooting.

More voodoo but it worked for me.

[tvmaster2]

Originally Posted by ijourneaux

I think I had a breakthough at least in my installation. My HD PVR would not run 24 hours without a hangup. Step though all of the step that were recommended to getting the HD PVR to work reliably. I was at the point of adding a separate USB/Firewire device so I could separate the HD PVR to it own USB controller and use firewire to change the channels on the STB but the USB/Firewire card wasn't here yet. After I unsuccessful attempt with the older 1.0.5... drivers, I was in the process of adding the 1.5.6.1 drivers back in.

Here is the sequence of events.

1. I removed the HD PVR drivers using HCWClear
2. rebooted
3. Canceled out of the Windows add hardware applet.
4. Installed the HD-PVR drivers using the HCWinstall applet
6. Installed the new HD PVR scheduler
7. Installed the IRBlaster
8. Installed the PVR-150. I wasn’t planning on using the PVR-150. I just wanted to use the IR Blaster on PVR -150 instead of the one on the HD-PVR

I noticed that changing channels using the IR Blaster on the PVR-150 was much faster than when using the HD-PVR with default IRBlaster configuration.

I have not had a hang in 40 hours covering 25 or so recordings. In my case, I have most of the USB devices on the same USB controller, several USB had drives, USB Bluetooth, mouse, Adaptec dual tuner. So if the problem was related to USB contentions, it was related to the IR Blaster.

I had my suspicions about the IRBlaster early in the troubleshooting.

More voodoo but it worked for me.

Question: did you make a channel map of any kind for the PVR-150, or does the HD-PVR cover ALL your channels with regards to recordings? I too installed my old PVR-150, and noticed the same thing: a speedier IR experience. I also mapped all my SD channels to the PVR-150, mainly to save disc space (mpg) and have Placeshifter reliability.

If you DIDN'T use the PVR-150 with regards to Setup/Setup Video Sources, was there anything you had to do to make that work? I just imagined you had to map at least some channels to the PVR-150 for the remote to work.

[d2globalinc]

Thought I would jump in on this thread.. Been using SageTV now for a few months, I also purchased two HD-PVR's which work great until they freeze up. A simple push of the power button on the device, wait about 15 seconds, then power it back on will bring a frozen device back online. They don't both freeze up at the same time, but one each at random.. I don't know they are froze up until sage goes to record a show, at which point the error notification in sage starts showing up. Missed two shows I was really wanting to get tonight while I was gone, so now I'm on a mission to resolve this.

I think I read this in the forums, but putting some tape over the HD-PVR's IR port has helped some? I don't use the IR port on the HD-PVR's and have a separate blaster.. so is it that they are still receiving commands and just freeze up once in awhile from that added signal?

Thanks,

D2G

[davephan]

I have occasional lockup problems with the HD-PVR. I am using the old 1.0.5.301 driver, which is supposedly more reliable than the newer drivers. I was also going to install a cooling fan and deploy an automatic reset with SageAlert.

I haven't installed the cooling fan yet, and did install SageAlert, but did not install the automatic reset mechanism yet. However, I did remove the top cover of the HD-PVR, which allow heat to escape from the normally sealed unit. The modification is easy and reversible. To do the modification, you need to remove the four rubber feet on the bottom of the unit. Next unscrew four screws located under the rubber feet. The top cover then removes. Next unplug the cable the powers the four blue LEDs on the top cover. The silver colored plastic part of the top cover can then be carefully pried off of the rest of the top cover. The black part of the top cover is then re-installed with the four screws and the rubber feet re-installed. The HD-PVR looks better too without the gaudy bright blue lights, improving the appearance of the HD-PVR.

My HD-PVR is now running without the silver plastic top part of the top cover. The heat can now escape out the top of the unit. I did not feel much heat inside of the case, but some people say it heats up a lot. Maybe the HD-PVR does not heat up all the time, only just before it locks up.

I am going to find a black plastic grill to cover the top of the HD-PVR to cover the hole in the top of the HD-PVR. I also still plan on installing the fan, and will power the fan by running wires back to the computer's power supply for the 12 volts. The fan will be mounted to the black plastic grill, forcing ventilation inside the HD-PVR.

I haven't had any lock ups since removing the silver part of the top cover, but it has only been about a week. Sometimes it will run for up to a couple of months without a lockup.

If you are getting frequent lockups, try switching to the version 1.0.5.301 driver and remove the top silver part of the top cover.

Dave

[SWKerr]

I ran well for about a year with 2 HD-PVRs until last month when I suddenly started to have problems about once a week. After reading the USB card fix comments I decided to give it a try. Best $15 I have ever spent. I have not had a lock since. Inserted card plugged both HD-PVRs in it. Done.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16815104216

ESC AMD 780G Athlon 5400, 300GB Boot, 2x 1TB and 2x 1.5TB in pool, 1x 1TB Backup drive.
2x HD-PVR, 1x HDHR

[Taddeusz]

Originally Posted by SWKerr

I ran well for about a year with 2 HD-PVRs until last month when I suddenly started to have problems about once a week. After reading the USB card fix comments I decided to give it a try. Best $15 I have ever spent. I have not had a lock since. Inserted card plugged both HD-PVRs in it. Done.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16815104216

ESC AMD 780G Athlon 5400, 300GB Boot, 2x 1TB and 2x 1.5TB in pool, 1x 1TB Backup drive.
2x HD-PVR, 1x HDHR

Yea, a little over a month ago I had to buy a new motherboard for my SageTV server. I decided to run without an add-on USB card. Mostly because the card is a FW/USB card and the new motherboard has FW already. So I ran for about two weeks and had nothing but trouble with my HD-PVR. I decided to stick the USB card back in and it's been smooth sailing ever since. Not a single problem with my HD-PVR.

[davephan]

Thanks. I've give the USB PCI card a try. I have an extra one laying around and a free PCI slot in the SageTV computer. If I still have lockups, I will order the same USB PCI card and try that one.

Dave

[Taddeusz]

Any USB card with the NEC chip seems to do the trick. I believe the NEC USB controller was used as the basis for the standard. So it only makes sense that it would work the best.

[sic0048]

Thanks for the testimonial and link to that USB card. While I don't have consistant problems, I do go through periods where lockups are more frequent. There is a $3 off coupon code which brings the card down to $11.99 with free shipping (code is on Newegg product page and it expires 3/25). I figured for that price it is worth trying.