HD-PVR Stops Responding ~Once/Day

[Taddeusz]

I've never used the HDPVR's IR feature. I've always used either FireWire or my USB-UIRT. I'm currently using my USB-UIRT.

Since I switched to using a PCI NEC USB card I have had zero issues with my HDPVR locking. My HDPVR does approximately 5-10 recordings per day and since I re-established my previous favorites it's been running like that for approximately a month and I have not had to reboot my server or cycle power on my HDPVR. It's been rock solid for me the entire time.

[joe123]

Originally Posted by Taddeusz

Since I switched to using a PCI NEC USB card I have had zero issues with my HDPVR locking..

I did that too but things got worse for me. I bought and installed the recommend PCI NEC USB card stated on this thread, hooked up my HDPVR ONLY to it and my issues got worse.

I have since upgraded my entire PVR and for 2 solid months, my HDPVR did NOT lock up - not even once. I too was recording several shows per day.

Then all of a suddend, BANG. My HDPVR started having issues. The only thing that makes sense to me is what someone mentioned that some files get corrupted with SageTV & the HDPVR and that's when things go downhill.

I also uninstalled SageTV and re-installed it and things got somewhat better (for now), so the idea of files going corrupt makes the most sense to me.

Happauge is admitting BUGS with their IR software and the HDPVR causing problems (lock ups). But they have no fix nor have had any fix for a long time. So we are screwed there.

The new SageTV V7 claims to FIX "help fix" HDPVR issues (so they too are admitting HDPVR lock-ups), but we already have people here on V7 and still having HDPVR issues, so we are screwed there too.

In short, WE ARE ROYALLY SCREWED .

[Taddeusz]

I've also noticed that the HDPVR tends to have stability problems if the signal changes resolution mid-stream (i.e. catching the transition of a channel change).

The reason I switched from doing FW channel changing to going back to my USB-UIRT is because the FW channel changing removes leading zeros so that "073" becomes "73". The reason this is important to me is because it takes longer for my STB to change when only one or two digits are received because it waits for further input. If all three digits are entered it changes immediately. The result of this is that my recording delay needed to be set to 7.5 seconds so that the HDPVR didn't catch any of the channel change. That high of a delay was rather annoying so I switched back to my USB-UIRT and reduced its delays so that the digits got sent faster. Have had zero problems with missed numbers and my delay is now the default 4 seconds.

[joe123]

Originally Posted by Taddeusz

The reason I switched from doing FW channel changing to going back to my USB-UIRT is because the FW channel changing removes leading zeros so that "073" becomes "73". The reason this is important to me is because it takes longer for my STB to change when only one or two digits are received because it waits for further input. If all three digits are entered it changes immediately..

With the Hauppauge IR blaster, I was able to change how many digits to send and how fast to send them. So this is already available with the IR blaster software. You have to go into the advance option for these settings in the IR config program.

[Taddeusz]

Originally Posted by joe123

With the Hauppauge IR blaster, I was able to change how many digits to send and how fast to send them. So this is already available with the IR blaster software. You have to go into the advance option for these settings in the IR config program.

Those options are also available from within SageTV. You can specify how many digits and what the leading digit should be.

With FW channel changing, for whatever reason, you can have those options set in SageTV but the utility that changes channels will strip the leading zeros. Programmatically I would say that it takes the input as an integer which naturally strips any leading zeros. Had they taken the input as a string the leading zeros could have stayed. Right now, those utilities and drivers are so out of date and no longer being developed it's not even funny.

The USB-UIRT works fine and considering the problems with the HDPVR's IR blaster I'd rather stay away from it.

[rsagetv99]

Hi, I am getting ready to pull the trigger and purchase one of these and I just wanted to know the latest.

I have a USB-UIRT already, so if I use that then I won't have the daily locking issues right? Other than that, are there any other issues that would keep you from recommending this device?

Also, looks like B&H has if for $186.89. Is there a better place to buy these?

Thanks.

[QueOnda]

Originally Posted by rsagetv99

Hi, I am getting ready to pull the trigger and purchase one of these and I just wanted to know the latest.

I have a USB-UIRT already, so if I use that then I won't have the daily locking issues right? Other than that, are there any other issues that would keep you from recommending this device?

Also, looks like B&H has if for $186.89. Is there a better place to buy these?

Thanks.

I'm using usb-Uirt w/ win7 64bit and I still have lockups. I think I have more lockups in win7 than I did in xp(used firewire method for xp) But I'm also fight the DPC Latecy issue.

[joe123]

Originally Posted by rsagetv99

I have a USB-UIRT already, so if I use that then I won't have the daily locking issues right?.

In Dreams maybe and even then, it's still going to lock up.

Someone already beat me to it, but I was going to say that if the USB-UIRT solved the HDPVR issues I would be all over it, but there are people here using the USB-UIRT and STILL having HDPVR lock ups.

So NO, USB-UIRT is not the key.

[ewelin]

my system was running great for the last 6 months or so.... the int he last 3 days major lockups. I'm talking 2-3 a day, just out of the blue. Last night I said the heck with it and upgraded to v7... woke up this morning... lockup :-( so disappointing!

[ewelin]

Looks like the following thread has more info on v7
http://forums.sagetv.com/forums/show...ighlight=hdpvr

I'm still running 1.0.5.301 so it looks like i'll try updating my driver to the lastest version now... so much fun, definitely not what I planned to do today... I'm suppose to be installing software onto my wife's laptop right now as it's a gift for her birthday tomorrow.... I may have to clone myself to get these two projects done today! Either that, i'll be up most of the night.

[joe123]

Originally Posted by ewelin

my system was running great for the last 6 months or so.... the int he last 3 days major lockups. I'm talking 2-3 a day, just out of the blue. Last night I said the heck with it and upgraded to v7... woke up this morning... lockup :-( so disappointing!

Many of us have tried all of the suggested things here to no avail. The black tape over the IR port, USB NEC card, better airflow, etc, etc, etc.

The one common theme here is that things work great and all of a sudden the HDPVR starts locking up. Why?

The most troubling part for me personally is the lack of support both from Hauppague and also from SageTV. SageTV has come out said that some issues have been fixed in V7 with regards to the HDPVR locking up. But SageTV wont say what they found nor what the fix is. SageTV people actively read our posts but they choose to stay quiet. Hauppauge has now claimed that they found bugs in their software causing issues with the HDPVR stability but they wont release a fix (over a year now).

So here we are, stuck in the middle with two software companies acknowledging issues / bugs but not proving any information as to what exactly is the problem with the HDPVR so that we can help our selfs.

Very disturbing. Very frustrating.

[teedublu]

Is there a good, economical, USB SDef Composite hardware encoder out there? That has a Win764 driver.
I see Hauppauge has a new device, but ......., I want something that works.

That would get me over the hump til this HD-PVR gets resolved.

(I'm temporarily w/o a backplane computer til it gets repaired/rebuilt)

TW

[QueOnda]

SageTV said that the chip inside may be getting hot and causing some lockups. I contacted Haupauge and asked them regarding issues with my ver C3 and told me that I had the latest rev and what ver of 3rd party software I was using. I responded and haven't heard back from them in a week. Wonder if it is a heat problem, what mod could I do. I did put a small house fan on it to see if it would help but it didn't. Maybe cause it's still to hot on the inside (if that indeed is the case).

[joe123]

Originally Posted by QueOnda

SageTV said that the chip inside may be getting hot and causing some lockups. I contacted Haupauge and asked them regarding issues with my ver C3 and told me that I had the latest rev and what ver of 3rd party software I was using. I responded and haven't heard back from them in a week. Wonder if it is a heat problem, what mod could I do. I did put a small house fan on it to see if it would help but it didn't. Maybe cause it's still to hot on the inside (if that indeed is the case).

Although heat issues affect all electronics including the HDPVR, I don't think that this is the issue.

Some here have modified their units with fans and still experiencing lock ups.

[sic0048]

Originally Posted by QueOnda

Wonder if it is a heat problem, what mod could I do. I did put a small house fan on it to see if it would help but it didn't. Maybe cause it's still to hot on the inside (if that indeed is the case).

You can take the grey top off - there are screws located under the padded feet. Some have simply taken the top off, other have replaced the solid grey material with mesh to allow ventilation, still others have fashioned a new top with a computer fan mounted on it to directly cool the chip.

I don't think heat is the cause of all our problems, but I do see a higher frequency of lockups when my unit gets hot.

[QueOnda]

Then maybe we should press Hauppauge. That's the only way to get priority. I have already sent an email. I will send another because they never re-responded to me. I recommend other send email's regarding the lockups.

[joe123]

Originally Posted by QueOnda

Then maybe we should press Hauppauge. That's the only way to get priority. I have already sent an email. I will send another because they never re-responded to me. I recommend other send email's regarding the lockups.

I will continue to email Hauppague although I know it's hopeless.

How about also pressing SageTV to tell us what they discovered and what are they doing in V7 to deal with the HDPVR lockups?

[jerryt]

This is a possible theory, "the HD PVR's firmware is getting corrupted", it would apply when reinstalling the same drivers tends to fix the problem.

[Rico66]

BTW, there is a new driver now on Hauppauge's web site. It's part of the new HD PVR MC package that got released yesterday (http://hauppauge.lightpath.net/softw...beta-28145.zip). The driver carries version number 1.5.6.2. I don't know if it addresses any of the outstanding issues, but it might be worth a try, if you currently have problems.

[jerryt]

Originally Posted by Rico66

BTW, there is a new driver now on Hauppauge's web site. It's part of the new HD PVR MC package that got released yesterday (http://hauppauge.lightpath.net/softw...beta-28145.zip). The driver carries version number 1.5.6.2. I don't know if it addresses any of the outstanding issues, but it might be worth a try, if you currently have problems.

It adds support for the HD PVR in Windows Media Center (Beta).