Bad HDPVR Power supply

[gdippel]

[Vent Mode ON] This is the third power supply that has failed on me during the past 4 years. Is Hauppauge aware of this problem? This is for the original HDPVR model 1212. I can understand that maybe they got an initial bad batch of power supplies, but these are replacements from Hauppauge that are also failing after about 1 year. Maybe they should check with their PS vendor. Fortunately I have a PVR 1850 in my system which I use to get OTA broadcasts. Until the replacement PS arrives I hook up my STB to it via S-Video and analog audio. You don't appreciate HD and Dobly 5.1 until you don't have it. [Vent Mode OFF]

[willieb]

Originally Posted by gdippel

[Vent Mode ON] This is the third power supply that has failed on me during the past 4 years. Is Hauppauge aware of this problem? This is for the original HDPVR model 1212. I can understand that maybe they got an initial bad batch of power supplies, but these are replacements from Hauppauge that are also failing after about 1 year. Maybe they should check with their PS vendor. Fortunately I have a PVR 1850 in my system which I use to get OTA broadcasts. Until the replacement PS arrives I hook up my STB to it via S-Video and analog audio. You don't appreciate HD and Dobly 5.1 until you don't have it. [Vent Mode OFF]

Do some searching for HDPVR power supply on here and there is a great thread about people powering them off of the 5v line on their computer power supply. I bought all the stuff I would need for that (less than 10 bucks- possibly free depending on what you have laying around) and I intend to do it next time one of my PS dies.

[Evil_Attorney]

I thought I would buy 4 of the D-Link power supplies sold on Amazon that also fit the 1212. Two were DOA and the other two couldn't supply enough power to make my units. Performed several exchanges and received more low power and dead power supplies. Gave up and ordered more directly from Hauppauge. I suspect that there are only one or two companies in China that make these and they all cut corners. I am not ready to wire up to my computer's power supply, yet, but there is no doubt that is the best route at this point.

[gdippel]

Got the replacement power supply from Hauppauge. When this one fails in a year I intend to go the "connect to PC power supply" route.

[stuckless]

I replaced about 6 power supplies on 2 HDPVRs... I've ONLY ever re-ordered from Hauppage directly, so I don't really think their supplies are much better than the generic ones

I eventually did run power from my computer's power supply and It's been solid, so far... Although only been a couple months.

[wayner]

Why do these power supplies have a failure rate of something like 50% (meaning that in 2 years every one is likely to fail). What makes the different than other power supplies? They are pulling 2A but that isn't ridiculously high compared to every other similar device in your house.

[stuckless]

Originally Posted by wayner

Why do these power supplies have a failure rate of something like 50% (meaning that in 2 years every one is likely to fail). What makes the different than other power supplies? They are pulling 2A but that isn't ridiculously high compared to every other similar device in your house.

My guess... is that while power supplies are rated for 5V if you hook up a test meter to it it's likely not always 5V (but close). My bet is the HDPVR is likely very sensitive to fluctuations in power and maybe sometimes the power supplies might dip below the tolerance level and cause the HDPVR to fail. PC power supplies are more likely to give consistent power ouput, even though it might not be exactly 5V, it's likely to be consistently very close.

In the cases where my HDPVR power supply has failed, it's not dead. It's just that when they fail, I start to get 1 our 3 to 4 recordings will get a HALT. If I test it, it will show approx 5v... but my guess is that under load it can't sustain it.

That's my theory.

[BobPhoenix]

Originally Posted by stuckless

My guess... is that while power supplies are rated for 5V if you hook up a test meter to it it's likely not always 5V (but close). My bet is the HDPVR is likely very sensitive to fluctuations in power and maybe sometimes the power supplies might dip below the tolerance level and cause the HDPVR to fail. PC power supplies are more likely to give consistent power ouput, even though it might not be exactly 5V, it's likely to be consistently very close.

In the cases where my HDPVR power supply has failed, it's not dead. It's just that when they fail, I start to get 1 our 3 to 4 recordings will get a HALT. If I test it, it will show approx 5v... but my guess is that under load it can't sustain it.

That's my theory.

I think your theory is completely accurate. I'm hoping to switch my HDPVRs to computer supplied power in the near future. Just have to find some old power bricks to cut up.

[wayner]

You can also buy the barrel plugs pretty cheaply on Amazon, ebay, etc.

[waynedunham]

I bought 2 of these for my 2 HDPVRs in 2015 when my 2nd set of Hauppauge PSs started crapping out.
They've been running 24/7/365 just 1 month shy of 2 years now.

[EnterNoEscape]

If you read enough professional reviews about "cheap" switching power supplies, you'll find the biggest issues are that they simply do not actually output their specified voltage stably at their specified amperage. Also partly due to the quality of the components or over-stressing of them over time, the stable amperage drops off too. Over time all power supplies start to perform worse. That's one reason why it doesn't really pay to buy a computer power supply that's exactly what your computer needs because you'll likely be replacing it in a year. I have to assume the HD-PVR is operating at the limits of the power supply since they fail so quickly. Based on knowing that, my guess would be if you bought a power supply that was twice the amperage of the old one, you might actually get a good amount of life out of it. If I was dealing with this today, I would likely just use the computer power supply as has been suggested by many users.