HD-PVR 1212 Unrecognized - SOLVED!

[rdowling]

My HD-PVR has been good to me over the last several years. Unlike others, I had to restart it no more than once a quarter on average. A few days ago, it seemed to have bit the dust with the dreaded "Unrecognized Device" error from Windows. I tried a new USB cord and got the same result. Different Windows machine, same result. I measured the voltage of the power supply and got a solid 5.2 volts. (5V rated) Well, the tuner is toast, I thought, so I opened it to look for signs of the magic smoke escaping and put it on the garage trash heap when I found nothing obvious.

Fortunately, I had one last thought a few hours later and decided to (with it already disassembled) measure the power supply voltage with it attached and powered-on. Instead of the previous respectable 5.2V, the power supply only put out a meager 3.6V under load. Hopeful, I found an old Roku power supply and plugged it in. My test laptop immediately started searching for drivers and I was back in business!

I'm sure many of these things die from some board-level failure, but don't immediately count them out because they're unrecognized, even if the power supply tests ok separately. If you want to try your HD-PVR with another supply, be sure to use one rated for 5V (assuming it's a 1212) and the same or greater amperage as the original. (Sticking with the original voltage is critical. The amperage can be higher.) Check the polarity as well (the 1212 is positive-center) and I'd also strongly recommend testing the voltage of the replacement candidate since many poorly-designed bricks can vary wildly from the label. Best of luck!

[wayner]

I have seen the same thing - just because the PS test at 5V with no load doesn't really mean anything. I have gone through several PSes on each of my HD-PVRs.

[dstanley]

I have been through more power supplies than I can to count - the amperage is also critical on these wall warts.
Finding a good quality transformer sure helps - almost all of my HD-PVR problems have been related to the power supplies.

[KryptoNyte]

Long standing problem. We generally direct folks back to this thread where one user wires the power directly to the computer's power supply, eliminating the routine problem.

https://forums.sagetv.com/forums/showthread.php?t=62284

[patja]

To go off on a tangent, I wonder sometimes when we will start re-wiring homes for DC power distribution rather than having a dozen plus devices plugged in with wall warts. I have a sailboat and have gradually weaned myself of my AC-DC power inverter by eliminating wall warts, wiring them direct to the boat's 12V DC system (some with with DC voltage regulators dropping it to 5V). You have to worry about voltage drop with longer runs though which I guess is the killer. But how nice would it be to just have jacks in every room capable of sourcing 5V or 12V at up to say 10 amps (which is common throughout my boat) and no wall warts.

[wbarber69]

Originally Posted by patja

To go off on a tangent, I wonder sometimes when we will start re-wiring homes for DC power distribution rather than having a dozen plus devices plugged in with wall warts. I have a sailboat and have gradually weaned myself of my AC-DC power inverter by eliminating wall warts, wiring them direct to the boat's 12V DC system (some with with DC voltage regulators dropping it to 5V). You have to worry about voltage drop with longer runs though which I guess is the killer. But how nice would it be to just have jacks in every room capable of sourcing 5V or 12V at up to say 10 amps (which is common throughout my boat) and no wall warts.

If i ran all the things i have on wall warts off one power supply, it would need to produce at least 12v and about 300amps. 3600W isn't unfeasible but its kind of expensive.