Thread: VIP 722 DVR HD Failure

First of all I found this forum while looking for info about why the dvr functions on my 722 just stopped. Great info here will be checking it out regularly from now on.
Seems that my 722 had a HD failure. This is the second DVR HD failure I have experienced in the past 18 months. Seems odd as I have HD's in computers that have been working for many times longer than that. So I am wondering if this is common and if so is Dish doing anything about it?
I have been resisting paying the one time fee to use an external drive (I personally think it is a rip off), but I guess I will now do it as we have now lost shows we DVR'd that we like to rewatch, as well as stuff we hasven't gotten too, for the second time....
On a seperate note this is a leased box, I can't for the life of me figure out why I should have to pay the fee for "insurance", can't get a "good" explanation from dish either
Oh well again great forum

Ross

PS new receiver should be here later in week just sucks as we have several shows we like to dvr on Sunday and Tuesday. Watching them on the web isn't the same....

I expect dish will send me a refurbished 722 to replace the unit i have with the dead HD. Is it worth it to call back and have them send me the 722k instead? Is the increased functionality of the remotes really worth it? We don't have an antenna so OTA isn't an issue, although I have been contemplating getting one so we can watch HD locals on other tv's in the house.

Ross

with the 722K and a antenna you can record 4 things at once, 2 from sat and 2 from OTA

DVR use is hard on hard drives, never move receiver unless its completely powered off

Ross,

If you get the k, you'll lose the Svideo output (if you use it at all). Also the k's are based on the same hardware chipset as the new 922's are and if they bring any features down it would be to the k's before any others. I'd also expect the k's to outlive in the product line the normal x22's as this chipset seems to be the now norm and development will slew toward it. But I wouldn't get a K solely based on that. There is no expectation at all that they will support any of the 922 functions in the k series because they want you to upgrade. But, an example of the above is that the new SRS TruSound will be supported on the 722k before any other legacy receiver including the 722.

On the HD failure issue, take a look around for a very long thread on hard drive temperatures in this forum. The VIP's are not very well engineered as to air flow and cooling they run very hot. If you have your unit in any type of enclosure then that will just exasperate the problem.

I have 3 VIP's and all 3 of them have a ThermalTake USB fan cooler sitting against the exhaust area (the left rear side, looking from the front) of all the unit sucking air out.

[ame="http://www.amazon.com/Thermaltake-Mobile-Fan-External-Cooling/dp/B00080G0BK/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=electronics&qid=1258298650&sr=8-1"]Amazon.com: Thermaltake Mobile Fan II External USB Cooling Fan - Us: Electronics@@AMEPARAM@@http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51qK1C-adTL.@@AMEPARAM@@51qK1C-adTL[/ame]

All 3 of the VIP's now are actually cool to the touch, have internal HD temps (Menu-6-3-Counters-4 page downs) below 110 deg F. If you've have 2 failures and any of the above I really recommend supplemental cooling.

Also, the EHD option is great if you have have recordings that you simply cannot afford to lose. I have 4 EHD's on my shelf that I just move the USB cable between. Concerts/Music, Movies, TV Shows/Series, Other( Documentaries, Specials, News, etc). If I record a movie that I want to keep (I.E. I just recorded the new Australia premiere on HBO yesterday) I immediately move it to the EHD and then watch it from the EHD when I want.

This way I keep the internal drives as clean as I can and also have the least to lose on a failure. Also, it's nice to have the free space on the drive as the only way you can migrate shows from one EHD to another is to restore to the primary drive and then dump again to the new EHD.

Originally Posted by Bob Haller

with the 722K and a antenna you can record 4 things at once, 2 from sat and 2 from OTA

DVR use is hard on hard drives, never move receiver unless its completely powered off

Thanks for the response. Had to move the the entertainment unit away from the wall (it is on casters) to un plug. Other than that knowing there is a HD that is constantly in use in side I wouldn't intentionally move it while it is on.! Thanks for the advice.
I can see that DVR use is tough on an HD but this is the second unit to die on us since we moved up to DVR and HD a couple of years ago maybe three? We had a 622 about a year may be a bit longer and when that died they sent us the 722, now it died.
Oh well we shall see how long the next one lasts!

Ross

Originally Posted by bookworm370

Ross,

If you get the k, you'll lose the Svideo output (if you use it at all). Also the k's are based on the same hardware chipset as the new 922's are and if they bring any features down it would be to the k's before any others. I'd also expect the k's to outlive in the product line the normal x22's as this chipset seems to be the now norm and development will slew toward it. But I wouldn't get a K solely based on that. There is no expectation at all that they will support any of the 922 functions in the k series because they want you to upgrade. But, an example of the above is that the new SRS TruSound will be supported on the 722k before any other legacy receiver including the 722.

On the HD failure issue, take a look around for a very long thread on hard drive temperatures in this forum. The VIP's are not very well engineered as to air flow and cooling they run very hot. If you have your unit in any type of enclosure then that will just exasperate the problem.

I have 3 VIP's and all 3 of them have a ThermalTake USB fan cooler sitting against the exhaust area (the left rear side, looking from the front) of all the unit sucking air out.


Amazon.com: Thermaltake Mobile Fan II External USB Cooling Fan - Us: Electronics

All 3 of the VIP's now are actually cool to the touch, have internal HD temps (Menu-6-3-Counters-4 page downs) below 110 deg F. If you've have 2 failures and any of the above I really recommend supplemental cooling.

Also, the EHD option is great if you have have recordings that you simply cannot afford to lose. I have 4 EHD's on my shelf that I just move the USB cable between. Concerts/Music, Movies, TV Shows/Series, Other( Documentaries, Specials, News, etc). If I record a movie that I want to keep (I.E. I just recorded the new Australia premiere on HBO yesterday) I immediately move it to the EHD and then watch it from the EHD when I want.

This way I keep the internal drives as clean as I can and also have the least to lose on a failure. Also, it's nice to have the free space on the drive as the only way you can migrate shows from one EHD to another is to restore to the primary drive and then dump again to the new EHD.

Thanks for the info. When the 622 died I had thought about doing something to increase the air flow in the ET unit enclosure but procrastinated. The longer I procrastinated, with no negative result the more I procrastinated. i'm sure you see the cycle. In any event not this time.

The answer may be obvious but does the USB port on the VIP have power even if it is not activated for the EHD? And if you are using an EHD can you attach a hub to to the VIP so your fan and EHD are operating at the same time?

Ross

Originally Posted by R0ss

The answer may be obvious but does the USB port on the VIP have power even if it is not activated for the EHD? And if you are using an EHD can you attach a hub to to the VIP so your fan and EHD are operating at the same time?

Ross

Yup on both. You can even use a USB power tap as well. The only restriction is that if you use an EHD and use a 'powered' <- hub you can only plug in one EHD at a time to the hub or the receiver as E* doesn't support multiple EHD's on the USB bus. You have to unplug one EHD, wait for it to say device disconnected, then plug in the new one and wait again for the receiver to recognize the new HD.

Originally Posted by bookworm370

Yup on both. You can even use a USB power tap as well. The only restriction is that if you use an EHD and use a 'powered' <- hub you can only plug in one EHD at a time to the hub or the receiver as E* doesn't support multiple EHD's on the USB bus. You have to unplug one EHD, wait for it to say device disconnected, then plug in the new one and wait again for the receiver to recognize the new HD.

Thanks

Ross

Just wanted to say thanks for the info and advice! I tried checking for temps but there were none listed. I guess the temps must come from the HD so if it is dead no reading.
The replacement 722 had already shipped or was in the pipeline to ship by the time I called back so I guess once I have a working unit in place again I will see about the up grade to a 722k. I like the idea of being able to record the OTA programming. That will certainly help out on Sundays when there are several "network" shows that both my wife and I like to watch. We often have to make critical decisions as to which sho is dvr'd, and of course it is really tough during baseball season.....


Ross