Hopper seems excesively loud...all the time

[cdiddy]

So I've actually really been enjoying my recent hopper/joey upgrade for a few weeks now. However, I am a little bit annoyed by the level of noise coming from the Hopper.

I needed to have the Hopper installed in my bedroom, because the TV there doesn't have an HDMI port, so it won't work with the Joeys.

That's not a big deal, at all, in it's own right. However, I find the noise levels emitted by the Hopper to be pretty annoying. Even when it's 'off' the hard drive is constantly seeking/clicking away. And it's not quiet it all. I don't hear any fan noise or anything, it's just the constant clicking from the HDD (I think).

Has anyone else been bothered by the noise? Why doesn't the HDD go idle when no tuners/joeys are in use?

I'm sure I'm a bit hypersensitive because it's in my otherwise silent bedroom. If it were a constant hum from a fan or something, it wouldn't be so bad since it would just be a source of white noise. But because the clicking/seeking sounds is not constant and seems rather inconsistent in how fast it clicks, it sometimes keeps me up if I wake up in the middle of the night to take a leak or whatever.

So, is it me being crazy, is it too loud for anyone else?

 

[KAB]

Just like any hard drive, clicking indicates a serious problem and is on it's way to failure. You should contact a DIRT member for a Hopper replacement. They can be found at the bottom of the Forum page, in RED. Unfortunate it is happening so soon. Do you have it in a well ventilated area?

 

[DustoMan]

I don't know... mine's pretty loud too. -Louder than I remember the 922 being. It's not anything out of the ordinary for a device with a hard drive in it. Just something I've noticed when sitting in the living room with nothing on. Not at a level to be concerned about.

 

[John Kotches]

It's a shame you can't use a Joey in the bedroom -- as that would be perfect.

Is the hopper in a cabinet with poor circulation? Do you have a lot of recordings that are going on in the middle of the night? Even when not "in use", it is active including activities like guide downloads, software updates, recordings, DVR playback for other devices etc.

Not saying that's what this is, but they are all possibilities for the drive clicking.

Cheers,

 

[John Kotches]

Another point to make, the Hopper HD will have at least 1 additional platter and set of heads so it will be somewhat louder out of the box.

 

[cdiddy]

Thanks all for the feedback. Sounds like maybe it's just me being sensitive to it, since I have it in a quiet room.

To be clear, it doesn't sound anything like a sick hard drive sounds. It's just the clicking of the seeking heads that I'm hearing. They just seem louder than normal, and are constantly going. My hopper is not enclosed at all, which means no fan sounds or overheating, but also nothing to block or muffle the clicking noises.

We don't have any late night recordings normally, so it must just be that no matter what, even if the unit is completely 'off' and idle, the HDD is still spinning and working. Could be due to guide updates, etc., but still seems unnecessary.

If it continues to bug me, I'll either A) have a dish tech come listen to it and see if it's louder than it should be, and/or B) use it as a way to convince my wife that we need to upgrade the TV in the bedroom to one that has HDMI, so I can swap the Hopper with one of my Joeys.

Thanks again.

 

[John Kotches]

There are some bargains to be had in the LCD market. Good luck!

 

[pabeader]

carefully cut some foam and make a collar to go around the unit. fill the space from the unit to the edge of the cabinet. NOT all the way back, just an inch or so. should help to dampen the sound and not restrict airflow too badly. watch the temps and if it starts to climb too much then you'll have to remove it. but it might be alright in your application.

 

[dangue]

I have a Hopper in my bedroom and it seems much quieter than my old 722.

 

[n0qcu]

If your TV needs component you could use this to convert the HDMI from a Joey to component for your TV.

 

[gdarwin]

I tried one and the picture was way out of proportion. Couldn't adjust it. Going back.

 

[KAB]

If your TV needs component you could use this to convert the HDMI from a Joey to component for your TV.

I think you meant to post this in different thread.

 

[Jhon69]

Thanks all for the feedback. Sounds like maybe it's just me being sensitive to it, since I have it in a quiet room.

To be clear, it doesn't sound anything like a sick hard drive sounds. It's just the clicking of the seeking heads that I'm hearing. They just seem louder than normal, and are constantly going. My hopper is not enclosed at all, which means no fan sounds or overheating, but also nothing to block or muffle the clicking noises.

We don't have any late night recordings normally, so it must just be that no matter what, even if the unit is completely 'off' and idle, the HDD is still spinning and working. Could be due to guide updates, etc., but still seems unnecessary.

If it continues to bug me, I'll either A) have a dish tech come listen to it and see if it's louder than it should be, and/or B) use it as a way to convince my wife that we need to upgrade the TV in the bedroom to one that has HDMI, so I can swap the Hopper with one of my Joeys.

Thanks again.

Yes you need to convince your wife a 60" LED HDTV is a needed upgrade.

Or you could compromise and say you will go down to a 55".