HR20-100 doa after 3 days?

[xxmattnxx]

Longer post for a short question, I just wanted to get the whole story on paper. If you like the short version, skip down.

So, I just bearly got my HDDVR installed last thursday (gift for my fathers 49th birthday). While getting it all set up the installer mentions that the HD-DVR's arn't exactly perfect machines. As a matter of a fact, he flat out explains that they are "pieces of (insert your own word here)". I asked him what he meant by that, because I was concerned about the picture. He explained it has nothing to do with the picture, just that the recievers have about a 50% exchange/swap rate. I appreciate the honesty and finishes up and on his way. Pretty good install so I think nothing of it.

Monday night my parents complain that the reciever keeps "blanking out", which I just dismiss as my parents not knowing what their doing when they are changing channels. I come home and watch a few shows and fall asleep, when I woke up at about 2 am I notice the screen is blanking back and fourth from black to green. I tried to power it off a few times, but to no avail. So I tried the trusty old red reset button. Nothing.... So i unplug it for 20 minutes and still nothing.



***Short version****

.... I've only had the HR20-100 for 3 days and its already stopped working. Is this normal for this model? I've heard alot of talk about the 700 series providing better results...

How does DTV handle the replacement of these items?

Thanks in advance. Any advice is greatly appreciated.

 

[iwc5893]

Did the installer update the software when he configured the receiver? This has fixed most of those problems.

 

[xxmattnxx]

he didn't force any updates, but it did upgrade itself...

 

[iwc5893]

What are your signal strengths on each sat, and which channels are you having problems on?

 

[xxmattnxx]

thats just the thing... its not on specific channels. Its a reciever issue. The reciever no longer powers up.... So my question is not so much geared towards troubleshooting and more towards finding out if I need to request a different box or all the HDDVR's crap like the installer said.

 

[iceturkee]

a word for you, the hr20-100's are notorious for being bad out of the box. i had one burn in less than a day. the tech told me, if they are going to go bad, it will be within a day or two. if you make it a week or more, you are okay.

 

[ONUOsFan]

thats just the thing... its not on specific channels. Its a reciever issue. The reciever no longer powers up.... So my question is not so much geared towards troubleshooting and more towards finding out if I need to request a different box or all the HDDVR's crap like the installer said.

I've got two HR20-700's and haven't had any problems with either.

 

[iceturkee]

its only the 100's they are having major problems with. if you have a 700, you shouldn't be concerned. unless, of course, you have a problem.

 

[schneid]

a word for you, the hr20-100's are notorious for being bad out of the box. i had one burn in less than a day. the tech told me, if they are going to go bad, it will be within a day or two. if you make it a week or more, you are okay.

Keeping my fingers crossed. Six hours to go for one week.

 

[xxmattnxx]

well i called directv and of course they offered me a refurbished unit. I'm only 3 days into a new unit and they offer me a refurbished?! thats crazy, i work for a cell phone company and not even we would stoop that low.....

 

[HDhysteria]

it's very easy,,, you are new correct? if so, you have 30 days to cancel. Tell them, it's a new unit or bye bye. I think you will see they will cave in. The biggest problem I have with D* is that by their own way of handling problems they create customers that need to b*tch to get it correct.

 

[ONUOsFan]

well i called directv and of course they offered me a refurbished unit. I'm only 3 days into a new unit and they offer me a refurbished?! thats crazy, i work for a cell phone company and not even we would stoop that low.....

From what I understand it's just luck of the draw if you didn't get one in the first place. They're leased receivers, which pretty much means they can give you whatever they see fit. I'm sure boxes people are getting from cable companies have been in someone else's house before, too...

Unless, of course, you complain about it and they give you something different...

 

[iwc5893]

it's very easy,,, you are new correct? if so, you have 30 days to cancel. Tell them, it's a new unit or bye bye. I think you will see they will cave in. The biggest problem I have with D* is that by their own way of handling problems they create customers that need to b*tch to get it correct.

I've seen a lot of people say this, but I am wondering what your source is. Everything I've read on the Lease Agreement and Customer Agreement does NOT give you a 30 day window to cancel without penalty.

Please cite your source for the 30 day window to cancel.

 

[iceturkee]

lets get to the original problem the op stated. he received a bad hr20-100. they go bad and they go bad within a week. its a flaw of the dvr. its a leased receiver. he needs to tell directv and they will replace. it wasn't an install problem. unless, he wants to cancel his service without penalty, there really isn't a need.