HR20-700 Problems with hard drive

**Doug Brott** · 11-03-09, 11:10 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by richierich

Well, that is Great Info Mister Houskamp or as I refer to you as the Kitty Guy!!! So that explains that they changed the way they store the software probably because of these problems.

Uh .. Nothing has been changed. The process that you described is something that TiVo did and AFAIK still does (haven't looked in a few years now). DIRECTV loads the firmware into a temporary flash location, then verifies the integrity of the firmware and then moves it to the default flash location and restarts the receiver. All of the "stuff" is in memory. All of the programming and internal log information is kept on disk, but it does not change during a restart or new download. It's been that way since the beginning.

richierich · 11-03-09, 11:45 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by cptpez

I have been experiencing the same problem with my HR20-700 and esata FAP750 since last thursday - when the new software version was updated. The receiver will reboot each night and revert to the internal drive. This has been happening at least once per day since thursday - typically while receiver was in standby overnight. I began leaving the reciver on - but It still results in a reboot/reversion to internal drive.

Should i try a new external drive and start over. If I do - will this proplem persist?

Sometimes with an external hard drive the eSATA takes a little more time to do it's thing so the HR20-700 detects no activity at the eSATA Port and decides that there is no eSATA drive attached so it reverts to the Internal Hard Drive. The problem is that the eSATA controller takes a little too much time before it is completely fired up and therefore the HR20-700 thinks it has no eSATA drive and defaults to the internal drive.

That is the way it was explained to me.

You will lose your ability to watch the recordings on another DVR (even though you can see that they are there) as they are tied via Serial Number on the DVR to those recordings. We wish Directv would change this so we could play our recordings on another DVR but it may never happen.

Windward · 11-03-09, 12:18 PM

I am also having the same problems described earlier by jmeade, coastsider, and cptpez. I also have the H20-700 with Seagate esata FAP750 drive; the H20-700 is about 3 years old, the Seagate HD is nearly 2 years old. I had no problems with it for at least several months and suddenly last week after the new code was installed, the DVR reboots and switches to the internal drive every night. If I don't reboot to make the Esata drive the primary, the DVR does not reboot during the nite.

I think there are too many of us suddenly seeing the same issue with the same hardware to make this just a coincidence, or a drive problem.

Coastsider · 11-03-09, 02:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Windward

I think there are too many of us suddenly seeing the same issue with the same hardware to make this just a coincidence, or a drive problem.

Can I hear an amen?

**Doug Brott** · 11-03-09, 02:48 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Windward

I think there are too many of us suddenly seeing the same issue with the same hardware to make this just a coincidence, or a drive problem.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Coastsider

Can I hear an amen?

I'm not saying this isn't the case, but I would like to remind everyone that eSATA is not an officially supported feature from DIRECTV. They make that very clear on this page.

CCarncross · 11-03-09, 02:56 PM

Hopefully everyone remembers that age is becoming a factor as well. HD Failures will begin to increase as these things age.

mogulman · 11-03-09, 02:57 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Doug Brott

I'm not saying this isn't the case, but I would like to remind everyone that eSATA is not an officially supported feature from DIRECTV. They make that very clear on this page.

Actually.. I totally disagree. By officially posting the information on how to do it, they are officially supporting it. They even recommend certain models.

Just because they put a disclaimer at the bottom of their page means nothing. Except that it gives them a pretty sad loophole that their CSRs will use to not help people with issues.

**Doug Brott** · 11-03-09, 03:03 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mogulman

Actually.. I totally disagree. By officially posting the information on how to do it, they are officially supporting it. They even recommend certain models.

Just because they put a disclaimer at the bottom of their page means nothing. Except that it gives them a pretty sad loophole that their CSRs will use to not help people with issues.

The page went up in June .. The FAP in question is not on the list.

cptpez · 11-03-09, 03:13 PM

I am not knocking directv, and I am aware that the external drive option is taken at my own risk.

That said, something with the update has placed us in this problem. That doesn't mean the update is faulty - just that it has exposed some other problem. Perhaps my 2 year old FAP was too full and is now reacting in such a way that the receiver stops reconizing it after a few hours. i simply do not know.

Coastsider · 11-03-09, 03:14 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mogulman

Actually.. I totally disagree. By officially posting the information on how to do it, they are officially supporting it. They even recommend certain models.

Just because they put a disclaimer at the bottom of their page means nothing. Except that it gives them a pretty sad loophole that their CSRs will use to not help people with issues.

And the built in hard drive diagnostics let you chose between internal and external drives, so therein lies implicit permission to use the eSATA functionality. I think the recent software upgrade has now rendered the FAP 750G a marginal drive for eSATA use whether or not it is functioning properly just the way some eSATA combo's just won't work at all with the HR20 software. Of course if they broke it, they should be able to fix it.

**Doug Brott** · 11-03-09, 03:39 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Coastsider

And the built in hard drive diagnostics let you chose between internal and external drives, so therein lies implicit permission to use the eSATA functionality. I think the recent software upgrade has now rendered the FAP 750G a marginal drive for eSATA use whether or not it is functioning properly just the way some eSATA combo's just won't work at all with the HR20 software. Of course if they broke it, they should be able to fix it.

Implicit "permission to use" does not mean that it is supported. As for "fixing" it, they may or may not. Remember, the FAP isn't even on the list of recommended eSATAs.

**Stuart Sweet** · 11-03-09, 03:51 PM

In fact, it seems to me that I've heard more complaints about the FAP on this forum than any other drive.

pigskins · 11-03-09, 04:01 PM

Since the software update I have been experiencing all kinds of problems with my HR20-700, and I do not have an external drive attached. This DVR is exactly how it was when I got it from D*.

Most if not all recorded shows stutter during playback (audio).
When watching live TV if I try to rewind, then hit play, it's unwatchable due to stuttering audio and video. If I then press Pause and wait a bit, it plays back ok temporarily as if it's a buffering issue.
The system has become very slow, responding to remote key presses (guide, list, etc.).
Twice it has stopped responding to the remote.

On the other hand, my HR21 in the bedroom does not have these issues, however, within the past 2-3 weeks it has started chattering away like crazy. Sometimes the hard drive's reading/writing wakes us up!! It's not that it has gotten louder, it's that it's accessing like it's on speed.

mogulman · 11-03-09, 04:17 PM

BTW... I have a WD eSata drive with an Antec enclosure. It is working fine with the new software.

I did have a problem about 3 months ago. Took the drive out and did some diagnostics. SMART showed that connectivity over the eSata port was flaky. This happened about 3 times over a month or so. I would check the drive.. run diagnostics on my PC and do so minor repair. SMART always said some kind of eSata connectivity thing.

Finally.. I came to found out that the woman who cleans our place was moving around all the components in the Home Theater Cabinet every 2 weeks, so she could dust. It was causing connectivity issues with the cable.

Have you tried taking the drive off the DVR and running some diagnostics on it from seagate?

Coastsider · 11-03-09, 04:34 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Doug Brott

Implicit "permission to use" does not mean that it is supported. As for "fixing" it, they may or may not. Remember, the FAP isn't even on the list of recommended eSATAs.

Sadly you are likely correct in your supposition. I guess my wife and I will just have to have some viewing marathons to clear the FAP of the programming we want to see and then I'll go shopping for an eSATA drive on DirecTV's recommended but not supported list. An oxymoron by definition.

cygnusloop · 11-03-09, 05:45 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Stuart Sweet

In fact, it seems to me that I've heard more complaints about the FAP on this forum than any other drive.

I wonder if that is only because there is a very large installed base among users here. IIRC, the FAP750 was the "go to" drive when the eSATA port was initially enabled. And, because of that, there are more, older FAPs running. Just a thought...

GregLee · 11-03-09, 07:02 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Coastsider

Can I hear an amen?

No, I have HR20-700 and Seagate FAP 750GB, but I have not seen that problem with 036A or 036F. I did have a problem losing some recorded programs, but I don't think that is connected.

CCarncross · 11-03-09, 09:35 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by cygnusloop

I wonder if that is only because there is a very large installed base among users here. IIRC, the FAP750 was the "go to" drive when the eSATA port was initially enabled. And, because of that, there are more, older FAPs running. Just a thought...

The FAP was cheap and convenient....Personally I bought an Antec MX-1 and 500GB WD right off the bat, cost a little more but I never ever had an issue with it...

fprzybyla · 11-04-09, 07:11 AM

I've experienced the same issue with my Seagate Free Agent extreme 1.5TB unit. DTV says to reformat external drive by diconnecting the HR. Tried this and still defaults to internal drive. I did not however, turn off the Free Agent first. Will try this evening. DTV has been less then helpful and points back to the hard drive manufacturer. They broke it and should fix the problem as too many of us are experiencing the same issue.

Coastsider · 11-04-09, 09:46 AM

No reboot Monday night and HR-700/FAP750 worked all day yesterday allowing my wife and I to clear some of the "must see" programming, but this morning as I was leaving for work I noticed the telltale bright blue LED's indicating another overnight reboot and likely loss of eSATA connectivity. I'll continue to remount the thing with my usual method until there is nothing left to see and will then install the DirecTV "recommended" WD 1T drive that I just ordered from Amazon. Not a bad price either and some additional storage space to boot. I'll just use the FAP on my computer where I'm sure it will continue to work just fine.

The older Seagate 500G drive on my other HR-700 continues to cruise along unaffected. I don't remember the model number but it's one of the Seagate eSATA's in the grey "fat" enclosure so I guess this problem is exclusive to Seagate's Free Agent line of drives.

This forum is certainly the go-to place when DirecTV problems arise and I very much appreciate all of the comments and suggestions in this thread since I joined in the fray a couple of days ago, whether they agreed with me or not. Having been a frequent poster in the past but absent for some time because things have just been going swimmingly DVR-wise, I'll have to stop by more often now that I have been reacquainted.