[cynical2]

I have an HR20-700. We watched TV until about 3AM last night.

This morning, at about 10:00, my wife turned the TV on and received a message from DirecTV saying that new features have been added to the software. She doesn't remember what all of the enhancements were, but my wife says one of the messages said "One Touch Record". Haven't we had that forever?

Even though we received this message, when I go into the menu the software says:
0x254, Tues 7/22
So, I don't know how I could receive enhancements when I've been on the same software for 6 weeks.

Anyways...onto the point. The box came up on the internal HD for some reason. We've had the external drive (750GB Seagate) for almost a year, and it's worked flawlessly. Until today...

I have tried disconnecting the drive, then reconnecting, multiple reboots of the box, etc. But, it continues to come up on the internal drive.

Any ideas?

Could the message we received be something that's stored on the internal drive from last October (that's when we got the eSATA drive)?

Maybe the eSATA connection went bad, so now it boots to the internal drive and gives the old playlist (all recordings shown now are from last Sept/Oct) and the old enhancement message.

Any other thoughts or ways to get this thing working again?

TIA.

 

[K4SMX]

You would likely get this message when first re-booting on the "new" drive. I think it's possible your external drive failed or has otherwise been inadvertently disconnected.

 

[cynical2]

OK, I am going to have to try the external drive on my HR20-100 in the home theater. That'll tell me if the drive is bad or the eSATA interface is bad. I know that the connection is good. I reseated the cable on both ends.

 

[K4SMX]

If you do that and it still works, you'll re-format it and lose all your recordings. It would be better to test it with a PC with an eSATA card.

 

[Guitar Hero]

I'm telling you, all the external HDD problems seem to have started after this software update. It cannot be all these HDDs going bad! My own eHDD worked flawless until mid-late July.

Could it be D* is trying to cash in on those of us who use the external HDD connection? Trying out new software that limits or blocks eHDD access? I wonder how much they'll screw us for the use of the eHDD, this time? $5.99 a month sounds about right, to me, hmmm?

I wouldn't doubt it for a second. If that the case, they can keep their free ShowTime offer and their service. In two months time, I'll have the money back on the eHDD I purchased that sits in my home theater room right now collecting dust.

 

[cynical2]

If you do that and it still works, you'll re-format it and lose all your recordings. It would be better to test it with a PC with an eSATA card.

OK, then I don't want to do that. Thanks for the info.

 

[kikkenit2]

I have 5 HR20-700's, all connected to an assortment of 1TB external enclosures and all work fine with the latest NR. That message was definitely waiting on the internal drive since July. I can swap internal/external just by powering off external enclosure and resetting dvr. If swapping cables doesn't work your external HD or the enclosure itself died. Heat is the main problem for the external. Try upgrading the enclosure next to one with a good fan. If that doesn't work, replace the HD. I think Directv won't officially support this feature because of the potential of losing large libraries.

 

[astayton]

I'm having the same problem. I'm fed up with DTV. My DVR looks up all the time.

 

[Cyrus]

If you do that and it still works, you'll re-format it and lose all your recordings. It would be better to test it with a PC with an eSATA card.

This is not true. It doesn't reformat the the disk. The eSATA can be moved to a different HR2x box. You will see the recordings but they only play back on the original STB.

 

[66stang351]

If you do that and it still works, you'll re-format it and lose all your recordings. It would be better to test it with a PC with an eSATA card.

The eSATA will not reformat when connected to another DVR

OK, then I don't want to do that. Thanks for the info.

This is not true. It doesn't reformat the the disk. The eSATA can be moved to a different HR2x box. You will see the recordings but they only play back on the original STB.

What he said. All your settings and recordings will be there and the settings will function, but you will not be able to watch the recordings as they are tied to the DVR they were recorded on.

 

[Rich]

This is not true. It doesn't reformat the the disk. The eSATA can be moved to a different HR2x box. You will see the recordings but they only play back on the original STB.

Took the words right out of my keyboard. You're correct.

Rich

 

[Rich]

I'm telling you, all the external HDD problems seem to have started after this software update. It cannot be all these HDDs going bad! My own eHDD worked flawless until mid-late July.

Could it be D* is trying to cash in on those of us who use the external HDD connection? Trying out new software that limits or blocks eHDD access? I wonder how much they'll screw us for the use of the eHDD, this time? $5.99 a month sounds about right, to me, hmmm?

I wouldn't doubt it for a second. If that the case, they can keep their free ShowTime offer and their service. In two months time, I'll have the money back on the eHDD I purchased that sits in my home theater room right now collecting dust.

I have seven 20/21s and seven eSATAs and have had no problems. One of the things you want to do is shut off the "circle" immediately after a reboot or installation. If the "circle" is lit after being turned off, you have experienced a reboot or received an NR. At that point, there is a good possibility the eSATA will not be the main HD. A simple hard reboot will solve that.

What model of Cavalry 750 do you have? I have four Cav 750s and they all work correctly and two 2TB Cavs and they both work correctly. There was a time when the Cavalrys were bad and noisy, but I had to get one to work with the 21s and got a new model in January that has been running for months with no problems.

Rich

 

[Rich]

OK, then I don't want to do that. Thanks for the info.

Do it, you won't lose anything and will answer your question about whether it is the eSATA or the DVR.

Rich

 

[K4SMX]

I'll go with those guys on that, then. I've never done it myself. I knew it wouldn't work, but was wrong about the exact details of how it doesn't work. Good luck.

(Thanks Cyrus! Around here, I'm actually surprised it took 12 hours for somebody to correct that bad info. )

 

[Incog-Neato]

Actually it does not reformat it. I too thought it did. I put my HR20-700 drive on an HR20-100 and it saw the old programs (but obviously wouldn't play them) then I put it back on the -700 and it worked fine.

If you do that and it still works, you'll re-format it and lose all your recordings. It would be better to test it with a PC with an eSATA card.

 

[K4SMX]

Anybody else???

< ----- Thump up side of head

 

[66stang351]

Anybody else???

< ----- Thump up side of head

Now you know...and knowing is half the battle. :grin:

 

[Drew2k]

Not directly related, but ... if you don't already have one, think about adding a UPS for the DVR and eSATA enclosure, so you'll avoid having an even momentary power interruption booting the devices out of order.

 

[davemayo]

This just happend to me tonight. My HR20-100 rebooted spontaneously and came back to the internal drive.

Can someone tell me how to force it back to the eSATA drive?

 

[davemayo]

I figured it out and was able to revert it back to the eSATA drive.