[wbmccarty]

Now that my latest replacement R15 unit (I had several others last spring) is due in 4-5 days, I'm curious what to expect. Even after the most reset-iest reset possible, my unit continued to have reliability problems (multiple lock ups per day, black-screen recordings, partial recordings, etc.)

Has anyone gone through several R15 units, kept their SLs under 10, done weekly prophylactic RBRs, and minimized use of risky functions (search, auto-record, etc.) only to continue to have basic reliability problems? Can I anticipate the prospect of being the first? Or, will I have company even in the worst case that the replacement is as bad or worse than the original?

Cheers,

 

[raott]

Now that my latest replacement R15 unit (I had several others last spring) is due in 4-5 days, I'm curious what to expect. Even after the most reset-iest reset possible, my unit continued to have reliability problems (multiple lock ups per day, black-screen recordings, partial recordings, etc.)

Has anyone gone through several R15 units, kept their SLs under 10, done weekly prophylactic RBRs, and minimized use of risky functions (search, auto-record, etc.) only to continue to have basic reliability problems? Can I anticipate the prospect of being the first? Or, will I have company even in the worst case that the replacement is as bad or worse than the original?

Cheers,

My first R15 (a 300 model) was crap. It had all the usual issues and I had to RBR all the time. My replacement R15 (a 100 model), has been fairly solid. I have had it for about 3 plus months and have not had to RBR yet. I had one major issue with it, when all of my series links (about 7 of them) stopped recording. After deleting and redoing them, it has worked since.

My initial thought was maybe the 100 models were somehow improved, but others have the 100 model and have the same issues I had with my 300. It appears to be a crapshoot.

The series links for my 300 and 100 model were the same, my hookups were exactly the same, one works and the other didn't, why, I have know idea.

 

[Bobman]

Pretty much swapping out R-15 is a gamble. Most of the problems are in the software but no one has really 100% figured out why some R-15's work well (I have one that is great), and some have lockups, black screen, etc... (I have one like that too).

My well working R-15 I have 43 SL's and about 50% space used and its just fine. Going much higher than 43 SL's and it starts acting up.

 

[wbmccarty]

Hmm, I'd gotten the impression that user satisfaction was getting reasonably high, on average. I figured that meant that, between getting swapped out and downloading new releases, most folks were ending up in pretty good shape. I'm sorry to learn that it's still pretty much a random process.

More accurately, I'm puzzled. It seems to me that failures have to be due to one or more of the following:

1. Site prep issues: signal, temperature, power
2. User behavior: doing some unspecified bad stuff
3. Hardware
4. Software

Software can't be that bad or everyone would be having problems, whereas the majority now report satisfaction. An exception would be if the unhappy folks are doing something (49 SLs?) that other aren't and that the box should, but doesn't, handle. Swaps should handle hardware.

So, either folks aren't swapping out their bad hardware or the differences in satisfaction are attributable to different usage behaviors????

I feel like I'm missing something here....

 

[Wolffpack]

As this is a replacement unit. Make sure it's virgin. Do a DA/REC, do a reset everything, to a guided setup and redownload the software. Make sure you start from scratch as it doesn't seem DTV does this for all units.

 

[wbmccarty]

Good point! I've read reports that some replacements have come with downloaded programs ready-to-view. I think I'll do both types of reset, just as I did with my current unit before requesting (demanding?) the replacement unit.