Registered: Jan 2001
Location: Sunnyvale, CA, USA
Posts: 420

How many have had a drive failure?

I have had two TiVo units (a DSR6000 and a HDR612) both suffer drive failure.

I am not looking for rants or complaints. So please don't respond if that is what you plan to do.

I'm curious if it is a statistical fluke that both of my TiVo's have suffered drive failure, or is this something we will come to expect from PVR's as they age?

Brett

------------------
Experience is the one thing you get, right after you need it.

TiVo doesn't make the content, TiVo makes the content better.
That's my opinion, and I strongly agree with it.

POST #1 | Report this post to a moderator | IP: Logged

Registered: Feb 2001
Location: San Jose, CA
Posts: 261

Not me. Orig. 30 gig Quantum and IBM 75 gig 75GXP is still fine.

------------------
Sony hacked SA w/124 hours, 2.5.1-01-1-010

POST #2 | Report this post to a moderator | IP: Logged

Registered: Oct 1999
Location: Littleton, CO, US
Posts: 438

Probability of the TiVo HD failure is 1 in 34 in any given year. Probability of both of your TiVos to fail in a same year is 1 in 10,000. But as you know some people win the lottery or Lexus with much lesser chance. Just consider yourself unlucky.

POST #3 | Report this post to a moderator | IP: Logged

Registered: Jan 2001
Location: Sunnyvale, CA, USA
Posts: 420

Philips wants $100 to repair the HDR612. It is still in the first year warranty, but out of the 90 day labor. So labor is a flat $100 to 'exchange' the unit.

The HDR612 came up with a screen I doubt that many have seen:

A green screen that starts with:
A severe error has occurred.

And the rest says to leave the receiver plugged in for the next 24 hours while the unit attempts to repair itself.

I had hoped that when the video was freezing that it was a software glitch, but I have come to accept that it is another drive failure.

My second. Guess I will go buy some lottery tickets...

Brett
The Happy Lab Rat



------------------
Experience is the one thing you get, right after you need it.

TiVo doesn't make the content, TiVo makes the content better.
That's my opinion, and I strongly agree with it.

POST #4 | Report this post to a moderator | IP: Logged

Registered: Oct 2000
Location: Chicago, IL
Posts: 1

We're a three Tivo household (two T60s and one SVR2000) and, knocking on wood, have had no drive problems with any of them.

This does bring up a question I'm curious about, though. If one of my drives craps out, can I make lemonade out of my lemon by hacking in a new drive (maybe a larger drive)?

From my perusal of the Underground forum, the Hinsdale method doesn't require necessarily copying your existing drive.

If one of my T60s craters, could I utilize my other T60 for any file copying required onto a new compatible hard drive? Or is it all available via download from one of the Tivo hack sites?

If my SVR 2000 dies, as I don't have another in house to use as a master, can I download the necessary vitals from a Tivo hack site to a new compatible hard drive I purchase?

Thanks for any feedback-

------------------
-Slimm

POST #5 | Report this post to a moderator | IP: Logged

Registered: Not Yet
Location:
Posts: N/A

My Philips 20hr had its HD fail after about six months...I got it replaced under a BB service plan (Philips wanted $100 to replace it under its factory warranty). Since then, no problems.

POST #6 | Report this post to a moderator | IP: Logged

Registered: Jan 2001
Location: Sunnyvale, CA, USA
Posts: 420

I did not get the 'store' warranty.

But looking back, a store warranty may be a good deal as PVR units age...

------------------
Experience is the one thing you get, right after you need it.

TiVo doesn't make the content, TiVo makes the content better.
That's my opinion, and I strongly agree with it.

POST #7 | Report this post to a moderator | IP: Logged

Registered: Sep 2000
Location: Clearwater, FL
Posts: 23

My SAT-T60 hard drive started occasionally making really horrific noises, coupled with freezes on-screen, followed by a reboot. The frequency of these noises increased over a short time.

I powered it down, took out the drive, and managed to perform a 1:1 backup onto a new drive without it failing.

Thank goodness I didn't have to send it back to Sony Repair. Oh, wait, this was a drive from Sony Repair.

POST #8 | Report this post to a moderator | IP: Logged

Registered: Jul 2000
Location:
Posts: 1902

quote:

---

Originally posted by samo:
Probability of the TiVo HD failure is 1 in 34 in any given year. Probability of both of your TiVos to fail in a same year is 1 in 10,000.

---

POST #9 | Report this post to a moderator | IP: Logged

Registered: Apr 2000
Location: Twin Cities, MN
Posts: 570

quote:

---

Originally posted by samo:
Probability of the TiVo HD failure is 1 in 34 in any given year. Probability of both of your TiVos to fail in a same year is 1 in 10,000. But as you know some people win the lottery or Lexus with much lesser chance. Just consider yourself unlucky.

---

POST #10 | Report this post to a moderator | IP: Logged

Registered: Sep 2001
Location: Fountain Valley CA USA
Posts: 0

Instead of winning the lotto I've had 3 yes, I typed it in correct, 3 times I've had to ship my TIVO back to be replaced because the drive went bad in less than 1 year. I have not abused the units at all. Nobody touches them and I have the machine and the telephone going through Monster‘s best Home Theater surge suppressor. Actually, TIVO once sent me a 20 hour TIVO instead of the 30 hour unit I sent in to be replaced for a total of 4 times I have had to send TIVOs back to Philips. If I hadn’t already paid for a life time subscription I would have throw it in the trash! At first I was telling everyone about what an incredible product it is but I can’t say that anymore.

POST #11 | Report this post to a moderator | IP: Logged

Registered: Apr 2000
Location: Carson City, Nevada
Posts: 3744

My Dad's TiVo just recently died due to hard drive failure. However personally I have 3 TiVos which are all over a year old (one is almost two years old) and I have never once had a problem with any of them. My Sister has had her TiVo for a little over a year, and it to has been problem free.

Dan

------------------
Moderator: TiVo Coffee House, Help Center & Happy Hour
3 <FONT face="Arial">PHILIPS</FONT f> <FONT face="Comic Sans MS"><FONT COLOR="FF3300">T</FONT c><FONT COLOR="00CC99">i</FONT c><FONT COLOR="FF9900">V</FONT c><FONT COLOR="6666FF">o</FONT c></FONT f>s running 2.5.1

POST #12 | Report this post to a moderator | IP: Logged

Registered: Nov 2000
Location: Los Angeles, CA
Posts: 10

My SATT60 drive failed after 11 months.

Stuttering, then freezes, then reboots then death.

Took it back to Good Guys, got it back in 5 weeks.

POST #13 | Report this post to a moderator | IP: Logged

Registered: Dec 2001
Location: Inverness, IL 60067
Posts: 17

Would it then be wise to remove and make a backup of the hard drive as soon as it's purchased? Or as soon as it is out of warranty?

MIKE

POST #14 | Report this post to a moderator | IP: Logged

Registered: Not Yet
Location:
Posts: N/A

My 1st TiVo's HD went bad about 2 months after I bought it. I shipped it back and got a replacement (which I'm sure was a refurb) and its HD went bad about 13 months later. I ended up buying a hacked drive from someone off of the forum and replaced it myself. Been about 4 months with no problems yet.

------------------
-Wahoo

POST #15 | Report this post to a moderator | IP: Logged

Registered: Oct 1999
Location: Littleton, CO, US
Posts: 438

quote:

---

Why isn't the probability of two failing 1 in 34 squared?

---

Because it was late night and I was very tired after completing major section of my code.
Correct number is 1 over 34 squared or 1 in 1156. Sorry.

quote:

---

But please do not spread misinformation!

---

And I don't. Here http://www.avsforum.com/ubbtivo/For...L/006238-3.html
Tivolutionary states this number and here http://www.avsforum.com/ubbtivo/For...L/006238-4.html
he provides this reference http://news.cnet.com/news/0-1006-200-5902860.html
and I verify his statement by my own calculations.
As a general rule my posts are accurate and if they are not I always correct the errors.

POST #16 | Report this post to a moderator | IP: Logged

Registered: Mar 2000
Location: Valencia, Ca
Posts: 221

quote:

---

Would it then be wise to remove and make a backup of the hard drive as soon as it's purchased? Or as soon as it is out of warranty?

---

POST #17 | Report this post to a moderator | IP: Logged

Registered: Dec 2001
Location: Inverness, IL 60067
Posts: 17

If your hard drive fails out of warranty, can you just add a new one? How will you get the data onto the new drive? I thought you need to copy the data from th eorigional first, or is this info available for download?

Thanks

MIKE

POST #18 | Report this post to a moderator | IP: Logged

Registered: Apr 2000
Location: Twin Cities, MN
Posts: 570

quote:

---

Originally posted by samo:
Probability of the TiVo HD failure is 1 in 34 in any given year.

---

POST #19 | Report this post to a moderator | IP: Logged

Registered: Jun 2001
Location: Stafford, CT USA
Posts: 2405

My HDR212 had a drive failure after about 6 weeks. Took 9 business days for the warranty replacement to arrive. Been running fine for about 6 months since.

POST #20 | Report this post to a moderator | IP: Logged