# PVR 501 noisy hard drive



## Guest (Jan 25, 2002)

I just got a PVR 501 and the hard drive going clickety-click is driving me nuts. Has anyone figured out how to quiet the thing down? I'm thinking of enclosing it in sound absorbing panels...I just have to make sure to get cool air in and hot air out. Any other ideas out there?


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## Guest (Jan 25, 2002)

Hi Bsudy,

Welcome to DBSTalk and thanks for registering.

Unfortunately that is one of the "side effects" of having a PVR. Unless there is actually something wrong with the drive, there isn't much you can do.


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## Guest (Jan 25, 2002)

Does the click noise sound like more than just the drive doing seeks? I.e. can you hear the clicking from across the room, or just up close? If you can hear it across the room, you may need to RMA it for another unit - loud clicks could mean that the hard drive is dying.


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## Guest (May 24, 2002)

I just received my PVR 501 yesterday and hooked it up and the clicking noise is also very noticable. The noise is quite audible from across the room but it doesn't sound like anything more than the drive just doing seeks as noted above. I guess if I am sitting in a room about 15 feet from the PVR and it is sitting on a shelf below the tv, should I be able to hear it or is it possible that I have a bum unit?


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## Lightnin1 (Apr 23, 2002)

Guys I dont know what your talking about. My 501 is as quiet as a mouse. Aside from the regular hardrive noise, but no clicking


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## DarrellP (Apr 24, 2002)

If your 501 has a noisey hard drive, Dish will RMA it. I know, I sent back 2 of them for that reason and the CSR told me that noisey drives is a reason for accepting a return. 

Call Dish TODAY, don't delay. Also, don't let them charge you $14 shipping, tell them it's a defect from brand new and you refuse to pay shipping on a factory defect and they will waive the fee. 

If the new one you get is noisey, call them up and return it ASAP. My second one I couldn't tell it was noisey until after it did the software download and I was up and running.

Dish apparently uses 2 different hard drive makes. One of them sounds like it rattles constantly. I put my Home Theater setup sound level meter on mine and it measured 60 db when it rattled! The other drive is whisper quiet. They should do away with the noisey ones and save themselves a ton of money.


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## Neil Derryberry (Mar 23, 2002)

I just sold my 501... it had a maxtor drive, and it was absolutely silent unless you were within a foot or so..


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## Lyle_JP (Apr 22, 2002)

Funny thing, when I first hooked up my 501, it made a noise like aircraft taking off and would vibrate the shelf it was sitting on like a sex toy. But after about 2 days of continuous use, it "settled" somehow and now is practically inaudible. 

Before RMA-ing it, give it a day or so.

-Lyle J.P.


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## jrjcd (Apr 23, 2002)

the 501 is practically quiet compared to the racket my 7100 produced...


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## Tony S (Mar 28, 2002)

My 501 is very quiet...Can't hear anything at all unless you are about a foot away.

I'll have to agree with the advice that the others gave you. Return the 501 and try another (and don't let them charge you for returning a defective unit).


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## buskid1 (May 10, 2002)

Yeah, I had a quite PVR and I RMA'ed it because it had a bad phone jack (no callerID function). The new one I got was COMPLETELY loud, as compared to the primary one I have downstairs AND the first one I returned. So now I'm getting another one. People of the PVR, have them returned!!

Jimmy.


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## Guest (May 26, 2002)

Could I request a 501 with the Maxtor drive?


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## Jacob S (Apr 14, 2002)

doubt it, they would not even promise me a new 501 after three going bad in one year, and i gave them heck, telling them i wanted my last two advanced exchange 14.95 back totaling 29.90 and they would not do it, but said they would waive it this time. i told them i was NOT satisfied and that they will lose a lot more money than this if they mess with me. i told them i did not want anymore rebuilt units since the last three units did not work, the last two being rebuilt since the first one was new. 

is there anyway of getting a new unit after all of these failure with the refurbs?


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## jrjcd (Apr 23, 2002)

only if you're charlie's nephew...


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## Adam Richey (Mar 25, 2002)

I have had NO troubles with my PVR501, and it's been really quiet. Apparently, I have the good hard drive. Knock on wood. lol


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## Jacob S (Apr 14, 2002)

Well mine was knock on wood with this one then bam, it went bad.


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## Adam Richey (Mar 25, 2002)

Just out of curiosity, do ANY DirecTV PVR receivers have this problem?


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## DarrellP (Apr 24, 2002)

Jacob, the two replacements I got appeared to be brand new, I could not find any evidence of use on them at all, not a scratch or buff mark anywhere so I assumed they were brand new.


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## Jacob S (Apr 14, 2002)

They LOOK brand new but are REFURBISHED. all refurbished product are supposed to look like new and not have scratches on the OUTSIDE but on the inside that may be another story.


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