# Stuttering playback??



## eileen22 (Mar 24, 2006)

Anyone else having a lot of stuttering playback issues? I recorded a baseball game last night that was doing the stuttering constantly when I played it back. I know it is not the recording itself, as I have been able to rewind and watch some sections without the stutters after those same sections had the stutters the first time through. I have had this stuttering playback issue with more than 50% of my recordings in the past 2 weeks. Rebooting has helped in the past, but the issue returns fairly quickly. Is there any way to correct this without having to reboot the receiver? Thanks.


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## eileen22 (Mar 24, 2006)

Now I am having the stuttering problem with live TV as well as with recordings. I would really love to know if others are having this problem, or if it is an issue with the machine. HR20-700, 28% available recording space. Thanks.


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## veryoldschool (Dec 10, 2006)

No, 
I'm not with my HR20-700s, "but" I'm also only around 20% "used".

I did have a "patch" with problems kind of like this and used the receiver disk utilities [press select during the boot up "self test"] to scan the disk [since mine is over 2 years old] which seemed to have helped.


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## eileen22 (Mar 24, 2006)

veryoldschool said:


> No,
> I'm not with my HR20-700s, "but" I'm also only around 20% "used".
> 
> I did have a "patch" with problems kind of like this and used the receiver disk utilities [press select during the boot up "self test"] to scan the disk [since mine is over 2 years old] which seemed to have helped.


Does running this patch allow you to keep all of your settings and recordings? (It's not like a total reset, is it?) Thanks.


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## veryoldschool (Dec 10, 2006)

eileen22 said:


> Does running this patch allow you to keep all of your settings and recordings? (It's not like a total reset, is it?) Thanks.


 By "patch" I meant "time", not a software "patch".
"I ran into a patch [or batch] of this".
The disk utilities were "non-destructive" to my files.
When they were done, they didn't report anything [other than complete]. Some have seen an error code, which may be due to bad hardware.


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## eileen22 (Mar 24, 2006)

veryoldschool said:


> By "patch" I meant "time", not a software "patch".
> "I ran into a patch [or batch] of this".
> The disk utilities were "non-destructive" to my files.
> When they were done, they didn't report anything [other than complete]. Some have seen an error code, which may be due to bad hardware.


I understand, thanks. I will try that on my next reboot.


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## Rich (Feb 22, 2007)

eileen22 said:


> Anyone else having a lot of stuttering playback issues? I recorded a baseball game last night that was doing the stuttering constantly when I played it back. I know it is not the recording itself, as I have been able to rewind and watch some sections without the stutters after those same sections had the stutters the first time through. I have had this stuttering playback issue with more than 50% of my recordings in the past 2 weeks. Rebooting has helped in the past, but the issue returns fairly quickly. Is there any way to correct this without having to reboot the receiver? Thanks.


I get that occasionally, especially on the Yes Network. A backward click clears it right up. For a while, it only happened when Hideki Matsui was at bat. Puzzling, but amusing. I was really happy when it happened when he wasn't in the picture. The things that happen on the Yes Network don't seem to happen on other channels.

Rich


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## eileen22 (Mar 24, 2006)

veryoldschool said:


> No,
> I'm not with my HR20-700s, "but" I'm also only around 20% "used".
> 
> I did have a "patch" with problems kind of like this and used the receiver disk utilities [press select during the boot up "self test"] to scan the disk [since mine is over 2 years old] which seemed to have helped.


I had a power outage this morning due to a storm, so I took the opportunity to try to run the disk utilities as you described. I pressed select while the self test screen was up, but I didn't see anything different happen, and I did not receive any kind of report at the end. Did I maybe not hold the button down long enough?


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## veryoldschool (Dec 10, 2006)

eileen22 said:


> I had a power outage this morning due to a storm, so I took the opportunity to try to run the disk utilities as you described. I pressed select while the self test screen was up, but I didn't see anything different happen, and I did not receive any kind of report at the end. Did I maybe not hold the button down long enough?


I think you need to press the select on the front panel [not the remote].

Here is a thread I started about this: http://www.dbstalk.com/showthread.php?p=2102539#post2102539


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## Rich (Feb 22, 2007)

veryoldschool said:


> I think you need to press the select on the front panel [not the remote].
> 
> Here is a thread I started about this: http://www.dbstalk.com/showthread.php?p=2102539#post2102539


I just read your post from that link. Did it stop the chattering? *T_h* told me that chattering noise was the hard drive ''seeking'' something or other.

Rich


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## veryoldschool (Dec 10, 2006)

rich584 said:


> I just read your post from that link. Did it stop the chattering? *T_h* told me that chattering noise was the hard drive ''seeking'' something or other.
> 
> Rich


 Stuttering playback was my main focus, which during some of this I heard a lot of chatter.

Since doing these tests, chatter is much less, though not "gone" and playback hasn't had the problems.

I never hear chatter on my HR21 [WD] and my HR20 [Seagate] sounds like a Seagate lol. 
[Ever used one of their SCSI ultra-wide? They sound like a machine gun.]


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## Rich (Feb 22, 2007)

veryoldschool said:


> Stuttering playback was my main focus, which during some of this I heard a lot of chatter.
> 
> Since doing these tests, chatter is much less, though not "gone" and playback hasn't had the problems.
> 
> ...


No, I never hear anything on my HRs. Silent, as opposed to the TiVos, which constantly made that "seeking" noise. I even had a couple that sounded like crickets. I actually had the bug spray out one day and my wife said it sounds like the TiVos. By the time she opened her mouth, I was so frustrated I didn't know what to do, thought of spraying her :lol:. But she was right and it was the TiVos.

I don't remember what brand the TiVo's HDDs were, but they were so noisy. I was glad to finally deactivate the last one. No more ersatz crickets. :lol:

Rich


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## RobertY (Jul 9, 2008)

I have that problem i`m using eagle aspen lnb going to try WNC.


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## Bambler (May 31, 2006)

I'm experiencing this issue as well. What's confusing about my issue, however, is that my stuttering happens everywhere, even on the full screen menus (albeit it's very hard to detect, but there nonetheless). It's like the picture is periodically hitching or glitching.

My Blu-Ray plays fine, so I know it's not the TV.

I have an HR22 with a DirectV recommended 1 TB Seagate drive. I rebooted a week ago and the issue went away (so did all of my recordings, unfortunately, but I didn't have much), however, now it's back.

The receiver is acting sluggish as well as channel changes and menu commands are slower than normal.

Edit: it's network connected as well, but I haven't done any type of troubleshooting other than the aforementioned reboot.


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## Bambler (May 31, 2006)

I'm running 405.1.3 (Long Test) and it's taking forever: 35% complete at 90 minutes.

This is on the Seagate ST31000SCA109-RK (1 TB).

*Is this a bad sign considering how long it's taking versus the 90 minute estimated time to complete? *

I'm afraid to think how long the surface check will take and this HD is only two or three weeks old.

Thanks in advance for those more knowledgeable with these things as I'm not.


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## veryoldschool (Dec 10, 2006)

Bambler said:


> I'm running 405.1.3 (Long Test) and it's taking forever: 35% complete at 90 minutes.
> 
> This is on the Seagate ST31000SCA109-RK (1 TB).
> 
> ...


I wouldn't start worrying quite yet.
90 mins is for the "stock drive", and I'd bet the software doesn't compensate for your "3x" larger drive.
Kind of looks like it'll be doing that for 4.5 hours.


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## Bambler (May 31, 2006)

Thanks. I'll let it go and cross my fingers.

I'm actually hoping it's a HD problem as this one is brand new and I can get a full refund or replacement.


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## veryoldschool (Dec 10, 2006)

Bambler said:


> Thanks. I'll let it go and cross my fingers.
> 
> I'm actually hoping it's a HD problem as this one is brand new and I can get a full refund or replacement.


 I've had a lot of luck with Seagate. Their warranty for PC drives is 5 years. I had one in an array that was giving me trouble. By itself, it passed all of the SeaTool's tests. After pulling my hair out for way too long [changed everything else], I finally sent it back to Seagate and they replaced it for free.


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## Bambler (May 31, 2006)

Well, after hours of testing with the utilities and having passed them all, the stuttering was still there. Even worse, live TV would now completely freeze at times.

All of my recordings were gone again after the reset as well . *Not sure if this is normal or just another bad sign of faulty hardware?*

I went back to my internal HD and it plays fine. I guess I got a bad drive? I ordered the recommended Western Digital one last night and I'm going to send back the Seagate.

Anyone else have any problems with the recommended Western Digital and the HR22-100? I know the HR22 isn't exactly desireable from reading posts here, but that's what they sent me.


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## Rich (Feb 22, 2007)

veryoldschool said:


> I've had a lot of luck with Seagate. Their warranty for PC drives is 5 years. I had one in an array that was giving me trouble. By itself, it passed all of the SeaTool's tests. After pulling my hair out for way too long [changed everything else], I finally sent it back to Seagate and they replaced it for free.


That Showcase model only has a one year warranty. I talked to the folks at Seagate yesterday and they do not have a list of eSATAs that are recommended for any DVRs. Spent an hour on the phone with them and they said that the page on D*'s website with the recommended eSATAs is D*'s choice, not theirs. I've searched Seagate's website and cannot find any list of recommended eSATAs for specific DVRs. They do mention several drives that will/should work with DVRs.

I did notice today that D* changed the eSATA page and no longer have the satellite providers that are recommended. That once said "Dish and Pace". The page does say that the 22-100 will work with the Showcase models.

Rich


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## Rich (Feb 22, 2007)

Bambler said:


> Well, after hours of testing with the utilities and having passed them all, the stuttering was still there. Even worse, live TV would now completely freeze at times.


That's what happens when you put an incompatible eSATA on an HR. Probably nothing wrong with the eSATA.



> All of my recordings were gone again after the reset as well . *Not sure if this is normal or just another bad sign of faulty hardware?*


Nope, not normal. Should never happen.



> I went back to my internal HD and it plays fine. I guess I got a bad drive? I ordered the recommended Western Digital one last night and I'm going to send back the Seagate.


I was going to suggest you do that. Be interesting to see if that one works with your 22. What you should see is virtually the same performance with an eSATA as you do with your internal drive. And the eSATA should never lose programming after a reboot. Too bad you don't have a 20-700 to try that Seagate on. Bet it would have worked perfectly.

Rich


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## Bambler (May 31, 2006)

I'm kind of worried now. I purchased an eSata drive from the recommended list and I just ordered the other one on that list.

Will I be in the same boat with the Western Digital + HR22-100?


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## Rich (Feb 22, 2007)

Bambler said:


> I'm kind of worried now. I purchased an eSata drive from the recommended list and I just ordered the other one on that list.
> 
> Will I be in the same boat with the Western Digital + HR22-100?


Dunno. We're just starting to see posts from people that have purchased them. I just saw one (WD) that was running well on a 21-200. Different manufacturer, but the WD might work on your 22. Good luck.

Rich


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## Bambler (May 31, 2006)

Thanks. Newegg is going to hate me returning two drives back-to-back if this one doesn't work .

How do I get a different DVR like the 20-700 since you mention that it works better with external HDs?


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## bruce_bruce (Jul 23, 2009)

I am seeing the same problem. Everything works fine for a week or so and then stuttering on live, recorded, and the menu screens (they sort of jump up and down). I restart the box and it seems to fix it for a week or so.

I have an HR22-100 with software version 312 and the 2TB WD Caviar Green WD20EADS and Antex MX-1. It is only about 15% full. It would really suck if that was the problem.

It is interesting that the people with the problem are:

Eileen - Unmodified HR box
Bambler - HR box with recommended drive
Bruce - HR box with not recommended drive (but one many are using).

Bruce


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## Bambler (May 31, 2006)

Bruce's problem makes me wonder if our issue is more DVR related than external hardware related since we're experiencing the exact same thing with different external hard drives.

We both have the same DVR as well .

Bummer, I just plunked down almost $200 on another eSATA drive that will be here in two days and I'm really, really worried now.


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## Rich (Feb 22, 2007)

Bambler said:


> Thanks. Newegg is going to hate me returning two drives back-to-back if this one doesn't work .
> 
> How do I get a different DVR like the 20-700 since you mention that it works better with external HDs?


They are usually listed on eBay.

Rich


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## Rich (Feb 22, 2007)

Bambler said:


> Bruce's problem makes me wonder if our issue is more DVR related than external hardware related since we're experiencing the exact same thing with different external hard drives.
> 
> We both have the same DVR as well .
> 
> Bummer, I just plunked down almost $200 on another eSATA drive that will be here in two days and I'm really, really worried now.


I was just going to ask you what's common to all your problems. You hit it.

Rich


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## eileen22 (Mar 24, 2006)

My HR20-700 has been running fine for about a week, and I had never gotten around to running the disk utilities. Today I went to watch a baseball game recorded earlier in the day, and I started to FF through several minutes of the recording. When I stopped the FF to play, the stuttering/freezing problem started again. Unit was unresponsive to the remote and seemed to need to catch up to the remote commands. (Probably doesn't matter, but this was AFTER a power outage, and the box was actually running off a generator at the time.) The game then became unwatchable, so I pressed stop and waited for the box to respond -which it eventually did. Live TV was fine, and I even watched another recording from a few days ago, and it was fine. Went back to the game, same problem still existed. Did a RBR and pushed Select during the self-check to bring up the HD diagnostics. Ran the first option (can't remember what it was called, "automatic" I think?). There were three tests, Internal, Temperature and something else (can't remember). My unit runs hot (120+ degrees), so I wondered about that. Test came back quickly, it failed the Internal with a 0x77 code, and passed the other two.

So what does the 0x77 failure mean? I searched around for this a bit, but never really found an answer on the forum. What I did find was a thread from Mar-09 where people were having very similar stuttering/freezing problems and some also got this 0x77 code. Does this mean the HD is going bad, or has a bad sector? Is there a way to defragment these drives? Will cooling the unit with a fan or chill pad make a difference? 

Any feedback or suggestions would be greatly appreciated. I have a refurb. HR20-700 that I have never opened, and I think I have had it for a little over one year. 

Thanks.


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## eileen22 (Mar 24, 2006)

Here's one more question: has anyone with the HR20-700 had trouble with the power cord not being firmly seated into the box in the back? It has always amazed me how loose this connection is on my box. If I just bump it by reaching behind the unit, it will frequently become unseated and lose power. I'm wondering if it is possible that any of my stuttering/freezing problems are related to inconsistent power to the unit due to this loose connection. Has anyone else had to tape theirs on, or request a new power cord? Thanks.


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## Rich (Feb 22, 2007)

eileen22 said:


> My HR20-700 has been running fine for about a week, and I had never gotten around to running the disk utilities. Today I went to watch a baseball game recorded earlier in the day, and I started to FF through several minutes of the recording. When I stopped the FF to play, the stuttering/freezing problem started again. Unit was unresponsive to the remote and seemed to need to catch up to the remote commands. (Probably doesn't matter, but this was AFTER a power outage, and the box was actually running off a generator at the time.) The game then became unwatchable, so I pressed stop and waited for the box to respond -which it eventually did. Live TV was fine, and I even watched another recording from a few days ago, and it was fine. Went back to the game, same problem still existed. Did a RBR and pushed Select during the self-check to bring up the HD diagnostics. Ran the first option (can't remember what it was called, "automatic" I think?). There were three tests, Internal, Temperature and something else (can't remember). My unit runs hot (120+ degrees), so I wondered about that. Test came back quickly, it failed the Internal with a 0x77 code, and passed the other two.
> 
> So what does the 0x77 failure mean? I searched around for this a bit, but never really found an answer on the forum. What I did find was a thread from Mar-09 where people were having very similar stuttering/freezing problems and some also got this 0x77 code. Does this mean the HD is going bad, or has a bad sector? Is there a way to defragment these drives? Will cooling the unit with a fan or chill pad make a difference?
> 
> ...


120+ is a normal temp for the 20-700s. If it gets up higher than 130 degrees, I'd start worrying about it.

Rich


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## Rich (Feb 22, 2007)

eileen22 said:


> Here's one more question: has anyone with the HR20-700 had trouble with the power cord not being firmly seated into the box in the back? It has always amazed me how loose this connection is on my box. If I just bump it by reaching behind the unit, it will frequently become unseated and lose power. I'm wondering if it is possible that any of my stuttering/freezing problems are related to inconsistent power to the unit due to this loose connection. Has anyone else had to tape theirs on, or request a new power cord? Thanks.


I had that problem with a 20-100 and quickly sent it back without activation. Another example of the superb job that the contractor does in "refurbishing" D*'s HRs. I doesn't take much to screw up an HR. That might be your problem right there.

Rich


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## eileen22 (Mar 24, 2006)

rich584 said:


> I had that problem with a 20-100 and quickly sent it back without activation. Another example of the superb job that the contractor does in "refurbishing" D*'s HRs. I doesn't take much to screw up an HR. That might be your problem right there.
> 
> Rich


Do you think another power cord would sit more firmly in the socket? Or do you think that the pins themselves in the machine are somehow not correctly sized? Do you think D* would send me another power cord if I asked for one?


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## Rich (Feb 22, 2007)

eileen22 said:


> Do you think another power cord would sit more firmly in the socket? Or do you think that the pins themselves in the machine are somehow not correctly sized? Do you think D* would send me another power cord if I asked for one?


I tried several different cords in that HR and they all fell out. It was definitely the HR's fault.

It dawned on me after I posted, that I have a 20-700 that won't fully accept the female plug. Seems to make a firm enough connection, so I haven't done anything about it other than to try several other cords with the same result.

You might be able to get in the socket itself with a pair of needle nose pliers and, very, very gently, bring the two probes a bit more "together". That might allow you to keep the cord you have. You might break a probe, too, tho.

D* will definitely send you a power cord. Might make you pay shipping. You should be able to get that waived with politeness and persistence.

Rich


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## eileen22 (Mar 24, 2006)

An update to my stuttering/freezing problem. This is now happening on live TV as well. The common denominator is that this only starts to happen after using any of the trickplay buttons (skip back/forward, FF or REW). Once I use those buttons, I get the freezing/stuttering/VERY slow remote response. On a recorded show, once I do any trickplay, the show is basically unwatchable for a period of time. I find that if I wait awhile (15+ min) and go back to the recorded show, it is then watchable again, provided I don't start using any of the trickplay buttons.

Obviously, this is unacceptable, since the whole point of having a DVR is the ability to use the trickplay features. Does this sound like a hard drive going bad?

I found this thread from March 2009, the problems described are identical to my problems. Does anyone know if the fix suggested by Doug Brott in post #8 here will possibly solve my problem? Does this defragment the drive? Will running the process delete my recordings?

http://www.dbstalk.com/showthread.php?t=153640&highlight=0x77

Thanks,
Eileen


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## veryoldschool (Dec 10, 2006)

eileen22 said:


> An update to my stuttering/freezing problem. This is now happening on live TV as well. The common denominator is that this only starts to happen after using any of the trickplay buttons (skip back/forward, FF or REW). Once I use those buttons, I get the freezing/stuttering/VERY slow remote response. On a recorded show, once I do any trickplay, the show is basically unwatchable for a period of time. I find that if I wait awhile (15+ min) and go back to the recorded show, it is then watchable again, provided I don't start using any of the trickplay buttons.
> 
> Obviously, this is unacceptable, since the whole point of having a DVR is the ability to use the trickplay features. Does this sound like a hard drive going bad?
> 
> ...


That was what I was posting about in post #3 here.
I didn't lose any recordings, but if your drive does have problems, you might. As I remember there are 4 tests. Two are short and two are long. When I ran all of them, I didn't see anything but each test being "done", but others has seen an error code.
"If I were you": I'd run all the tests, see if anything changed and if it didn't, would be looking for a replacement, as this isn't how "my DVR" should function.


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## Rich (Feb 22, 2007)

veryoldschool said:


> That was what I was posting about in post #3 here.
> I didn't lose any recordings, but if your drive does have problems, you might. As I remember there are 4 tests. Two are short and two are long. When I ran all of them, I didn't see anything but each test being "done", but others has seen an error code.
> "If I were you": I'd run all the tests, see if anything changed and if it didn't, would be looking for a replacement, as this isn't how "my DVR" should function.


That 20-700 does seem to be problematic. The power cord in itself is a good reason to get a replacement. That might be the cause of all the problems right there.

I tried my 23 in the RF mode last night and it is still screwed up and so was the Radio Shack remote extender. Got a new extender today and that works so far, so I'm back in IR mode. Think that's a software or hardware problem? I'm guessing hardware and thinking that if this extender fails, I'll get a more expensive one online. Aside from that one glitch, I'm really happy with the 23.

Rich


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## Rich (Feb 22, 2007)

eileen22 said:


> An update to my stuttering/freezing problem. This is now happening on live TV as well. The common denominator is that this only starts to happen after using any of the trickplay buttons (skip back/forward, FF or REW). Once I use those buttons, I get the freezing/stuttering/VERY slow remote response. On a recorded show, once I do any trickplay, the show is basically unwatchable for a period of time. I find that if I wait awhile (15+ min) and go back to the recorded show, it is then watchable again, provided I don't start using any of the trickplay buttons.
> 
> Obviously, this is unacceptable, since the whole point of having a DVR is the ability to use the trickplay features. Does this sound like a hard drive going bad?
> 
> ...


Eileen, I've been following *Veryoldschool's* advice for years. Consider yourself lucky to have him helping you.

Rich


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## veryoldschool (Dec 10, 2006)

rich584 said:


> That 20-700 does seem to be problematic. The power cord in itself is a good reason to get a replacement. That might be the cause of all the problems right there.
> 
> I tried my 23 in the RF mode last night and it is still screwed up and so was the Radio Shack remote extender. Got a new extender today and that works so far, so I'm back in IR mode. Think that's a software or hardware problem? I'm guessing hardware and thinking that if this extender fails, I'll get a more expensive one online. Aside from that one glitch, I'm really happy with the 23.
> 
> Rich


The RF antennas are internal and "I'd swear" some aren't connected, or have a big solder blob where they should be connected. Software has changed response times, but I doubt range can be affected. Some have only been able to get it to work if they're 2 feet in front of the receiver, which has to be hardware.


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## Rich (Feb 22, 2007)

veryoldschool said:


> The RF antennas are internal and "I'd swear" some aren't connected, or have a big solder blob where they should be connected. Software has changed response times, but I doubt range can be affected. Some have only been able to get it to work if they're 2 feet in front of the receiver, which has to be hardware.


Hardware. Nuts. That's what mine gets like. Ridiculous to have this happen in the RF mode. The 22-100 that I had in the same spot worked perfectly in RF. Well, maybe this remote extender will work, got another one from Radio Shack. Same model, if this one doesn't work I'm gonna get a much more expensive one. Working well now, I'll give it a week. Hardware. Nuts.

Rich


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## eileen22 (Mar 24, 2006)

veryoldschool said:


> That was what I was posting about in post #3 here.
> I didn't lose any recordings, but if your drive does have problems, you might. As I remember there are 4 tests. Two are short and two are long. When I ran all of them, I didn't see anything but each test being "done", but others has seen an error code.
> "If I were you": I'd run all the tests, see if anything changed and if it didn't, would be looking for a replacement, as this isn't how "my DVR" should function.


I am at the point where I don't yet want to try anything that will cause me to lose recordings, so I don't want to risk running those tests yet. I have stuff recorded that I haven't watched yet b/c I just can't seem to find the time (being baseball season and all-and I'm an Indians fan:sure. I will give it another week or so, and if I reach a tipping point of unwatchability I will take the plunge and run the tests. I haven't yet tried a new power cord or gently pinching the pins as Rich suggested, so I will also try that first. I do want to get this corrected before the Fall season starts, so I am running out of time. I also get the feeling that a NR is imminent, so I may want to hold out for that as well.

VOS (I hope that acronym is acceptable to you), thank you so much for your help and attention to my posts, you come highly recommended by Rich. And thanks to you too, Rich!


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## TomCat (Aug 31, 2002)

eileen22 said:


> An update to my stuttering/freezing problem. This is now happening on live TV as well. The common denominator is that this only starts to happen after using any of the trickplay buttons (skip back/forward, FF or REW). Once I use those buttons, I get the freezing/stuttering/VERY slow remote response. ...
> 
> ...Does this defragment the drive?...


There is a very good reason live TV does not show this issue, which is that the HR2x actually does operate exactly like a non-DVR receiver until trick play is invoked. IOW, if you change channels, you see the video directly from the tuner, and not through the write/read process of the HDD. Once you invoke trick play, the DVR reverts to the path through the HDD. They did this to minimize channel acquistion time, which is longer for MPEG-4.

So, I think this possibly points to the HDD as an issue, but then maybe not. The fact that the remote response slows down as well may point to a system software throughput issue, rather than a HDD write/read issue _per se_. The DVR is having trouble with playing from the HDD, but the trouble could be the HDD itself or the software controlling playback from the HDD.

DVRs use a cataloging scheme for recording streaming media that does not fragment the HDD, so defragmentation is not necessary.


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## mikeindc (Mar 9, 2007)

Getting playback stutter with my HR20-700 with an esata LaCie TwoBig 1GB drive. It seems to do this when I am recording one thing but watching another as if it cant talk to the hard drive fast enough to record both streams at the same time. The responsiveness on the menus and guide have gotten rather slow as well. I have Tv apps installed. I wonder if this creates too much overhead and the box can no longer do two or three things at once. I used to be able to record two things and watch a recording without the stutter. Not for the last few days.


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## Rich (Feb 22, 2007)

mikeindc said:


> Getting playback stutter with my HR20-700 with an esata LaCie TwoBig 1GB drive. It seems to do this when I am recording one thing but watching another as if it cant talk to the hard drive fast enough to record both streams at the same time. The responsiveness on the menus and guide have gotten rather slow as well. I have Tv apps installed. I wonder if this creates too much overhead and the box can no longer do two or three things at once. I used to be able to record two things and watch a recording without the stutter. Not for the last few days.


Strange choice of an eSATA. That might be the problem. We know that the Seagate line, including FAPs, Xtremes, Showcases and Antec MX-1 enclosures with Seagate or WD bare SATA drives will work with the 20-700s as will the Cavalrys. But, not all eSATAs will work with the 20-700, the WD My Book series being a prime example. Reverting to the internal drive will probably solve your problem and enforce my opinion that your eSATA is at fault.

Rich


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## mikeindc (Mar 9, 2007)

rich584 said:


> Strange choice of an eSATA. That might be the problem. We know that the Seagate line, including FAPs, Xtremes, Showcases and Antec MX-1 enclosures with Seagate or WD bare SATA drives will work with the 20-700s as will the Cavalrys. But, not all eSATAs will work with the 20-700, the WD My Book series being a prime example. Reverting to the internal drive will probably solve your problem and enforce my opinion that your eSATA is at fault.
> 
> Rich


I've been using this external drive for about two years. Has pretty much worked flawlessly till now. (though when under 20% not so good) AT 35& free currently) Resatarted a couple of times last night, seems to be working ok (able to record onething and watch something else) ran the first set of tests got an external error 0x22. Tried to run the short hard drive test it wouldnt run, didnt write down the message but it was something like couldnt find data.


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## veryoldschool (Dec 10, 2006)

mikeindc said:


> I've been using this external drive for about two years. Has pretty much worked flawlessly till now. (though when under 20% not so good) AT 35& free currently) Resatarted a couple of times last night, seems to be working ok (able to record onething and watch something else) ran the first set of tests got an external error 0x22. Tried to run the short hard drive test it wouldnt run, didnt write down the message but it was something like couldnt find data.


 This doesn't sound good. 
Does the manufacturer have disk utilities on their website? If they do, you might want to connect it to your PC and run them to see if it will give you more information.


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## Bambler (May 31, 2006)

Well, the Western Digital drive just arrived and I'm hooking it up now (even though I suspect my previous Seagate worked fine).

I followed the steps closely (unplug DVR, plug in eSATA, power up eSATA, wait 15 seconds then plug in the DVR).

I have a question, though, it seems to be working fine, but shortly after startup it said: reformatting hard drive.

Is it suppossed to say that or only if it found errors on it?

Oh, and I guess I won't know if it works fine until after about a week or so as that's when my Seagate started to stutter (live TV, trick, replay, even the on-screen menu).


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## veryoldschool (Dec 10, 2006)

Bambler said:


> Well, the Western Digital drive just arrived and I'm hooking it up now (even though I suspect my previous Seagate worked fine).
> 
> I followed the steps closely (unplug DVR, plug in eSATA, power up eSATA, wait 15 seconds then plug in the DVR).
> 
> ...


 Your "blank drive" needed to be formated to work, so this was "normal" [once].


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## Rich (Feb 22, 2007)

Bambler said:


> Well, the Western Digital drive just arrived and I'm hooking it up now (even though I suspect my previous Seagate worked fine).
> 
> I followed the steps closely (unplug DVR, plug in eSATA, power up eSATA, wait 15 seconds then plug in the DVR).
> 
> ...


Never had one do that and I've used a lot of eSATAs. Might be something new, the flashdrive in the HR does have to format the HDD in the eSATA, but I've never seen that message. Why don't you record a few shows and try a hard reboot. If that happens again, you might lose all your recordings every time it reboots. And, if it does happen again, we can blame that wretched 22-100.



> Oh, and I guess I won't know if it works fine until after about a week or so as that's when my Seagate started to stutter (live TV, trick, replay, even the on-screen menu).


If I recall correctly, you're using a 22-100? That might be the problem with the Seagate. Might work perfectly well with the WD. Glad to see another pessimist on the forum. When we're wrong, it's a good thing, no? :lol:

Rich


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## Bambler (May 31, 2006)

That's a good idea. I guess if my two recordings can withstand a red button of doom, all might be well.

Here goes...


Whoa. My two recordings are still there! Maybe it was the Seagate after all. It also didn't say Reformatting, so Veryoldschool was right, it was just a one time deal.

However, I won't be satisfied until I exceed one week of use .

Thanks again everyone. Everyone who responded has been very, very helpful and I'll report back after a week.


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## Rich (Feb 22, 2007)

Bambler said:


> That's a good idea. I guess if my two recordings can withstand a red button of doom, all might be well.
> 
> Here goes...
> 
> ...


By "hard reboot", I meant pulling the power plug on both the HR and the eSATA. The RBR is...well, it's been years since I used it.

Rich


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## TomCat (Aug 31, 2002)

rich584 said:


> By "hard reboot", I meant pulling the power plug on both the HR and the eSATA. The RBR is...well, it's been years since I used it.
> 
> Rich


I think any reboot on a DVR is a reboot. The end result is the same. The RBR is probably not very different than pulling the plug, just easier on the power supply (and easier to do). I put my mom's DISH DVR on a power strip so she can do it and I don't have to make a special trip over there (no RBR on those boxes).

There also probably is nothing to "reboot" on an X drive, it's just a power cycle, and probably unnecessary.

I reboot through the menu (maybe because I am lazy). While I don't think there could be a lot of cleanup routines such as on a Windoze PC (I would not recommend rebooting one of those by pulling the plug, BTW), it does sometimes take a minute before rebooting even starts, so maybe there is some cleanup and that actually is the safest way.

I sort of doubt it is really any safer than RBR, but it will at least alert you if you have a pending recording that it might not be able to fully reboot for before the record time occurs. But then that is the recommended method. I think RBR is really only for when the box is locked up and the menu is unavailable, and I think the RBR is really only there as a convenience to the CSRs who end up talking to a little old lady (like my mom) and shepherding them through a reboot without making them pull the plug.


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## Bambler (May 31, 2006)

I unplugged it, same results. The Seagate, I'm almost sure, was the culprit. 

Well, I guess I won't know for sure for a few more days, but I'm recording like crazy just so I can exceed that week threshold and be comfortable.


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## Rich (Feb 22, 2007)

TomCat said:


> I think any reboot on a DVR is a reboot. The end result is the same. The RBR is probably not very different than pulling the plug, just easier on the power supply (and easier to do). I put my mom's DISH DVR on a power strip so she can do it and I don't have to make a special trip over there (no RBR on those boxes).
> 
> There also probably is nothing to "reboot" on an X drive, it's just a power cycle, and probably unnecessary.
> 
> ...


Earl advised quite strongly against the RBR. I always listened to Earl.

But we're talking about eSATAs, not rebooting preferences. With eSATAs, pulling the plug is the right thing to do. Using the red button will screw up the eSATA to HR connection.

I use the menu Restart for minor problems, but what we are talking about is the proper way to reboot using an eSATA. Yes, it will work with the menu Restart most of the time. Most of the time scares me, I've got a lot of money tied up in my many eSATAs and I've had to learn how to treat them properly.

My definition of a hard reboot using an eSATA is to pull both power cords and power up the eSATA, then plug in the HR. That method has never failed me. We've also learned to pull the plug on an HR and leave it unplugged for at least a half hour, when certain problems occur.

I realize you know more about computers than I do. But eSATAs I do know.

Rich


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## Rich (Feb 22, 2007)

Bambler said:


> I unplugged it, same results. The Seagate, I'm almost sure, was the culprit.
> 
> Well, I guess I won't know for sure for a few more days, but I'm recording like crazy just so I can exceed that week threshold and be comfortable.


Once you get over 80% Available on the meter, you can usually be confident that all is well. When you get to 30-20% Available, you'll probably see a "bogging" down of the HR. The Guide and Playlist will slow down. Just do a menu Restart (it's a minor problem) and that should go away. If not, do the hard reboot again.

Remember, having a reformat occur is an anomaly and not something you should be afraid of.

Rich


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## Rich (Feb 22, 2007)

I just went back and reread this thread. *Bambler's* problem with the "recommended" Seagate eSATA is interesting. If you'll recall, the original recommendations for the Seagate Showcases was for Dish and Pace DVRs. I'd be willing to bet that the Showcase that *Bambler* had a problem with would have been fine on a 20-700 and probably fine on a 21-700 and a 23-700, all Pace products.

Rich


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## mnfish (Aug 15, 2009)

I had the shuttering, too. But it was on The Young and the Restless. Not my recording but my finaces. It only did it that one time and not since but I have noticed it on my other dvrs every once in a while but like you said just to press the back button and it clears up. I'm not sure of the software version but I'll check it out later today.


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## BobCA (Sep 3, 2002)

I have noticed stuttering on my DVR over the past few weeks as well (HR21-700). It is random. Some days it never happens, other days I will notice it two or three times. It is generally accompanied by a slight buzzing sound. 

It seems odd that it is happening to a number of us a once. Software issue?


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## Rich (Feb 22, 2007)

mnfish said:
 

> I had the shuttering, too. But it was on The Young and the Restless. Not my recording but my finaces. It only did it that one time and not since but I have noticed it on my other dvrs every once in a while but like you said just to press the back button and it clears up. I'm not sure of the software version but I'll check it out later today.


I've seen it for quite a while. Since the beginning of the baseball season and on all my HRs. I guess it was just a coincidence that when I first noticed it Hideki Matsui was up and the next time I saw it he was up again and after that I started to see it when other batters were up. Then it migrated to all the channels. But, just a click back and it clears right up on mine.

Rich


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## Rich (Feb 22, 2007)

BobCA said:


> I have noticed stuttering on my DVR over the past few weeks as well (HR21-700). It is random. Some days it never happens, other days I will notice it two or three times. It is generally accompanied by a slight buzzing sound.
> 
> It seems odd that it is happening to a number of us a once. Software issue?


Never heard a buzzing noise. That's usually reserved for briips. After a while nothing seems odd or logical about these things. Software issue? I sincerely hope so.

Rich


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## Marty999 (Mar 15, 2008)

6 months ago had a similar problem with HR 20-100, with eSATA (Seagate ST3750840SCE) in antec MX-1. The disk was probably 80% full and was purchased in March 08. On one pull the plug reboot, which had several times previously fixed the stuttering, it went to the blue screen "a problem has been detected in your hard drive." It ran that test for days, I thought, never reporting an error found. But was really was happening, I think, was each time if finished the scan, which took 6 or more hours, it restarted itself, but went back to the "problem has been detected blue screen" and ran another test. As a last resort before trying to RMA the disk, I pulled the plug during the test. I plugged it back in and it started up and was fine until the last week or so when stuttering restarted. 

After an RBR and pull the plug reboot yesterday (70% full), it didn't find any problem, though stuttering continued. (The problem was worst when recording or watching MPEG-4 and Tuner 2 had MPEG 4 in background). If I purposefully put tuner 2 on an SD station, it was a little better, but I digress.) I decided to unplug DVR and eSATA. Restarted hard drive, waited 30 seconds, then plugged in DVR. It is now running thru the second time "a problem has been found in your hard drive."

I presume it is a HDD problem and that if I disconnect the eSATA drive the internal drive will work fine. I also want to keep the HR 20 since I have the OTA set up. And I like the eSATA set up for the larger disk size. 

I seem to have the following options:
1. let it keep running and see if it fixes itself.
2. pull the plug and restart like I did before. I'd wait 30 minutes for restart this time.
3. could also try veryoldschool's press select at reboot, but I'm guessing the HR 20 is running those tests internally.
4. pull the drive and run seatools on my pc. In the meantime start up the HR20 with eSATA disconnected to be sure the box is fine.

Then, as I expect, RMA the drive. 

Any thoughts or suggestions?

Update: After completing its second or third time thru the disk check, it rebooted and seems to be working fine. I just happened to be here when it finished and it gave no messages when it finished the scan. We'll see how it works from here on. The response to the remote is quick and one of the recordings I made yesterday that was stuttering seems to be fine now. 

For any of us that face this problem, which options above would you try?


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## Rich (Feb 22, 2007)

Marty999 said:


> 6 months ago had a similar problem with HR 20-100, with eSATA (Seagate ST3750840SCE) in antec MX-1. The disk was probably 80% full and was purchased in March 08. On one pull the plug reboot, which had several times previously fixed the stuttering, it went to the blue screen "a problem has been detected in your hard drive." It ran that test for days, I thought, never reporting an error found. But was really was happening, I think, was each time if finished the scan, which took 6 or more hours, it restarted itself, but went back to the "problem has been detected blue screen" and ran another test. As a last resort before trying to RMA the disk, I pulled the plug during the test. I plugged it back in and it started up and was fine until the last week or so when stuttering restarted.
> 
> After an RBR and pull the plug reboot yesterday (70% full), it didn't find any problem, though stuttering continued. (The problem was worst when recording or watching MPEG-4 and Tuner 2 had MPEG 4 in background). If I purposefully put tuner 2 on an SD station, it was a little better, but I digress.) I decided to unplug DVR and eSATA. Restarted hard drive, waited 30 seconds, then plugged in DVR. It is now running thru the second time "a problem has been found in your hard drive."
> 
> ...


What I always do is follow *Veryoldschool's* suggestions first. He's usually right. After that...

Rich


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## bwaldron (Oct 24, 2005)

rich584 said:


> Never heard a buzzing noise. That's usually reserved for briips.


The "buzzing" noise could also be intensive seeking activity from the hard drive (depending upon how close one is to the DVR).


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## veryoldschool (Dec 10, 2006)

> Originally Posted by *rich584*
> _Never heard a buzzing noise. That's usually reserved for briips._





bwaldron said:


> The "buzzing" noise could also be intensive seeking activity from the hard drive (depending upon how close one is to the DVR).


There seems to be a new "twist" to the briips. DirecTV changed something last Friday in my local uplink center that has changed the briips to what could be called "buzzing" [along with some poorer video playback].
I don't know if this is a hardware change or a firmware in the encoder, but there have been a few posts lately about things like this and it seems as if DirecTV is trying to fix one problem, but is only changing how it's being manifested.


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## bwaldron (Oct 24, 2005)

veryoldschool said:


> There seems to be a new "twist" to the briips. DirecTV changed something last Friday in my local uplink center that has changed the briips to what could be called "buzzing" [along with some poorer video playback].
> I don't know if this is a hardware change or a firmware in the encoder, but there have been a few posts lately about things like this and it seems as if DirecTV is trying to fix one problem, but is only changing how it's being manifested.


Interesting. I haven't noticed this on my locals (but I haven't been watching them all that much, either, this time of year).


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## Rich (Feb 22, 2007)

bwaldron said:


> The "buzzing" noise could also be intensive seeking activity from the hard drive (depending upon how close one is to the DVR).


I never hear anything from my HDDs, internal or external. I think that post meant that the poster heard and saw stuttering. Probably over the sound system. Perhaps the poster could clarify?

Rich


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## Rich (Feb 22, 2007)

veryoldschool said:


> There seems to be a new "twist" to the briips. DirecTV changed something last Friday in my local uplink center that has changed the briips to what could be called "buzzing" [along with some poorer video playback].
> I don't know if this is a hardware change or a firmware in the encoder, but there have been a few posts lately about things like this and it seems as if DirecTV is trying to fix one problem, but is only changing how it's being manifested.


I have noticed that the briips are longer than they were, especially on TNT. Just got thru watching a bunch of episodes of the Closer and Raising the Bar. Loses the sound completely for a couple seconds after the briip. Don't get the briips on all channels. Getting to the point where they don't bother me. Haven't heard a buzzing noise, tho.

Rich


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## eileen22 (Mar 24, 2006)

I had to restart my HR20-700 twice this weekend to clear up the stuttering/freezing problem. I have noticed over the past few days that the problem occurs once I start to FF through a recorded program for an extended time. I record baseball games and then FF through the innings to watch the scoring plays and third outs, and this is when the stuttering starts. If I just watch a recorded program and do some pausing, light FF or REW or skip ahead/back, it doesn't seem to happen. However, once the stuttering occurs in the recorded program that it starts in, I will then likely see the problem in all recordings, and even in live TV that has been paused or rewound. For me, pressing the back button does NOT make the problem go away, only a restart will do that. I still can't figure out if this is hardware or software.


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## Marty999 (Mar 15, 2008)

eileen22 said:


> I still can't figure out if this is hardware or software.


I have usually found that the problem is hardware. The disk check won't delete your recordings and is really the only way to fix a hdd hardware problem. The one risk is that if the disk check finds a problem that it can't fix, then it is possible the disk becomes inaccessible, which is what almost happened to me. You'd lose access to the recordings even though they are not erased.

I went back thru the thread and I presume you are using the internal drive. If you have a spare external eSATA and, you could plug that in and see if it works. You'd need to find the threads explaining how to do this if you don't know how. It will erase anything on the drive. If you wanted to expand your hdd capacity anyway, you could buy an e-SATA and enclosure (per the acceptable hdd list) and use it and see what happens. If it works, you probably know you have a hdd problem. You can always disconnect the eSATA after you've used it and still access your internal drive again.

If you don't care about more capacity and the problem continues, you'll need to exchange the HR20.


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## eileen22 (Mar 24, 2006)

Marty999 said:


> I have usually found that the problem is hardware. The disk check won't delete your recordings and is really the only way to fix a hdd hardware problem. The one risk is that if the disk check finds a problem that it can't fix, then it is possible the disk becomes inaccessible, which is what almost happened to me. You'd lose access to the recordings even though they are not erased.
> 
> I went back thru the thread and I presume you are using the internal drive. If you have a spare external eSATA and, you could plug that in and see if it works. You'd need to find the threads explaining how to do this if you don't know how. It will erase anything on the drive. If you wanted to expand your hdd capacity anyway, you could buy an e-SATA and enclosure (per the acceptable hdd list) and use it and see what happens. If it works, you probably know you have a hdd problem. You can always disconnect the eSATA after you've used it and still access your internal drive again.
> 
> If you don't care about more capacity and the problem continues, you'll need to exchange the HR20.


You are correct, I am using the internal drive. I don't have a spare eSATA, but would like to get an external drive for the DVR at some point. For now, I will probably end up running the disk check in a few days to see if this corrects the problem. I just want to wait until I'm sure that I don't have any recordings that I can't live without - I'm pretty close right now. Thanks for your advice!


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## Marlin Guy (Apr 8, 2009)

I typically do a full system reset about once a year, and it seems to flush out a lot of these kinds of problems.
I keep very little programming after I've watched it, and in the summer it's easy to catch up with what's stored on the unit.

The biggest pain is redoing my custom guide list because DirecTV still hasn't fixed Channels I Get.


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## Rich (Feb 22, 2007)

Marty999 said:


> I went back thru the thread and I presume you are using the internal drive. If you have a spare external eSATA and, you could plug that in and see if it works. You'd need to find the threads explaining how to do this if you don't know how. It will erase anything on the drive.


Putting an eSATA on an HR doesn't cause the recordings on the internal drive to be erased. Nor does it cause any recordings on the eSATA to be erased. Nothing but a reformat will cause the recordings to be erased. Unless you get a bad HR that reformats an HDD each time it reboots. But that's an anomaly and has never happened to me.



> If you wanted to expand your hdd capacity anyway, you could buy an e-SATA and enclosure (per the acceptable hdd list) and use it and see what happens.


The 20-700s will work with just about every eSATA except the My Book WD series.



> If it works, you probably know you have a hdd problem. You can always disconnect the eSATA after you've used it and still access your internal drive again.


The more I read in this thread, the more it seems that the TS has an internal HDD problem. I'd try the eSATA. If you still get the stuttering, you might try a replacement, but I'd hate to give up on a 20-700. Could be a problem with so many things that a replacement won't fix. Might be something as simple as a loose connection. I doesn't take much to drive an HR berserk.

Rich


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## Rich (Feb 22, 2007)

veryoldschool said:


> There seems to be a new "twist" to the briips. DirecTV changed something last Friday in my local uplink center that has changed the briips to what could be called "buzzing" [along with some poorer video playback].
> I don't know if this is a hardware change or a firmware in the encoder, but there have been a few posts lately about things like this and it seems as if DirecTV is trying to fix one problem, but is only changing how it's being manifested.


I've been watching a lot of VOD recordings. I have not had one briip when watching them. Kinda rules out the software being the culprit, doesn't it? Or am I wrong again?

Rich


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## veryoldschool (Dec 10, 2006)

rich584 said:


> I've been watching a lot of VOD recordings. I have not had one briip when watching them. Kinda rules out the software being the culprit, doesn't it? Or am I wrong again?
> 
> Rich


"The problems" are not in our hardware or software, but from the feed and the transcoding on the uplink.


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## Rich (Feb 22, 2007)

veryoldschool said:


> "The problems" are not in our hardware or software, but from the feed and the transcoding on the uplink.


So, it's not D*'s fault? I've been wondering how a problem that only affects some channels could be a software problem. TNT and Fox News seem to be loaded with briips and some other channels seem to be almost without any problems.

Rich


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## CCarncross (Jul 19, 2005)

rich584 said:


> So, it's not D*'s fault? I've been wondering how a problem that only affects some channels could be a software problem. TNT and Fox News seem to be loaded with briips and some other channels seem to be almost without any problems.
> 
> Rich


Its not all D*'s fault, it a joint responsibility thing. D* needs to keep looking for solutions, and the uplinks need to make sure the stuff they send to D* conforms to a standard to eliminate the issues.


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## veryoldschool (Dec 10, 2006)

CCarncross said:


> Its not* all* D*'s fault, it a joint responsibility thing. D* needs to keep looking for solutions, and the uplinks need to make sure the stuff they send to D* conforms to a standard to eliminate the issues.


This is some of the problem. 
The MPEG-2 feed can have problems that go unnoticed, until it gets converted to MPEG-4.
Sometimes the feed is "OK" and it's the encoder.


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## MoInSTL (Mar 29, 2006)

I too have had lots of chattering on my old HR20-700. I decided to run the diagnostics and just started the SMART Long Test. My commitment is up in less than 30 days and customer since 2001. Hopefully this will help with the brips and buzzing which are starting to get annoying enough to strongly consider switching. Customer retention would bump me from Total Choice to TC+ and $5 off a month for a year. Great. I could watch more channels with brip. :lol:


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## Rockermann (Aug 9, 2007)

MoInSTL said:


> I too have had lots of chattering on my old HR20-700. I decided to run the diagnostics and just started the SMART Long Test...


I have a HR20-100 that is starting to throw some 'brips' too. And it seems to be increasing. Where are these diagnostics you speak of?


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## veryoldschool (Dec 10, 2006)

Let's not start confusing "brriipps" with head chatter.
The first isn't the hardware/software and the second is.
Reboot receiver, at the running self test screen, press "select" on the FRONT PANEL.
Select advanced tests, then hard drive utilities.


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## eileen22 (Mar 24, 2006)

Question on the utilities - is there a chance that running this will make my unit worse or unusable? This is my only HD receiver, and I don't want to be without one while waiting for a replacement. Thanks.


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## veryoldschool (Dec 10, 2006)

eileen22 said:


> Question on the utilities - is there a chance that running this will make my unit worse or unusable? This is my only HD receiver, and I don't want to be without one while waiting for a replacement. Thanks.


 I really can't see how.
I'm not sure you can even lose recordings, but with any disk check/repair there is a chance.


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## eileen22 (Mar 24, 2006)

veryoldschool said:


> I really can't see how.
> I'm not sure you can even lose recordings, but with any disk check/repair there is a chance.


Do you think running only a portion of these tests (1 & 2 or 1, 2 & 3) would do any good for me, or do you think I should just wait until I have time to run all four? I'm leaving town for a few days and don't have time to do this before I go, but I'm wondering if doing a few of these might help. Yesterday I had my first blank recording, so it looks like there may be a problem with the drive.

Also, if the utilities tests don't help, should I try a full system reset, or just ask for a replacement at that point? Thanks.


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## veryoldschool (Dec 10, 2006)

eileen22 said:


> Do you think running only a portion of these tests (1 & 2 or 1, 2 & 3) would do any good for me, or do you think I should just wait until I have time to run all four? I'm leaving town for a few days and don't have time to do this before I go, but I'm wondering if doing a few of these might help. Yesterday I had my first blank recording, so it looks like there may be a problem with the drive.
> 
> Also, if the utilities tests don't help, should I try a full system reset, or just ask for a replacement at that point? Thanks.


Two tests took 90 mins [each], while the others were quick.
"They'd help" if:
there was a problem they could correct, or they come up with an error code [which they couldn't correct] which means "replacement".
Blank recordings shouldn't have anything to do with the hard drive.
Pulling the power cord [10 min + or over night] or doing a reset everything "might help" [since these do clear the chips "AND" the reset everything will wipe the drive of all recordings/settings], but if this is in fact a hardware problem, then doing "all of this" is just going to point you to needing to get the "dog" replaced.


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## MoInSTL (Mar 29, 2006)

IIRC, I have about 60% free so running the long test and currently the surface test is taking more than 90 minutes. So YMMV.


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## Marty999 (Mar 15, 2008)

rich584 said:


> Putting an eSATA on an HR doesn't cause the recordings on the internal drive to be erased. Nor does it cause any recordings on the eSATA to be erased. Nothing but a reformat will cause the recordings to be erased. Unless you get a bad HR that reformats an HDD each time it reboots. But that's an anomaly and has never happened to me.


Rich, I had meant to say that if the TS has an old drive lying around with data on it and she attaches it to the HR20 via eSATA, and started recording, nothing would be erased on the internal drive, but the e-SATA would lose the old data. I thought that would be the case either because the HR would format the drive or simply by recording over the data. But you seem to suggest that the old eSATA drive data would be preserved. Am I reading that right?


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## veryoldschool (Dec 10, 2006)

Marty999 said:


> Rich, I had meant to say that if the TS has an old drive lying around with data on it and she attaches it to the HR20 via eSATA, and started recording, nothing would be erased on the internal drive, but the e-SATA would lose the old data. I thought that would be the case either because the HR would format the drive or simply by recording over the data. But you seem to suggest that the old eSATA drive data would be preserved. Am I reading that right?


 Internal drive "should be" left alone, when an external is connected. The external will get formated so it can be used my the HR.


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## TomCat (Aug 31, 2002)

rich584 said:


> Earl advised quite strongly against the RBR. I always listened to Earl.
> 
> But we're talking about eSATAs, not rebooting preferences. With eSATAs, pulling the plug is the right thing to do. Using the red button will screw up the eSATA to HR connection...


 I don't remember Earl ever recommending against anything without at least giving us a reason why. So far, I haven't heard one.

Sounds like superstitious behavior to me. I have a 20-700 and a 20-100 and both have X drives, and I go back and forth from internal to x drive all the time. I also have never had any type of issue and have never used the "yank the plug" method once. Either RBR or menu, which means that your definitive statement about how that "will screw up the eSATA to HR connection" apparently holds a lot less water than you seem to believe it does. My anecdotal evidence seems to be just as valid as your anecdotal evidence, even though you seem to be jumping through hoops that might not really be there, while I am still lounging on the couch with the remote in my _other _hand .

I also have never unplugged the eSATA cable, which a lot of folks claim is of utmost importance, for a couple of reasons:

1) I have never needed to, as it has always worked without needing to do that, and:

2) eSATA cables are not designed to be plugged and unplugged numerous times like a iPhone charger; they will fail eventually. Oh, and:

3) as I said before, I'm lazy.

And "what we are talking about" is stuttering on playback, which is what this thread is desperately trying to avoid being hijacked away from, and not "the proper way to reboot an eSATA". My response regarding rebooting techniques was only in response to your OT statement about that, which is why I quoted it and treated it as a sidebar.

We can go around and around about that if you like, but it is only fair to the OP, whose intent was instead to discuss the stuttering issue, to do that in a separate thread. I really would like to know what techiques should be used and why, but so far the expert opinions weighing in seem to lack expertise. I think I'll stick with what has always worked for me for now.

We now return you to your originally-scheduled topic.


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## Bambler (May 31, 2006)

Well, I know it hasn't been a week yet, but I've recorded tons of stuff and all seems well.

I would hate to jinx myself now, but I'm almost positive I either had a bad Seagate and/or the HR22-100 just didn't like the Seagate (or visa-versa).

Either way, the HR22-100 seems content with the recommended Western Digital, and so am I for that matter .

Thanks again (*crosses fingers*).


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## veryoldschool (Dec 10, 2006)

DirecTV [through Earl] has said the menu reset is the preferred method to reset over the use of the red button. It lets the OS pack up before shutting down.
The RBR is there for when you're locked out.
Pulling the power cord for 10 mins has been shown to also help when the other two don't resolve the problem.
I'll stay out of the eSATA debate since I don't have one [or first hand experience].


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## Rich (Feb 22, 2007)

Marty999 said:


> Rich, I had meant to say that if the TS has an old drive lying around with data on it and she attaches it to the HR20 via eSATA, and started recording, nothing would be erased on the internal drive, but the e-SATA would lose the old data. I thought that would be the case either because the HR would format the drive or simply by recording over the data. But you seem to suggest that the old eSATA drive data would be preserved. Am I reading that right?


Yes. (God, how I hate to give a firm answer like that. The answers to all these questions should be "that should be the case".) That "Yes" answer must come with the caveat that the HR might look at the eSATA and for whatever reason, decide to format the eSATAs HDD. That would be an anomaly, but it does happen and I keep reading posts where it has happened.

When you hook up an eSATA to any HR other than the HR that recorded the shows on the eSATA, the programs already on the eSATA should not be erased, you just won't be able to view them. Put the eSATA back on the HR to which it is "married" and you will be able to view the recordings.

In other words, you should never lose the recordings on an internal or external drive unless you reformat the drive deliberately. That's the way they should work.

Rich


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## Rich (Feb 22, 2007)

TomCat said:


> I don't remember Earl ever recommending against anything without at least giving us a reason why. So far, I haven't heard one.


Search thru Earl's posts, the warning about the red button is there. I read it and haven't touched the red button since.



> Sounds like superstitious behavior to me. I have a 20-700 and a 20-100 and both have X drives, and I go back and forth from internal to x drive all the time. I also have never had any type of issue and have never used the "yank the plug" method once. Either RBR or menu, which means that your definitive statement about how that "will screw up the eSATA to HR connection" apparently holds a lot less water than you seem to believe it does.


The only thing I'm superstitious about is baseball. I meant exactly what I said. I've got and had many eSATAs and I know how to use them. Believe what you will, I'm not gonna get into an argument with you. I've already said that I admit you know more about the technology than I do, I'm just a user of HRs and eSATAs and all I know is what I've learned on the forum and my own experiences. I use two methods to reboot, pull the plug for major problems or use the menu Restart for minor problems.



> My anecdotal evidence seems to be just as valid as your anecdotal evidence, even though you seem to be jumping through hoops that might not really be there, while I am still lounging on the couch with the remote in my _other _hand .


I have no idea what the above means.



> I also have never unplugged the eSATA cable, which a lot of folks claim is of utmost importance, for a couple of reasons:
> 
> 1) I have never needed to, as it has always worked without needing to do that, and:
> 
> 2) eSATA cables are not designed to be plugged and unplugged numerous times like a iPhone charger; they will fail eventually. Oh, and:


I don't think I've ever suggested unplugging the jumper cable unless everything other option fails and I suspect the jumper cable as being the problem and I haven't done that in a long time. I don't understand where that statement came from.

Rich


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## Rich (Feb 22, 2007)

Bambler said:


> Well, I know it hasn't been a week yet, but I've recorded tons of stuff and all seems well.
> 
> I would hate to jinx myself now, but I'm almost positive I either had a bad Seagate and/or the HR22-100 just didn't like the Seagate (or visa-versa).
> 
> ...


Wish I had that Seagate. I'd love to put it on a 20-700 and see if it works correctly. Glad the WD is working. Be interesting to see how much it slows down when you reach 30-20% Available.

Rich


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## Rockermann (Aug 9, 2007)

veryoldschool said:


> Let's not start confusing "brriipps" with head chatter. The first isn't the hardware/software and the second is.


I'm not sure I know the difference. I just know the word 'brriip' seems to describe the sound/effect that happens when watching recorded shows. It was very present last night on a MLB EI game I recorded. Kinda skips forward a second or two with the audio and video being distorted.

It appears the problems happens when the video is recorded, not during the playback cause if I rewind and watch the same section over and over, the distortion is always exactly the same.



veryoldschool said:


> Reboot receiver, at the running self test screen, press "select" on the FRONT PANEL. Select advanced tests, then hard drive utilities.


Thanks for this... I'll run the utilities tonight.


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## veryoldschool (Dec 10, 2006)

Rockermann said:


> I'm not sure I know the difference. I just know the word 'brriip' seems to describe the sound/effect that happens when watching recorded shows. It was very present last night on a MLB EI game I recorded. Kinda skips forward a second or two with the audio and video being distorted.
> 
> It appears the problems happens when the video is recorded, not during the playback cause if I rewind and watch the same section over and over, the distortion is always exactly the same.


 "From the brriip threads", MLB has been one of the channels that have the encoding problem. If the problem is in the feed, then it will be recorded. The only way to know is to watch the feed live and see if it's there. This problem is more prevelant with local HD stations, but there are some SAT channels that have it too [USAHD, TNTHD come to mind].


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## Rich (Feb 22, 2007)

veryoldschool said:


> "From the brriip threads", MLB has been one of the channels that have the encoding problem. If the problem is in the feed, then it will be recorded. The only way to know is to watch the feed live and see if it's there. This problem is more prevelant with local HD stations, but there are some SAT channels that have it too [USAHD, TNTHD come to mind].


Fox News is prone to many briips too. So is the History Channel. Seemed like such a big deal at first, now I ignore it. Even the wife stopped complaining about them. And we got to put a new word in the dictionary! At least my computer's dictionary. :lol:

Now if we could just agree on the spelling. :lol:

Rich


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## Scott J (Feb 14, 2007)

I've experienced this problem over the past couple of months. It does seem to be more prominent when recording MLB ticket (the Phils).


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## Rich (Feb 22, 2007)

Scott J said:


> I've experienced this problem over the past couple of months. It does seem to be more prominent when recording MLB ticket (the Phils).


I think some of the blame has to be put on the sports channels and the trucks they take to away games. The Yes Network has so many glitches that I've given up on worrying about them and it happens whether they are home or away, worse when away, but still bad at home. I see things on Yes that I never see on any other channels.

Rich


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## pigskins (Sep 8, 2007)

Hoping someone can help. I have an HR20-700 that stutters during DVR playback. I went to the hard drive utility screen and have 4 choices:
Check file system
Short test
Long test
Repair file system

The check file system option passes.
The short test says NO SMART DATA
The long test says ERROR 74 at 0%
I have not tried the repair file system option.

I called in for help and it wasn't much help. The tech was not familiar with this menu. He had me reboot, and record 30 seconds of a show. That did not stutter. He said if it did he was going to have me reformat the hard drive by pressing the down arrow and record during step 1 (???).

If anyone can advise me about the options and results I am seeing, I'd be thankful!


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## Rich (Feb 22, 2007)

pigskins said:


> Hoping someone can help. I have an HR20-700 that stutters during DVR playback. I went to the hard drive utility screen and have 4 choices:
> Check file system
> Short test
> Long test
> ...


Perhaps someone like *Veryoldschool* will step in here and help you. Calling D* for technical help is usually an act of futility.

You might consider buying and installing an eSATA and using that. If that stuttering keeps up with the eSATA, you need a replacement. Personally, I'd do everything I could to keep that 20-700. I think they are the best HRs D* has released to the public. It might very well just be the HDD. With an eSATA your problem would be solved.

Rich


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## veryoldschool (Dec 10, 2006)

rich584 said:


> Perhaps someone like *Veryoldschool* will step in here and help you. .
> 
> Rich


I'd read the post, but have no idea of what error codes mean [other than an error, DUH :lol:].
"Repairing file system" would seem the next option. Could this mean a loss of recordings? maybe.
Perhaps even trying to reformat the drive might help too. :shrug:


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## eileen22 (Mar 24, 2006)

I finally ran the hard disk utility "fix hard drive file system" on my HR20-700 today. This after I have had to restart the system at least once per day to combat the stuttering/freezing problems (still no NR download for me either). The utility took 2 hours and 40 minutes to run, and it came back and said that it passed. I then chose "exit all tests" and it rebooted. My recordings are still there. I haven't had time yet to check to see if the issue is fixed, as I usually have to be a good hour into playback, using trickplay buttons, before the issue rears its head. 

Question to VOS, or anyone who may know: what does it mean that the end result was "Passed"? How do I know if anything was fixed? 

Thanks.


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## veryoldschool (Dec 10, 2006)

eileen22 said:


> Question to VOS, or anyone who may know: what does it mean that the end result was "Passed"? How do I know if anything was fixed?
> 
> Thanks.


"You don't", "but" it's a whole bunch better than "error xxx".
"So far" the DVR thinks the hard drive is good.


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## eileen22 (Mar 24, 2006)

So should this maybe give me hope that the NR will fix my issues?


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## Rich (Feb 22, 2007)

eileen22 said:


> I finally ran the hard disk utility "fix hard drive file system" on my HR20-700 today. This after I have had to restart the system at least once per day to combat the stuttering/freezing problems (still no NR download for me either). The utility took 2 hours and 40 minutes to run, and it came back and said that it passed. I then chose "exit all tests" and it rebooted. My recordings are still there. I haven't had time yet to check to see if the issue is fixed, as I usually have to be a good hour into playback, using trickplay buttons, before the issue rears its head.
> 
> Question to VOS, or anyone who may know: what does it mean that the end result was "Passed"? How do I know if anything was fixed?
> 
> Thanks.


Once upon a time, there was a man named Earl on this forum. He's gone on to greener pastures, but if he were here, he'd probably have an answer for you. You'll probably get answers to your questions, but...

Rich


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## Rich (Feb 22, 2007)

eileen22 said:


> So should this maybe give me hope that the NR will fix my issues?


By all means, you should hope. And perhaps your problems will go away. Glad to see you're not giving up on that good old 20-700.

Rich


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## eileen22 (Mar 24, 2006)

I remember Earl, and I'm hoping that someone like him will confirm or deny what I believe is a good result I'm seeing.

I am cautiously optimistic so far that running the "fix hard drive file system" utility today may have solved my stuttering/freezing problem. Here's why: I have spent a little bit of time with both live TV and recorded playback now, using trickplay buttons in both, with no problems. I have a recorded baseball game from 8/21/09 that I have not been able to watch since I recorded it, because it would start stuttering after only a few minutes of watching it. I went to play this back today after the utility fix, and initially the screen came up black with just the menu header for about 20 seconds. I thought that maybe this recording was lost, but eventually it started to play, and I have tried everything in the book (FFx1, 2, 3, 4; REW, skip ahead/back), and it is working fine! Any trickplay would instantly cause this recording to stutter previously, even after a restart. I have stopped the recording and gone back into it, and it plays back instantly now (unlike the first time where the screen was black for 20 sec). 

Also, in general, the box seems MUCH more responsive to the remote buttons overall. So it does seem to me that something was indeed fixed, even thought the utility just said "passed" at the end, and didn't tell me that it fixed anything. I will give this a few more days, but after that if I'm still good, I would strongly recommend this utility to anyone who's having the stuttering or even very slow remote problems.


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## veryoldschool (Dec 10, 2006)

I can not confirm or deny.... :lol:

FWIW: yours sounds like mine. After running these tests [done] my playback hasn't had the issues it did before.


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## eileen22 (Mar 24, 2006)

veryoldschool said:


> I can not confirm or deny.... :lol:
> 
> FWIW: yours sounds like mine. After running these tests [done] my playback hasn't had the issues it did before.


Did your utility return the message "passed" like mine did, or did it say that it actually fixed something?


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## veryoldschool (Dec 10, 2006)

eileen22 said:


> Did your utility return the message "passed" like mine did, or did it say that it actually fixed something?


 I think it wants to keep you/me in the dark. :lol:
Mine said either passed or done. No other clue as to what [if anything] it did.
I've read where some have had it report an error code, so "we know" that's bad.
See how yours works now. That is what you really care about.


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## TBlazer07 (Feb 5, 2009)

*DBSTALK POLICE **PLEASE READ DISCLAIMER AT END BEFORE REPLYING***
I had a problem with a eSata WD HD that while it was in the Antec MX1 eSata box would, as time progressed, start stuttering, skipping & pixelatting. After a reboot it was fine again for a week or 2 then got progressively worse. I swapped the MX1 and the eSata cable .... problem continued. I tried another type drive/MX-1, problem continued.

As a test, I committed a mortal sin and replaced the drive inside the box with the same drive that was problematic and it's been fine to this day.

This is probably one of the reasons DirecTV won't support eSata. There are so many variables. There are still issues.

*DISCLAIMERS:*

I own 3 of my 4 HR's, they are not leased.
Per your lease agreement opening the box is a NO-NO. Depending on who you talk to here it's everything from a Death Penalty offense to a simple misdemeanor or a $700 charge from DirecTV for DVR abuse.
This message is posted for INFORMATIONAL & EDUCATIONAL PURPOSES ONLY.
Do NOT try this at home. Do NOT pass GO, Do NOT collect $200
This message is rated "MA" for "SVD"




bruce_bruce said:


> I am seeing the same problem. Everything works fine for a week or so and then stuttering on live, recorded, and the menu screens (they sort of jump up and down). I restart the box and it seems to fix it for a week or so.
> 
> I have an HR22-100 with software version 312 and the 2TB WD Caviar Green WD20EADS and Antex MX-1. It is only about 15% full. It would really suck if that was the problem.
> 
> ...


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## Rich (Feb 22, 2007)

eileen22 said:


> I remember Earl, and I'm hoping that someone like him will confirm or deny what I believe is a good result I'm seeing.
> 
> I am cautiously optimistic so far that running the "fix hard drive file system" utility today may have solved my stuttering/freezing problem. Here's why: I have spent a little bit of time with both live TV and recorded playback now, using trickplay buttons in both, with no problems. I have a recorded baseball game from 8/21/09 that I have not been able to watch since I recorded it, because it would start stuttering after only a few minutes of watching it. I went to play this back today after the utility fix, and initially the screen came up black with just the menu header for about 20 seconds. I thought that maybe this recording was lost, but eventually it started to play, and I have tried everything in the book (FFx1, 2, 3, 4; REW, skip ahead/back), and it is working fine! Any trickplay would instantly cause this recording to stutter previously, even after a restart. I have stopped the recording and gone back into it, and it plays back instantly now (unlike the first time where the screen was black for 20 sec).
> 
> Also, in general, the box seems MUCH more responsive to the remote buttons overall. So it does seem to me that something was indeed fixed, even thought the utility just said "passed" at the end, and didn't tell me that it fixed anything. I will give this a few more days, but after that if I'm still good, I would strongly recommend this utility to anyone who's having the stuttering or even very slow remote problems.


Sounds good. Now let's see if it lasts.

Rich


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## Rich (Feb 22, 2007)

TBlazer07 said:


> *DBSTALK POLICE **PLEASE READ DISCLAIMER AT END BEFORE REPLYING***
> I had a problem with a eSata WD HD that while it was in the Antec MX1 eSata box would, as time progressed, start stuttering, skipping & pixelatting. After a reboot it was fine again for a week or 2 then got progressively worse. I swapped the MX1 and the eSata cable .... problem continued. I tried another type drive/MX-1, problem continued.
> 
> As a test, I committed a mortal sin and replaced the drive inside the box with the same drive that was problematic and it's been fine to this day.
> ...


What model of HR were you having problems with?

Rich


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## TBlazer07 (Feb 5, 2009)

HR20-700 / 750GIG WD and 750GIG SEAGATE


rich584 said:


> What model of HR were you having problems with?
> 
> Rich


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## eileen22 (Mar 24, 2006)

rich584 said:


> Sounds good. Now let's see if it lasts.
> 
> Rich


Unfortunately, my fix did not last. Today, after about an hour of watching and FF through a recording, the stuttering/freezing started again. It is not as bad, but I have already restarted the unit twice today. My next plan of action is to wait for the 34c release and see if it makes any difference, then attach an eSata drive and try that.


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## Rich (Feb 22, 2007)

TBlazer07 said:


> HR20-700 / 750GIG WD and 750GIG SEAGATE


Huh. That setup should be fine.

Rich


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## Rich (Feb 22, 2007)

eileen22 said:


> Unfortunately, my fix did not last. Today, after about an hour of watching and FF through a recording, the stuttering/freezing started again. It is not as bad, but I have already restarted the unit twice today. My next plan of action is to wait for the 34c release and see if it makes any difference, then attach an eSata drive and try that.


I had planned to read the whole thread today and you just saved me the trouble. Your problem is probably the internal HDD and an eSATA should solve the problem. Before you start to use the eSATA, I'd format the internal drive and go to the Systems and Info page and do a "Restart and Reset". Just be aware that with either of these steps you're gonna lose any recordings on the internal HDD. Shouldn't matter, since you're not doing well with the internal anyhow. I would wait until the NR hits you before hooking up the eSATA.

Rich


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