Question re: Dish DVR unit

[JohnT]

Is the hard drive inside the DVR supposed to run constantly even when the unit is off?

[kenw]

i highly doubt it.

[Cope]

Mine does seem to, and my son-in-law said his did the same thing. I suspect this is so it can execute the record programs you have input.

[rdcole]

On my DVR the Drive runs all the time, the DVR is never really "off", just in standby so it can catch the next recording and is read for instant on function.
After a power failure it unit restarts and it takes about a minute or so too boot up.

[JohnT]

Thanks, folks. That makes sense.

[kenw]

we have a cable dvr, and the drive does spin down after some time, even if left "on" (we rarely actually turn it off, it just goes into standby at night). Often when we first do something the next morning, it pops up with a message "Please wait while the hard drive powers up" or something like that. It takes about 2 seconds then she's ready to go.

[boxofrocks]

Mine did. So dod the one I had from Comcast. My Verizon Fios one does, too.

So I guess I'm 3 for 3. I suppose that still doesn't mean they're supposed to, but I sure hope so.

[Corrie]

I have comcast and it records all the time.

[Rcowan]

I think it has to be on all the time, otherwise you could not pause or rewind live programming.

[Hogleg 44]

I have Dish, and I presumed that it ran all of the time. About the only time mine might be 'off' is when it shuts down the video to update the channel program listings, then doesn't restart the video until you hit select on the remote. (Grrrrr!!!)

(On my 2 TIVO's the HDD runs 24/7. I know this because once the HDD failed, and made a bad chattering noise until I pulled the plug.
Now the HDD in my HD/TIVO has died and it is only a year and a half old! I'm trying to decide about fixing it or going to Dish HD and canning the TIVO all together. trouble is...I have a Lifetime Subscription on the currently dead HD unit!)

In the Dish DVR, can you hear the hard drive running? Does it stop when it shuts down to update the programming?
Mine is in a stereo cabinet with a TIVO where I can't hear what it's doing.

[HotHolly]

Odd timing. Our TiVo Direct TV thingie just died. We went out last night and bought another one. Paul, have you tried calling Dish or who ever you have? Mine was replaced 1x for nothing. It got fried during an electrical storm. I think there was a promo running and they swapped it out for me without renewing my contract. Might be worth asking.

[Hogleg 44]

Thanks for the thought Holly, but this Tivo DVR is Tivo only, and it not connected to the Dish Network in any way. The mfg warranty has expired, but I may call them anyway. This unit records HDTV from my outside antenna only, since I don't have cable.
There is an online company called WeakKnees.com that sells replacement drives for Tivo Brand units, and getting one of those is how I would fix it. I have already done this with my Std Definition Tivo.

I suppose WeakKnees might sell drives for Dish Network DVR's also, but My Dish Reciever belongs to Dish, and not me, so If my Dish DVR fails, Dish should replace it.

[jeffkohn]

Originally Posted by kenw

we have a cable dvr, and the drive does spin down after some time, even if left "on" (we rarely actually turn it off, it just goes into standby at night). Often when we first do something the next morning, it pops up with a message "Please wait while the hard drive powers up" or something like that. It takes about 2 seconds then she's ready to go.

I personally hate this feature of my Comcast cable boxes, no other DVR I've used ever did this and I find it pretty annoying. On my 8300HD it take more than 2 seconds, more like 5-10 seconds. Just one of the many things I hate about Comcast.