3rd DOA tivo

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mattwnz

20141 posts

Uber Geek

#100617 15-Apr-2012 00:05

I have setup 3 tivos in the past, 2 for family and 1 of my own. Two of these however have been DOA. One just displayed a grey screen on boot up with a flashing orange light on the front. The other kept crashing the day I got it. All the replacements when they have been swapped, have worked fine and are still running fine.

However I have just got my free tivo from telecom as part of they broadband deal, and this is also DOA. With this one you get a powering up message and then flicks to a grey screen. It doesn't progress from that screen after half and hour, and the fan on the tivo remains blowing at a high level. It should slow down after it has booted up.
I can't believe the high failure of these things out of the box. Will have to ring up telecom to get it replaced, but is is frustrating to have 3 out of 4 tivos DOA. I know it isn't anything I am doing, because the replacements all work fine.

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1081 posts

Uber Geek

#609482 15-Apr-2012 08:09

It would be quite interesting to know what part(s) it is that fails so often.

pegi

37 posts

Geek

#609489 15-Apr-2012 09:11

Skolink: It would be quite interesting to know what part(s) it is that fails so often.

I have the same problem. My TiVo was working for 2 weeks and then it went to grey screen. I couldn't even go to the main menu. I think it's a hard drive.
I am waiting for replacement.

Jaxson

8041 posts

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Trusted

#609522 15-Apr-2012 11:20

The units are all actually pretty old stock, circa 2007 ex Mexico.

mattwnz

20141 posts

Uber Geek

#609568 15-Apr-2012 13:47

Jaxson: The units are all actually pretty old stock, circa 2007 ex Mexico.

It is a bit of a concern. Perhaps it is because they have been in storage for so long, and not used. Perhaps there is a button battery on the board that will run down if not connected to power for a long time. This can happen on PCs. But it is strange that it is affecting so many. My very first tivo purchased about 2 years ago has almost been flawless.

old3eyes

9119 posts

Uber Geek

Subscriber

#609595 15-Apr-2012 14:55

My first one worked fine for 11 months until the GSOD which according to the TiVo forums was a sure sign that the hard disk had died.. The second has been running for about 6 months so far so good touch wood..

Regards,

Old3eyes

Skolink

1081 posts

Uber Geek

#609658 15-Apr-2012 18:25

pegi:
Skolink: It would be quite interesting to know what part(s) it is that fails so often.

I have the same problem. My TiVo was working for 2 weeks and then it went to grey screen. I couldn't even go to the main menu. I think it's a hard drive.
I am waiting for replacement.

But did you get the 'sunrise screen' on power up before the grey screen? The sunrise screen is stored on the PROM, so should show even with a dead/corrupted HDD.

Dunnersfella

4086 posts

Uber Geek

#609689 15-Apr-2012 19:39

Cheap box, very old stock.
Lots of failures.

And people seem surprised?

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Skolink

1081 posts

Uber Geek

#609720 15-Apr-2012 20:42

Dunnersfella: Cheap box, very old stock.
Lots of failures.

And people seem surprised?

Yes. Electronics don't decay when in storage. The data on the HDD might, but that's all.

mattwnz

20141 posts

Uber Geek

#609733 15-Apr-2012 21:14

Dunnersfella: Cheap box, very old stock.
Lots of failures.

And people seem surprised?

They had an $800 value when they were first sold. Infact only last year they were still being sold for around $600 on the nz tivo website, so I wouldn't regard that as cheap. Even now they are being sold for $300, but that I presume is to get rid of a backload of stock.
Also I wouldn't expect so many failures, as it is supposed to be a quality unit and brand. It is not as though they are cheap chinese pvrs off some overseas website. If it weren't for these DOA usints I would consider them to be one of the premium PVRs in terms of the features and good easy to use interface.

pegi

37 posts

Geek

#609740 15-Apr-2012 21:46

Skolink:
pegi:
Skolink: It would be quite interesting to know what part(s) it is that fails so often.

I have the same problem. My TiVo was working for 2 weeks and then it went to grey screen. I couldn't even go to the main menu. I think it's a hard drive.
I am waiting for replacement.

But did you get the 'sunrise screen' on power up before the grey screen? The sunrise screen is stored on the PROM, so should show even with a dead/corrupted HDD.

When I came from work and turned my TV on, the TiVo was already on grey screen. When I tried to reboot it sometimes it stopped on first "Welcome..." screen or it went through second screen - "Just a few minutes", but then I got the grey screen again. The same thing happened after 8-10 hour disconnection.

Skolink

1081 posts

Uber Geek

#612969 21-Apr-2012 21:22

This thread on the OzTiVo forums may be of interest. Someone has actually fixed their faulty TiVoHD power supply.

Gemini

429 posts

Ultimate Geek

#614277 24-Apr-2012 12:27

Was keen but going off the idea of tivo now. To me a recorder is one of those devices you need to be able to count one. Would be particularily inconvienent if it failed because you lose not only current recordings but your ability to record anything until it's fixed! The failure rate can only get worse here I imagine

Gilco2

1556 posts

Uber Geek

#614292 24-Apr-2012 12:51

Gemini: Was keen but going off the idea of tivo now. To me a recorder is one of those devices you need to be able to count one. Would be particularily inconvienent if it failed because you lose not only current recordings but your ability to record anything until it's fixed! The failure rate can only get worse here I imagine

If you worried about that, then buy 2 as cheap at the price they are and that way you have your spare tyre so to speak

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mattwnz

20141 posts

Uber Geek

#614335 24-Apr-2012 14:26

Gemini: Was keen but going off the idea of tivo now. To me a recorder is one of those devices you need to be able to count one. Would be particularily inconvienent if it failed because you lose not only current recordings but your ability to record anything until it's fixed! The failure rate can only get worse here I imagine

Any device can fail, but in my case they were DOA. Once you get one that works out of the box it should be fine. However Telecom still have not replaced mine, after waiting a week before they got back to me to troubleshoot the device, with a solution that didn't even apply to the problem I was having. So I will be without one for at least 2 weeks. At least if you buy from the retailer, you can just take it in a swap it, unlike with telecom who have a painful and long troubleshooting process you have to follow, even when it is DOA.

GeoffisPure

459 posts

Ultimate Geek

#621082 7-May-2012 16:45

Gah... I've had my Tivos for just over a week. Today I turned on my TiVo in the lounge and it was the grey screen of death. Unplugged the TiVo and plugged it back in... "powering up..." screen displayed and then back to grey screen of death. TiVo in the bedroom still works fine.

Looks like I'll have to take it back to Noel Leeming, yeah?

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