SA8300HD - External SATA Drive Works, Please Read Post 1 and Post 1 Links

[57]

bugfan68 Your post was moved to the appropriate thread since it had nothing to do with WHPVR. See the following post 196 for a list of "things to check" on the eHDD. Try a couple of reboots after checking your connections. Start with a warm reboot from the Quick Start Guide.

http://www.digitalhome.ca/forum/show...23773&page=196

http://www.digitalhome.ca/forum/showthread.php?t=17719


Check out the following useful post - FAQs, Search Tips, Optimization, etc.

http://www.digitalhome.ca/forum/showthread.php?t=57741

[bugfan68]

Thanks...I was searching and searching for something about losing all the programs being lost today and I noted the post in the Whole Home Thread....

Sorry for the mispost

[Eug]

Originally Posted by Eug

Well, whaddya know, this 5400 rpm laptop drive is holding up well. I'm now at 60% full (from 33%) over the two drives, which means that there is a good chunk on the external drive, since the internal drive is an old 120 GB drive from 2002, and the external is a 160 GB laptop drive from 2009.

Well, it looks like this 5400 rpm laptop drive can't keep up now. I wonder if it's because the drive is severely fragmented now, since it's been in use for about 6 weeks. (I am assuming the 8300HD doesn't automatically defragment.)

I started noticing increased glitches in the last two weeks, and in this last week a couple of spots in some shows on the external drive were full of stutters. (You can tell which shows are on the external drive by unplugging it. If you select a show in the list and select play, and it drops back to the PVR screen without playing, it's on the external drive.)

I wonder if a 7200 rpm laptop drive would work, but I can't test this because I don't have one. I'll see if I can just live with the internal 320 GB of storage, but if I do decide to augment the drive space with an external drive, I'll just buy a cheaper 3.5" 7200 rpm drive.

---

BTW, as I mentioned earlier, I had taken out an old 7200 rpm desktop internal drive that was causing lockups in an 8300HD that was in an enclosed space. I replaced it with a modern much lower power drive (which works fine in that enclosed space). I then placed the old drive in another 8300HD which has excellent ventilation. The drive has worked perfectly for the last two months with the latter well-ventilated setup.

[kimmal]

So, last night i wanted to watch a few shows I had taped. Press List, choose the show I want and then I get a screen that says something like "Press list to see a list of shows" I don't have the exact message, but needless to say, I can't play any shows that are in my list.

BTW, I also have a PVR extender.

[57]

I moved your post to this existing thread. If you go through your list of shows and try many of them, especially the older ones, you may be able to play those since they may be on the iHDD, rather than the eHDD. Here's a post from this thread with a list of things to check/try. Try a couple of reboots first, then check the list:

http://www.digitalhome.ca/forum/show...23773&page=196


Useful post - FAQs, Search Tips, Optimization, etc: http://www.digitalhome.ca/forum/showthread.php?t=57741

[craig_1]

We got screwed again last week too...

"Misery loves company" - LOL

The software is simply unreliable and poorly crafted and maintained in my opinion.
Our options are severely limited. I will not 'upgrade' (*choke*) to the new Rogers boxes as they seem to have all the OLD issues plus a host of new ones.

Now I just live knowing that eventually, all recorded shows will be lost.. again. My expectations have been lowered to well below VCR technological standards. At least my wife no longer cries when this happens...

[wjs0]

Hi, I'm new and confused. Please excuse this question if it duplicates previous discussions. But with 200 pages of comments and hundreds of links to follow, I'm sure I've missed the answer somewhere.

I've read all the warnings about disconnecting the external esata drive and how to sequence down the power on the DVR and the expansion drive, but what about power outages? If both units lose power simultaneously, and regain power together after the outage, will they continue to operate correctly, and will there be any loss of recorded program data?

I know the benefits of having a UPS, but that only helps for the first couple of hours or so in an outage. Eventually the batteries die and you are in the same situation as if there was no UPS. So, given no improper handling by the owner, will the SA8300HD and its expansion drive survive an unexpected power outage?

Thanks,
Bill

[57]

Without a UPS the PVR and HDD will power down and obviously not record without power. When the power comes back they will typically power up properly and function properly, with previous recordings intact.

A UPS is recommended since the vast majority of outages are brief ones that can (eventually) damage HDDs without a UPS. With a UPS, the unit will also continue recording if the power outage doesn't outlast the battery and if items are appropriately plugged into the UPS' outlets. Most cable service providers have UPS to keep the cable signal "live" for several hours. Obviously, any longer and your UPS or the provider's UPS will run out, but those instances are usually a lot rarer than the typical 1 minute "blip" or 1 hour outage...

Your location may be a consideration in whether you wish the insurance of a UPS. Some locations may have 1 power failure per year (or fewer), while some locations may have one a week... Another consideration is how you react if there is a power failure and your programme is not recorded (or your HDD is damaged)

A thorough reading of post 1 and the links there should be adequate without reading 200 pages...

[wjs0]

Many thanks, 57. You've answered my basic question about recovering after restoring power. I already have two UPSes (?) and may well add a third for the DVR/PVR/STB. We don't get a lot of outages here, but once one lasted about a week. No UPS help there, but better safe than you know what.

I don't mind reading through 200 pages if necessary, but it's the dozen links on each page to somewhere else that get me.

Bill

[redison]

... They show up in the list, but when I select them to play the screen goes immediately back to the screen that says 'Press List ...'. (this is the same problem many of had when rogers updated the firmware a few years ago).

Also it says I have 29 programs recorded but only 2% used space - Impossible!

I have the original Rogers extender box (500GB) attached and have checked the cables, all OK.

I have also cold rebooted the PVR several times but to no avail, (although interestingly enough this solved the same problem a few months back).

I have all these devices hooked up to a UPS which is in good working order.

[57]

redison: Check out post 2960 above and the link there for things to check. Good Luck. How old is the 8300?

[redison]

Thanks for the reply 57!

The PVR and Extender box were bought in Dec 2008, so about 3.5 yeas old.

Ya I know .. this may mean one of the disks is becoming faulty.

Is there any way to test both disks and/or get some info from the diagnostic pages?

Thanks

[57]

You can see if some of the older recordings on the iHDD play. Go through the checklist in the link and perhaps another couple of reboots (do warm reboots via the Quick Start Guide, per the SA FAQ).

The fact that you only have 2% used doesn't bode well...

[redison]

I just did a format of both drives, since I wasn't getting anywhere before. So I will see how that works.

[Visorboy]

Thanks to OP and all that have contributed.
Just installed a Thermaltake BlacX Dock (ST0005U) and WD Caviar Blue 1TB (WD10EALX). Everything seem to be working and recording an HD program right now.
Will report back if the sleep issue occurs.

VB