specific errors
Hello Zekes...
No, not specifically or exclusively but I did see that error number with a loose connection. I also saw other error codes with the same connection issues.
I think it's important to realize that an error condition which is listed as a specific number, is at best a guess by the software. There must be a set of conditions met, and then a few more, and then a quick stab by the software's logic to make a GUESS as to what is fubar. In other words you should not take the error condition to the bank unless it reflects a complete disk meltdown.
<rant>
This DVR is so far behind the latest versions released by Echostar it's like talking about the light arriving from distant stars. It's old news and we are all suffering for it. Stability should be the highest order bit.
This is not to defend Echostar or to claim their latest versions of firmware for the 924 (is that the model?) is bug free or even desirable...but it is way the heck ahead of the release we are running on the 9200 series.
This machine and this firmware is borderline as far as stability and reliability. I have my 9200 running on tightly regulated, filtered, uninterrupted power - the internal drive is spun down and the chassis vented and cooled by an additional fan, the external drive is connected via a SPEC SATA to eSATA cable of 18" (five inches longer than the internal SATA to SATA and well within SPEC) to a heavily cooled enclosure with an external drive of the exact same model as the one sitting dormant in the chassis. The external drive is itself connected to filtered, regulated and uninterrupted power and kept very cool.
YET THE MACHINE STILL GOES INTO DEEP OUTER SPACE, records 21 hour sessions of one show, loses large sections of the Guide, does disk diagnostics for no reason and none of the events are reflected in the useless Diagnostics menu which tells me my disk drive (not even spinning) is averaging 25 degrees F with a low temp of 21 degrees. I should keep beer on top of the not spinning drive. Talk about placebo effect. Talk about bogus.
I am completely convinced over 90% of this is a result of the software, the bad blocks written to the disk trigger all sorts of unwelcome behavior, resets, thrashing and confusion. Bad blocks and very poor error recovery plague this thing.
I don't know what Bell is doing to put some resources onto this and make this popular unit stable over more than a few weeks - but they are really blowing it assuming everyone will just sit happily and deal with the lack of features and stability available on the sister units at DISH.
My HD Tivo has run for around 6 months, on two internal 400GB drives, with a total of one reboot required (due to a firmware download). Let's not even go into the lack of name-based recording, or the lack of two weeks of Guide data. And yes the HD Tivos fail, massively with disks that large, but they are light years ahead of the 9200 insofar as longevity, stability and features.
I'd be happy to have the 9200 run cleanly for a month but I am not holding my breath. Just read all of the reports, and these are the folks talking the time to report the issues, and a nasty pattern emerges.
</rant>
Thanks for listening. I feel better now.
regards,
patrick