@willdude wrote:
I've been having this problem the last month or so with my Fios HD DVR (Motorola QIP7216), where I turn on my TV and AV Receiver, and after a second or two, the DVR makes a clicking noise, crashes, and takes a couple minutes to boot up again. This doesn't happen every time, maybe once or twice a week, and happens whether the DVR was already on or was in standby and then turned on at the same time as the other devices. It also seems to happen right when it displays "DUI" on the front display, which makes me think the problem is related to the HDMI handshake with the other devices, which has seemed to be a persistent problem with these DVRs. I've had the DVR and TV for over a year with no problem, and the AV receiver has been in the mix for about 2 months, but this problem has only started about a month ago. I've already tried unplugging the power cord and replugging it in. Anyone have any other suggested troubleshooting steps?
Sounds like a low voltage issue or bad power strip. Do you have it all plugged into a UPS that might be to small?
@prisaz wrote:Sounds like a low voltage issue or bad power strip. Do you have it all plugged into a UPS that might be to small?
That's what i would suspect too. The clicking is the sound of the power relay dropping out on the DVR. Try moving the DVR to another outlet, or bypassing the UPS if you are using one.
You can plug an ordinary lamp into the socket where the DVR normally is, and notice if the lamp flickers while powering up the other devices. That would mean your power is sagging.
@willdude wrote:
2. If this were a power issue, one would think it would crop up when I was actually watching something, as the system would presumably draw more power when the receiver is actually driving the surround speakers versus just powering on.
Actually, the DVR draws only minimially lower power when not in use. It is never truly off as the tuners and hard drive are always active.
@willdude wrote:
I don't have a UPS, but the devices are plugged into a surge protector. Can a surge protector (that's only a little over a year old) be responsible for low voltage issues? I do have all my devices -- TV, receiver, subwoofer, DVR -- plugged into the same surge protector, so I'll try moving the DVR to the other one and also try the lamp test. I'm skeptical that this will help, however, since: 1. The other surge protector is just on an adjacent wall socket on the same circuit. 2. If this were a power issue, one would think it would crop up when I was actually watching something, as the system would presumably draw more power when the receiver is actually driving the surround speakers versus just powering on.The surge surpressor isn't really an issue normally. It's the wiring and connectors to and from everything in your setup, including the surpressor.
1. You are right that moving the plug might hot help if it's on the same line (unless the ac socket is loose). You could try using an extension to one on another line.
2. Actually unless you are playing some really ear-shattering stuff, the greatest current draw is during the first few seconds of power application for most devices. Most of them have large capacitors in the power sections that have to be charged initially. And typical (non-LED) LCD TV's have to light up the flourescent tubes in the backlight, and that takes about 50-80% more power than normal use.
I moved the DVR to the other surge protector to see if that helps. I first tested the power theory by plugging a lamp into both the original and new surge protector, and turning on my TV and receiver. The TV itself had no effect, but turning on the receiver caused a brief flicker in the lamp. However, this flicker would only occur immediately when the receiver turned on, whereas in the problem I had, the DVR would click and reset a good 4-5 seconds after the receiver turned on, right when it establishes the HDMI link with the DVR, which displayed "DVI". I guess I'll try to make a point of turning on the devices one at a time, to avoid multiple things powering on simultaneously, to see if it comes back.
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