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UPC DVR - won't turn on

  • 15-06-2010 8:18pm
    #1
    MeWantBroadband
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 189 ✭✭


    Hi,

    I have a UPC "mediabox digital video recorder" manufactured by Thompson. I have many months worth of recorded movies on their, so I want to try everything before getting UPC involved as I assume they will just replace the unit.

    Came back from holidays and it looked like it was recording something - two red lights on at the front as often happens. However the following day it was making weird noises - whirring up and then going silent every few minutes.

    I could not turn it on. When you try with the remote, the red power light comes on, then after a minute the green telephone light (not using their phone service) but it never turns on and the cycle repeats.

    I tried the reboot procedure - that is I disconnected the power for ages, but no difference.

    Any reboot procedures I have not tried? Are there diagnostic steps out on the web anywhere?


Comments

  • #2
    djimi
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 13,237 ✭✭✭✭djimi


    From the sounds of it the hard drive might be knackered.

    Did you call UPC support and see if they have any suggestions before replacing the box? Im sure they would have seen the issue before and if they know of how to fix it without replacing the unit theyll tell you.


  • #3
    Alun
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 21,499 ✭✭✭✭Alun


    The 'telephone' light indicates it's trying to perform a s/w update. It seems a common fault that these boxes get caught in an infinite update loop somehow, and AFAIK the only way out is a replacement. There is a procedure for forcing a s/w update, but it's pretty fiddly ...
    (i) Pull out the power cable from the back of the box (or power it off at the mains - whatever is easiest).
    (ii) With power off, press the left and right arrow keys on the front of the box, and keep them held down.
    (iii) Plug the power back in, keeping the arrows keys pressed until the box 'boots'.

    If a software update is available, it will download and install it. If there's not, the box will just boot as normal. By the way, you can release the arrow keys once the update starts.


  • #4
    MeWantBroadband
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 189 ✭✭MeWantBroadband


    Thanks.

    I tried the update procedure, and it does something - said something like 'X% R scanning', then loading, then saving, where X is 50% to 100%.

    However once it finished it was back to the same red light, whirr, green light cycle that goes nowhere.

    Will have to ring UPC.


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