Power went out, now my 515 won't turn on at all ***UPDATE*** soft reset worked!! :)

Swap the 515's power cord into another power connection on the power strip--a known good connection currently powering another device.

There may be a blown fuse to the power supply. Might be worth popping the top and checking.

If holding the power switch depressed while connecting power fails to restore life, you might need service.

I read a recent post by CitiBear regarding Magnavox DVDR reliability (Downhill: 2160A -> 513 -> 515).

Are the 515s *REALLY* that bad?!? (or is it just "Operator Error"?)

Several recent threads have addressed the "dead" problem in more detail.

The fuse is seen at the lower left of center in the attached photo.

Opening the case might void the warranty and complicate returning the 515 to a Walmart retail store.

You da man, DigaDo! I think even the OP can find that bugger and check it out. I forget if there is a service seal on the unit though. Haven't seen the back of mine in awhile. That would be a concern for the OP if he's entertaining a return ... although not with WalMart for sure.

In the important things, like power supply and tuner, it's the same. Different remote and no pre-naming of titles though.

Hi Gale,

Very glad to hear the good news.

Sorry about the gender thing, I never know what the screen names actually represent and I detest being politically correct.

And yes, I meant that Walmart is even more like Costco used to be in the sense that they usually take anything back, whatever the condition, with or without a receipt. I've never seen anyone even open a box to see if the item was actually inside. Unreal.

Paul

No, they aren't "that bad". Please, don't start quoting me like that or wajo will put a hit out on me. My remarks are not meant to disparage the 515, just to confirm it gets a disproportionate share of "acting wonky shortly after purchase" reports compared to the 513 and especially the H2160, which had few such reports (aside from the finalization workaround which got corrected in the 513 and 515). I don't think the 515 is any more flaky out of the box than many of the other brands/models back in the pre-2006 heyday, but it gets much more intense scrutiny and coverage by dint of being the last and only DVD/HDD model we can buy in the US. Wal*Mart being the only major seller also skews these "defective" reports, since your average Wal*Mart customer is not as savvy as the person who shopped for a Toshiba XS or Pioneer 640 at Best Buy or Circuit City five years ago.

I'd estimate about half the complaints I've seen about the 515 reflect operator error or misunderstanding of the blockhead instruction manual. I never use the Magnavox manual: I go straight to wajo's sticky which is much clearer and more direct, but most 515 buyers would have no idea wajo's sticky even exists. They get frustrated by something like the initial setup/disc tray interlock or cable service complexities, return the 515, then post complaints. The great advantage of Wal*Mart being the main backer of the Magnavox is their generous return policy: if the machine seems seriously funky and can't be fixed using tips found here on AVS, just return it and get another (which more than likely will be fine).

Note the 513 and 515 (and to a lesser extent the H2160) are subject to the same generic SATA HDD connection glitches that plague the final Pioneers, Sonys and LGs. If you seem to get weirdness localized to the HDD, consider opening the Magnavox and re-seating the HDD plugs (on both motherboard and HDD). This is often helpful if you're past the 90 day Wal*Mart return period, or if you bought your unit via Amazon or J&R and have gone past their shorter return periods.

Hmmm. Even though I admit that they're generally one of the most hassle-free there is about it, they did take my Magnavox H2080 out of the box at the store here, and inspected it to make sure it was actually that unit (and new), and also made sure all the accessories were in there.

And they do require receipts here, also. They might not have been as stringent at one time, but they definitely started getting moreso here a few years back. Maybe it just depends on where you live.

Hi rammitinski,

I guess that's true as I have heard of similar things as you described but have never experienced it for myself, both with (usual) or one time without receipt. Of course the without receipt was store credit. But I have to say it has been awhile. I guess when Costco decided to tighten up Wal-mart followed suit.

Was the old power strip an actual surge protector or was it just a power strip with no surge protection?

A UPS is generally for things that need to keep power going for a few minutes for proper shutdown (computers, DLP TVs, etc.) and the Maggy really doesn't need it. Most have good surge protection, though, so it would protect it that way (to a degree, at least.)

Sometimes the surge protector doesn't react fast enough to a fast surge (they can vary) and lets enough in to screw with the equipment before kicking in. Or the surge could have been too much for it (like if it were lightning.) A number of things could have happened.

You could try a better one, although I think a UPS is overkill.

Any chance you could use an extension cord to make your 515 cord reach the UPS? This is probably the best workaround, unless the cord would be so long you'd have to run it under carpets or it would be exposed where someone might trip over it. Its better to test the 515 with your existing UPS before going out to buy an extra one. Unless you live in a storm zone where these surges happen continually (weekly), its generally not advised to power AV gear from a UPS. The power from a consumer or even business-grade UPS is often really goofy compared to straight AC and the gear is not designed to expect this: its fine for a computer but can mess with the performance of audio and video hardware. Your UPS may not affect the 515 at all, or you may see or hear issues with its recordings. Won't know till you test.

The issues with AV gear come about because a UPS is generally designed to filter all power thru the battery before it reaches the outlet panel, and the battery can get funky as its charging or as it ages. I guess there may be some UPS that pass AC directly to their outlets and switch to the battery only when needed, but such a design is probably complicated and expensive. More than likely your 515 would work fine on a UPS, but I have seen tests with audio and video components hooked up to $100, $500, and $1000 UPS and the results were surprisingly bad. A souped-up surge protection box like this one is usually better for AV: http://www.amazon.com/Tripp-Lite-ISO...3224863&sr=8-1.

Thats the way I thought all UPS's worked too, that is they always ran off the inverter and battery but since the battery was continuously recharged it was always ready to go. Apparently this is not the case with current UPS technology and they all?? operate off line voltage when it's present and they have a very fast switching network bring up backup power within milliseconds when the normal AC power goes off or drops below a certain point.
I know my both my ~$100 UPSs work this way, a Tripplite and APC. I know because the APC has a battery testing function that periodically runs the unit on battery power for a few seconds. When this happens my TV has a small band running across the screen(I assume because the TV doesn't like the square wave power supplied by the UPS(~$500 USPs are true sine wave but it's not a very common feature because of the price)). This doesn't seem to effect my recordings although I did worry about it at first.
Most people on the DVR forums swear by UPSs and your post is actually the first I've seen talking against them. I use a UPS mainly for my Tivo but do have several of my DVDRs plugged in for both uninterrupted power as well as power filtering on their non/UPS outlets. UPSs do require periodic maintenance(replacement of batteries which last ~4 years and can cost from $20-$80 depending on size. Sometimes with cheaper UPSs it's more cost effective to just replace the UPS instead of trying to replace the batteries.

Great Scott, Man!! That's the A/V surge protector I've been looking for! I want basic protection from the power fluctuations we get especially during spring/early summer storm season, but wasn't looking forward to spending my tax refund on more $$$ units from a place like Audio Advisor. I have half the living room system, the back bedroom system, and the computer on "slightly better than hardware store"-grade protectors from Best Buy.

This also dovetails with your comments in another thread about VCRs being touchy about powerline fluctuations: might explain why my Mitsubishi HS-U748 gave up the ghost with what appears to be some sort of control board failure. Even now, I can plug it in, and 24 times out of 25, it stays dead; on the 25th attempt, the front panel shows the "- - - -" on the clock just long enough for me to hit the power button, and the thing will run for several hours.

Sometimes people come here and complain about a whole string of short-lived lemons from a particular brand onf DVDRs, or even across several brands. I often wonder if a chronic problem with their household electrical system is frying the gear.....

It may depend on specific combinations of gear and power company, as well as the particular UPS. Most of the tests I've seen were run with audio hardware and laserdisc players on older UPS models, from what you say it appears current UPS designs do run on the superior "AC unless the battery is needed" design. Personally I can't stand the damn things, between the beeping alarm every time the battery hiccups to the disposal issues when the battery goes dead I can't be bothered. All my stuff is on the amazing TrippLite IsoBar surge protectors, which are in turn connected to a huge TrippLite power conditioner I bought years ago (haven't seen a new one available anywhere in ages). My main computer is a laptop, which has its own battery protection, and my Pioneer DVRs shut down gracefully if AC is suddenly removed (don't ask how I discovered that ). I use my Magnavox H2160 mostly as a tuner so I'm not worried about losing recordings if it shuts down unexpectedly. If one feels a real need for a UPS, I'd recommend the same TrippLite or APC brands you mentioned. Alternatively, plug a Tripplite IsoBar surge protector into the wall, then plug whatever UPS you prefer into the IsoBar for maximum double-layer protection.


The TrippLite IsoBars are amazing: the design hasn't changed in thirty years because it works better than any other surge protection you can buy. I have several of the 4-outlet versions I linked to, one since 1986, they have been in continuous use with no issues. Ditto their power conditioner box, which was a lifesaver in solving stubborn VCR picture problems I had all thru the '80s until I got it. Unfortunately they stopped selling the power line conditioners some time ago, but I see them now and then on eBay. I was at a party today where someone complained their Best Buy salesman insisted they needed an extra $329 box to go with their new 60" flatscreen. I couldn't understand what they were talking about until they showed it to me (it was still in their car). It turned out to be a ridiculously overpriced "surge protector with cable/antenna/modem ports" box, so I told them to return it and get the equivalent Tripplite for $100 from another store.

Well, I shelled for a $200 unit from PS Audio (?) [actually, turns out it's a Panamax PM-3400 --dos] and the most critical living room stuff, including the DVDRs is on that. Adding 3 more of those would be pricey, so I just ordered 3 Tripp Lites. They have excellent feedback on Amazon, and adding in your experience (you were in pro vidoeo production back in the day, weren't you?) convinced me.

My main concern is thunderstorms that come up when I'm not home. I can leave the house in the AM and it's sunny and fair. By the afternoon we're having a monsoon. So if there's any hint of a chance of there being a storm, I unplug everything before I leave the house. That's kind of cumbersome and a problem when I want to record something while I'm gone.

Re: Best Buy "bulk up our margin" scams: I remember the days when DVD players really came down in price. You'd snag a nice one for, say, $100-$129 from BB, then the salesman would try to talk you into buying a $50 set of cables. I didn't bite, but I knew plenty of non-tech savvy folks who did.

The TL model in the link appears to have some kind of noise line-conditioning or filtering built-in. Just not the industrial strength power-conditioning you're probably referring to, though.

Do they make any with more outlets than that? I could sure use a couple myself (either way - but it'd still be nice to have more outlets in one unit if possible).