[lawrencehare]

I upgraded my FIOS interface box to the QIP6416-2 on Friday, which seems to work just fine and now I have DVR - which I should have got when I first hooked up FIOS TV, but there it is - I didn't. Last night however I noticed it was surprisingly warm, unusual as it was not being used. It was powered on and the HD seems to run all the time, it had some scheduled recording set up for tonight (Sunday) but other than that it was powered down, which means it shows the time and the HD keeps on running.


The rest of the stuff is barely warm when it is not being used, so I wondered why this thing should be so hot. I have a number of computers running and they are barely warm even thought the HD is constantly running in some of them.


Is there any reason to keep power to this box 24 x 7? It obviously must be powered up if there is a scheduled program but I don't see why I should have it heating up that corner of the room all the time. I unplugged it last night, and then powered it up this morning, and it came up fine - which I would expect as we get many, but many, power failures here where I live. The computers are all on a UPS, well, most of them are, but the HT gear is not. Nothing has ever suffered though from a power failure.


Is there any setting that would allow the HD to spin down when not in use? The manual for the device is very poor, and does anyone know why it gets so hot? And would installing a switch to power it off when not in use cause any issues that anyone can think of? Has anyone had an issue with this device caused by heat, or anything else for that matter.


Cheers - Lawrence

 

[bfdtv]

The official AVS forum thread for the Verizon DVR is Verizon FiOS QIP6416 DVR - Master Topic! . DSLR also has some useful threads, including IMG Bugs and missing features Ver 2.0 .


All modern DVRs run 24/7. The power button only turns off the video output and the lights on the front of the unit. The rest of the box continues running so it can buffer live television and record your programs.


Most DVRs rely on passive heatsinks to do their cooling, so the top does tend to get very warm -- even hot -- given the close proximity of the DVR CPU to the outer case. This is completely normal. When possible, you should avoid placing DVRs in an enclosed space with limited circulation.


The power consumption on the Motorola DVR is around 38 watts -- about 1/4 the typical PC and significantly less than a single incandescent light in your home. Replacing the incandescent bulbs in your home with compact fluorescents will save you several times the energy cost of running the DVR.

Quote:
Originally Posted by lawrencehare /forum/post/12874651


Is there any setting that would allow the HD to spin down when not in use?

No, there is not. The DVR is always in use -- that is why you can rewind live programming whenever you turn on your TV.


You can unplug the box if you really want, but Motorola recommends against that. Regularly disconnecting the power to the box will significantly shorten the lifespan of the unit. Like all modern DVRs, the Motorola was designed and built to run 24/7. The power supplies in these units were not intended to be regularly disconnected.


If you decide to turn off the box anyway, be aware that there is a 5-10 minute bootup time once you turn the box on before it will record.

 

[lawrencehare]

Thanks bfdvd, I'll leave it on. And thanks for pointing me in the right direction, I had not seen that thread.


I notice that now, for example, it is just warm. Perhaps last night it was doing something, perhaps it has embedded Windows!


The box is out in the open although it has a tape unit on top, although the feet of the tape unit keep it an inch or so above the top. Not quite what the doctor ordered but the guy who installed it said it was fine. I can increase the clearance if needed. I'll keep and eye on it.


Cheers - Lawrence