Ron
As far as the spin down feature is there a problem with it, well not really it depends on what camp you are in what you believe. Some say spin the disk down will save disk wear and tear. While other say it does more harm to spin the disk up and down. ( also if you spin down it save heat and noise problem). So it depends on what you believe. The unit was design to have the disk spin all the time and they said it would not effect the unit then. But in my opinion when some people where complaining about the noise and heat problems and other believeing that spinning all the time would wear out the unit they added the feature of spin down the disk when turn off. If you have the disk spin down when you turn it on you get a "pleas wait" for 10 to 15 second as it spin up, not a big deal. But if it is spining it turn right on with no delay. Personnely I don't like the delay when it off, I like the instant on with no delay. Also I personnely didn't like the spin down feature because I am one of those that believe it does more harm than good because one it was design to be spining all the time and tivo use the disk and they spin all the time too. I might be wrong only time will tell but I was glad to find the option of turning the spin down feature off.
As far as the unit recording to the buffer the only way to stop it is to turn the unit off and don't use the DISABLE DISK SPINDOWN for it is my opinion that if the disk spin down is disabled the unit will record to buffer even when the unit is off. Since the write and read heads don't actualy touch the disk there is no wear and tear due to it recording and reading from the disk. So it come down to what you believe wheather it is more harmfull to spin all the time or spin it up and down all the time. I am no expert and it just my opinion on what I believe and have read and is my opinion only.
As far as seperate remote command for different unit so far there is none that I know of but replaytv has said they where looking in to it. Let me tell you my story. When I had two units I used the one on and other off to control them. then I got my third unit and had to come up with a way to control it, I too lazy to get up and down. So I used a IR extender with the transmitter in a box to make sure the IR couldn't be seen by the on unit. Put the IR receiver next to unit and block the replaytv unit from seeing any IR except for the IR coming from the receiver. Work great except I had to remember to put the remote in box which set a a 90 degree angle from me. A pain to do but it worked. Then I got a forth unit and again I ws back at how to control it. I could of use another IR extender for it but I didn't like haveing to put the remote in box, it was a pain. Then one day I learned about the Ocelot and it's connecting 16 IR unit. The Ocelot is a program control unit that can control a lot of home automation units. Of course I am only interested in control IR units. the 16 ir unit has 16 ir outputs but I only using four. The Ocelot can be program when it see a IR signal it can send out any command out of any of the 16 ir unit outputs. So I taught the ocelot when it saw a certain IR signal to turn on the unit I wanted to use and turn off or make sure the rest are all turn off. For the certain signal in my setup I have all my PTVs going thru a jvc 7 video switcher. Video 1 is for replaytv unit 1, 2 for 2 etc. so I taught the ocelot when it saw video 1 IR signal to output discreate on to replaytv unit 1 and discreate off to all other units. eTc for the other codes. I just got this setup Sat and I am still have a few probems to work out. one I was hoping the ocelot would see the video x IR that is in the pronto marco to do it thing but for some reason it not reconizing it from the pronto, I don't know if it is to short or something else but it will reconize the JVC orginal remote which now I am using. Second problem is my 3030 won't reconize the codes from the ocelot for some reson. Untill I figure out what's going on i have to use a workaround to control the 3030 for example I use the replaytv remote to turn the unit to the state I want and then use the jvc remote to configure the rest. Some wht of a pain but I am getting there as soon as I can figure out how to correct the problem. I am not very smart but I am a bull dog for I keep trying. I feel sure with some work I can get it to reconize the pronto commands but for why the 3030 isn't responding to the ocelot command I have no Idea. I know the Ir is getting to it it's just not responding ( it does once in a great while like 1 out of 20) My other units are 2004 and 1 2020 . For only two units I would use the on/off workaround but if you have more youmight cconcider the ocelot but it does cost abotu $300 for both units. The Ocelot is programed by the computer with the supplied software connected by serial cable. If your not bored to death and want to read more do a search for Ocelot and you will find some interesting post about it. Except for the small workarounds that talk about except for hving to put in a dvd in it's player everything is automatic now in my setup, I can do anything from my chair by the press of one button on my pronto to setup my system to do what I want to do. Although I could use the pronto to control each unit which I do for everything except for my PTVs which I still like to use the orginal remote for nomal operations since I am using them all the time to skip commercials, etc.
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Tom Paulus
a TV nut that's hard to crack.
