• Introduction:
This site was originally started as a source of information on 2 drive
ReplayTV upgrades, but now serves as a single source of information for
upgrading or repairing a ReplayTV as well as other ReplayTV related
information.
The most common point of failure in a ReplayTV or ShowStopper is
the hard drive and/or software corruption on the hard drive. When
that happens the ReplayTV will be stuck in a reboot loop, displaying the
first "Please wait ..." screen repeatedly (which is only visible on the
composite and s-video outputs) and will be inoperative otherwise.
If you only have the coaxial output hooked up to your television, and
the ReplayTV is unable to boot, you'll see nothing but static on
the TV. See:
ReplayTV appears dead (won't boot), nothing on the television.
If
you're here to replace the hard drive, here's a good place to start:
Replacing the hard drive / RTVPatch drive replacement documentation.
When the hard drive fails or the software gets corrupted, the ReplayTV will become stuck in a reboot loop, only
displaying the "Please Wait ..." screen. (See:
ReplayTV stuck at "Please wait...").
Replacing the drive is
relatively easy and can be completed in a short time. Other common
problems included poor connections between the power supply and
motherboard and/or loose grounding screws on the motherboard and power
supply. (See:
ReplayTV seems
unstable, works for while, then reboots or other strange and/or erratic
behavior).
If you're having another problem with a ReplayTV or ShowStopper, there's a lengthy troubleshooting thread with lots of information here: Building a Troubleshooting Checklist. The chances are good that someone else has already experienced whatever problem you're seeing - read that thread thoroughly - it could save you some time in solving your problem. DNNA also has a troubleshooting knowledgebase covering all ReplayTV models here: ReplayTV Troubleshooting. An excellent source of technical support help is available at Planet Replay from other ReplayTV users.
Before you attempt any upgrade or repair, read through all the
available documentation presented here, through links here, and
elsewhere. When you think you comprehend all of it, read through it
again to make sure. If you encounter a problem, read through everything
again to see if it's been encountered before. All of the information
you need for a successful upgrade or repair is likely here or through
the links provided here.
Whether you're interested in upgrading the drive in your ReplayTV,
or replacing an ailing hard drive in your ReplayTV, much how-to and
do-it-yourself information is presented here. The information
presented here has been gathered from personal experience, information
from other ReplayTV users, and help provided to ReplayTV users in
various on line forums.
If you start at the
top of the "Alphabetical Index" at the left (or click on "Next" below), then use "Next" at the bottom of each
page, you'll cycle through all of the information available on this site.
"Home" from any page will take you back to the main (start) page.
And the "Search this site" button at the top of the index works well to
find specific information on this site.
Regarding Windows Vista - nearly all of the software related to
working with ReplayTVs was written long before Windows Vista was even
being beta tested - consequently you may find that some, if not all of
the available software, including RTVPatch will not work under Windows
Vista. On the other hand, you may find that much of the ReplayTV
related software works fine under Vista. If you're running Windows
Vista, you're generally on your own with respect to a program working or
not working, and you may need to resort to a Linux boot method to use
something like RTVPatch, if it does not work correctly under Windows
Vista.
If you'd like to
print this site's content,
click here
for
a single .pdf document with all the site's info.
Good luck!