Earlier tonight as I was powering my gaming and recording center to record more gameplay videos for YouTube, I noticed my HD-PVR was no longer powering up video to my HDTV. I plugged in the USB cable to my laptop and Windows uttered an annoying message that the "USB device has malfunctioned and could not be recognized".
Now, this usually happens sporadically over the last year I've been using the HD-PVR. Meaning, it would sometimes fail to work properly and then abruptly work properly again until it fails again. Replugging all the electronics and powering them up various times and resetting the video settings on the PS3 always solves the problem. Last night I could only get it working with terrible purple lines scrolling up the display. This time however, no such luck. The HD-PVR remained unrecognized to Windows and my HDTV still displays no signal. So I then came to the scary conclusion that my once $200 investment is now a paper weight and is that I could no longer record any gameplay videos.
I was almost on the verge of buying another one when I stumbled across this article written from another blog: http://valkyriemt.wordpress.com/2011/04/09/a-defect-with-the-hd-pvr-will-eventually-fail-for-all/
It details that the most often failure of the HD-PVR is not the unit itself, but the power supply (adapter) that comes with it. It seems like the ancient capacitor plague has infected this cheap, Chinese made power supply as well.
So in a rush, I ordered a generic power supply off eBay. I was originally going to buy the original off the Hauppauge HD-PVR's official store website, but their store was broken and I could not put the item in my cart. Hauppuage, how you piss me off much so! Regardless, I decided it wasn't a good idea to buy another of the same power supply with time bomb capacitors that came with the HD-PVR anyways.
So I will await the new power supply (which should arrive by Monday) and will report back whether it fixes the HD-PVR or not. In the fortunate event that it does, I will resume recording and uploading videos to YouTube immediately. In the case that it doesn't and the HD-PVR is truly dead, I will have to buy another one or invest in a different capture device altogether (which I really don't want to do).
Yeah, I am still using my 5 year old HD-PVR. I didn't get the Intensity Shuttle Thunderbolt I discussed a lot on this blog because quite frankly, I'm just too used to the HD-PVR. Plus the fact that the Shuttle costs $100 more and it would only marginally increase my video quality.
To summarize: No new videos on YouTube for at least a few days to a week. Perhaps longer if the new power supply doesn't fix the HD-PVR. It should okay though, since you're used to me not uploading every day anyways, right?! But I really wanted to upload a new video today!! :(
Sorry to hear that. So many people I know and are subscribed to on YouTube are having their electronics fail on them recently, ps3, xbox 360s, wiis and now your hd-pvr too. Hope you get it back working with the new power adapter.
ReplyDeleteWhat was the video you going to post today, BTW?
Aww man, I was waiting more Orochi 2 Ultimate videos from you but now I get this news. :( Wish you good luck on getting that beast fixed!
ReplyDeleteThe new video is a secret! But it is definitely something that you'd enjoy more so than anything else recently uploaded. Too bad the HD-PVR just had to stop working right at the moment I wanted to do it. D:
ReplyDeleteAfter more research, I'm 99% sure it's just the power supply now. So this won't be as bad as I thought.
a week is not that long I'm sure we can wait. i'll try getting a hd-pvr 2 or elgato if you can't get that one fixed.
ReplyDeleteWell, that's a load of crap… hope you can get it fixed and not have to buy a new one.
ReplyDeleteDamn! That sucks! =O
ReplyDeleteWow that's a wonderfull blog having all details & helpful. China power cords
ReplyDelete