Frequently Asked Upgrade Pre Purchase Questions

Note: Opening your ReplayTV box voids the balance of your 1 year warranty with ReplayTV.

If I upgrade my hard drive, is my subscription affected?
No, all of the subscription related information is on the system board. Your subscription status does not change if you replace the hard drive.

Do the ReplayTV's run the same software?
Basically the software is similar, but comes in the following versions: RTV20XX, RTV30X0 and Showstopper, Comcast, AT&T, RTV4000, RTV4500, and RTV5000. With the exception of the RTV30X0 and Showstoppers, none of the software is interchangable. There are reports of RTV4000 and RTV4500 being interchangable but we make sure that the drive ordered for a particular model has its history in that model and is tested in that model before we ship. Running the wrong software could seriously damage your ReplayTV unit. Please make sure that you order the correct version for your ReplayTV model.

Do you load the latest version of the ReplayTV software?
Yes, we load the latest version for the appropriate model ReplayTV. Most importantly, we make sure your software works in the appropriate model ReplayTV via functional and stress testing.

What is "Large Cluster Formatting"?
"Large Cluster Formatting" is a new modification for prepping legacy ReplayTV drives. This results in lower memory usage in ReplayTVs compared to the normal formatting. The lower memory usage is particularly important for users who subscribe to satellite services which provide hundreds of channels and for those users who like to save a lot of guaranteed recordings and lots of Replay channels. We have fully qualified "Large Cluster Formatting" with all sizes of single drive upgrades and all ReplayTV models. We have hundreds of hours of functional testing with this method and are now ready to ship our latest upgrade drives using this technology. We have tested dual drives up to 280 hours for stability.

Aren't you just using standard Maxtor drives? Why can't I just buy one of those drives from CompUSA and install it imto my ReplayTV?
These drives start off as standard 5400RPM Maxtor or Western Digital drives. We prep these drives specifically with the PVR in mind. We low-level format each drive twice to ensure that all of the sectors are accessible. We then recertify each drive to factory standards to ensure that there are no bad sectors. The software is loaded then we test each drive in the appropriate ReplayTV model for 24-48 hours to ensure that your drive is fully functional. Our functional tests involve several hours of stress testing to ensure good performance. Every drive has at least 60 hours of testing before it is shipped to you.

Will this drive work in my ReplayTV unit?
We have qualified all the sizes of hard drives in every available ReplayTV model: RTV30x0, RTV20xx, Panasonic Showstopper HSx000, Comcast RTV3030C, AT&T RTV3030D, and RTV4XX0, RTV45xx, and RTV5xx0. Unlike most of our competitors, we support ALL models of ReplayTV. The code for all of the models are available on the internet so beware of vendors who claim to be able to upgrade any model of ReplayTV. They can load the software but they don't necessary test the drive before you install it into your ReplayTV. We find that practice unacceptable.

How soon before you can ship my drive?
The demand for our drives is so great that our backlog has not dropped below 3-5 business days after the order is placed. At its peak, the backlog has been as high as 10 business days because of the demand. We can prep up to 105 untested, uncertified drives per hour on our 7dedicated Pentium III computers. However, our recertification process takes up to 24 hours on each computer so we can recertify only 7 drives per day, provided we get no failures and all the drives pass. In some cases, drives 160GB and larger lake close to 48 hours to recertify. We load the software then test the drives in the proper model ReplayTV. We have the following models for testing: RTV3020, Panasonic Showstopper HS1000, RTV2020, Comcast RTV3030C, AT&T RTV3030D, RTV4040, RTV4504, and RTV5040. Because of our testing, we can ship only ONE of each type model per day. In addition, the ReplayTV dial-up setup servers regularly go down for 24+ hour stretches at a time and hampers our testing effort.

Do I need a fan for extra cooling?
No, for the following reasons: 1. The Original ReplayTV chassis was not designed to accomodate a fan so there is no free flow vent path through the space. The fan will simply suck in the dust along with the air and end up depositing the dust on the sensitive ICs. Anyone who has seen the inside of a PC will know what bad air flow and dust will do to the computer; 2. The replacement single drive upgrade drives run quite a bit cooler than the original OEM drive. While it sounds like a good idea, especially for our competitors who recklessly use SUPER HOT 7200RPM drives, it is not necessary. If it were, we would be offering it. The RTV4000 and newer are all actively cooled and have been successfully upgraded with 7200RPM drives. However, cooler components always translates to longer unit life so more cooling is always helpful.

So why do you sell a bracket/fan kit now?
With the development of the large cluster formatting technology, the 140 hour capacity barrier has been broken even though the 137GB addressable limit has not. Now, total capacities from 160 to 280 hours are available but only through dual drive upgrades. We came up with a bracket design for a 2nd drive that also allows for a fan to be mounted in the optimal position to maximize the cooling potential and has the best airflow path through the chassis. Although it will minimize the amount of dust that accumulates in the chassis, we still recommend our external cooling device. If you are planning and upgrade to a large single drive, this bracket will allow you to relocate the hard drive to an alternate location away from the largest heat source in your ReplayTV, the power supply. You can also add a fan to augment the cooling.

I want to stack my components, like the digital cable box on top of the ReplayTV unit. What are my options?
We have modified a notebook cooler to allow you to stack ReplayTV units. We modified the cooler with the proper sized spacers to provide adequate air flow between it and the top of the ReplayTV chassis. The warm exhaust air is vented out toward the back. It is recommended only for properly vented cabinets and freestanding stacks.

How does this upgrade work?
This upgrade is plug and play. Replacement of the hard drive inside the chassis is straightforward and requires only a Phillips screwdriver and care. Simply remove the 7 cover screws and the 5 screws around the drive cage, swap the hard drives, and run through the ReplayTV setup. Remember that you will not be transferring any shows you currently have recorded.

For the ReplayTV 4000 and 4500 series, there are 9 cover screws, 4 drive bracket screws, and 4 drive mount screws. You simply swap the drives then rerun the ReplayTV setup.

What drives do you use and why?
We use brand new Maxtor or Samsung 5400RPM ATA100/133 hard drives. For newer fan-equipped RTV4000s and newer, we have qualified the new Maxtor 7200RPM drives. These 5400RPM and 7200RPM drives utilize the latest technology that results in the coolest, quietest drives in the industry. We don't use certain Seagate drives because of a firmware change in the Seagate drives that now causes incompatibility with many ReplayTV models. We don't use other 7200RPM drives because of the additional heat. Besides the ReplayTV units don't take advantage of the faster drives.

We have now successfully tested 2 Samsung 5400RPM drive models for all models of ReplayTV. The 120GB SV1200H and the 80GB SV800H. These drives come with a 3 year warranty versus 1 year for Maxtors (Maxtor will be shipping 3 yr warranty Maxline II drives in 2Q03) and the additional warranty offsets the lower expected reliability. Some of our competitors had been selling Samsung drives as part of their upgrades while leading buyers to believe they were getting Maxtor drives. The Samsungs are quite a bit less expensive and our pricing reflects that fact.

Will you have the latest hacked version of the software that allows the manual time set on ReplayTVs?
This hack is a direct response to the Chapter 11 filing of Sonicblue. People are obviously wary of losing their ReplayTVs if the ReplayTV guide service goes away. This hack allows the time on the ReplayTV to be set manually, making the ReplayTV a digital VCR with the ability to record shows without the guide. We will be testing the software on the most popular models of the ReplayTV, the Showstopper and the RTV3000 series. When our testing is complete for each model, we will post the availability. Please note, however, that future upgrades by Sonicblue to the ReplayTV software may wipe out the hack.

What is Macrovision?
Macrovision is copy protection built into the Panasonic Showstoppers only. This is the feature that prevents the Showstopper and VCRs from recording DVDs and prerecorded VHS tapes. Unfortunately, it also prevents the recording of some Pay-per-View events and some cable shows. At times, the Showstopper returns a false identification of a Macrovision signal and refuses to record a non-copy-protected program. The software we load for Showstoppers enables you to disable this "feature". Note that it will ignore the Macrovision signal but does not strip it. You can record anything but you won't be able to transfer to any recording device that utilizes Macrovision.

Why do you do all that testing?
Our testing takes 4 stages: 1)We low-level format each drive to make sure that every byte in every sector is accessible and the drive is fully functional for its entire capacity. 2)After the low level format is completed, we do a read/write recertification of the drive. This helps identify potential problems with the drive's perfromance and drives that fail these first 2 tests will not be reliable ReplayTV drives. 3) We load the appropriate software and run through the setup and verify functionality of the software. We exercise the software for 24-48 hours to ensure that your drive will function properly. 4) We stress test the drives to make sure that it will perform under stressful conditions, i.e. concurrent reads and writes at different resolutions. Why do we do this testing? To deliver the most reliable drives possible. We just had a Maxtor 120GB drive pass the first 3 tests but fail the 4th test. This drive will be on it's way back to our distributor or Maxtor for replacement. Our competition makes no mention of functional testing and none of them come close to our verification and test program. If they got the 120GB drive that failed our testing, it would have most likely been shipped to you. We can't ensure everyone that a bad drive won't get through our strenuous testing program but we can ensure you that we have done our best to make sure you don't get a bad drive.

What kind of warranty do you offer?
Our drives are guaranteed non-DOA for 30 days. If any drive fails within 30 days of delivery, we will replace it. After the 30 day DOA period, the drives have a full 1 or 3 year manufacturers warranty depending on the Maxtor model. Unless otherwise stated, we use primarily fully warrantied Maxtor hard drives, the drives of choice for Sonicblue. In addition, we will reload the software free of charge should a drive fail within the 3 year warranty period. For new drives with only a 1 year warranty, we provide the software reload guarantee on a limited lifetime basis. Please check our warranty page for more information. Contrary to what one of our competitors claims, WE STAND BEHIND OUR PRODUCTS AND MORE IMPORTANTLY WE STAND BEHIND YOU!!!!!

Click here for an example of a fully warrantied drive and a white label drive. Note that the white label drive does not have a serial number nor does it have a warranty or manufacture date.

Do you offer technical support?
Contrary to what some of our more unscrupulous competitors claim, we provide quality technical support to our customers. Installation instructions are shipped with every drive and telephone support is available for purchasers. We are also developing a technical support page on this web site.

If I already have a drive, can I send it to you for formatting?
Yes, but the warranty differs. Obviously, since we did not sell the drive, we do not warranty the software load. You will be charged for subsequent software loads if the drive fails. For one thing, we can't be sure if you're sending us a new drive or a replacement drive from the manufacturer. We have the serial numbers for drives we sell and can track the RMA status with Maxtor.