My DVR-633H records on the hard disk but freezes furing play of the recorded staff. Are you familiar with this problem and what is the solution? Thanks.

Converting Pelco exported video files
WHAT IS A DVR?
A DVR is a video recording and pl
ayback device that inco
rporates all of the essential capa
bilities of a VCR but adds significan
t advantages. Like
a VCR, video is recorded from one or more cameras and stored for later playback and retrieval; however, in a DVR, video data is
recorded and
stored on a hard disk instead of
magnetic tape.
Storing video in
this manner facilitates
instant, rand
om access to data, as opp
osed to sequential
access inherent to tape-based recording. This means no fast-forwarding or rewinding is necessary to locate the data a user want
s to view or
export. Another key advantage over tape is decreased maintenance. With no need to replace tapes, DVRs with hard disks can be le
ft unattended
for extended periods of time. Since video remains in the digital domain, data is easy to store, transport, and manipulate. Unli
ke analog video
recordings, digital data does not suffer from a loss in quality wh
en copied or moved from device to device. Because DVRs rely o
n hard disks
instead of tape, data storage is virtually unlimited. Video data
can also take advantage of comp
ression technology
to increase
the efficiency of
storage media. Modern DVRs, such as the DX8000, allow users to record, play back, and view live video simultaneously. Keeping d
ata digital
means video can be easily backed up to a variety of storage media.
It also means that alphanumeric
information, such as date, t
ime, and
transaction statistics,
can be synchronously recorded with video.

Any external USB hard drive that uses a 3.5" hard drive (the larger drives they use in desktops) will work. These all come with an external power adapter you must plug into the wall.

The external hard drive units that use the smaller 2.5" hard drives are the ones they use in laptops. These require much less power, and can be powered by the PC's USB port although some do come with an optional power adapter. However the Dish receiver does not send enough power to its USB port to power the hard drive, which is why the tech told you to get one that has an external power supply.

Even then the DVR uses a drive format that your computer may not recognize. I don't know if there are tools out there that will let you connect a hard drive from a DVR, read and convert the TV shows stored there.


Another option is to buy a DVD recorder. This is like a VCR, only it uses a DVD disc and not a video tape. Connect the DVD recorder to the outputs on the DVR, and then set the DVD recorder so it will record from its input. (on my DVD recorder this is "IN2")

Put a blank DVD into the DVD recorder, start playing a show on the DVR, and hit record on the DVD recorder. When the show is finished, hit stop on the DVD recorder to stop recording. The advantage here is you can then play this DVD on any DVD drive. The disadvantage is DVD recorders only record in non-HD. You can still play a show in HD, but the recording you get won't be in HD. Also, the show has to record in real time. So if it's a 60 minute episode, it will take 60 minutes to record.

You can also check this steps:

Hi, Mary with Dish Network Customer Service. Since the DVR is the only thing having the freezing issue, it sounds like it maybe a hard drive issue. I would recommend resetting the receiver. Unplug it from the power supply for 10 seconds and then let the receiver reboot itself. If you are still having this issue, I would recommend calling Dish Network and we will need to replace the receiver. Hard Drive issues do not resolve themselves and only get worse over time. Please let me know if I can be of further assistance.

Hello, Daniel Busa with Dish Network's customer service department. This issue is called corrupted recordings, which can be a bad hard drive or poor signal try deleting all of the bad recordings and unplugging the receiver for ten seconds.

Make sure that the software is correct. Should be P4.07
you can go into the DVR and replace the hard drive but I would suggest getting Dish Home Plan, Replace the receiver and then cancel the Home Plan. Talk to Dish Network and they will work with you.
for tech support go to: tech.dishnetwork.com

Three suggestions:
1) take it apart and clean the laser and the spindle 'hub' that the DVD rests on
OR
2) get a 'cleaner' disk that will 'whisk' any dust from the laser diode.
OR as a final suggestion
3) replace the DVD recorder with another. Plain old EIDE parallel interface units fit fine.
This is a very friendly machine in that it will accept PC compatible hard disks and DVDR drives.
tom

What format are you recording in?If the recorder is set for DVD +R, and your playback machine won't read the disc, you may need to record on a DVD-R, or a DVD +-R. Or vice-versa. Some DVDRW discs will record on one machine and won't play on another. The media are incompatible. Another problem - if you are copying a copy-protected disc, it might not play back either. Are you sure you are finalizing the disc? This process takes 4-5 minutes and requires two or three responses sometime.

We need to narrow down where the problem lies. Even without finalizing the disc, you should be able to play back the recording. Can you do this? If you can play back the recording, the problem exists in the finalization stage and we'll need to concentrate there. Please update this and we'll proceed to the next step.

Thanks,
Viper

I had the same problem. Contacted Pioneer tech support, they had me send the machine in even though it was out of warranty; apparently a hard drive problem that they were researching. They sent it back with HDD replaced, worked again.

I could not record DVD-R's on my 633H.
Calling Pioneer I was told that I had to use DVD-R's rated no more than 4X.
I ordered 4X DVD blanks and have not had a problem since.
However, when I told the service man at the hi-end store where I bought the unit what Pioneer had said and that it fixed my problem, he said it was baloney and to bring it in and he'd have them fix it - that it should handle DVD's supporting higher write speeds.
I didn't take it in as the 4X blanks are cheaper and I don't want anyone mucking around in my machine when it is working OK..