# HD-DVR w/TIVO emits awful odor



## rosie (Jan 23, 2006)

Bought a new HDTV (Sony) and the Direct TV HD-DVR w/Tivo but after being installed in an entertainment center gave off the most awful plastic/electrical? smell. Took it out of the cabinet, still bad. Got a new unit and it is almost as bad. What's up? Typical? Have to hold your nose to watch TV!


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## the new guy (Oct 29, 2004)

You aren't really clear on if the smell is coming from the TV, or from the TiVo*. I would guess it is the TV, rather than 2 different TiVo units. Does the TV have a projector lamp in it (DLP or LCD projector set)? If so, that could easily become hot enough to emit an odor during its early use.

Tim

*(edit) except in the title...


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## JaserLet (Dec 13, 2005)

I'll bet it doesn't smell as bad as the R15! *Ba-dum-ching*

Which does it smell like, burnt plastic or ozone/electrical? Those are two different scents. The last time I have smelled either of those is when I blocked the cooling vents on my UPS! Whoops!


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## the new guy (Oct 29, 2004)

JaserLet said:


> I'll bet it doesn't smell as bad as the R15! *Ba-dum-ching*


Man, was I ever tempted to say something to that effect... 

Tim


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## newsposter (Aug 18, 2002)

If you took it out the cabinet, presumably it was more accessible for sniffing. Did you notice it coming right from the HDtivo? 

smells like that worry me. Blocked fans etc really aren't good. Is there any chance something spilled somewhere or it's a pet? 

One pain in the butt diagnostic would be to take the tivo out of the room for a while to see if that's really it. You can still plug it in to test if it's really it that stinks.

is the smell even when the TV has been off for a long time? 

I'm proud that no one said what was recorded on the tivo stank and that's the reason for the smell.


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## Lee L (Oct 1, 2003)

I certainly did not notice any strong odor with mine. I did have a little bit of an odor when my TV was new, but only for the first couple of hours of operation or so and it was by no means overpowering.

Any chance you could go to System information and tell us the temperature?


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## no-blue-screen (Feb 14, 2005)

That is exactly what I was going to say...it is probably overheating....it needs to be in a place where it can get adequate ventilation. If you have to put it inside of an enclosed E center....make sure the area behind the DVR is opened....In other words try to make a larger hole if possible....most entertianment centers have very thin wood or even cardboard in the back that can be cut to allow components inside to breathe.


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## ebonovic (Jul 24, 2001)

JaserLet said:


> I'll bet it doesn't smell as bad as the R15! *Ba-dum-ching*


Yah.. Well... Your TiVo's mama is a "snowblower"....


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## rosie (Jan 23, 2006)

Thanks for all the ideas. Answers to your suggestions: The TV is 3 months old, nothing came in contact w/TIVO unit. Original Entertainment center did not have adequate ventilation, got up to 95 degrees. Competely opened up the rear of the unit, got temp down to 75 degrees, put in new unit and it still stinks. Can't identify odor, foreign to me. Smell builds longer unit is running. This did not occur when TV was first installed only after the DirectTVHDTV/Tivo unit put in!
Help..


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## Mr2sday (Jul 8, 2005)

Maybe a bug got in there and is frying/rotting. A moth fried on a lightbulb one time and the odor and smoke was massive.

Maybe it is is coincidence. A lizard may have died somewhere around the entertainment center the same time you got the tivo.

Who knows.


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## Lee L (Oct 1, 2003)

The temperatures you are giving, are they from the TiVo itself and are the degrees C? If so, I bet you do smell something at 95 degrees C. Mine runs at about 50 usually.


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## no-blue-screen (Feb 14, 2005)

I think 50 is a little high too...mine usually run between 42 and 46...but if those are C....even at 75 I would say your components aren't going to last too long...LOL


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## Diana Collins (Aug 21, 2002)

95 can't be the TiVo's internal temp in Celsius, because a TiVo will completely shut down at 75°C.


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## Diana Collins (Aug 21, 2002)

rosie said:


> ...Smell builds longer unit is running....


What unit? A TiVo is never "off" - it is always buffering and recording unless you physically pull the plug. Even putting it in standby only shuts off the outputs.


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