# Replacement Bolt just died same way as first



## Tony Chick (Jun 20, 2002)

I bought a new Bolt VOX 500gb in April to replace my Premiere XL4. After 2 months, it shut off and would power itself off halfway during the boot-up cycle. I would get the "a few more minutes" message, but nothing after. They swapped it out (of course I had to front the $199) and I connected it 4 days ago, I haven't shipped the original back yet

Today I powered on the Home Theater system and heard an audible "plink" like a guitar string breaking, and this unit is now in the exact same state, powers off about 2 minutes into bootup. I've pulled it out and put the XL4 back, and its happy.

The only thing I can think of is that the Bolt doesn't like having the HDMI go through my Onkyo TX-646 receiver, it failed at about the point HDMI negotiation would be going on. Does anyone know if this is a weakness of the Bolt? is it worth me getting another one or downgrading to a Roamio, or do I need to reconfigure and have the HDMI go straight to the TV?


----------



## phox_mulder (Feb 23, 2006)

I have my Bolt going through an Onkyo receiver and have never seen that issue.
(it may even be the same model Onkyo, but I'm not home to check)


----------



## Tony Chick (Jun 20, 2002)

phox_mulder said:


> I have my Bolt going through an Onkyo receiver and have never seen that issue.
> (it may even be the same model Onkyo, but I'm not home to check)


Thanks for that, I'm preparing for the list of things they'll tell me I'm doing wrong when I call support.


----------



## fcfc2 (Feb 19, 2015)

Things to try, bypass the receiver and go direct to the TV with the HDMI. Try different HDMI ports on the receiver. Try a different power supply. If using a UPS try bypassing it to power the Tivo. Good luck


----------



## jrtroo (Feb 4, 2008)

I'm thinking you *may* have an environmental issue causing this (a la the fcfc2 response). Or bad luck. If this were me, I would go totally safe as possible, bypass receiver, try a different outlet with a UPS, use a different cable outlet (if possible).


----------



## Tony Chick (Jun 20, 2002)

Thanks all, this unit is totally dead so not much I can try. Support said I should not have it plugged into a power strip with other gear and plug directly into the wall. I'll try that when the 3rd box arrives next week. I asked them to ship a new power supply also since that was a common factor with both boxes. It would be a major pain to have to bypass the receiver, and I've had 2 Premieres in that exact spot without problems. The fact that it failed when I turned the system on (TV & receiver at same time with Harmony hub remote) makes me think power problems with the wall wart rather than the built-in one in the Premieres


----------



## Newuser33 (Sep 2, 2018)

So mine just did the same thing. Won’t go past the “we’re almost there” screen and almost seems to shut off where it’s a blank screen and nothing works at all. Power cycling just goes about 60 seconds into “setting up” screen and then nothing. The only thing I can see is that we both are using the harmony hub. I’ll have to call TiVo now, but it’s annoying because it’s only a few weeks old. Really love the whole TiVo landscape, but stuff like this could get old quickly.


----------



## dhalesky (Feb 27, 2005)

Tony ... I'm on my 3rd Tivo Bolt Vox in six weeks first to failed and seems both times with boot issues and 2nd time the unit would not boot at all the red light would just blink on and off. Others here believe the units have THERMAL issues I tend to agree the design is problematic because they put the fan 'under' the bottom of the unit hence why it has the curve shape but there still, I believe, not enough space under to get good airflow. The new unit they shipped me and arrived yesterday and have it set on a kitchen small cooling wire grid and sets the unit up about an additional 1/2 inch so I'm hoping better air flow.


----------



## Mikeguy (Jul 28, 2005)

dhalesky said:


> Tony ... I'm on my 3rd Tivo Bolt Vox in six weeks first to failed and seems both times with boot issues and 2nd time the unit would not boot at all the red light would just blink on and off. Others here believe the units have THERMAL issues I tend to agree the design is problematic because they put the fan 'under' the bottom of the unit hence why it has the curve shape but there still, I believe, not enough space under to get good airflow. The new unit they shipped me and arrived yesterday and have it set on a kitchen small cooling wire grid and sets the unit up about an additional 1/2 inch so I'm hoping better air flow.


Egads--good luck! :up:


----------



## cwerdna (Feb 22, 2001)

dhalesky said:


> Others here believe the units have THERMAL issues I tend to agree the design is problematic because they put the fan 'under' the bottom of the unit hence why it has the curve shape but there still, I believe, not enough space under to get good airflow. The new unit they shipped me and arrived yesterday and have it set on a kitchen small cooling wire grid and sets the unit up about an additional 1/2 inch so I'm hoping better air flow.


I've been using a laptop cooler with 1 or 2 fans for LONG time w/my Bolt+. Judging by my emails and account, looks like I've have my Bolt+ since mid-April 2017. Been running just fine.

I've posted about two coolers I use at What Laptop Cooler Are you using?. I have a 3rd one now. I just pick them up cheap from Fry's Electronics when they're on sale. I figure none of these are really built to run for 24/7 for years on end so may as well have some spares when their fan bearings crap out.

As for environmental issues, besides heat, other possibilities I can think or are excessive movement, vibration of physical shock which are bad for hard drives or stray voltage. You aren't moving the TiVo around when the drive is spinning, right?

I recall a story of someone's cable TV carrying stray voltage and after a quick Google, I found A bad cable installation destroyed my $2,000 TV and maybe almost killed me which is what I recall. I found it by Googling for _cable tv voltage improper_ and apparently isn't limited to that one guy.


----------

