View Full Version : DCT 6412 noise
Ben Mishoe
08-04-2005, 12:59 PM
Hi,
I've had my Comcast hi-def DVR for about a week now and I love it. However, yesterday while the TV was on it suddenly started making a pretty noticeable humming noise, like your hard-drive sounds when it's writing. I was recording something at the time, but I've recorded several things prior to this without this happening.
I turned off the DVR and back on but it was still there. Later that night I turned off my surge protector to cut power to it completely. When I turned it back on, the noise was gone (though it has to reload all the guide stuff now).
Has anyone else experienced this? Is it normal or a sign that something's wrong?
oman321
08-04-2005, 03:56 PM
They tend to be noisy, sometimes louder than usual or it sounds like it's working a little harder. Like you said though, they sound like your computer writing but it shouldn't last to long. If it comes back and it's consistent, swap it out. Early on there were a lot of complaints from some about how loud they were, but that seems to vary from STB to STB. I've had the 6208 and 6412 and the noise level has been the same with both.
I found on my unit the reason for the noise was overheating. I had a DVD-R unit on top of the 6412 and it was causing it to run hot and make these noises alot. I put the 6412 on top, it runs much cooler and doesnt ever make the noise anymore.
lassenloop
08-21-2005, 01:57 AM
The manual clearly states that the 6412 requires a minimum of 2" of open space along the top and both sides.
If you goto www.dvrchatter.com you can download the manual for the 6412.
Ben Mishoe
08-25-2005, 01:56 PM
Well, they came out and replaced it because it was getting progressively worse. They replaced it Tuesday morning, and on Tuesday night the new one was doing the exact same thing. I have it in a 'cubbyhole' in my TV stand, but there's a good 2-3" of clearance on top. The tech said the HDD felt pretty hot (it actually wasn't making noise when he was there), but didn't say anything about it maybe needing more clearance. It's starting to get frustrating. Perhaps I should leave it completely out of the 'cubbyhole' and see if it still does it...
Ratman
08-25-2005, 02:30 PM
Yes, get it out into the open or consider putting a fan in the cubbyhole to circulate cool air.
Ben Mishoe
08-25-2005, 04:38 PM
Can anyone recommend a fan that I could install inside my TV stand that would (quietly) circulate air throughout? I looked briefly at PC case fans but perhaps there's a better route.
lassenloop
08-25-2005, 07:13 PM
The only other style fan that I know of is a crossflow fan, usually used in car audio applications.
http://www.hifisoundconnection.com/Shop/Control/Product/fp/vpid/1331967/vpcsid/0/SFV/30046
http://a763.g.akamai.net/7/763/1644/2/app.infopia.com/img/image/fp/VPID/1331967
ARWinIN
09-13-2005, 11:16 AM
I recently got my box and also noticed it was very noisy. The noise was from the cooling fan. I had plenty of space around the unit, but still pretty warm. What I ended up doing was moving the unit from the shelf above my plasma TV, to a shelf below it. That seems to have fixed it. The heat from the TV must have been accumulating in the top of the cabinet and causing the DCT 6412 to run hotter.
