Sometime between 9:30 Friday night and 8:00 Saturday morning, the hard drive in our DVR failed. Yes – failed. Not only will it not record our programs but it lost all we had recorded. Gone is my ability to exercise with Margaret Richard, whose “Body Electric” program has been cancelled by local PBS stations. Gone is that inspiring SMU football game that continued to bring Mike such rich enjoyment. A hundred hours of movies and programs -- gone. Oh well. C’est la vie.
I’ve never really understood how something can just arbitrarily fail. When I was little, say three years old, I remember standing in the kitchen at Grandpa Portfors’ house while he explained to me that the kitchen clock had quit working during the night. It seemed to be a big deal at the time – the adults discussed it at length. “How could it just quit?” I wondered to myself. “Did it make a noise?” I asked Grandpa.
“No,” Grandpa answered impatiently. “It didn’t make any sound; it just quit.” (Grandpa also didn’t understand my questions about the little man who sat in his big Philco radio and read the news to him – my early attempt to understand radio technology.)
So, I felt the same way about the receiver. It was fine last night, so what happened? Something so important should have announced that it couldn't go on, but I didn't hear anything. “The hard drive just failed,” answered Mike impatiently.
Our present receiver (three years old) is now listed as obsolete. And apparently local installers no longer bring you a new unit within the hour. The new one is being shipped to us and Dish Network says it will arrive in three days. “That’s three days from Monday, right?” I asked Mike. And the service rep instructed Mike on how to back up the hard drive in the future. Well, that’s fine, but really it’s not the end of the world to lose that stuff. I can’t tell you how many movies we’ve deleted in the first five or ten minutes of viewing.The weather this weekend has been lovely. People are calling today the first day of spring. Mike and I weeded and I finally managed to plant peas, spinach, and radishes. KW
4 comments:
It looks like Nellie participated in the weeding as well. Or at least she loitered and witnessed the weeding. Bummer about the DVR. I don't have one of those at all.
Darn technology. As soon as we feel comfortable with the wonderful things we can have, something is taken away. I asked my cable company if I would lose the movies I have on my DVR (usually about 30) when the power goes off. The lady told me, "No, nothing happens when the power shuts down. They'll still be there." She didn't say anything about the hard drive. I guess if I lose them, someday, I lose them!
We had a hard drive on our DVR bite the dust once as well. I've learned not to leave too many unwatched things on it for very long.
Funny thing -- Last night Mike noticed the red light on the DVR and remarked that it appeared to be recording something. He checked, and indeed it was recording -- AND our recorded programs were back. So, we watched a movie. Perhaps we'll be able to back it up before they disappear again.
The new DVR will arrive in a day or two. Mike says it will come with instructions on how to set it up. Real service, huh?
I was just thinking last night -- I believe we bought our first VCR when Clint was a baby, so Hallie doesn't remember when we didn't have that technology. Seems like yesterday . . .
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