Hard Drive upgrade for Pioneer DVR-530/630H

[Bagheera]

wabjxo,

Thank you for your explanation of this. I greatly appreciate this.

Have a wonderful day. And thank you for your time.

Baggy.

[kofola]

Pioneer DVR-530/630 is equiped with IDE (PATA) HDD = not SATA.

Question:
It is possible change IDE (PATA) HDD with SATA HDD + IDE to SATA converter?
Has someone tried this?
Please confirm, if it works or no. (practical test result, no theory please)

Why? SATA discs are now cheaper than IDE (PATA).

Converter:
http://www.speeddragon.com/index.php?controller=Default&action=ProductInfo&Id=232

[Nadamamasboy]

Does anyone know if this will work for a DVR-543H-S ?
I live in Canada, so I'm assuming this would be a North American model.

Thanks

[Hkan]

Does anyone know if this will work for a DVR-543H-S ?
I live in Canada, so I'm assuming this would be a North American model.

Thanks

If you want to replace the HD go here: http://www.pioneerfaq.info click on DVR and then Replace the HD then click on DVR-X40 and follow the instructions in that.

[Nadamamasboy]

Thanks very much!!!

[Andyvb]

I've been trying to install a new HDD in my DVR-530H-S, I have installed a NTFS formated drive into the machine but thats as far as I have got. I can't download the how to from this site http://pioneerfaq.info/ as it states you have exceed its bandwith. I'm in Australia what can I do??

Thank's

[Hkan]

I've been trying to install a new HDD in my DVR-530H-S, I have installed a NTFS formated drive into the machine but thats as far as I have got. I can't download the how to from this site http://pioneerfaq.info/ as it states you have exceed its bandwith. I'm in Australia what can I do??

Thank's

Site will be back up and runing on monday (12am GMT+1), then you can get the guide!
How ever you need to unformate the HD.
The HD need to be in the shape as it is when you buy it, unformated.
Seagate have tools for this, think it is called Seatools and that will allow you to unformat the HD.

[Andyvb]

Thank-you will try on monday.

[soopytwist]

Hello

I need to replace the HDD in my Pioneer DVR-920H as it is making loud clicking, clunking noises and any recordings I make on it have gaps as if frequently paused during the recording. It usually makes the sounds while recording but I've also heard it while just idle and even when on standby downloading the EPG. It also sometimes locks up and doesn't respond to any input.

There has been no HDD error messages on the display and it still plays DVD's okay.

From pressing the angle button while highlighting Digital Audio ON I get this information:

Version: 2.13
SYSCON: Release_65
TUFLCON: F.41F *
DRIVE: 1.19 *
DEVICE: PRISM-PLUS
REGION: 2 (it says region 2 here but is actually multi-region)

I downloaded a PDF guide on how to replace the HDD but I'm confused. Exactly what do I need to start replacing the HDD?

[orsetto]

You need a service remote, service ID/data disc, and the firmware/guide data update disc. The disc images are discussed on Hkan's pioneerfaq.info website, send an email for advice on where to find them. The service remote is more difficult: Pioneer went out of the recorder business two years ago. Fortunately Sony sold a number of models that were re-labeled Pioneers, so Sony still sells a Sony-branded service remote thru their service center parts vendors (it is also available from several replacement remote distributors). The Sony part number is J-6090-203-A, in the USA authorized techs can buy it for as little as $12 direct from Sony or about $25 from retail remote websites. In Europe it is rather more expensive due to VAT and other surcharges, I couldn't find it for less than $44 on UK websites.

Once you have these three items, follow the instructions in the PDF pages found on pioneerfaq.info.

[soopytwist]

Okay, thanks. Sounds more complicated then I initially thought. Getting the service remote will be the tough part.

[orsetto]

Actually its slightly less complicated than I listed above: I somehow didn't register that the model you want to repair is the older DVR-920 from 2004. These are easier than the later models because they don't have the Guide+ system. The Guide+ timer grid software is the most tricky and difficult part of replacing a Pioneer HDD, since your DVR-920 does not have that feature you can skip the firmware/guide data disc. All you need is the service remote and the standard service/ID data disc, either the very old GGV1179 or the more recent GGV1256. Once you have those two items, perform the following steps:

1. Install the new HDD, making sure its jumper pin is set to "CS" or "Cable Select", not "Master" or "Slave".
2. Write down the nine digit code that appears on a small white label on the rear panel near the AC mains socket.
3. Power on the recorder, front panel and TV displays will show "HDD Err" alert.
4. Press ESC and then STEREO on the service remote. The service screen will appear on your TV.
5. Enter the 9 digit number you wrote down.
6. Press STOP
7. Press ESC then STEREO to re-engage service mode.
8. Enter the 9-digit CPRM sode again.
9. Press SEARCH.
10. TV will display "Input the ID Data Disc!": open the disc tray, insert the service disc, and close the tray. The recorder will take a moment to read the disc, then display "ROM Write OK!"
11. Open the tray and remove the service disc. DO NOT CLOSE THE EMPTY TRAY!
12. Press CLEAR on the service remote, TV display will clear.
With the tray still open, power off the recorder. Tray will close automatically.
13. Wait a moment, and turn the recorder back on.
14. Using the normal remote that came with the recorder, set it to HDD mode.
15. Press HOME MENU, select DISC SETUP, then INITIALIZE HDD. A bar graph will appear on your TV screen, it usually takes no more than a minute or two to initialize the HDD. When your TV screen displays "Initialization Complete", exit the Home Menu/Setup screens.
16. The recorder should now operate normally. If you press the NAVIGATOR button, recording capacity indicated should match the size of the new HDD (i.e roughly 56 hours at SP on a 160GB HDD).

[orsetto]

Pioneer DVR-530/630 is equiped with IDE (PATA) HDD = not SATA.

Question:
It is possible change IDE (PATA) HDD with SATA HDD + IDE to SATA converter?

Although my reply to is coming more than a year after this question was asked, the answer may still be of interest to some people. While I have not personally used SATA/EIDE converters in my own Pioneers, I have been contacted by several owners who say they do properly function to adapt SATA drives to the older models, and vice versa. But I would not recommend using a converter unless you have no other choice: SATA is much much less reliable in recorders than EIDE, if you have an older model that accepts EIDE it is well worth the effort and expense to track down an EIDE replacement HDD. And don't get too ambitious trying to upgrade to extreme capacity: 500GB is about as big as you can go before the crude navigation system in recorders becomes totally unwieldy (particularly in pre-2005 Pioneers like the 510, 5100, 520 or 920, with their kludgier nav interface).

[soopytwist]

Thanks orsetto, that'll help a lot . With regards to the service remote, is it possible to send the service commands to the unit using a one-for-all remote that stores sequences or does it have to be a Pioneer service remote?

EDIT

I found a Sony J6090203A remote for £37.95, but I need some advice about the replacement HDD. The current one is a Maxtor Quickview Maxline Plus, 250Gb ATA / 133, E-H011-3880
LBA: 490234752, +v5 670ma, +12v 960ma.

I don't know what most of that means, do I need a new HDD with these specs? Because buying PATA HDD's from the likes of Scan.co.uk just give you the important specs like spin speed and cache. If I just bought any PATA 250Gb HDD like the Western Digital Caviar Blue, would the be okay to use?

[orsetto]

Yes, certain types of "OneForAll" generic remote can be programmed with the Pioneer service codes. The trouble is locating a proper code set, a remote that can reliably store them (not all do) and a method for loading the code into the remote. The generic name for this type of remote is "JP1", if you do some googling you'll find a number of threads devoted to turning a JP1 remote into a Pioneer service remote (one example here).

My personal feeling is its not worth the trouble. Starting from scratch, if you don't already own exactly the right model of JP1 remote and the PC connect cable, you could already be looking at a $30US expense. The remotes that can accept the Pioneer service codes are difficult to find, mostly older models and the cable can cost as much as the remote. For more or less the same price, you can buy the "real" service remote and avoid the hassle and worry of programming a "fake". Note also a "real" Pioneer/Sony service remote can be dumped on eBay for as much or more than you paid for it, after you've finished with it. Try to keep it, though: when you need it again three-five years from now, it may be totally impossible to obtain.

Regarding the HDD, the Pioneer x20 series is pretty flexible and will accept most any PATA/EIDE drive up to about 750GB. Try to stick with 250, 320, or 500 size, and instead of individual specs try to find an HDD with the phrase "AV", "DVR" or "Video" in its model name/number. The majority of HDDs dated 2006 or later are already compliant with DVR requirements.

[Seeker47]

Thanks orsetto, that'll help a lot . With regards to the service remote, is it possible to send the service commands to the unit using a one-for-all remote that stores sequences or does it have to be a Pioneer service remote?

EDIT

I found a Sony J6090203A remote for £37.95, but I need some advice about the replacement HDD. The current one is a Maxtor Quickview Maxline Plus, 250Gb ATA / 133, E-H011-3880
LBA: 490234752, +v5 670ma, +12v 960ma.

I don't know what most of that means, do I need a new HDD with these specs? Because buying PATA HDD's from the likes of Scan.co.uk just give you the important specs like spin speed and cache. If I just bought any PATA 250Gb HDD like the Western Digital Caviar Blue, would the be okay to use?

(Pardon me for jumping in here.) VH threads -- like the very lengthy one on HDD replacement for the 520 -- have dealt with this in detail, but I can recap the gist of it for you. There are published sequences for these commands, or downloadable files of them, by which you can program various universal or "learning" remotes. Some of these can be obtained rather inexpensively. However, that may be doing this the hard way.

Orsetto was kind enough to provide me with one of the latter, pre-programmed, which held these commands for awhile . . . until I got a bit sloppy in changing the batteries on a rigorous schedule -- and then it just all went away. Electronic amnesia. I don't know what percentage of these units have non-volatile memory, but I'm guessing they are in the minority. The one Orsetto recommended does. So, my abundant thanks to him, and I plan on getting one while they are still available. I think one of these would greatly simplify your task, and be well worth the cost, even figuring in the overseas shipping. (Pioneer did not sell these outside of North America, but I don't know if Sony is following suit. There would still be ways around that.)

[soopytwist]

The HDD I bought worked a treat, although the hack instructions weren't quite accurate (at least for me).
My Pioneer works fine now.

[MarkInAZ]

Hello all. I'm new here. I normally spend my time watching videos rather than working on my DVR machine. So let me get to it...
My Pioneer DVR-553 has been a great machine for years till now. I got the HDD Err. I've learned tons of good stuff on your site. I have most every thing I need to work on it except that Service Disc. If someone can help me out in that area I'd be very appreciative.
My machines specs:
Pioneer DVR-533, June 2005, Firmware Ver 1.27, Syscon Release 239, Tuflcom 849.000, drive 1.54a, Device Prism2 ES2, Region 1.

Thanks a bunch.
Mark

[Hkan]

You should read Part 1, 4 and 2 of this guide: http://www.pioneerfaq.info/english/replace_HD.php?player=Replacing-HD&model=DVR-530

[MarkInAZ]

Yes, that was where I found the information on how to do this. A very comprehensive website. The pioneer service remote was a little tricky but thanks to the JP1 web site I have that covered now. I built my own JP1 serial interface which was a little tricky. Unfortunately I can not find the ID Data Disc. I need to barrow one or some how get an image of the GGV1179 or newer disc from what I read at PioneerFAQ.

Help!

Thanks,

Mark

[orsetto]

GGV1179 is older than the pyramids: people need to just forget about that one. It is popular mostly because its the only version "loose" on the internet, but many of those downloadable disc images are corrupt and the newer discs cause less problems. Send an email to Hkan directly on the pioneerfaq site, he can help locate a newer Type 1 disc image like GGV1256 or GGV1302. If the assistance is successful, it is customary to make a small donation to the site to help with the expenses of keeping it up and running.

Note you may still have trouble with your 533: a simple HDD Err *might* be cleared with just the service disc and remote, but if the HDD is really worn out or the TVGOS software is corrupted you'll need to replace the HDD. A new HDD would need to have the TVGOS pre-installed before you put it in your 533, and formatting a new HDD with Pioneer TVGOS is like performing brain surgery blindfolded. Some people luck out, and it works, but often it doesn't, and the 533 is more troublesome than the 531. I wish you total success, but be prepared to junk your 533 if the existing HDD can't be repaired with the service tools. The USA/Canada 531-533-633 models are the stuff of nightmares for service personnel: not fun when they break. Not fun AT ALL.

[MarkInAZ]

Thanks for the insight Orsetto. Not what I wanted to hear about my beloved 533 but "it is what it is" as they say. I did heard from Hkan and things are coming together. I'm still hopeful my operation will be successful.

If I'm successful at recovering my original HDD then maybe I'd try going a step further & upgrade to a larger HDD.
Question: Would I be able to just swap back to the original HDD at any time I want without going through the service routine?


Cheers,
Mark

[orsetto]

If I'm successful at recovering my original HDD then maybe I'd try going a step further & upgrade to a larger HDD. Question: Would I be able to just swap back to the original HDD at any time I want without going through the service routine?

Maybe yes, maybe no.

Each 531, 533 and 633 seems to have a mind of its own regarding its response to repair attempts and swapping of drives. This is what makes them so annoying to repair: they aren't consistent, so what works on one doesn't on the next and even with the same machine you can encounter a different reaction each time you replace the burner or HDD. About all you can do is roll the dice and hope you get lucky. I gave up accepting these three models for repair because it was too time consuming to be worth the repair fee, but on your own time its a more reasonable task. I can tell you the 531 is a lot less weird than the 533 and the 633 is just a total horror, so you're in the middle somewhere.

The *expected* reaction from all DVD/HDD Pioneers is they will accept their original HDD back, or indeed any other HDD swapped into them, as long as the HDD in question has been programmed once with the service tools (IOW, you go thru the CPRM number embedding procedure of remote-clear-enter-ID disc). After each HDD is programmed for a particular Pioneer recorder CPRM number, it can be swapped at will.

Unfortunately, the 531-533-633 tend not to cooperate. They resist the initial CPRM reset, balking and stalling and mysteriously refusing to complete the process. Eventually it will "take," and at that point your best bet is to leave well enough alone and be thankful you got the unit working again. Attempting to swap drives more than once is asking for trouble. The earlier x10 / x20 , and later x40, x50, x60 models are much easier: set each hard drive once and you can swap them every day if you like.

But the x30 series is very twitchy, and its kind of infuriating that they absolutely require the obsolete TVGOS software to operate (given that analog TVGOS service is all but dead in North America and the units now have to use their horrendous manual timer mode). If it was just a matter of swapping drives, like with all other Pioneers, they would be feasible to repair. But reinstalling the TVGOS subsystem can make them a huge pain, and complicates the usually-simple service remote+service disc CPRM process. My advice at this late date is to not invest too much expectation or money into repairing a 533: try the tools and see what happens, you may get lucky, your odds are 2 out of 5. If not, buy a new Magnavox MDR533 when it becomes available next month. For $250, you get a modern 16:9 tuner, a modern 320GB SATA HDD that can be upgraded without tools, and a durable easily-replaced burner. You lose the TVGOS, which doesn't work anymore anyway, and some of the slicker editing tricks of the Pioneer, but the gain in reliability is worth the trade-off. (And yes, it is VERY strange that Magnavox would use the "cursed" 533 model number for its latest offering.)

[MarkInAZ]

A very comprehensive description Orsetto. I'll have to check out that Magnavox unit. Thanks a bunch.
Mark

[Seeker47]

If not, buy a new Magnavox MDR533 when it becomes available next month. For $250, you get a modern 16:9 tuner, a modern 320GB SATA HDD that can be upgraded without tools, and a durable easily-replaced burner. You lose the TVGOS, which doesn't work anymore anyway, and some of the slicker editing tricks of the Pioneer, but the gain in reliability is worth the trade-off. (And yes, it is VERY strange that Magnavox would use the "cursed" 533 model number for its latest offering.)

Hi Orsetto,

Wow, this is interesting news: I thought the Magnavox models were all finito burrito by now ? Are you referring to a temporary influx of refurbs, or _____ ? I got very busy -- in between getting bushwacked by tax issues, fed & state jury duty, etc. -- so I just never got around to doing anything about that origianal (513 ?) model that developed terminal clicking dysfunction after that blackout event last year. [Hint to All: don't bet the ranch that ANY Monster power unit will save your *ss, in the event of a really bad surge.] I'm still very disinclined to open it up for your surgical repair suggestions. I will probably still call to see whether the extended warranty has expired by now, but failing that, I guess my unit will be off to a landfill. (Back in the day, Goodwill used to accept non-working gear, but them days are long gone.) Nevertheless, if the Mags are staging one last Hurrah, and they're decent models, & non-refurbs, I'd be inclined to have another go.

A curious side-note: in the past few months, I noticed a couple of Canadian, claimed-to-be low-mileage 460 / 560 units close on eBay for around $300. Of course, there is shipping -- and maybe customs -- on top of that. That is pretty unusual. There have been a couple of supposedly pristine 65x / 66x units up for auction for at least a month or two (also from a source in Canada), but the $900. to $1000. price tag has yielded very few nibbles, if any.

[orsetto]

Seeker47,

WalMart and their OEM Magnavox supplier (Funai) orchestrate a consumer clusterf&@k every eighteen months, aided and abetted by a jackass on another forum who relentlessly flogs the Magnavox as a cure for cancer, among other idiocies. The Magnavox doesn't make a dime for anyone involved: the massive returns cost WalMart a fortune to process, and the returned units being resold by refurb dealers create intense cannibalization of "new" unit sales. So periodically as the warehouses run dry, WalMart sits on its hands for several months trying to decide if it really wants to be the last remaining source of DVD/HDD recorders in the USA. During these dead periods, the rumor mill goes into overdrive, everyone panics, and price gouging occurs. The worst of these cycles began last spring as the 513 and 515 models vanished and WalMart said absolutely nothing regarding replacements: the self-infatuated Magnavox "web guru" went batsh*t crazy with "sky is falling" rhetoric exhorting his followers to petition WalMart. The dust didn't settle until Funai made official noises that there would soon be not one but three new Magnavox DVD/HDD models coming "Fall 2012." No one knows for sure when they will be available, but they should turn up on WalMart website by October if past policy is repeated.

The new models are MDR533, MDR535 and MDR537. They are reported to be warmed-over versions of the recent 515 model, which was the same as the previous 513 and 2160 models going back to 2007 (the recorder has not been significantly updated since then). Supposedly there is a new remote design and some interface elements have been slightly tweaked. The only difference between the three models is HDD capacity: 320GB, 500GB or 1 TB. Prices unknown, but predicted to range between $229-$379. There's really no point to the more expensive models, since the Funai HDD navigation cannot conveniently handle huge capacity: I have a 513, and wouldn't think of filling its 320GB (never mind moving up to a terabyte- yuck).

While this is a Pioneer repair thread, the Magnavox story is relevant because many older Pioneers are now reaching "unrepairable" age and the only alternative in a new replacement is the Magnavox. The very popular Pioneer 520 is nine years old: replacement burners are getting very scarce and ATAPI HDDs nearly as much. The Pio 531-533-633 from 2005 were hell on wheels to repair when new and laughably difficult to fix today. If you own any of those, and it is dying, consider buying a Magnavox 533 instead of wasting money on arcane Pioneer service tools and obsolete burners/hdds. If you wait a couple months, there will likely be an influx of Magnavox "refurbs" on the J&R website priced under $200. Huge numbers of people continue to misunderstand current trends in cable TV signals, or they follow the misleading rhetoric of the "guru" who keeps claiming the Magnavox is a "perfect cheap substitute for the cable PVR or a TiVO." These consumers flock to the Magnavox, discover it actually doesn't tune channels worth a damn with "boxless" cable, then return it to WalMart who repacks them and blows them out thru J&R.

That is not to say there is anything "wrong" with the Magnavox: it works with cable just like an old Pioneer would (you need a decoder box to feed the line inputs, because directly tuning cable with its internal tuner is problematic, there is no integrated point-and-click timer grid, and of course you can't record in "true HDTV quality" with a DVD recorder). The only issue with the Magnavox is consumer gullibility that the term "digital QAM cable ready recorder tuner" means anything beyond marketing BS: now that the cable industry has discovered legal loopholes to circumvent these tuners, they're actually useless. Understand that for cable you'll need a decoder box, and the Magnavox behaves like any other recorder. Ignore the "cable ready" fantasies spewed by twits, and you won't be disappointed.

The newer Pioneers in the 540, 550 and 560 series use newer parts in common with some Sony DVD/HDD models like the Canadian and European RDR-HX780. The SATA hard drives are easier to buy and replace, while the burners are more durable than previous Pioneers. They're also the top models Pioneer ever made, so still worth the effort of repairing (at least the HDD which is cheap). Someone who loves their Pioneer 560 would be a little disappointed with the clunky Magnavox, although it may be worth the switch if you need an off-air widescreen digital tuner and/or you like to swap HDDs frequently.