This post describes how to fix the Polaroid DVD Recorder - DRA-01601A that you received from the Woot Bag of Crap. To start off, I have to post a disclaimer:
DISCLAIMER: I assume no responsibility for the information contained in the site. If you attempt to use any of the information contained in the site, you do so at your own risk. Operating the equipment with the cover open can result in electric shock!
The DRA-01601A is a device filled with problems including but not limited to picture freeze, dead fan and damaged capacitors. This has, since its release, resulted in several people returning the device to stores. I am not responsible for any damage you may incur while attempting any of the following procedures
The DRA-01601A is a DVD recorder/player with a 160GB hard disc drive. It has two tuners (analog and digital) with two RF inputs (one for digital and the other for analog). This unit outputs only 480p or 480i so if you have a 1080 HDTV, you will see a picture with a thick black border when watching HD content through the device. This does not happen when viewing DVD content.
The unit you received will most probably not have a hard drive. To get this back to a working state, you will need the following:
- IDE Hard drive (I found an old 40GB one in my garage )
- Two 40 pin IDE cables (not the 39pin one where one pin has been sealed off)
If you still wish to use a 39 pin IDE, you will have to punch a hole in the sealed off pin with an awl. - A TV that you don't mind destroying in case something goes wrong.
To get started, disconnect the power supply to the DVD recorder. I am assuming you got the device with the cover open. If it is not open (this will void your warranty - heh.), do so by removing the six screws on the top lid of the DVD recorder (two screws on each side and four screws in the back).
In case the DVD recorder unit has its lid open, snap it back on by first sliding it under the metal holder (left arrow below)
and snap it onto the locks (right arrow)
Locate the IDE connectors on the PCB as shown below and plug in one end of each IDE cable.
Connect the IDE cable on the right to the back of the DVD recorder unit shown below.
Connect the other IDE cable to the back of the hard drive. Connect the power supply cable from the power supply unit shown below (there should be an extra one dangling) to the back of the hard drive.
We are now ready to connect the device to a TV that you don't mind destroying in case something bad happens.
To do so, we have a couple of options, SVIDEO, HDMI, Component, Composite. I used a Composite connection. In case you missed the text in red above, please do not connect this to your expensive HDTV yet. Find an older TV you have lying around in your closet. To use a composite connection, you will need to use the video output labeled CVBS as shown below.
After you have hooked up the right type of connection and then hooked up the stereo audio as shown above (note that the device also outputs 5.1 channel audio though a different set of connections in the back), you are ready to turn on the device.
Make sure there are no screw drivers or any other things that could lead to an electric shock lying around on the PCBs in the enclosure.
Make sure the remote that came with the device has good batteries and that the remote is working fine. You can make sure that the remote is working (or at least sending IR signals) by pointing the remote at the lens of your camcorder and pressing any button on the remote. You should see the IR blinking in a blue color on your camcorder viewfinder.
Set your TV to the correct source. Plug in the DVD recorder. You should see a picture right away. If you don't then it could be because the "TV type" property is not set correctly. The options you have are 480p or 480i. The first thing to try is to switch between interlaced and progressive by pressing the I/P button on your remote.
If you still do not have a picture, the best thing to do is reset the system to factory defaults. This is tricky because you do not have a picture and so cannot navigate the menu items to get to to the "Reset to factory defaults" screen! The solution is to use the remote control and navigate blindly to the screen.*
Turn to page 14 of the instruction manual. This will help understand the menu structure. On the remote, press SETUP. Press the right arrow key. Press the down arrow key five times. Press the enter key twice. This should reset the device to factory defaults and you should see a picture.
The next step is to format the hard drive. This is described on page 20 in the manual under "Format Hard Disk". If you don't have the manual, press SETUP and press the down arrow key until you reach "HARD/OPTICAL Disk". Press the right arrow key and then the down arrow key until you reach "Format Hard disk". The rest is self explanatory.
You should also set the date and time and what time zone you are in by going to SETUP and then choosing the DATE/TIME screen.
Note that if the device "forgets" your settings when unplugged, it could be because of a dead CR2032? battery inside the device (just like the one you have in your computer BIOS). You can replace this by removing the front of the panel removing the screws inside the back side of the panel.
Here are the things I tried so far:
- DVD playback - Worked fine
- DVD recording - Not acceptable. Got a couple of drop outs and occasional freezing.
- HDTV reception - Not acceptable - 4801/p output resulting in a black border on my 1080i HDTV
- Analog TV reception - Worked fine.
- Timeshift recording and playback - Worked fine
- HD recording and playback - Worked fine
Hope you found this article useful. If you have an questions, corrections or comments, please feel free to post them below!
Happy Wooting!!
* If anyone knows how to do a hardware reset, please post below.
