HP Pavilion Elite m9515y

1/10 Buyer beware: Product Failed, Support Failed.

Kenriley - 10/23/09  (Edited: 10/23/09)

This product was sold as a multimedia center and a type of DVR replacement. It has completely failed to function in that role. From day one core functions like, recording tv programs, playback of previously viewed programs, and burning Video DVD's from the recorded TV programs fails as much as 50% of the time. After 60 personal hours of troubleshooting with vendor intervention (30 hours of direct vendor support), numerous reconfigures and reinstalls, a complete factory restoration (done by me), a replacement of TV Tuner (by me, and a trip back to vendor for repair (optical drive replaced by them), they've failed to address the problem. In fact they don't even try to duplicate the problem, but rely only on basic low level diagnostics to tell them the hardware is OK. They didn't even attempts, based on the repair report to burn a DVD of any kind (only are read test). Vendor has now completey walked away from the product indicating that the problem is not thier problem since they only deal with hardware. Additionally, they've indicated that if it works 50% of the time (being there's a 50% failure rate) then I must be the problem and there's nothing wrong with the system. Of course I'm only using the TV remote to pressing record from the program guide, and pressing play at from the recorded program list, and selecting the burn to DVD to burn programs to the DVD (and of course I'm putting in fresh DVD; two diffent types from three different vendors). Apparently 50% failure is an acceptable failure rate for them. On top of all of this, the vendor expired the 90 warranty on my maching at 71 days from the date the order was placed (66 days after I received the product). Vendor factory repair falsely reported procedures that were absolutely not done. After all this, I do have some improvement. TV programs now record properly. Video Error's on playback are down from 50% to 20%. DVD burn failures still failing 50% of the time(my collections of 40 DVD coasters due to burn failures continues to grow). Having limited third party installs on this system from the beginning in order to avoided conflicts, only now have attempted to use third party solutions. These to work around the failures delivered with the original product. The too are failing. Even the onese recommened by vendor. So far the system has been highly unstable and as a factory install. Repeated Email's to the Vendor Ethics does no good because they simply refers it back to the same support group that now refuses to acknowledge the problem. This is what I call grading your own homework. It appears that this vendor has dumped an unstable product on unsuspecting customers leaving them on the hook. And that, refurbished is simply a factory refreshing of software and a sending it back out the door and terminating warrantly as soon as possible to get it off the books. As much as I hate to say it, owning now many product from this vendor (5 computers, two scanners and 5 printers), they no longer are concerned about quality or reputation. So I suggest the buyer beware of this product and dependence on vendor support.