OK – probably not quite, but it’s pretty bad. And I’m not talk pornography (although we happen to have a good one of those here today also) but straight-up, actual dirt.
See that strange blob on the right that looks like a prop from a ’70s outer space movie? Its smaller sibling is just to the left of the fan.
Here’s another shot from a different angle:
Let us implore you: please, please! consider cleaning out your TiVo. This adds a huge amount of heat to the inside of the unit, both by insulating the heat, and impeding the air flow. In this case, the power supply was blown, likely because it overheated.
If you have a hankering to open up your unit and clean it, just be sure to take the normal precautions:
- Unplug the unit and let it sit for five minutes. This lets the drive spin down, and drains power from the capacitors.
- Take the unit outside, or to a well-ventilated space.
- Carefully remove the cover.
- Clean the interior with compressed air, using short blasts from at least 12 inches away.
- Never use a vacuum on the unit. Static electricity could cause serious problems.
Think of it as preventative maintenance: an apple a day for your TiVo.