Ventilation Questions: Bluray and DirecTV

[mev1205]

So I recently bought a Sharp Bluray player to replace my regular DVD player with, and I'm a little bit worried about placement at the moment. Originally, the DVD player went on top of the DirecTV console (which is an HD DVR unit, maybe that makes it hotter?) and it seemed fine, but the DirecTV unit gets VERY hot, and when I tried out the Bluray player, it got very hot as well. So my question is, should I put the Bluray player on top of the DirecTV unit, or the other way around? The DirecTV unit has vents on the tops while the Bluray does not, if that helps at all. Thanks for any help you can give.

Also, should I look into buying a small USB fan? The Bluray player has a USB port on the back so I could just plug it in, so could somebody recommend a good/moderately cheap one to me? I don't want it to be loud, and I would prefer if it only went on when the devices were turned on, instead of having to manually switch it on and off.

[Steve]

Ideally you wouldn't place any component directly on top of another one. However if you must, I would put the component that vents through the top on the top so it can vent itself. I would also recommend the use of a fan to pull hot air away from the components if you have to stack them.

[mutelight]

Is your DVR older? The reason I ask is because we have two DirecTV HD DVRs and they are solid on the top. (HR-22)

Originally Posted by fireman325

Ideally you wouldn't place any component directly on top of another one. However if you must, I would put the component that vents through the top on the top so it can vent itself. I would also recommend the use of a fan to pull hot air away from the components if you have to stack them.

Good recommendation.

[liquidice]

Originally Posted by fireman325

Ideally you wouldn't place any component directly on top of another one. However if you must, I would put the component that vents through the top on the top so it can vent itself. I would also recommend the use of a fan to pull hot air away from the components if you have to stack them.

and by 'away', fireman means to make sure the fan blows out of your stand to the back. Quieter, and cooler. May want to think of getting another stand to hold more components...you'll probably end up doing it someday anyways.

[Steve]

Originally Posted by liquidice

and by 'away', fireman means to make sure the fan blows out of your stand to the back. Quieter, and cooler. May want to think of getting another stand to hold more components...you'll probably end up doing it someday anyways.

[DIY_HD]

Before I got my new TV stand with built-in cooling fans, I added spacers between components to allow more ventilation. Vent holes on each unit work on the principle that warm air is less dense, it rises and draws in cool air from the vent holes on the bottom of the unit. Most user's manuals recommend a minimum space between the unit and wall, etc, so that the vents can work most efficiently.

You may not need a fan if you put adequate space between the units. I used blocks of wood or plastic that I spray painted black to match my components. Just don't block any vent holes with the spacers and keep the stack away from heat sources, such as a furnace vent. If you can't move them, use a deflector.

As for which should go on top, I would place the one that generates the most heat on top, so it doesn't heat the other units.