My echostar HPT-61OR-GB only records intermittently, and when it does record, the recording only lasts a few minutes. Any ideas.

The EchoStar HDT 610R recorder's issue of not being able to record certain freeview channels could be due to:

• Insufficient storage. Check if the device has enough storage space.
• Electronic interference. Unplug other devices or move the recorder to a different location.
• Software or hardware malfunction. Try resetting to factory settings.
• Weak signal. Try adjusting the aerial or getting a signal booster.
• If none of these work, a professional's help may be needed.

If programs run over when you are recording from your DVR, you have the option of having the recording last longer. We do this with ours, especially on live broadcast. You can find in the options for recording to extend the time. We always go over by five minutes so as not to miss the end of the show.

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I am having the same problem with my Zoom-H2. I have 2 2650 mah rechargeables, and the draw is such that 20-30 minutes of record &/or playback kills the batteries. Last night I just turned the power on and did nothing. 5 hours later the batteries were dead...

This isn't a solution. It is a reaffirmation that you aren't crazy!

just a long shot here but have you tried giving it's case a thump it could have a dry joint....

I had this problem when recording CD-Rs. I switched to CD-RWs and didn't have the problem again.

Check your manual for the max supported SD card size. Most likely it will either support a minimum of 2-4 gb :)

So yes you can get larger cards for your PV GS 50D

Regards,
Shadowmaru

there are three creases in the head , have you made sure those are cleard?

The PVR you have has preset Top-up TV channels it will download from as a preset. You need to go into the main menu and turn off the auto update function of the machine. Then in your "TV Guide" menu find the particular channel and deselect it for download or recording. 

The 3-4 minute recordings are commercials for their products and came with the last few auto updates, they're trying to sell their product. 

A crash could be a sign of stress on the hard drive, most of these machines have craptastic hard drives that if even rattled or slightly moved while being recorded upon they die. If you're recording and deleting at the same time (with the age of the machine) I would not be surprised if it continued to happen. If it crashes when you do these things individually it is probably the same problem, or the firmware of the machine is corrupt. 

Mine will intermittently record only the first minute or two of a tv show I have queued up to regularly record. It seems to happen anywhere from every show to every 5-10.