Activation is stored on the replaytv webservers.

I have a 5060 with lifetime activation. The device has started to stutter and I used the reset to defaults (348 Zone?) to try to reset the unit. Well, it lost the activation code. I went online and the Replay says that the unit code is already activated. Now I have a dead unit. Any ideas?

Activation has to be the worst policy decision Replaytv made. If your harware goes, so goes your $300 "lifetime" activation. What hardware lasts forever? I do not see where they're out anything if they just move the activation to another machine. As it is they end up screwing their long term customers out of $300 each time their machine breaks.

I got my activation working. The 5060 began to stutter even more as time goes on. I ordered a new drive from Weaknees and installed per their instructions. Best $110 I've spent in a long time! Plugged 'n played and someone else did the prep work!

Make sure your network (specifically DHCP) is working properly. Mine wouldn't boot with the network cable in until I got that resolved (it would just hang at the initial boot screen). Once I figured that out, it booted right into the setup screens.

HTH.

Each unit knows it is activated, and acts that way, because of data stored in its firware (PROM). This is reprogrammed based in data retained and transmitted by the "mother ship" (ReplayTV central).