QUOTE(dkdevin @ Dec 12 2006, 11:46 PM)

I have this problem too, always two times to boot. And surprisingly (or not) its a May '06 Manufacture date. Hmmmm.... I've been playing for months and it has never gotten worse. About every 20 boots, I get E74, but it always turns on and plays for hours with no problems. Tech support made me read my screen several times as they were dumbfounded that I had "E74". The woman told me that "they don't get those any more". Another tech person (all from the US) told me it was an HD problem. I have mine connected through my Yamaha Reciever and into a Sony Wega 36" HD-Ready TV. All via component cables. I've tried a different cable set to no avail.
In any event, if nobody ever finds a fix for this, I'll just keep using it until it dies. When it does, I'll either send it in for repair or just find a deal on a core system.
I wonder if there are any solder problems on the A/V encoder. Almost like it takes one boot to warm up enough to complete the connection. If these are all May dates, then there could have been a factory hiccup and there are several hundred (or thousand) out there with this problem.
This is exactly what happens with mine.
And this is the same solution I did. I'm going to use my premium system until it breaks down, already have my core modded and ready to go. Cost me $200 for a brand new core. I'm wondering if it has anything to do with the signal, but I doubt it. I may plug it back into my TV to double check.
Hopefully someone finds a solution. I tried taking the entire thing apart but stopped when the heat syncs weren't coming off (shows me that the thermal compound is properly done). Other than that, the board is completely clean and everything looks pretty much the same as in my new system.