The flight recorder on the 787 is called "enhanced airborne flight recorder" (EAFR), and it's a combination unit with CVR and FDR functionality. There are two on the aircraft, the one in the front has battery backup.
Since it has been reported that the "FDR" was found, they also have the "CVR".

Absolutely. This confidence that the EAFR has already been read is misplaced. It\x92s a specialist piece of equipment and probably can\x92t even be downloaded in India. It\x92s most likely on its way to the NTSB, the BEA or the AAIB (UK) for analysis which will be done under strict conditions (for obvious reasons).

While reading this post, I was wondering whether the opening just last April and with much bravado (if I might say), of the brand-new, state-of-the-art FDR-lab and CVR-lab in Delhi, would not be an important 'political' factor deciding where the EAFR(s) are going to be processed.
An if they decide to do it locally, they will take their time (I hope) not to screw up their moment de gloire

It isn't. It's essentially just a CVR and FDR in the same box. The main USP is that you now have two of each, about as far apart from each other as possible on the aircraft.

Each is downloaded separately in pretty much the same way as always.

The Indian AAIB successfully downloaded both FDR and CVR data from an Air India 787's EAFR relating to an incident in 2018, so your misgivings on that account are unfounded.

And they do have a new lab, as of this past April:

AAIB sets up flight recorders laboratory

More at linked site. The lab opening is also featured in the slide show on the top page of the AAIB website, following a series of slides for International Yoga Day.

I have no misgivings, I\x92m just challenging the assertion that because the recorders have been found, they have already been read. There\x92s any number of reasons why they may not have been read yet, in India or anywhere else.

Absolutely.

If the aft EAFR ceased recording at the point (just short of the runway end) where the ADS-B and likely everything else went dark, then the extra 30 seconds of CVR recording from the forward recorder could well be crucial to the investigation.

Could the fellow who was cited as having heard the CVR and commended the pilot's actions.... because he trained under the Captain, and would be familiar with his speech, have been bought in to validate who was speaking on the transcript?

Up above - apologies I can't find the post... - someone mentioned that the EAFRs might send data wirelessly..... Here's the GE "brochure" for the current EAFR (although I am not certain exactly which model would be on the subject aircraft):

https://www.geaerospace.com/sites/de...rder-3254F.pdf

which is an interesting read on what EAFR can and can't (or at least, doesn't) do. It's clear - to me - from that document that wireless data transmission is not a feature of the EAFR. Basically, ethernet cable only. Some data acessible on the aircraft itself, some (CVR in particular) only available when the EAFR is in the lab.

One thing I did not know is:

The Image Recorder growth function is used to record visual images of the flight deck instruments, flight deck, the aircraft structures, and engines as required.

The final two words of course mean that Air India 787s might, or might not, have that feature enabled. And indeed, it being called a "growth function" probably means "not currently implemented"....

SLF here. Please excuse some ignorant questions, and please delete if this is simply contributing to the 'noise':

1) Why would the Aft EAFR stop recording if the main battery were available?

2) The Aft EAFR has its own dedicated analogue connection from the CAM. Is it the case that other relevant audio streams are not generated and/or transported over the fibre-optic data network to the Aft EAFR when on (main) battery power alone?

The forward installed EAFR along with the Cockpit Area Microphone and Preamplifier are typically connected to the Recorder Independent Power Supply (RIPS), providing a backup power source for 10 minutes in the event of power interruptions.

https://www.geaerospace.com/sites/de...rder-3254F.pdf

The rear EAFR doesn't have power backup. So it will only record data (both CVR and FDR) while it has normal electrical power. At what point before impact that power was lost, we do not know.

So to be clear, this was announced of Thursday 19 June. The one EAFR was recovered on Friday 13 June I believe and one on Sunday 15 June.

Seems a long while to wait to send it to the US.

No it would not revert back to HOLD.

​​​​​​​
Someone made a radio call near the end of the flight, so some power was available.

​​​​​​​I have a more optimistic view that recovery of TWO EAFR units will mean a great deal will be known on analysis of this data.

You're absolutely right, Musician! Your text in bold print is what happened! And you and I and many other pilots know what the most probale cause for that is. What evidence do we need?
The EAFR will tell the story, but the reason for the crash will always remain a "mystery" because the B787 was not equipped with EPTPR's! ( E nhanced P ilot's T hought P rocess R ecorders)

I think AI171 will go down in history with MSR990 an MH370.

Do both EAFRs run on emergency power? Could it be possible that only ONE (if any) EAFR unit was recording after the supposed loss of thrust on both engines? If the other one is severely damaged we might as well end up with NO EAFR data from the critical last part of the flight. Perhaps both units are severely damaged? I’m not convinced your optimism is entirely warranted.

No, only the forward EAFR is connected to an independent power supply, and of course it will then only collect data from sources that themselves remain powered on.

Walking away from a parked aircraft and not noticing that an engine was running? Wow, just wow. You cannot be serious.

At the risk of stating the bleeding obvious, the EAFR is designed to withstand a crash and there being two helps, the fact that we can see a largely intact tail cone and stab is encouraging. There was some power as the radio was serviceable.

The EAFR will soon tell us WHAT happened but perhaps not WHY just yet.

The bleeding obvious didn't work on the Jeju Air 737.

The 787s recorder/s have obviously been damaged so much/missing data they are being taken to the US.

Both EAFR run on standby power, yes. In addition, the forward EAFR has its own battery backup. However, the number of devices that still send valid data to the EAFR during a power outage is diminished, of course.

The black rubber cap protects a multi-pin connector.

The white cylinder is an underwater location transmitter.

The forward EAFR has its own backup power.

Source: https://www.geaerospace.com/sites/de...rder-3254F.pdf