H3 Prob or ??

[xfoneguy]

I've been here before - kind of. I think my Hopper3 has been replaced at least 3 times for similar issues. At one time I insisted on it, as it seemed the only likely culprit, but now I am wondering. And I'm wondering if anyone out there might have some insight into what is going on.

For the past few weeks, while we are watching TV (be it live or recorded), the TV screen will suddenly blank-out for a few seconds, and when it comes back, the channel we were watching has usually changed, and anything recording at that time is split into pieces. I have numerous recordings of 7 or 8 segments - most showing less than 1 minute of recording time.

Someone suggested the TV itself and/or cables. I did replace the HDMI cable, just to be sure. And when watching other services no part of the Dish (Netflix, Hulu, Amazon, etc) nothing like this has ever occurred.

To say this is getting frustrating is an understatement. My wife thinks we (me!) are crazy spending as much $$$ as we are, seeing as I am retired.

Anyway, any thoughts? Could this be a problem with the signal itself (IE the Dish or other components outside the house)? No one has ever come out (even though I am paying for that service).

I like my Dish - I just need it to work (at least most of the time)

Thank you.

 

[ncted]

I've been here before - kind of. I think my Hopper3 has been replaced at least 3 times for similar issues. At one time I insisted on it, as it seemed the only likely culprit, but now I am wondering. And I'm wondering if anyone out there might have some insight into what is going on.

For the past few weeks, while we are watching TV (be it live or recorded), the TV screen will suddenly blank-out for a few seconds, and when it comes back, the channel we were watching has usually changed, and anything recording at that time is split into pieces. I have numerous recordings of 7 or 8 segments - most showing less than 1 minute of recording time.

Someone suggested the TV itself and/or cables. I did replace the HDMI cable, just to be sure. And when watching other services no part of the Dish (Netflix, Hulu, Amazon, etc) nothing like this has ever occurred.

To say this is getting frustrating is an understatement. My wife thinks we (me!) are crazy spending as much $$$ as we are, seeing as I am retired.

Anyway, any thoughts? Could this be a problem with the signal itself (IE the Dish or other components outside the house)? No one has ever come out (even though I am paying for that service).

I like my Dish - I just need it to work (at least most of the time)

Thank you.

Er...I don't suppose you have anything else that would generate UHF signals in your house, do you?

 

[navychop]

Neighbor with Dish and same code in remote?

 

[n0qcu]

Neighbor with Dish and same code in remote?

not relevant to the Hopper

 

[Partysox]

Spend the 10 bucks and get a tech appointment setup, if your paying for it use it would be my advice.

 

[xfoneguy]

Spend the 10 bucks and get a tech appointment setup, if your paying for it use it would be my advice.

yeah, i'm ready to do that tomorrow - just curious as to whether anyone had any theories......... thanks

 

[xfoneguy]

Er...I don't suppose you have anything else that would generate UHF signals in your house, do you?

Er...I don't suppose you have anything else that would generate UHF signals in your house, do you?

Hey - that's the first actual idea I've heard....... A couple of months ago, I picked up the Logitech Remote that Costco was selling........ it has a separate box with 2 IR cable/emitters and sits between the Hopper and the remote ........ I'll have to find the paperwork, but I'm wondering if that uses UHF (sorry, but I'm not quite that "techy"). I just unplugged it on the chance that it is the prob - guess I'll know soon.

 

[xfoneguy]

yeah, i'm ready to do that tomorrow - it would be well worth $10 and then some - just curious as to whether anyone had any other theories......... thanks

 

[littlecloud319]

Maybe it could be a bad lnb or somewhere water may be getting into one of the coax connections. It would be best to have a tech come out to check your dish and wiring.

 

[camo]

It's the equipment outside if you're on the 3rd hopper 3. I've never seen it myself.

 

[lakebum431]

Potentially a power spike/drop issue? How is the Hopper connected to the power source? Power strip? Maybe something is going bad in the power strip which is causing a split second drop.

 

[xfoneguy]

It's the equipment outside if you're on the 3rd hopper 3. I've never seen it myself.

I need to get someone out I guess - this is crazy. I'm watching TV and the screen will go dark - there is still text on the screen that looks like what you see if you (or your dog, or child) has ever "sat" on a remote - you can see that it's flipping thru channels..... sometimes the screen will come back after 30 seconds to a minute. When it does, everything that is recording is segmented - as many as 9 pieces for a 1 hour program. Something is really wonky.

 

[xfoneguy]

Potentially a power spike/drop issue? How is the Hopper connected to the power source? Power strip? Maybe something is going bad in the power strip which is causing a split second drop.

I wondered about that too - I moved the Hopper power cord off of the strip to the wall outlet a month or so ago.

 

[xfoneguy]

It's the equipment outside if you're on the 3rd hopper 3. I've never seen it myself.

That's about the only thing left I guess. I can't believe it's another bad H3 replacement (although stranger things have happened, I guess).

 

[ncted]

I need to get someone out I guess - this is crazy. I'm watching TV and the screen will go dark - there is still text on the screen that looks like what you see if you (or your dog, or child) has ever "sat" on a remote - you can see that it's flipping thru channels..... sometimes the screen will come back after 30 seconds to a minute. When it does, everything that is recording is segmented - as many as 9 pieces for a 1 hour program. Something is really wonky.

Have you ruled out the paranormal? Any other poltergeist-like happenings in your house?

 

[xfoneguy]

Maybe it could be a bad lnb or somewhere water may be getting into one of the coax connections. It would be best to have a tech come out to check your dish and wiring.

Yeah, it's "monsoon season" in Seattle, so we certainly have our share of water out there. LOL.

 

[xfoneguy]

Hey - that's the first actual idea I've heard....... A couple of months ago, I picked up the Logitech Remote that Costco was selling........ it has a separate box with 2 IR cable/emitters and sits between the Hopper and the remote ........ I'll have to find the paperwork, but I'm wondering if that uses UHF (sorry, but I'm not quite that "techy"). I just unplugged it on the chance that it is the prob - guess I'll know soon.

Well, it wasn't that - I disconnected the Logitech stuff completely - it hasn't helped.

 

[xfoneguy]

This has been a really frustrating trip....... I've had 2 techs out to my house now, and everyone is kind of scratching their head. To recap: My H3 locks up constantly - TV screen goes black (no image, but text still moves across screen), other connected sets (wireless Joeys) also freeze whatever is on their screens. The lockup lasts anywhere from a few seconds to a minute or more (if it's that long, the Hopper usually reboots itself). If the screen comes back without rebooting, the box changes channels. Then, every program that is recording at the time appears to end, and start up again, so I end up with "segmented" recordings - as few as 2 to as many as 50 "pieces" for a 1 hour program. Trying to explain this to the CSR's has been a nightmare.
Anyway, Tech #1 came out and replaced EVERYTHING (the Dish itself and all wiring/hubs/etc) both inside and outside of the house, with the exception of the H3. He was sure this would solve the problem. Within a couple of hours of his leaving, it was doing the same thing. Tech #2 came out the next day and replaced the Hopper. He was here late - like 9pm. After he left, it was doing the same thing within a couple of hours.
So - I'm not sure where to go now. I'm not sure that DISH will know where to go... watching TV is literally impossible, so I'm trialing streaming TV for the time being.
Someone out there must have a theory?? If so, thank you - and if not, thanks for at least reading this!

 

[HipKat]

I feel for you XFone - I've wracked my brain trying to think of things and I just can't, other than outside interference from a possible nearby Ham or CB Radio operator. I know some "Amateur" CB guys like to setup home base stations and push excessive power through big wattage linears (of course I never did that when I had my old Cobra GT148 Base station cough cough). Still, I can't think of anything else other than that.

The poltergeist thing did cross my mind too..... Not kidding. I used to be the tech manager for a local paranormal investigation group

 

[Partysox]

Well lets see you have replaced everything except 2 things I can see- the tv and you said you removed the power strip and plugged into the wall, have you plugged a power strip into a extension cord and tried a different circuit. Try disconnecting the HDMI cable and try using AV cables from the hopper to the tv and see what that does for testing purposes. If that does nothing I would say[Who you gonna call].