HD Channels hit or miss

[Mirage52]

OK, here's my problem.

Monday night, none of my Washington, DC local HD channels are working. I am getting the 771 message, but even that is flickering in and out. I call DTV and they have me reset the receiver and swap out the cables connected to the back of the receiver. Nothing is working. They are about to schedule a technician to come out when I balk at paying the $80. She says the channels could return over night and I say I will wait and see.

The locals come back on the next morning.

But Tuesday night I notice that other HD channels are not working, particularly NFL HD (212) and ESPN News HD (207). This time there is just a black screen. No 771 message at all. I call DTV again and explain that resetting and changing the cables didn't work and that something needs to be done. He has me check all the signals and everything looks fine with the dish and the connections.

So he sends a technician out (coming next Tues.) and I say that I will need a credit for the $80 to my account because I shouldn't have to pay for one. I go through the "loyal customer" routine, which is true, because I have gone through so much crap with DTV that I'd have to be loyal to still be with them after 6 years. So I get the $20 off my bill for 6 months discount.

It could be my receiver, since it was one of the very first receivers released when DTV was still doing BETA testing. It could also be bad cables or B-band converters. Either way it stinks because I'll have to tear apart my entertainment center to allow the technician to get behind my TV and swap out the receiver or check for bad wire, etc... and take time off work.

I am also convinced this is a wide scale problem. Anyone else experiencings similar problems?

 

[charper1]

Its not a wide-spread or system-wide issue, but something rather specific to each used that has experienced this issue. The most common I have read are improperly peaked dish (bad signal strength); failed B-band converters, failed or bad LNB and/or RG6 cable run. The very rare failed receiver tuner.

 

[Captain TV]

I'm having the same problem with my Washington DC locals.

 

[Mirage52]

Its not a wide-spread or system-wide issue, but something rather specific to each used that has experienced this issue. The most common I have read are improperly peaked dish (bad signal strength); failed B-band converters, failed or bad LNB and/or RG6 cable run. The very rare failed receiver tuner.

I have thought that too. I'm afraid that the tech will come out when everything is working fine. Will he be able to assess a problem if I tell him what has been happening?

I am very paranoid when it comes to DTV... I have very little faith in them.

I do hope it is not the receiver though.... for all the problems I have been having, I actually like it... and the newer HR20 and 21 models my friends have don't appear to be any better. Plus I have all my recorded shows on it.

 

[harshness]

If this only happens at night, I'd suspect the problem was outdoors.

 

[charper1]

I have the HR20 and it is just fine. Losing the recorded shows is another issues all together. As with everything there are good workers and bad ones; you just have to wait and see what you get. Even if the tech can't determine anything doesn't mean he or the company is bad; sometimes the problems just don't show themselves when you need them too. I work IT and I see it every day; the users report issues and when I get there there they cant get the issues to happen. I don't doubt what they saw once or twice, but ut at the same time I don't think I can be faulted for not doing anything further; If I can't see it, I can repair it, right?

 

[Mirage52]

If this only happens at night, I'd suspect the problem was outdoors.

I have not been able to tell if this is just a problem that happens at night.

 

[iwc5893]

OK, here's my problem.

Monday night, none of my Washington, DC local HD channels are working. I am getting the 771 message, but even that is flickering in and out. I call DTV and they have me reset the receiver and swap out the cables connected to the back of the receiver. Nothing is working. They are about to schedule a technician to come out when I balk at paying the $80. She says the channels could return over night and I say I will wait and see.

The locals come back on the next morning.

But Tuesday night I notice that other HD channels are not working, particularly NFL HD (212) and ESPN News HD (207). This time there is just a black screen. No 771 message at all. I call DTV again and explain that resetting and changing the cables didn't work and that something needs to be done. He has me check all the signals and everything looks fine with the dish and the connections.

So he sends a technician out (coming next Tues.) and I say that I will need a credit for the $80 to my account because I shouldn't have to pay for one. I go through the "loyal customer" routine, which is true, because I have gone through so much crap with DTV that I'd have to be loyal to still be with them after 6 years. So I get the $20 off my bill for 6 months discount.

It could be my receiver, since it was one of the very first receivers released when DTV was still doing BETA testing. It could also be bad cables or B-band converters. Either way it stinks because I'll have to tear apart my entertainment center to allow the technician to get behind my TV and swap out the receiver or check for bad wire, etc... and take time off work.

I am also convinced this is a wide scale problem. Anyone else experiencings similar problems?

If you don't want to pay the service call fee, then you should sign up for the Protection Plan. Why shouldn't you pay for the tech to come out and fix your problem? After all, it costs DirecTV money to send a tech out to your home.

 

[Mirage52]

If you don't want to pay the service call fee, then you should sign up for the Protection Plan. Why shouldn't you pay for the tech to come out and fix your problem? After all, it costs DirecTV money to send a tech out to your home.

Because it's their equipment that has gone up. Why should I have to pay DTV to fix something of theirs when it breaks?

Anyway, I've had a very rough history with DTV and they know it which is why they will grant me credits.

The most recent problem: I had an appt set for Tuesday at 4-8 p.m. and they call me with the pre-recorded message that says the appt is for 8 am - Noon. Like any other normal person I am at work and can't be home at that time. Not to mention, it wasn't the time I originally made the appt for. Unfortunately, my wife answered the phone at this time and is not familiar with DTV, so she tries to change the appt back to the time it was supposed to be for using the automated feature. Needless to say we've now got an appt on Saturday, a full 5 days after the original appt, because we could not change it back.

Now I even wonder if the guy will show up during the Noon-4 p.m. time on Saturday, or if he'll show up at all. I basically have zero faith in DTV right now.

None.

 

[iwc5893]

Since you haven't posted your signal strengths on the various sats, along with your configuration setup, we basically have no way of helping you determine if it is an equipment issue, an alignment issue, or a cabling issue.

D* may own the equipment, but you are leasing it. As such, you are still financially responsible for repairing it. I know this analogy has been beaten to death, but it is basically no different than if you were leasing a vehicle.

That's one of the risks that you take when you don't sign up for the extended warranty, or in this case, the protection plan.

I wonder if the recent spate of tropical storms and hurricanes may have affected your signal/alignment.

 

[Mirage52]

Since you haven't posted your signal strengths on the various sats, along with your configuration setup, we basically have no way of helping you determine if it is an equipment issue, an alignment issue, or a cabling issue.

D* may own the equipment, but you are leasing it. As such, you are still financially responsible for repairing it. I know this analogy has been beaten to death, but it is basically no different than if you were leasing a vehicle.

That's one of the risks that you take when you don't sign up for the extended warranty, or in this case, the protection plan.

I will post them in a few mins. And I appreciate any help you can give me. Keep in mind, I am paying for the service call, but I have received credits off my account for the inconveniences that I have incurred from my HD channels being down.

I am not happy right now, but the credits are the only things keeping me a DTV customer for the time being.

 

[iwc5893]

If you could also post what results you get on channels 480-490(?)...that would help.

 

[Mirage52]

OK, so I saw that 103c and 99c are the two signals to check for when looking at HD signals. If that is true, here is what I am showing...

103c

1-8 40 0 38 0 34 0 33 0
9-16 33 0 35 0 33 0 NA NA
17-24 NA (all across)
25-32 NA (all across)

99c

1-8 0 23 0 0 0 0 36 26
9-16 40 31 37 26 43 32 NA NA
17-24 NA (all across)
25-32 NA (all across)

 

[Mirage52]

Here is what the test channels say...

480 103 bband odd 13v
481 Searching for signal 771 (not good, I guess)
482 99 bband odd
483 99 bband even
490 SAT A 101 odd txp 13v
491 SAT A 101 even txp 18v
492 SAT B 119 odd txp 13v
493 SAT B 119 even txp 18v
494 SAT C 110 even txp 18v

 

[iwc5893]

It looks like you are losing the even transponders (18VDC/22kHz) on the 103 sat. This may be a LNB or a BBC issue.

What are your signals on the 110/119 sats, in particular the even transponders?

 

[texasbrit]

The first (and maybe the only) problem is alignment. Both your 99c and 103c signals should be at least in the 70s, preferably the 80s or 90s. When the dish is re-aligned you will probably find the zero signal problem on 103c disappears. As the dish becomes misaligned, the 103c even signals often drop off faster than the odds (it's probably due to the different polarization of the odd and even transponder signals). Zero on evens when you have 40 on odds would not be unusual.
If the evens are still zero after the dish has been correctly aligned then there's another problem as well as alignment.

 

[iwc5893]

The first (and maybe the only) problem is alignment. Both your 99c and 103c signals should be at least in the 70s, preferably the 80s or 90s. When the dish is re-aligned you will probably find the zero signal problem on 103c disappears. As the dish becomes misaligned, the 103c even signals often drop off faster than the odds (it's probably due to the different polarization of the odd and even transponder signals). Zero on evens when you have 40 on odds would not be unusual.
If the evens are still zero after the dish has been correctly aligned then there's another problem as well as alignment.

Than what's the deal with the 0's on the odd transponders of the 99c sat also?

 

[texasbrit]

Could just be the effect of poor alignment - we haven't built up enough information about how the 99c signals behave when they become very weak. What do your 101 and 119 signals look like?
It was not 100% clear from your posts (unless I missed it) if you have a DVR or a receiver but you do say something about swapping cables and you do talk about 99c/103c (not 99a/103b) so I assume it's a DVR. It's an HR20, correct? If the 99c and 103c signals are the same on both tuners then that just about rules out the BBCs (although we have seen cases where two BBCs fail). It's very unlikely to be an LNB issue because the 99 and 103 satellites use different LNBs. And if both tuners show the same problem then it's not a cable issue, or anything related (diplexers etc) - unless by some chance you have surge protectors in both cables, or the cables are very long. So you need to start with the obvious - aligning the dish - and if that does not solve the problem move onto the more complicated stuff.

 

[Mirage52]

Yes, it is a HR -20 receiver.

Sounds like my dish is not aligned properly... which is both a relief and at the same time angers me. My dish is on my roof and I dont have a long ladder and wouldn't really know how to align it anyway. I had DTV come out last year twice to align the dish after some bad weather knocked it out of place... but we haven't had any weather around the Balt/DC area lately except for the storm that moved through on Saturday and this problem has been happening before that.

Anyway, thanks for your help guys.

Here are my 110 & 119 signals

110

1-8 NA x7 83
9-16 NA 75 NA 80 NA x4
17-24 NA across
25-32 NA across

119

1-8 NA across
9-16 NA across
17-24 NA x5 95 42 94
25-32 0 95 96 94 0 95 74 96

 

[texasbrit]

Yes, it is a HR -20 receiver.

Sounds like my dish is not aligned properly... which is both a relief and at the same time angers me. My dish is on my roof and I dont have a long ladder and wouldn't really know how to align it anyway. I had DTV come out last year twice to align the dish after some bad weather knocked it out of place... but we haven't had any weather around the Balt/DC area lately except for the storm that moved through on Saturday and this problem has been happening before that.

Anyway, thanks for your help guys.

Here are my 110 & 119 signals

110

1-8 NA x7 83
9-16 NA 75 NA 80 NA x4
17-24 NA across
25-32 NA across

119

1-8 NA across
9-16 NA across
17-24 NA x5 95 42 94
25-32 0 95 96 94 0 95 74 96

I did ask about 101 not 110...but anyway.
If your dish keeps going out of alignment it is not properly mounted. Here in TX I have the AT-9 5-lnb and it has survived three years of Texas storms without any movement. The foor of the dish mount needs to be bolted through a roof rafter not just through the cladding. And you should also have the two monopoles (stabilizing rods) that form a triangle with the mast and make sure it is not going anywhere. Also of course all the bolts need to be tight!