HR21/AM21 Issue...

[soonersherm]

Hi Forum

It's been a long time since I've posted with an issue... Hope the community here is as helpful to me as it was the last time...

Here's the situation: I've got bedroom HDTV that doesn't have an OTA tuner. The bedroom isn't currently wired for DirecTV. I've got an unused HR21 & AM21 I'd like to use in the bedroom for OTA viewing at bedtime. Problem: I can't get the HR21 through the initial set up. I am able to enter my zip code, and then I get a perpetual freeze in the "advanced setup" phase.

Is there a way to bypass satellite setup? I have access to my Playlist. I just want to be able to use the AM21's OTA tuner without dealing with DirecTV programming.

Thanks guys...

 

[jcrandall]

I think you will have to get it a satellite connection, the receiver is very cripled without satellite feed.

 

[moghedien14]

The Directv's guide data, regardless whether it's for Directv's satellite channels or your local OTA channels, comes from the satellite. I got the above message when I lost the sat signal after a few hours. A few hours later, the Directv box reset, and I lost the ability to tune all channels, even the OTA, because I had no satellite signal going to the receiver.

 

[soonersherm]

I was afraid of all this. I'm probably just going to need to call DirecTV and install a line into the bedroom. Perhaps I can take the receiver into the living room, connect it to a UPS power supply, download the guide data, etc... then rush it into the bedroom and install the antenna? This is all very unlikely to happen, as I do not currently own a backup power supply box like a UPS and according to Moghedien's reply that would only be a part-time fix.

 

[Mr Tony]

why cant you install a line to the receiver yourself?

another thought is will the unit get past the "card is expired" message to view a OTA channel? Actually as I think about it my old H10 I could do OTA even though the receiver has been deactivated for a while now

 

[soonersherm]

Iceberg - you're right about running the line myself. I misrepresented what exactly I needed to do. I will however need to contact DirecTV to get my receiver re-activated.

Like you're saying, my old receivers like the H10 could function strictly as an OTA tuner. I wish I could figure the same setup with this HR21...

 

[Mr Tony]

I would try and hook it up and see how far you can go with it. Maybe you can use it strictly as an OTA tuner with the AM21. I know 100, 200 and 201 are in the clear on all receivers so it **might** be possible to do that without having it activated

 

[moghedien14]

I would try and hook it up and see how far you can go with it. Maybe you can use it strictly as an OTA tuner with the AM21. I know 100, 200 and 201 are in the clear on all receivers so it **might** be possible to do that without having it activated

Would you really spend the time and money to run coax from the multiswitch to the bedroom on the chance a deactivated HR21/AM21 receiver **might** work as an OTA tuner?

 

[Mr Tony]

why not? I did it with a D10 for a while....til I got upgraded to HD then lost that ability

He can hook it to the switch he currently has as a temporary setup to see if it works