HR34 Genie with AM21N missing OTA

Status
Please reply by conversation.

OV_HDFan

SatelliteGuys Family
Original poster
Feb 13, 2008
104
0
Evansville,IN
I tried to contact D* about my ongoing issue with my AM21N not working after going through the automated tech support BS (huge joke) I finally got an operator. Once I explained my problem with missing OTA channels on my HR34 guide I had multiple extended periods of silence on the other end. She eventually admitted that she knew nothing about the AM21N and that I would have to contact a local store about my OTA Antenna. I got her to accept that the AM21N is in fact Directv equipment and has nothing to do with my OTA Antenna that works fine when connected to the ATSC tuner in my TV. So she filled out a request for firmware change form to have the functionality added back. My AM21 hasn't worked for months and is not a problem with firmware. I am coming up on 1 year since my system was installed and would like to know what my options are for fixing my problem with OTA. The result of my call yesterday is the reason I have put off calling for probably 6 months. I have tried all of the reset option Double RBR , Removing AM21 and resetting in HR34 and still nothing works. HR34 shows it is installed but none for channels added to guide. Thanks
 
I tried to contact D* about my ongoing issue with my AM21N not working after going through the automated tech support BS (huge joke) I finally got an operator. Once I explained my problem with missing OTA channels on my HR34 guide I had multiple extended periods of silence on the other end. She eventually admitted that she knew nothing about the AM21N and that I would have to contact a local store about my OTA Antenna. I got her to accept that the AM21N is in fact Directv equipment and has nothing to do with my OTA Antenna that works fine when connected to the ATSC tuner in my TV. So she filled out a request for firmware change form to have the functionality added back. My AM21 hasn't worked for months and is not a problem with firmware. I am coming up on 1 year since my system was installed and would like to know what my options are for fixing my problem with OTA. The result of my call yesterday is the reason I have put off calling for probably 6 months. I have tried all of the reset option Double RBR , Removing AM21 and resetting in HR34 and still nothing works. HR34 shows it is installed but none for channels added to guide. Thanks

You need to tell us exactly what is wrong with the AM21, in detail...
 
AM21 shows as installed in the menus. Edit channels is grayed out. In system info shows 2 OTA tuners avail for recording. But OTA channels added to guide is NONE. When it stopped working the channels were still listed in the guide but couldn't be tuned to like there wasn't a signal. After I did all of the resets they were removed from the guide never to come back.
 
AM21 shows as installed in the menus. Edit channels is grayed out. In system info shows 2 OTA tuners avail for recording. But OTA channels added to guide is NONE. When it stopped working the channels were still listed in the guide but couldn't be tuned to like there wasn't a signal. After I did all of the resets they were removed from the guide never to come back.

Two possibilities:
1. The AM21 is not getting any signal from the antenna. With the HR44, if there is no (or low) signal the channel will not even appear in the guide on a reset.
2. The AM21 is faulty

This isn't a software bug/feature issue - why did you think asking a CSR to generate a feature request would help?
 
I didn't ask for it. That was her solution. I agree totally that it is not a software bug or issue. I guess my final hope was that if she files the feature request form that it would get my situation escalated to a higher level.
Does anyone know if the AM21 is covered by the 1 yr warranty?
 
I tried to contact D* about my ongoing issue with my AM21N not working after going through the automated tech support BS (huge joke) I finally got an operator. Once I explained my problem with missing OTA channels on my HR34 guide I had multiple extended periods of silence on the other end. She eventually admitted that she knew nothing about the AM21N and that I would have to contact a local store about my OTA Antenna. I got her to accept that the AM21N is in fact Directv equipment and has nothing to do with my OTA Antenna that works fine when connected to the ATSC tuner in my TV. So she filled out a request for firmware change form to have the functionality added back. My AM21 hasn't worked for months and is not a problem with firmware. I am coming up on 1 year since my system was installed and would like to know what my options are for fixing my problem with OTA. The result of my call yesterday is the reason I have put off calling for probably 6 months. I have tried all of the reset option Double RBR , Removing AM21 and resetting in HR34 and still nothing works. HR34 shows it is installed but none for channels added to guide. Thanks
Totally an antenna signal problem. That's why you lost the channels that were in the guide on a re-boot. No signal. I don't know you antenna situation but if your TV tuner picks-up the channels your AM21 should. If your antenna is picking up the signals of your local OTA channels, your AM21 should put every channel your antenna picks-up that are in D* database for the DMA you enter, in your guide. Simple as that. And being you used to receive some channels you have to figure what has changed. I would check my antenna signal over really well and then start over like the AM21 is new. It should work.
 
I have a antenna direct DB4 mounted in the attic because when it was outside I would overdrive the signal. A couple of my OTA channels I can get by putting a foot long piece of copper wire in the antenna jack on my TV. I'm approx 4 miles from my nearest tower 30 from the farthest. two towers are on the other side of a airport radar which is the reason for the larger antenna. The way I am testing signal quality is by disconnecting the coax from the am21 and connecting it to the tv tuner he same coax. THe tv tuner displays excellent signal quality which leads me to believe the tuners in the am21 are dead.
 
I didn't ask for it. That was her solution. I agree totally that it is not a software bug or issue. I guess my final hope was that if she files the feature request form that it would get my situation escalated to a higher level.
Does anyone know if the AM21 is covered by the 1 yr warranty?

What "feature request" did she file? "Please make the AM21 work"?

What's your zip code?
 
I have a antenna direct DB4 mounted in the attic because when it was outside I would overdrive the signal. A couple of my OTA channels I can get by putting a foot long piece of copper wire in the antenna jack on my TV. I'm approx 4 miles from my nearest tower 30 from the farthest. two towers are on the other side of a airport radar which is the reason for the larger antenna. The way I am testing signal quality is by disconnecting the coax from the am21 and connecting it to the tv tuner he same coax. THe tv tuner displays excellent signal quality which leads me to believe the tuners in the am21 are dead.
I would think with an antenna signal like that, it almost has to be a problem with the AM21 itself. Lightning or a power surge in the past could have caused a problem. Maybe unplug the AM21 for 24 hours and see if that helps.
 
I would think with an antenna signal like that, it almost has to be a problem with the AM21 itself. Lightning or a power surge in the past could have caused a problem. Maybe unplug the AM21 for 24 hours and see if that helps.

Was the DB4 in the same location when the AM21 was working OK? If not, the AM21 tuner might be overloading. You could try putting a splitter (4 way), or even better a variable attenuator (I got mine at Radio Shack), in the path from the antenna - see if attenuating the signal helps.
 
zip code is 47711
She said she thought it was caused by new firmware which I strongly disagreed with since It hasn't worked since March. I assume she was out of options so that's what she did to get me off the phone.
 
Oversimplified , but have you done a RBR on both the Genie and AM21 and then gone through the entire new setup of the 21 ? Another stupid question is, do you have the antenna cable going through a surge protector ? I thought I was being smart and protecting my AM21 by going through a cable surge protector, and while TV tuner worked fine, the it blocked the signal to the AM21.
 
Oversimplified , but have you done a RBR on both the Genie and AM21 and then gone through the entire new setup of the 21 ? Another stupid question is, do you have the antenna cable going through a surge protector ? I thought I was being smart and protecting my AM21 by going through a cable surge protector, and while TV tuner worked fine, the it blocked the signal to the AM21.

I had this same issue. The AM21 works just as good as my TV tuner without sending the signal through a surge protector. With the surge protector, it only picked up 2 of my locals, and those are the closest and have extremely good signal.
 
Status
Please reply by conversation.

Users Who Are Viewing This Thread (Total: 0, Members: 0, Guests: 0)

Who Read This Thread (Total Members: 1)