Lost local HD channels

[brianmwood]

I upgraded my HD receiver in October so I could get the local channels in HD. They were working fine until about 3 weeks ago. All other HD channels are working fine. I just paid $80 for a service call in which he replaced the receiver and LNBs, but it made no difference. He was stumped, as was everyone at Directv. He left with the problem logged as "unresolved".

When I run the satellite transponder test, I note that all transponders at 103 are reading 0. Isn't this the one used for locals?

Any ideas?

 

[charper1]

99 can be HD LiL as well; it depends on your DMA which we need you to post.

 

[ercjncpr]

I upgraded my HD receiver in October so I could get the local channels in HD. They were working fine until about 3 weeks ago. All other HD channels are working fine. I just paid $80 for a service call in which he replaced the receiver and LNBs, but it made no difference. He was stumped, as was everyone at Directv. He left with the problem logged as "unresolved".

When I run the satellite transponder test, I note that all transponders at 103 are reading 0. Isn't this the one used for locals?

Any ideas?

I just lost my HD ABC and Fox locals this afternoon. When I did the red button thing, they came back. I wonder if it's a problem with the box losing the signal or data lock and then you have to reset in order to get the signal back. My box is the H21

 

[brianmwood]

99 can be HD LiL as well; it depends on your DMA which we need you to post.

Sorry, don't know what a DMA is. My local area is Denver, in case that's what you're looking for. The reset trick is not it -- tried it 4 times, downloaded new software, tried a different receiver and new LNBs. I now have the new black receiver which is supposed to work better than the old one, but it does the same thing.

 

[charper1]

DMA = designated market area and Denver is on 102.8°w.

Do you have any multi-switches in the system? Are all other channels coming in OK? Are all other receivers working normally?

 

[brianmwood]

DMA = designated market area and Denver is on 102.8°w.

Do you have any multi-switches in the system? Are all other channels coming in OK? Are all other receivers working normally?

Yes, I have a multi-switch. There are four receivers: two non-HD receivers in the TiVo, one non-HD downstairs, and the HD. Everything, including non-HD local channels on all four receivers, is working fine except the local HD's, which were also working until 3 weeks ago. No cabling has been changed. I just woke up one morning and couldn't get local HD. No hint of any problem before then. There is a Terk splitter/combiner in the line to the HD receiver, which combines the roof antenna and then splits it back apart to drive the FM receiver as well as the satellite. But the radio still works, so I doubt it is the problem.

Sounds suspicious that Denver is on the 103 (assuming the 102.8 you referred to is rounded to 103) and I get 0 signal strength on all transponders on that sat. But the service guy replaced the whole LNB bar and the problem did not go away. Could it be in the multi-switch?

 

[charper1]

Take out the OTA combiner/diplexer runs and hardware, this is not compatible with Ka/Ku gear. Lets see where this will lead us afterward.

 

[brianmwood]

Take out the OTA combiner/diplexer runs and hardware, this is not compatible with Ka/Ku gear. Lets see where this will lead us afterward.

I will try that because they could have gone bad, but the Terks were installed by DirecTV and have been working fine. Remember too that with them inline now, all channels go through that line and most are working.

 

[KeithAP]

I'm jumping in with similar problems - and I have a service call this morning. I'm on the Denver locals and using the H21 (installed Jan 25 w/ Slimline 5-LNB) along with an LG HD receiver and two older Hughes E25. Using the Zinwell WB68 multiswitch. No other hardware inline.

Recently seems I can run for 1-3 hours before losing some (about 16) of the MPEG4 HD channels (A&E, FX, SPD, NGC, local ABC and FOX etc.) while others are ok (CNN, ESPN, local CBS and NBC, etc.). The older HD channels (72-79) seem unaffected. Red reset button still works to restore all of them for a period of time.

Signal strength readings are 90's for most everything with a few 80's intermixed. Sat 103(b) readings are mostly all 90's.

I'll see what comes out of today's service call.

 

[brianmwood]

OK, problem solved. It was the Terk splitter/combiner! Amazing! How is it possible for a device this simple to fail? It allows DC through the satellite cable path, and it blocks it through the off-air path. And it was installed by DirecTV, and it is clearly marked for use in a satellite system, and it worked for 4 months! Why?

 

[charper1]

GLAD TO HEAR IT!


It did not "fail" really; its just that it was compatible with the old KU only DBS setup, and with today's KU/KA band combo setup, it is no longer compatible.

 

[KeithAP]

Glad to hear you've resolved your problem. All we did today during the service call was swap out the H21 receiver and B-Band converter.

I set the receiver on SpeedHD - and left to go shopping. When we returned, the image was frozen and the exact same situation with HD channels I described above occurred. Doesn't sound like a receiver/B-Band problem.

I'm going to work backwards starting with the multiswitch, connections, grounding block, then dish components to see if I can isolate the issue myself before calling in again.

 

[charper1]

Go direct from the dish to the H21 and see if the problem recreates.

 

[chetwr]

I am having similar problems. I have a DMA of 143 (El Paso), a single TerkOTA antenna that worked fine for months. FOX HD puked out just as the Daytona 500 was about to start. I started getting pixelation, then losing HD. Antenna adjust seemed not to help. I reset the receiver, after which it worked better. but today it's gone again. I have no splitters, switches, just a cable from the Terk to the OTA input on the HD Dvr. Please help, Chet

 

[charper1]

Chet are your issue is with OTA ATSC reception? IF so what is your zip code? I bet a correctly aimed quality antenna would solve your problem.

Guys lets try not to hijack other poster's threads; especially when they are different issues.

 

[brianmwood]

GLAD TO HEAR IT!


It did not "fail" really; its just that it was compatible with the old KU only DBS setup, and with today's KU/KA band combo setup, it is no longer compatible.

But why did it work at all? I was getting local HD with it in the circuit. Did they move the HD locals to a different band? I note that now I can receive MAXHD which I was not getting before, so clearly the Terk device was not compatible with something.

 

[charper1]

I am sure it likely has to do with what was tuned and how or when at the time. Getting into frequencies and polarity and crap that I am not 100% sure is realistically explainable in the end. The bottom line; you are good now.!

 

[kinyo2000]

i have a h21-200 last week my wife noticed some hd channels quit coming on so i unplugged the receiver for a few seconds plugged it back up and they were back. strange it happened but it fixed it
i hope this is related to your problems, if not my apologies and it won't
happen again

 

[brianmwood]

I am sure it likely has to do with what was tuned and how or when at the time. Getting into frequencies and polarity and crap that I am not 100% sure is realistically explainable in the end. The bottom line; you are good now.!

Well, yes and no. After working for several days, the problem has reappeared. Doing a reset did not fix it. The transponders on 103 are all reading 0. Could it be a dish pointing problem? There's nothing but cable and connectors now between the dish and the receiver. And since I have 4 cables, I tried one of the other cables to rule out a kink somewhere, but no joy. Since the LNB block, receiver and the little black box in line with the cable (forget what that's called, B-something?) have all been replaced, and there is no multi-switch, the only thing left is dish pointing.

How sensitive are the dishes to pointing? I have had a painter working on that side of the house, grinding away at the siding, so there has been a fair amount of vibration, although the dish seems securely attached.

 

[charper1]

Sounds like maybe a LNB; hope it was not shorted out with diplex setup attached. My SlimLine was easy to install on my own and has withstood a tornado that ripped through town about 2 miles away; we had confirmed 50 - 65 mph winds here and it never budged; so unless yours is not "buttoned up" correct at all bolt points; then I can't see vibrations or decent wind taking it out of alignment. BUT all that said, that will be the 1st thing you should check; then the LNB, then the RG6 lines.

Do you have other receivers running correctly? Maybe move you HD unit to one of the "good spots" to see it the issue follows.