Unsolved H20 Problems

[CMatich]

I Googled Directv Technical Problems and saw this site. I hope I can find some answers here. Since JULY I've had the same problem despite 3 new receivers,new coax,4 multi switches,4 of the things you plug into the receiver before you plug satellite in and now the new 5 lnb satellite.
While watching my local channels(which are not high def yet)they will go off and I will get three messages...searching for signal,channel not purchased or not available in area. This will happen at all hours of the day but there are times it will work fine for half a day. This same problem also effects the high def channels. We have a standard receiver in a bedroom and the locals are fine on that one even while the other is having issues.
Techs have been out numerous times since July with no explanation other than we can't fix it,we have no idea. Last night(10/29) I spoke with Directv and they assigned me a case manager. He had me try some things but after getting off the phone the problem was still there. He's to call back tonight at 8pm to see whats happened.
Has anyone else had this problem? Or any ideas to tell the people at Directv on what to look for or do?

 

[raoul5788]

I Googled Directv Technical Problems and saw this site. I hope I can find some answers here. Since JULY I've had the same problem despite 3 new receivers,new coax,4 multi switches,4 of the things you plug into the receiver before you plug satellite in and now the new 5 lnb satellite.
While watching my local channels(which are not high def yet)they will go off and I will get three messages...searching for signal,channel not purchased or not available in area. This will happen at all hours of the day but there are times it will work fine for half a day. This same problem also effects the high def channels. We have a standard receiver in a bedroom and the locals are fine on that one even while the other is having issues.
Techs have been out numerous times since July with no explanation other than we can't fix it,we have no idea. Last night(10/29) I spoke with Directv and they assigned me a case manager. He had me try some things but after getting off the phone the problem was still there. He's to call back tonight at 8pm to see whats happened.
Has anyone else had this problem? Or any ideas to tell the people at Directv on what to look for or do?

Do you have an ota antenna diplexed with the Directv cable?

 

[CMatich]

No I do not. That was one of the things the techs checked for. My follow up call from Directv last night didn't help anything. They wanted to send the techs out again which is not going to help since I was told they can't fix it. They are going to send me a different style of receiver(it doesn't have the off air input)to see if that will work..it should be here Thursday. I questioned if this would work as I do not have my off air antenna hooked to the receiver anyways. They said its either the techs or the different receiver. What do you do?!
Thanks for the reply!

 

[wongloo]

I've been having the same problem as well now for a couple of weeks. I have an H20, where I get the same message, either searching for signal, or channel not purchased. Called DTV, and CSR had me cold start the receiver (unplug power, disconnect cable, then replug it), then the CSR did some type of reset on the DTV end - something about resending/reinitializing something. Everything started to work again. Stayed working for about a week, and now the problem is back. Same as with you, it might work for a bit, then stop working for hours or days. I also have a SD receiver in another room, and it works fine. Was guessing it was the receiver, but now I'm not sure.

I too would like to know also if anyone else is having this problem, and what we should do.

Thanks in advance.

 

[Jimbo]

Most of what I was thinking to change, you said they already have. you said it only happens on 1 TV and NOT the other, are they the same rec's or different.
Can you move the non working rec. to the other TV and see if it still happens ?
I orig thought seeing it was happening on one TV and not the other that is may be a connector / coax problem, but you said they changed that (and no diplexers in the line). Then a possibly going bad LNB set up, have they changed the LNB ? (are you using the old 5 LNB or the newer "slimline).

The MS your NOW using, is it a WB68 or WB 616 ?, make sure they replaced it with the correct one.

Jimbo

 

[gnolan0660]

I was having the same problem and it turned out that there was a second multiswitch connected sometime ago and nobody saw it. It only caused problems with the Hr21 that it was connected to. I was told it only caused the problem with the HD receivers! Hope this helps.

 

[wongloo]

Status of my "Searching for Satellite" and "Channel Not Purchased" problem: just as I thought, it was a problem with the receiver. I had an H20 Model 600 - it is an absolutely BAD receiver. I've several of these and have had problems with 3 of them now. They run VERY HOT, and have problems with resetting itself (known problem), and now this searching for signal and channel not purchased problem. I have 2 H20 Model 100 receivers and they seem to have less problems. I asked DTV to replace this H20 Model 600 with an H20 Model 100 and they did. Got the receiver today, hooked it up, called DTV to activate it, and the problem no longer exists - for now at least.

 

[jnj]

I have 2 - H20 -100. Both of them from time to time have an audio problem - a thumping noise - they only way to get rid of it - is to reset the unit. I also have 1 unit that were the HDMI input picture disappears to a blank screen or the colors get funky greens.
Is anyone else having these problems. Could it be the HDMI cable that came with the unit.