Unusual Dish 6000 Problem

drbaldinger

New Member
Original poster
Sep 5, 2004
4
0
Eastern PA
I need some help.

On Thursday evening I noticed that my Dish 6000 was no longer passing HD video from Showtime. All that displayed was a black screen, although the browse banner would still superimpose itself over the black. DD audio is still present. All other Dish HD channels, my OTA HD channels, and the standard Dish channels were okay.

Last night all of the other Dish HD channels (HBO, SHO, HDNet 1 & 2, TNT, ESPN, Discovery, CBS) started exhibiting the same problem - black screen with audio. On all of these channels the TV indicates it is receiving a 1080i signal. The demo channel is the only Dish HD channel that still works and OTA HD and standard channels are still okay.

The Dish 6000 and my Comcast Motorola HD box are being switched through an Audio Authority 1154A component switcher. There is no issue with any of the Comcast HD channels.

I've tried a cold re-boot on the 6000, done a "check switch", and re-seated the smart card, all to no avail. Signal strength is 85% - 110% depending on the bird that I'm seeing. I've checked all settings on the 6000 and on the television and all are normal.

I'd like to try to fix this problem myself before having to deal with the frustration of working with the E* tech droids.

Does anyone have any ideas?
 
dfergie, thank you very much for the reply.

Duh! I should have done a search before posting.

After I posted I found the other yellow smart card thread. No, I don't have the yellow card. I just called DN and they're going to send one to me, although the tech had no idea what I was talking about and I had to explain to her. Then she gave me an RA number and warned me that if I didn't return the old card within 10 days I would be charged for it and proceeded to hand me some sort of bull about voiding my warranty if I had tampered with the card.

Not very friendly service, considering it was their screwup.
 
Don't worry - the letter that will probably accompany the new card will probably tell you to destroy the old one. For peace of mind, keep the old card with the letter, and then if they charge you, fly to Denver (or whereever) and shove both of them down the CSRs throat. :D
 
I just got my yellow card yesterday and both the letter and CSR made it clear that they need the card back or I would be charged $49. It might be a policy change.
 
My yellow card for the 6000 arrived yesterday with the stern warning about $49 charge for non-returned cards. Prepaid UPS label made it easy to return.
Took a while to reauthorize the receiver. Tech was getting worried about it but then it finally took. AOK now.
Now if I could get rid of the stupid fan noise...................
 
The new yellow card arrived Friday.

9 AM - Per the enclosed instructions I called DN tech support to have it activated. After 15 minutes of fumbling the support person said they were having computer problems and were unable to activate the card. She told me to keep checking my receiver because she felt she would be able to activate it within an hour or two.

3 PM - No activation. Called again, spent a half-hour on the phone while the tech tried various maneuvers, only to get the same response - computer problems, keep checking your receiver.

8 PM - Still no activation. Called again, got a support person who gave me two other telephone numbers to try. The first number was an automated card activation line that told me that no new cards were shipped to me, so there was nothing to activate. The second number got me directly to a tech who apparently knew exactly what to do and had the card activated within five minutes. Everything is now back to normal.

Jeez, it only took 12 hours!

The upshot to it all was that they gave me a UPS return label with instructions to return the blue card within 10 days or I would be charged $49. Apparently those who were sent the yellow cards in the normal distribution were told to destroy the old blue card. Now I have to take a ten mile trip to the nearest UPS drop location to send the old card back to them (apparently so they can destroy it themselves).

Sheesh!
 
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