HD Directv reception issue, HELP!

[sesrlewis]

I currently subscribe to the full Directv HD package (including Sunday ticket). It worked beautifully until about 4 months ago. Now I am only able to get a handful of the HD channels (CBS, NBC and about half the HD football channels in the 720's). Note, all the other channels I subscribe to come in normally.

I spent hours on the phone with customer service.....the signal is hitting the dish just fine. The same channels work or don't work on 2 different HD Tivo receivers so its something between the dish and the boxes. I assume it is a multiswitch problem. (That is the extent of my technical expertise, thus the post).

I have had the original installer back to take a look (incompetent in too many ways to get into here).

Directv sent technicians that said the cabling was a mess (no direct run/several splices in the attic, no grounding in place) but they wouldn't fix it. They offered to come by "on their own time", if you know what I mean, but missed two appointments and I gave up on them.

I had another "expert" in a couple of weeks ago and he said he would get another multi switch. Excuses, missed appointments etc. etc...

Does ANYONE know of a reputable technician in the Fairfield county CT area that can get this fixed???? I've already blown NFL regular season and college bowl season.
Help!!!!!!!!!!!

[JimSpence]

What are the signal strengths for all transponders on all satellites? Ignore 4, 12, 18, 20, 26, & 28 on 101 an 23, 25, 29, & 31 on 119 as these are spot beams.

Tune chs 490-494 to verify reception on the sats.

Check this list for TPs that are used for HD.

[sesrlewis]

Jim

Thanks for your help, here is the data:

Sat 101

1 94
2 92
3 86
5 89
6 95
7 92
8 95
9 94
10 94
11 93
13 88
14 97
15 92
16 95
17 92
19 91
21 92
22 95
23 91
24 95
25 89
27 94
29 97
30 96
31 93
32 95

sat 110
8 92
10 91
12 99

sat 119
22 95
24 94
26 99
27 98
28 84
30 95
31 70?
32 95

Channels 490, 491 and 492 good. Channels 493 and 494 blank.

Thanks again.

[kpm807]

if the signal is good then u know its not a problem with ur dish...its got to be a multiswitch problem. the 2 irds that you are checking...are they in different rooms or did u try them in the same location? if the irds are in different rooms then its a multi switch problem...if you tried both in the same location then it could also be a problem with the cables.

[A J Ricaud]

Temporarily bypass any external multiswitch and connect directly to any 2 of the 4 coax cables from the dish. If this fixes the problem then the external multiswitch is bad. If this does not fix it, then chances are it is a bad LNB assembly on the dish.

[JimSpence]

Channels 490, 491 and 492 good. Channels 493 and 494 blank. That's weird. You list good signal strengths on all active TPs for the sats, yet ch 493 (119 even) and 494 (110 even) showed up blank.

Bypass your multiswitch as a test as was suggested by A J.

[sesrlewis]

I found the multiswitch (Zinwell sam 4803) on the net for $25 including shipping. Fingers crossed.
Btw, is this switch adequate? Sounds kinda cheap?

[A J Ricaud]

I's a 4 input, 8 output multiswitch and is Directv approved. You are good to go as long as you don't have more than 8 tuners total.

[sesrlewis]

Success. Replaced the multi switch and everything is working fine.

Question is, why couldn't the CSR rep I spent an hour and a half with pinpoint this and why couldn't the techs that spent 2 hours dicking around in my house a month ago figure it out either (for which I was charged $150!!!)?????

Thanks to everyone here that posted enough real help to get me out of this ridiculous situation.

[Scott D]

That's why you come here. We're smarter than those so called techs.

Sounds funny, but it seems to be true.

[jmrife]

That's why you come here. We're smarter than those so called techs.

Sounds funny, but it seems to be true.


This is why I have a dedicated private installer, one who has kept up with the technology. Yes, it costs me $100 for every call, but he gets it right the first time.