Strange problem with my HR10-250

[Bob_Newhart]

Actually it may be a problem with my dish. Not sure.

Anyway, I got a 3 LNB dish installed last Thursday to go with my new HR10-250. The first installer put the dish up in front of a lot of trees, and the signal strengths were in the low 60's and my channels kept dropping out.

2 days ago another installer came out and moved the dish where it has a good line of sight and the strengths are in the 90's. Good, I figured.

But here's the problem: When I go into the Now Playing List or the Directv menu, and then go back to Live TV, the HD channels are unavailable. Usually it's all the channels in the 70's; sometimes it will be 70 and 71 (HBO-HD & SHO-HD) and 72-79 will be there. But mostly, all the 70's will have a message to call ext 721 or "This program is not available in your area, please check program guide for other programming".

If I then go and restart the receiver, those channels will be available again (until I go back into the Directv menu). It took me a while to figure out what was triggering the problem, but now I can pretty consistently re-create it.


Another tech is coming out Monday and I was wanting to get some of your ideas about what the problem might be so that hopefully it can be corrected once and for all.

Thank you!

[newsposter]

I can tell you that you are getting signal. See, i dont get the 119 in and for the 72-80s, I can tell by default what I'm capable of getting vs what is blocked. The channels that have the ext. on them are channels i am physically getting to hit the dish, but i'm not authorized to view them. On channels that are on the 119, i'd get a searching for sat signal because even if i paid for them, i couldn't get them because i can't see the 119.

Are you supposed to be getting the HDpak? I hate to ask a silly question but i'm curious. If not, and you dont have waivers for the other locals, you will only get HBO and SHO and nothing above 71, and thus the ext. message.

If you are paying for the HD pack and still getting an EXT message, then you need to have them rehit the box.

edit...i reread the post and saw about the live tv problem...that indeed could be a bad box or card I guess. If the problem is totally reproducable, then i'd guess so.

[Bob_Newhart]

I can tell you that you are getting signal. See, i dont get the 119 in and for the 72-80s, I can tell by default what I'm capable of getting vs what is blocked. The channels that have the ext. on them are channels i am physically getting to hit the dish, but i'm not authorized to view them. On channels that are on the 119, i'd get a searching for sat signal because even if i paid for them, i couldn't get them because i can't see the 119.

Are you supposed to be getting the HDpak? I hate to ask a silly question but i'm curious. If not, and you dont have waivers for the other locals, you will only get HBO and SHO and nothing above 71, and thus the ext. message.
Yes, I am signed up for the $9.99 per month HD package. And I do receive them until I go into the Directv menu to pick a program to record or go to the Now Playing List, etc. Then when I go back to Live TV those channels are gone and come back after I do a Recorder Restart.

I'm just wondering if this sounds like a dish or LNB problem or receiver problem (I bought the receiver new 2 weeks ago).

[newsposter]

I'm at the end of my knowledge base here :)

see, if you are getting the message 721, then it has to be something to do with authorization. (i think). If it was a signal problem, you'd see searching for satellite and not an extension. So I dont know if that's good news or bad news.

I'm assuming they told you to unplug and reseat the access card? I'm out of suggestions sorry. Hopefully someone else or the tech actually know more

[TonyD79]

Ya. Signal loss always says something about SAT1 or SAT2 (even in the case of a local OTA going out, it said ANT1 signal was missing), check connection.

Sounds like an authorization issue. Maybe if DTV reactivates your account? They can do that remotely.

Or a bad card...or bad connection between card and system.

Odd that it would hit only the HD channels but I would ask them to reactivate and see if it helps. Also, check all numbers within their system (serial number of unit, access card number).

[Bob_Newhart]

Thanks for the info so far, all.

Directv has re-sent the signal to me several times.

This evening I will remove and re-insert the card for the heck of it.

Since they moved my dish to a better location I haven't seen the "Searching for satellite" message again, just the "ext 721" for 70 and 71 and "Program not available in your area..." on 72-79.

All the other channels seem to come in no problem, so I am most confused. I hope this installer is on the ball and can truly troubleshoot the issue. The last two have been suspect.

[spellow]

had a similiar problem when they installed the 3lnb new dish at my house, it turned out to be a bad multiswitch.

[Bob_Newhart]

had a similiar problem when they installed the 3lnb new dish at my house, it turned out to be a bad multiswitch.
I was wondering about this, as well. They didn't replace my old multiswitch in the attic. The installer ran 2 of the cables directly to the receiver, bypassing the multiswitch. I guess the other 2 went to the multiswitch.

[Fullcourt81]

bad multi switch or bad cable

[newsposter]

i'm not discounting those reasons because you both have first hand experience...but i am curious how a bad switch or cable would affect authorization? It's clear he is getting the signal or he'd get a searching message right?

I thought DTV was all or nothing signal wise...could the authorization be stripped and the signal itself be getting through?

signed,
techincally inept :)

[A J Ricaud]

I was wondering about this, as well. They didn't replace my old multiswitch in the attic. The installer ran 2 of the cables directly to the receiver, bypassing the multiswitch. I guess the other 2 went to the multiswitch.

Ask for a new card.

[Bob_Newhart]

Ask for a new card.
I will do that.

I hope that's all it is.

[Sir_winealot]

I had a simialr problem, and it turned out to be one of the short cables I was using from my diplexor to the back of the HR10/250.

It was intermittant...sometimes I'd get the channels, other times I wouldn't. I always got my OTA HD channels...it was my SAT HD channels that weren't coming in. I had unhooked the unit and taken it into another room to try it there, when I noticed the crimped end on the cable could 'pop off.'

New cable solved the problem (hope yours is just as ez to fix).

[Bob_Newhart]

Well, I removed and re-inserted the card and I am still having the problems with the HD channels. I notice it happens also when I change tuners and channels. I had all the 70s, changed tuners and came back, and I had lost several of them. So now to get them back I'll have to re-start he recorder again.