Tune to HD channel doesn't work - must go up a channel?

[Fuj]

When I select the guide and go to HDTV channels I see all the new channels. When I select one, it sends me to the channel but I get the blank screen 771 thing. If I go up a channel, it then works. This is annoying. Is there a fix?

Thanks!

 

[scottie_h]

What receiver do you have?

I have no issues with my HR20-100.

 

[mdicki01]

What happends if you manually punch in the number on the remote instead of going through the guide.

 

[shmeff]

If you are going one channel up from HD that is SD channel.

 

[timmac]

If you mean down, then you are correct, working down you will come to the SD first and then HD. I took all the SD versions of my channels out of my favorites so I can tune without getting those. If you are moving up in number than you should come to HD first and if you are putting the number in directly then you should tune to HD.

 

[Fuj]

Hmmm. Ok - here's what I'm doing. Start with any channel on just watching tv. I hit the GUIDE button. I hit the GUIDE button again to get the CHANNEL CATEGORIES. I scroll down to the bottom one that says HDTV CHANNELS. So now all I see are HD channels on my channel guide. So now I scroll down to let's say channel 280 TLC. I hit SELECT and it changes to the channel but now I get a black screen with the blue bar on the bottom right corner saying SEARCHING FOR SIGNAL ON SATELLITE IN 2...(771) MORE INFO

I hit the GUIDE button again and I see channel 280 TLCHD selected. I scroll DOWN a channel to 280 (it's twice) and I get a picture (not HD). If I do all of that again for let's say a STARZ channel or SCIENCE channel it goes right to the picture.

I'm almost thinking that if the channel happens to not have anything on in HD then it won't work so I then have to use the SD channel. Is that right? That's STUPID if it's true.

Dan

 

[Brewer4]

I have the same problem other folks have. Doesnt happen all the time. Using HR20-100 and HR20-700.

 

[shmeff]

I may have misunderstood the OP. Guess I could have been more specific; in guide you are correct, SD is below HD. While tuned to channel SD is above HD channel. Simply ingenious organization.

 

[texasbrit]

When you key in a channel number, if you have an HR20 it should take you to the HD channel if there is one (the H20 receiver takes you to the SD channel but this will be fixed in the next national software release). Your 771 problem is almost certainly you are not getting signals on both tuners.
On your HR20, go to check satellite signal strength. Check the 103(b) satellite, for both tuner 1 and tuner 2, for all the transponders, and post back here with a complete list.

 

[Fuj]

103b tuner 1 was all upper 80s adn a few 90s with the lowest an 81.
Tuner 2 was all zeros. I take it this is wrong. How do I fix it? Thanks for the insight!!

 

[carlosvic]

similar problem

I had a similar problem last night. I had very noticeable delays in the tuner picking up the HD channels when I tuned in to them. I am talking like 5-10 seconds of a blank screen before the channel came up. It made it very difficult to keep up with the two ballgames last night. Anyone else notice this? I'm using the HR-100.

 

[bubbers44]

Fuj, If tuner 2 doesn't receive anything and all cables are connected properly to 1 and 2 switch them. If tuner 2 still doesn't work problem is in #2 receiver tuner. If #1 tuner now doesn't work the problem is dish or cable fault.

 

[Newshawk]

Fuj, If tuner 2 doesn't receive anything and all cables are connected properly to 1 and 2 switch them. If tuner 2 still doesn't work problem is in #2 receiver tuner. If #1 tuner now doesn't work the problem is dish or cable fault.

You are almost completely correct, bubbers, but you forgot one step. After you swap the satellite in cables, reset the receiver. The HR20 (as well as the R15) will look for a signal on SAT IN 2 when it powers up. If none is found, it will shut tuner 2 down to prevent a constant "Searching for Signal in Satellite In 2" message. This detection/enabling/disabling process only occurs with a rest, not with pressing the POWER button.

 

[Fuj]

ok - as soon as the bears beat detroit i will try it.

the question that i have is how can i record two shows at one time if this is the case?

 

[igzo99]

Guys...I have the same problem; however, its happening with HD and SD channels. I only have tuner 1 hooked up; however, I've only started having this problem when the new sats lit up. Anyone know how I can set the receiver to where it NEVER looks for anything on tuner 2?

 

[Fuj]

ok - swapped cables and did a reset. now tuner 1 is showing 0s and tuner 2 has all good numbers. what does this mean? could it be the bbc?

 

[Fuj]

i happened to have a third BBC and tried it - same thing.

so basically for whatever reason my situation is that both tuners essentially work because I can tape two hd channels at one time no problem. the only weird thing is that when i go to one of the new hd channels when that channel is being broadcast in SD i have to reselect the SD channel but if it's in HD it works fine. so eventually all of my channels are working - its just weird.

where do i go from here?

how do i do a forced download specifically? do i reset it and then type some numbers in the remote or something? what exact screen do i do that at?

thanks!

 

[texasbrit]

103b tuner 1 was all upper 80s adn a few 90s with the lowest an 81.
Tuner 2 was all zeros. I take it this is wrong. How do I fix it? Thanks for the insight!!

There are a few reasons why Tuner 2 might be all zero on 103(b). First, if tuner 2 is getting zero on all the other satellites as well, do a reset thru the menu (not a reset all, that will delete your recordings), so that the HR20 can see both cables.
If tuner 2 is only missing 103(b), , do you have an OTA antenna, or cable, or a cable modem, and is it diplexed onto the same cable as the sat signal to tuner 2? You can't diplex with the 103(b) signals. If you do have diplexing, post back and we'll try to solve the problem.
If no OTA, then hopefully you have two BBCs connected, one on each input. If not, you need two! Be very specific about the next set of tests and results. Swap just the BBCs over, not the cables. Reset the HR20 thru the menu. If the problem moves with the BBC, you have a faulty BBC - order a new one thru the DirecTV web site. If it stays with the cable, swap over the cables. Do a reset. If tuner 2 still has no signal, it looks like you have an HR20 tuner problem. If the problem is now with tuner 1, you have a problem in the cable/connector, or in the multiswitch (if you have one) or at the dish. If the problem seems to be there, post back and we'll move on with the diagnosis. But hopefully one of the previous tests will have shown you where the problem is.

 

[Fuj]

i do have a cable modem in the house and i do believe it is diplexed with the 103b signal. ugh. why don't the installers know what they are doing - i asked all this during the installation last month. i don't know what diplexing is exactly but somehow it works. obviously, this is giving me a problem. thanks for your help - what do i do now?

 

[texasbrit]

i do have a cable modem in the house and i do believe it is diplexed with the 103b signal. ugh. why don't the installers know what they are doing - i asked all this during the installation last month. i don't know what diplexing is exactly but somehow it works. obviously, this is giving me a problem. thanks for your help - what do i do now?

OK, let's start with how diplexing works and why it won't work with 103(b). A diplexer allows you to take two sets of signals in different frequency bands and merge them on the same cable, or to split them apart - it's the same type of diplexer but connected in reverse. So an installation using diplexing has two - one to merge the signals onto a single cable, and another to separate them. Your cable modem uses two frequencies - one to communicate to the cable internet, the other to receive data. So a typical diplexer for cable will pass the frequency band between say 5Mhz and 900 MHz. The frequencies used by OTA signals from an antenna, and analog cable, also fall within this band (in fact, many cable modem lines also carry analog cable signals, even if you do not subscribe to analog cable). Signals from all the DirecTV satellites until now did not use this frequency band, so a diplexer could safely merge the cable modem and satellite signals onto a single cable, and then another diplexer could separate them. But the new DirecTV satellite at 103(b) generates signals from the LNB in the dish in the b-band, which overlaps the OTA and cable bands, so when you try to merge them the diplexer won't work correctly because it has two sets of signals on the same frequencies, so you lose the 103(b) signals.
The best solution to this problem is to have separate cables for the cable modem and satellite signals. If your installation was by DirecTV and it is recent, call DirecTV and explain you cannot receive 103(b) signals on one tuner because the installer apparently used diplexing for the satellite and cable modem, and diplexing stops the 103(b) signal getting through, so you need the installer to come back and do the installation properly. If the CSR does not understand this, ask to talk to a supervisor - if the supervisor does not understand, talk to technical support. You should not have to pay to get your installation fixed - the installer should have known not to use diplexing, this situation with the new 103(b) satellite has been known about for over a year.
If it was the cable company that used the diplexers, make a similar call.