Posted: 11/13/2013 5:40:34 PM EDT
|
I have had DTV service for over 12 years now.
Never have had an issue with rain or snow or wind. Don't have any major obstructions, there's a fucking cherry tree that's almost in the site window of the dish. So these issues started a few months back. Every once in a great while I would get a 771 error code. Unplugging the DVR or resetting the cables did the trick and fixed it. About 2 months ago it got worse, to the point where the signal was freezing up. Resetting the cables didn't work. Customer service was of no help. Service call, the guy came out and fiddle fucked with the system, the biggest thing I saw him do was a forced reset of the DVR and a realignment of the dish. That seemed to work. For a while. On Saturday the problems got really bad again and since then it has not worked 100%. Sometimes I get the local channels, sometimes I get partial local channels. Sometimes the HBO goes out, sometimes it works. Sometimes I'll get most of the channels, sometimes only partial channels. Since this has been going on the regular DTV HD receiver in the garage works perfectly. I have taken that receiver and hooked it up to the cables that the DVR receiver uses and it works perfect using both cables. I have a "real" DTV service guy coming out next week (not a contract guy like the last one). Any DTV experts out there that can give me some advice? Thanks! 
|
|
<--- Former DTV installer Have you tried the dvr in the garage yet? Even if it is only single line (assuming that old you still have the two line system) it will still boot up and check, you will only be using a single tuner though. Enough to check. 771 is usually loss of signal. Could be your multiswitch, or just a port on the multiswitch, or straight out of the ports on the LNB. I used to swap LNB's and switches all the time. Supplied by the lowest bidder usually and 99% fixed after swap. Also check transponder strength in main room and in garage. Should be close to same sat for sat in each room. If not, line/equip issue between dvr and dish. My first thought was possibly the tree, but you said it was fine on the garage receiver. You are watching HD on both your TV's, right? SD channels will come through when there is no HD signal usually so it's important you are actually watching HD channels on both TV's. (Some people have HD receivers and only use SD channels because they have whole home networking to watch in other rooms. When I installed it was only available on HD receivers.) |
|
Quoted:
Have you tried the dvr in the garage yet? From my original post: Since this has been going on the regular DTV HD receiver in the garage works perfectly. I have taken that receiver and hooked it up to the cables that the DVR receiver uses and it works perfect using both cables. |
|
Quoted:
You are watching HD on both your TV's, right? SD channels will come through when there is no HD signal usually so it's important you are actually watching HD channels on both TV's. (Some people have HD receivers and only use SD channels because they have whole home networking to watch in other rooms. When I installed it was only available on HD receivers.) I am getting HD. SD TV looks like complete shit on my 60 inch plasma in the living room, so I know when I am not getting HD. The test is that HBO channel 509 is HD only, there is no SD equivalent. If I am getting 509 I am getting HD. |
|
Quoted:
Quoted:
Have you tried the dvr in the garage yet? From my original post: Since this has been going on the regular DTV HD receiver in the garage works perfectly. I have taken that receiver and hooked it up to the cables that the DVR receiver uses and it works perfect using both cables. Have you taken the DVR and connected it to the garage cables? Your regular receiver and HD receiver could have been made by different manufacturers with different tuners and different input components. Check the length of the center conductor on each cable. Make sure it is clean and not corroded. How far is it from the DVR to the multi-switch (length of cable). You may be getting a voltage drop that causes this issue. You can take a short piece of cable and a multi-tester and check the voltage based on the channel number. Your regular receiver may output a slightly higher voltage to switch. The next time you get this message, determine the channel you are trying to get. If it is broadcast on an even numbered transponder, the 18v signal is not getting to your switch. Here's a thread about your issue at the DirecTV forum - http://forums.directv.com/thread/11252348 |
|
Quoted: From my original post: Since this has been going on the regular DTV HD receiver in the garage works perfectly. I have taken that receiver and hooked it up to the cables that the DVR receiver uses and it works perfect using both cables. Quoted: Quoted: Have you tried the dvr in the garage yet? From my original post: Since this has been going on the regular DTV HD receiver in the garage works perfectly. I have taken that receiver and hooked it up to the cables that the DVR receiver uses and it works perfect using both cables. Okay, but did you do it the other way? DVR in garage. Or go DVR-less for a few days and watch the other receiver to see if it duplicates itself. If one line drops, you will get the 771 error. Or, leave as such and check your transponder strengths when yours is down and the garage receiver is working. Any recent storms? System grounded correctly? Could have zapped one of your lines, switch, or LNB. Grounding isn't for home protection, it's for the equipment. And it can show as intermittent errors. Does your DVR have the built in converters or are yours still inline between the dvr and coax? Got a weak link somewhere, just gotta find it. |
|
Quoted:
Got a weak link somewhere, just gotta find it. I don't have to find it, DTV does. 
They installed the entire system. The garage unit is NOT a DVR, so I only have one cable coming from the dish to the receiver (the dish has 4 cables coming out of it). To troubleshoot the DVR in the garage I will have to hook up another cable. I did swap out the leads at the dish (it has 4 of them), it still works the same, the HD receiver (non DVR) works fine on all three cables while the DVR does not. I'll buy another cable this weekend and try the DVR in the garage. I checked all of the connections that I want to get to, the ones at the units are fine as are the ones at the dish and the once where the cable connects to the house through put connector, they all looked fine, no corrosion. |
|
Quoted:
Or go DVR-less for a few days and watch the other receiver to see if it duplicates itself. You did not read my original post, did you.
I said I took the regular HD receiver from the garage and hooked it up to the house lines (I did it one at a time) and there are no problems. |
|
Quoted:
Here's a thread about your issue at the DirecTV forum - http://forums.directv.com/thread/11252348 Did all of that shit with the retards at phone customer service (level 1), my signal strength is fine. |
|
Quoted: You did not read my original post, did you. I said I took the regular HD receiver from the garage and hooked it up to the house lines (I did it one at a time) and there are no problems. Quoted: Quoted: Or go DVR-less for a few days and watch the other receiver to see if it duplicates itself. You did not read my original post, did you. I said I took the regular HD receiver from the garage and hooked it up to the house lines (I did it one at a time) and there are no problems. Actually I did.  You didn't understand what I was telling you to do (or the poster above me saying the same thing). You don't need two lines to run the dvr. You can go into the settings and turn one of the tuners off (unless your DVR is really old, but doubtful since you said you already swapped it). There is only so many things that can be wrong with it because it is a very basic contained system, but swapping a weak link can start a cascade effect to the next weak link.Hooking up the non dvr unit inside is more than a few minutes, assuming that since you didn't say how long you actually watched or checked transponder strength off those lines and less than 30min is often the max any consumer will trouble shoot their own stuff because they lose patience. If you don't have an external switch it is in the LNB (that's why you have 4 ports). If that other port isn't capped with a shorting plug it can cause problems. If you are having them come back out request a supervisor too. Helps the tech look harder. Usually you have subcontractors for the main contract company. DTV doesn't have a lot of actual company techs outside of CA, and they all promise to send company ones on the phone. We were told day one we all were senior techs and all spoke spanish. Good luck. |
|
DTV guy came out today.
In my area all of the DTV techs work for the company. There is one DTV contract company in the "local" area, they are located about 60 miles from where I live. They are the ones who originally installed my DVR system (the DTV tech was not impressed). So the tech guy comes in and proceed to let him know what going on. He looks at the DVR I have hooked up and says "not again". So I ask him what's up and he says I am missing the B band filters. I tell him that I told the fucking retards on the phone that I was getting that error, but they told me to ignore it. So he hooks the new DVR back up and puts the filters on the lines and it works perfect. Motherfucking phone monkeys. My old DVR had internal filters. So I hook the old DVR back up, remove the filters and sure enough it's fucking up. The guy tells me that one of the internal filters has failed. So I ask the guy why in the fuck weren't the filters included with the new DVR. He told me he could not answer that question, that the company knew what kind of a DVR I had and what my system would take to get it working again. He said they should have sent the filters. He looked at my notes that I took during the last service call I made and pointed out that they were using the wrong antenna. I should have read this thread, then I would have asked him how to shut off one of the lines into the DVR and still get all of the channels. I don't have a SWiM system, so according to the tech I need both input lines. I am going to call DTV up and give them an earful. I'll let you know how that goes.
|
|
Does your DVR have the built in converters or are yours still inline between the dvr and coax? Got a weak link somewhere, just gotta find it. Told ya. But if you didn't have them before, you wouldn't have known what they were anyway. Glad he got you up and running again. That's why they are supposed to only send the same tech level of equipment or newer. Part of the fault is in the support you spoke with who ordered it, part is the kids in the sweat shop repacking the dvr. |
|
I am going to call DTV up and give them an earful Waste of time. I have pleaded with them. I have been as cordial and friendly as humanly possible. I have also been as condescending and belittling as possible, to the point I have been hung up on twice. Nothing works. They don't care about your issues, and they will lie to you on the phone. I'm convinced the Taliban has infiltrated the TV market, and is using Direct TV to inflict misery on the western world. Signing up for Direct TV was one of the worst decisions I have ever made...and I am counting down the days until I can drop the service in April '14. Customer service, regardless who you speak with, is worthless. They don't give a damn about your issues, they're only mission in life is to sell you something. That's it. I have had more issues with Direct TV than I can count, to the point that I should be able to Lemon Law the whole damn service. I am 100% positive the cable provider in Hell is Direct TV. |