HD Receiver problem/questions

[Defence21]

Hi all, new here and new Dish Network subscriber.

My wife and I just moved into our new home and have selected Dish Network as our television provider. Initially, we started with a tube T.V., but two days later, we purchased a Samsung HD TV.

I have several questions that I hope some fellow Dish subscribers can answer.

1. Should the receiver be turned off (all lights off) when the TV is off? I'm thinking the answer is no, since some DVRing will take place with the TV off. The reason I ask is that, when I turn off the TV using the Dish remote control, the Dish also turns off (all lights turn off). In other words, as it is currently set up, my receiver is never on (lights on) unless the TV is on. If, in fact, this is the incorrect setup, how do I fix it?

2. Building on my first question, when I turn on the TV (and consequently, my receiver), there is about a 15-20 second delay where the Dish logo is on the screen. Apparently, it is loading whatever it needs to load -- but I can't recall this being the same when we used the tube TV (although that was just for a 24-hour span, and I very easily could be relying on my poor memory). If this shouldn't be happening, does the solution fall within the answer to my first question?

3. Lastly, it seems once per day I am unable to go directly to viewing shows without first updating the channel guide, which takes five minutes, or canceling the channel guide update, which leaves the guide filled with "no information" for the tv lineups for each channel. Again, is this a result of question one? If not, is there any work-around?

It seems all of these questions are linked and would be easily solved by leaving my receiver on. But, with zero experience with a Dish, I really don't know if this is accurate and, if so, how I would go about leaving it on. Any help would be much appreciated!

[tsmacro]

I would say yes turn your receiver off when not using it. Don't worry your DVR will still record what it's supposed to. As for the program guide that should be updating every night at I think the default is 3 am, so unless you're watching tv at that time you shouldn't be having problem with the program guide not being up to date. Of course if you're keeping your receiver on I suppose it's possible it's interpreting that as you using it at the time and therefore the program guide downloads aren't taking place.

[Defence21]

Thanks for the quick response!

My channel guide has updated each of the last few nights at around 9 p.m., not 3 a.m. Is there some sort of setting within the receiver menu I can adjust to change the time?

[tsmacro]

Thanks for the quick response!

My channel guide has updated each of the last few nights at around 9 p.m., not 3 a.m. Is there some sort of setting within the receiver menu I can adjust to change the time?

The answer is yes and if I was sitting in front of a tv with my dish remote i'm sure i'd even be able to figure out how and tell you, but at the moment i'm not. Hopefully one of the other regulars here who have all that stuff memorized will respond before too long! :D

[russ9]

Menu, 8 (Preferences), 4 (Updates)

[CABill]

Can you follow the power cord from the receiver to see what it is plugged into? If I hit the pause button and turn off my TV with the TV Power button, it doesn't change any lights on my receiver. When I turn the TV back on, it is still displaying the paused show. It sounds somewhat like your TV has a switched power connection on it and turning off the TV turns off something else. Might not be the receiver and only be a power inserter, but you said the receiver lights go off too.

You can change the time that the receiver does a daily reboot, which forces a guide update. But the guide will update any chance it gets. The downloaded 9 day guide itself is only updated every 4/6/8 (can't remember which) and if the receiver is in Standby and the EPG date is newer than the date the receiver last downloaded it, it will get the new stuff. If you scroll to the end of the guide now and note the time it won't go past, you'll find it will go past that point (or ask if you want to get more) if you try it again in 8 hours. Maybe 4 hours.

[scooper]

DO NOT plug your DVR into an outlet that can get "turned off" ! At the least, LEAVE THAT OUTLET turned on all the time.

If you have issues with power flickers, you may even want to consider putting the DVR on a UPS. I leave all my DVRs in a UPS - not necessarily to do a long time outage, but rather, just for said flickers - DVRs take such a long time to reboot that I consider it well worth it to prevent the reboots.

As for lights / power consumption - Dish's DVRs pretty much pull the same power whether the video is on or off . If it's plugged in, it can record and get guide updates and the occaisional software updates (and any of the VOD movies as well) whenever you're not using it.

[Kent Taylor]

I would say yes turn your receiver off when not using it.

Why?

[Kent Taylor]

Thanks for the quick response!

My channel guide has updated each of the last few nights at around 9 p.m., not 3 a.m.

Are you stating that it reboots at 9:00 PM? What messages do you get on the screen when it does this, assuming you're watching TV at that time?

[tsmacro]

Why?

Mostly because my personal experience is that it doesn't run as hot and the cooling fan comes on less often when the power is off and i've also had problems similar to what the OP was describing that when I kept my receiver on all the time it seems to interfere with the updates. Of course it seems that his receiver is trying to do its updates at 9:00 at night and I can see how that could be an issue.

[shadough]

the op may not have a dvr but rather a 211 that only has a 2 day guide

[Defence21]

Thanks for all the help. I do have DVR receiver, and the channel guide continues to update at like 9 p.m. --- though not daily -- despite my setting of 3 a.m.

I do think I figured out the slow load time every time I turn on the TV. I purchased a surge protector, which has a master outlet. I believe -- though I have not yet tested -- that the device plugged into the master outlet -- my TV -- must be on in order for the other outlets to work.

My assumption comes from the fact that, when I turn off my TV, my Wii, DVD player, and HD/DVR receiver all turn off. With that being said, I am assuming, then, that it would be wise to plug the HD/DVR receiver into the master outlet. That would allow it to remain on at all times and, thus, allow all other devices to operate without first turning on the TV.

[RasputinAXP]

My assumption comes from the fact that, when I turn off my TV, my Wii, DVD player, and HD/DVR receiver all turn off. With that being said, I am assuming, then, that it would be wise to plug the HD/DVR receiver into the master outlet. That would allow it to remain on at all times and, thus, allow all other devices to operate without first turning on the TV.

Well, yes. If you're turning everything off at the switch, then it won't update at 3AM, because it won't be on. :D

[Defence21]

Well, yes. If you're turning everything off at the switch, then it won't update at 3AM, because it won't be on. :D

I never claimed to be tech savvy :)

Technically, I am not turning everything off at the switch. It does it automatically :D

Thanks, everyone, for all the help! I truly appreciate it!

[jimborst]

Since the Dvr had no power, the updates would be done when you turn it on, so the guide download would be done then. I say leave it on 24/7 that way it does it's thing and you don't have to worry.

[Paul Secic]

Since the Dvr had no power, the updates would be done when you turn it on, so the guide download would be done then. I say leave it on 24/7 that way it does it's thing and you don't have to worry.

I've always left my receivers on 24/7 since 1999.

[tymekeeper]

It should be plugged into an ALWAYS HOT outlet. You can "turn it of" actually just standby, no lights, It will record and do other functions normally. It will use some what less power and the Hard drive will still run continuously as it is supposed to do. You never did say what model receiver you have.