Ask DBSTalk: OTA timer advice?

[Flasshe]

I need some advice, please. I read through the OTA Timer Workaround thread, but I couldn't figure out if there was a consensus on this issue or not. I'm suddenly having problems with OTA timers. A couple of times last week, I had an OTA timer fail to fire when a satellite timer was scheduled at the same time (7pm). The 921 was in standby mode and the record light was on, but when I turned it on, it was frozen showing a scene from the satellite channel that I was last tuned to live that morning. Even though it was frozen, I could still get to the menus and such, and I saw that the timer for the satellite channel was recording okay. However, it was acting like the OTA channel was recording even though it wasn't showing up in the DVR screen, and if I tried to tune to a live channel (or even playback a previously recorded show!) it would say that both tuners were in use and wouldn't let me do it.

What's weird is that I've had these same timers for weeks and they've been firing with no problems. Then last week they suddenly had this problem.

So my question is: When I know there is an OTA timer scheduled that night, is it best to leave the tuner tuned to a satellite channel or to the OTA channel before turning it off? Should I somehow try to make sure both tuners were last on a satellite channel? Keep in mind that I have one satellite channel timer that fires off every afternoon at 2pm, but nothing else between that and the 7pm OTA/satellite timers. Is there anything else I can do to make sure the OTA timer fires?

Thanks!

[Mark Lamutt]

That particular issue was dealt with a long time ago. It sounds more to me like your 921 hasn't booted recently. Because I really don't think it matters what channel is tuned now before timers fire.

Was your OTA timer set to record KCNC? They've been tweaking their PSIP tables over there for the last 3 weeks that has been causing the 921 a lot of problems.

[Flasshe]

That particular issue was dealt with a long time ago. It sounds more to me like your 921 hasn't booted recently. Because I really don't think it matters what channel is tuned now before timers fire.

Was your OTA timer set to record KCNC? They've been tweaking their PSIP tables over there for the last 3 weeks that has been causing the 921 a lot of problems.

Thanks for the info. I did have an unintended reboot late last week (after the timer failures) due to a power failure from the wind, so maybe that will help.

The OTA timers were set to KWGN, though I also had a similar problem with KUSA once. I haven't tried to record anything off KCNC lately.

[Mark Lamutt]

OK, that's odd then. I haven't seen or heard anything Dave's doing over at KWGN with their transmission.

Just for testing purposes this week, pull the plug on the 921 a little while before your timers are set to fire and see if they record correctly this week. I've had no trouble at all on mine (even under L187-L188 or any of the betas before or after).

[Flasshe]

I tried pulling the plug at 6pm and that worked - thanks, Mark. Although I have to admit that I wimped out and deleted the satellite channel timer at the last minute. We'll see what happens tomorrow at 7 with Smallville (OTA) and Lost (Satellite).