625 Problem (or is it?)

[bwood]

Hello,
I am having some trouble with a Super system I had installed at the beginning of the month. My signals from all sats are good, but the picture has a grainy (mosaic) look to it. People on the screen have a fuzzy outline to them and so do most words on the screen. The channel ID bug on the screen always has a fuzzy border around it. When shows fade in and out (from commercials, etc) the picture looks like it's separated into boxes (like a mosaic) and gets choppy, but it never cuts out or pixelates. It's really bad when there is a bunch of movement. Both Tv's do this so it's not the TV. I have a clear line of sight.
Some channels do better than others, but the locals are the worst. Channels on the 119 Sat seem to be somewhat ok (but it still does it a little), but ch's on the 105 and 110 are more noticeable.
I have had technicians out here every week since the install and everyone is stumped. We even moved the dish. My receiver has been switched out 3 times, same problem. Even hooked a 522 up and it does the same thing. Does anyone have any ideas on what it could be? It's driving me nuts, it's so hard to watch TV when it is in poor quality. I have another tech coming on Tuesday.

Thanks!

[KingLoop]

How are you connecting the 625 to your TV? Is this on TV1 or TV2 or both?

[boba]

Also what type of TV are you connected to?

[bwood]

This occurs on both TV's TV1 is a new RCA 27" TruFlat, the other an older Zenith model (90's). We have even brought over other Tv's (and a 522 receiver) and it's the same scenario.

It is connected through the RCA jacks. I tried the coax but it is the same. I even tried S-Video and bought the high bandwidth RCA cables. Nothing has worked so far.

[HTguy]

I was thinking it was a hard drive issue until you said you get the same results with a different receiver (522).

Since you report it is the same with 2 different DVRs on 2 different TVs with any type of hook-up (inc. S-Video) it would logically come down to an installation issue, possibly a grounding problem.

If your installers think they grounded the system according to code, tell them to disconnect the ground wires. If that solves the problem there was a ground problem somewhere, possibly in your house AC wiring.

[bwood]

I'm thinking the whole system needs to be re-installed because we did have some problems with the first installer, who actually had me in the trees and had to come back out and move it......twice. He was very rude and I knew more about things than he did. When he came back to move the dish the final time, it had to be moved out about 35 ft or so, and he didn't use cable with ground as he did before. My switch box is grounded, but the dish is not. The cable doesn't even have ground wire attached to it. Everyone I've talked to says it's no big deal that the cable that comes from the dish has no ground on it, that the switch is the big deal.

The picture has gotten worse latley and someone is coming back tomorrow. The guy that I've been having come out after the installer is very nice and knowledgable, but he is even stumped at this. It's like watching a mosaic at times.

Grounding issues could really be causing this? That seems so odd, but the way the first guy did things it sounds right. We've redone everything in the inside and now it's time to move to the outside. Looks like we'll have to reinstall everything out there. I will tell him about the grounding issue. If anyone has any more suggestions please let me know.
I can't enjoy TV that I'm paying for and I'm getting really upset at this. This will be trip #6 or 7 (so many cant keep track) for an installer here.

Thanks!

[QasDishGuy]

Just as a side note, as this whole scenario seems extremely odd from what I know about Dish equipment... Are the grainy channels you describe your local channels or other channels? Many times the local feed is the problem and you are simply receiving what was sent to the satellites.

[bwood]

All channels do it (worst being the locals). The case used to be that the ch's on the 119 sat weren't as bad, but they're up there with the rest of them now.
To see it, you would think it was a signal strength problem, but it's not (so I'm told by a few installers). I'm pulling 63 on the 105, 103 on the 110 and 107 on the 119.

The trip by a tech today was unsuccessful again. We switched out an LNB and a switchbox. It's still the same so I am scheduled for a new install. They're going to start all over again.

I (nor the installer/tech) have never seen anything like it. There was even a field supervisor out here that has never seen it before.

The person who installed it had a pretty bad history on installs, always having problems afterwards. He has since been fired so a supervisor and an installer are supposed to come for a reinstall tomorrow. The picture quality is so poor between the grainy picture and the fuzzy "shadow" around words and people. It drives you nuts when you watch it. Totally not worth what I'm paying for it (and I've had the bill adjusted a few times). It looks like the video isn't being decoded correctly. Ever take a picture and blow it up where it starts to get where you can't recognize it (boxy looking)? That's what it puts you in mind of, just bad enough to drive you up the wall. If this doesn't work out, I will have to have it yanked and go back to my DTV, even though in my opinion it's not as good.

[bwood]

Here's a little update:
Had a crew come out on Saturday to do a complete re-install. They found many many problems with the original install (shoddy cable with no tracer, no boots on the switch, shoddy grounding, stingers on coax too long, etc). They replaced all cable, the LNB, reflector plate and basically just redid everything. It still does it. I called them, told them that I would like to swap a receiver (not a 522 or another 625) and they wanted to do nothing of the sort. All they offered to do is submit some request that there could be a problem with these receivers. They also offered another tech to come out but what can they do? We've done it all.

I did take them up on the tech offer and I'm having them come to pull the system out on Wednesday. I'm done dealing with it.

DirecTV will be here on Tuesday.

I hated to do it, but I can't watch this low quality tv. I don't know if it was our location or what. We've had DTV before and it was fine. I really liked DISH and what they had to offer but I had to do it.

[SimpleSimon]

stingers on coax too longThere's lots of trouble reported because of stingers too short (especially with the DPP44), but I've never heard of one being too long - unless it's totally ridiculous in length.

I regularly go 1/4" past the nut. Makes it easier to "hole" the conductor, and avoids problems with some types of connectors - like certain models of barrel connector.

[greatwhitenorth]

There's lots of trouble reported because of stingers too short (especially with the DPP44), but I've never heard of one being too long - unless it's totally ridiculous in length.

I regularly go 1/4" past the nut. Makes it easier to "hole" the conductor, and avoids problems with some types of connectors - like certain models of barrel connector.


As an installer for DNSC, we have always been educated that stingers that are too long can actually cause shorts in the LNBS, switches, and recievers. This doesn't appear to apply to barrel connectors. Our standards call for stingers to be no more than 1/16" above the nut. Not being an engineer, I can't speak to the validity of that, but that's what we're told, anyway. I have found bad switches where the input or output cables had stingers that were too long, though. Just a bit of information for everyone.

[SimpleSimon]

You don't have to be an engineer. Just look at the structure of the connector (equipment side). Compare to barrel connector. Note how similar they are for the first 1/2". Note how far down a cable connector screws onto the female side (1/4").