D* Confirms Sat 103 Issues for HD Locals

[pfriedma]

D* tech just confirmed that there are issues with HD Local channels being broadcast from Sat-103. Said the issue has been open since 4/27 and is still open and active.

D* couldn't provide an ETA other than "they're working on it".

Also advised subscribers to call back after the outage is over for service credits (and confirmed no credits for people who don't call in).

---Paul

[PoitNarf]

And what issues are people experiencing? Are all markets served by 103 affected? I'd like confirmation of this as a CSR could easily be mistaken.

[pfriedma]

Rep cited low/no signal from spot-beams giving "grey screens" and/or no signal messages.

Said to call back and ask for the Sat-103 Broadcast Issues to check on this.

---Paul (who hasn't had HD-Locals in SF since this weekend)

[veryoldschool]

This has been an on-going problem which Earl has asked issues to be posted here: http://www.dbstalk.com/showthread.php?t=86655
Most of the problems seem to have been fixed today.
As I did reply to the first posting from the SF DMA, the transponder on 103 for SF has been strong here all of the time [95%].
The biggest area affected was MD, & NC with are receiving signals now.

D* may have made some changes between the 99 & 103 SATs and their spot beams as Boston DMA seems to have changed from 103 to 99.

pfriedma, what are you getting for transponders now from the 99 & 103 SATs?

[DBordello]

I only prey that it was a configuration or problem here on earth. The last thing DirecTV needs is a shiny new spaceway to go haywire.

[four0four404]

Well they must have done something because my 103 signals right now are 0 73 0 74 0 69 0 -- which is more than double the signal strength I got this past saturday - they were in the low 30's and had no HD locals. I adjusted my dish slightly and was able to get signal strength in to the 50's at which point my HD local signal came back.

I clearly recall my signal being close to 99 when the dish was installed (2 months ago). And there really has not been any significant wind or any other factors to move my dish out of alignment here in western contra costa county.

Vinny

[Tom Robertson]

My signal strength on TP#4, 103° is back to normal, 100. But I never noticed an actual locals issue nor dropped that low--saw an 89.

Cheers,
Tom

[techntrek]

I reported in on Earl's thread, but will confirm here, too, that Baltimore is back online. No local HD's all weekend but last night all was well.

Several 103 transponders that were 0 two days ago are now back in the 90's.

[Earl Bonovich]

You didn't see the launch yesterday?

Then sent a guy on a jet pack to hit the RBR on the SAT...

It was pretty cool to see...

:D

[veryoldschool]

You didn't see the launch yesterday?

Then sent a guy on a jet pack to hit the RBR on the SAT...

It was pretty cool to see...

:D
And you didn't give us the link? Why Earl..how could you....;)

[Earl Bonovich]

And you didn't give us the link? Why Earl..how could you....;)

Because I was busy on the JetPack...

[Tom Robertson]

Because I was busy on the JetPack...

And here you've always claimed no workie for directv...caught ya! :rolling:

[Mavrick]

Because I was busy on the JetPack...

Then why no JetPack cam! :)

[Earl Bonovich]

And here you've always claimed no workie for directv...caught ya! :rolling:

Who said I did it for money?

[Earl Bonovich]

Then why no JetPack cam! :)

You don't want to know.....

Okay.... :backtotop

[SatelliteJim]

I had the same problem weeks ago, here in Detroit. I lost my HD locals and even my RSN HD, namely Fox Sports Detroit HD. I called DTV and they said it would be $70 for a service call, even though I was an A-List customer. But, I took care of the problem. I dropped DTV and went to digital cable with their HD channels and I get them as nice as can be, no trouble yet. When I called DTV to cancel, they said they would waive the $70 to stay. I said, if you had done that for what you said was an A-List customer in the first place, we wouldn't be having this conversation. Will I ever go back to DTV? Quite possibly. I loved it but, I was tired of losing channels. Which reminds me, that same time I lost about 30-40 other channels for some reason of which I still don't know. Their loss.

[finaldiet]

Monday,4/30, CSI:Miami looked terrible, but recordings after monday looked great. Must have had a problem om channel 2 that day. And yes, I was on HD channel 2.

[gabe23]

Also advised subscribers to call back after the outage is over for service credits (and confirmed no credits for people who don't call in).

This morning I called D* to cancel tomorrow's service call and ask for a credit for my trouble. The CSR was less than accommodating, to say the least. She said they've been given no information about any local HD outages, 103 satellite issues, or service credits. And I wasn't all that happy when she said all they would do is credit me $1 for the 4 days of no HD locals, as she was reminding me that I still had "most of my HD" channels during that time. I politely reminded her that we lost several scheduled DVR recordings that we can never get back, that I had to spend a bunch of time changing my ToDo lists to the SD channels (and then back again), that I wasted an hour on a tech support call where D* insisted that my dish was the problem, etc. In the end she offered a free month of Showtime HD, served with a heaping side dish of bad attitude. The Showtime is fine with me, as I wasn't looking for some big payday. But if this is how 'A-List' customers are treated, I'd hate to see how they handle relatively new subscribers.

It's really frustrating that after almost a week, D* still hasn't communicated this information to their employees. I can certainly fault the CSR for her piss-poor attitude and communication skills, but it's DTVs fault that she didn't have any knowledge of a significant outage.

[beavis]

Considering how the difference price for packages with locals and without is $3 a month, I don't know why people are expecting anything more than that.

[gabe23]

Considering how the difference price for packages with locals and without is $3 a month, I don't know why people are expecting anything more than that.

Like I said in my post, I wasn't expecting some kind of big monetary compensation for the outage. I've been a customer for 9 years, with premium channels, NFL ST every year, etc. And as such, I don't appreciate being treated rudely and having a CSR imply that I'm fabricating a problem just to squeeze a couple of bucks out of D*.

[KCCardsfan]

Are the Kansas City HD Locals on 103 or 99? According to Lyngsat they are on 99, but the only signal levels I have ever received on 99 are in the 20's to low 40's (5lnb installed Dec06). I have never had any problems with my HD locals so is Lyngsat wrong & KC is on 103? I know from installing years ago that 20-40 signal will not lock.

[veryoldschool]

Are the Kansas City HD Locals on 103 or 99? According to Lyngsat they are on 99, but the only signal levels I have ever received on 99 are in the 20's to low 40's (5lnb installed Dec06). I have never had any problems with my HD locals so is Lyngsat wrong & KC is on 103? I know from installing years ago that 20-40 signal will not lock.
Shall we say they're suppose to be, but D* has made changes.

Check this out to get some idea of what's in your area: http://www.sizethis.com/spotmap/index.php

There have been posting of signals in your range working [until there is weather].

[KCCardsfan]

Are the low signals on 99 possibly spot beams to other parts of the country? I have mid to high 90's on the other 4 Satellites, so I'm assuming my dish alignment is correct . I'm trying to get used to the 5 Satellite setup, and as I stated earlier I'm having no trouble with any channel, SD or HD.

[veryoldschool]

Are the low signals on 99 possibly spot beams to other parts of the country? I have mid to high 90's on the other 4 Satellites, so I'm assuming my dish alignment is correct . I'm trying to get used to the 5 Satellite setup, and as I stated earlier I'm having no trouble with any channel, SD or HD.
Everything on the 99 & 103 are spot beams. So you won't get all of them & some that you do get low aren't for you.
Your HD locals will be coming from only one transponder.

[skaeight]

Does this affect YESH at all? I just got a replacement reciever and am no longer receiving YESH or SNYH. D* is trying to tell me that they aren't broadcasting YES in HD today!

I am getting really fed up. Can someone confirm that YESH is infact broadcasting today? This is insane.

[Ken S]

You didn't see the launch yesterday?

Then sent a guy on a jet pack to hit the RBR on the SAT...

It was pretty cool to see...

:D

Come on, Earl...admit it. You just unplugged the satellite down here and let it sit for 15 minutes before plugging it back in.

[SDizzle]

Well they must have done something because my 103 signals right now are 0 73 0 74 0 69 0 -- which is more than double the signal strength I got this past saturday - they were in the low 30's and had no HD locals. I adjusted my dish slightly and was able to get signal strength in to the 50's at which point my HD local signal came back.

I clearly recall my signal being close to 99 when the dish was installed (2 months ago). And there really has not been any significant wind or any other factors to move my dish out of alignment here in western contra costa county.

Vinny


Your profile shows Northern California, I'm assuming that means Sac locals? If that's the case, our locals are on the 99.

[raoul5788]

Does this affect YESH at all? I just got a replacement reciever and am no longer receiving YESH or SNYH. D* is trying to tell me that they aren't broadcasting YES in HD today!

I am getting really fed up. Can someone confirm that YESH is infact broadcasting today? This is insane.

It's on for me at 7PM in CT.

[veryoldschool]

Your profile shows Northern California, I'm assuming that means Sac locals? If that's the case, our locals are on the 99.
San Francisco is on 103.

[four0four404]

I'm actually a few miles North of Berkeley. So - San Francisco Locals for me.

Your profile shows Northern California, I'm assuming that means Sac locals? If that's the case, our locals are on the 99.

[jimmyv2000]

This has been an on-going problem which Earl has asked issues to be posted here: http://www.dbstalk.com/showthread.php?t=86655
Most of the problems seem to have been fixed today.
As I did reply to the first posting from the SF DMA, the transponder on 103 for SF has been strong here all of the time [95%].
The biggest area affected was MD, & NC with are receiving signals now.

D* may have made some changes between the 99 & 103 SATs and their spot beams as Boston DMA seems to have changed from 103 to 99.

pfriedma, what are you getting for transponders now from the 99 & 103 SATs?

Boston has always been on the 99.I havent had any issues at all:D

[veryoldschool]

Boston has always been on the 99.I havent had any issues at all:D
Old [bad] Database. :)

[yanks4life]

This morning I called D* to cancel tomorrow's service call and ask for a credit for my trouble. The CSR was less than accommodating, to say the least. She said they've been given no information about any local HD outages, 103 satellite issues, or service credits. And I wasn't all that happy when she said all they would do is credit me $1 for the 4 days of no HD locals, as she was reminding me that I still had "most of my HD" channels during that time. I politely reminded her that we lost several scheduled DVR recordings that we can never get back, that I had to spend a bunch of time changing my ToDo lists to the SD channels (and then back again), that I wasted an hour on a tech support call where D* insisted that my dish was the problem, etc. In the end she offered a free month of Showtime HD, served with a heaping side dish of bad attitude. The Showtime is fine with me, as I wasn't looking for some big payday. But if this is how 'A-List' customers are treated, I'd hate to see how they handle relatively new subscribers.

It's really frustrating that after almost a week, D* still hasn't communicated this information to their employees. I can certainly fault the CSR for her piss-poor attitude and communication skills, but it's DTVs fault that she didn't have any knowledge of a significant outage.

Hey Gabe, just wanted to let you know I just called to cancel my tech from coming out on Tues and requested a service credit and they transferred me to another department where they were more than happy to give me a credit back for not having HD local service for that time period. They have given me a 10 service credit for each of the next 6 months! I was very surprised and didn't think they would give me anything after reading your post.