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Double Play tuner on HR44 unwatchable

2K views 61 replies 10 participants last post by  Lord Vader 
#1 ·
I've got an HR44 that has been experiencing a seriously annoying problem as of late. While IO realize it has 5 tuners with which to record things, two tuners are used when using Double Play. Here's where the trouble lies. On one of these "two" tuners the pixelation is so bad that anything on that tuner is unwatchable. It also doesn't matter which channel I try to watch on that tuner: local, 500s, 200s, etc. are all totally pixelated and unwatchable. This also causes problems when I try to record, because if the recording happens to be on that tuner, then the playback doesn't work; I get the "all or part of the broadcast was not recorded" message.

Several other receivers are all on the same dish and multi-switch, and they're all working fine. I also replaced the coax cable just to try and troubleshoot the problem, but that didn't help. This leads me to conclude the problem lies with the receiver. It's a couple years old, with about 35% recording capacity left. It's my main IRD, too, so having this problem really is a PITA.

Any thoughts?
 
#3 ·
That's what I'm fearing. What really sucks is that I have 90 episodes of an awesome Smithsonian series saved on that box. This is where I wish there was a DirecTV method of saving those or transferring them somewhere.
 
#4 ·
My HR34 has one "rotating tuner" that gets zeros on the 101 rending it useless to watch any SD channel. It always is one of the channels in double play. At this time tuner one as all zeros. I have a "free upgrade" on my account so i will wait until the HS17 is the standard install before i get ot replaced. I also greatly dislike the thought of losing recordings. Mine are episodes of the "World's Greatest Tribute Bands" anf several movies I have yet to buy on BluRay.
Glasses Output device Vision care Television Television set
 
#8 ·
If that's the ONLY receiver with which he is having this problem, and he has additional receivers off the same dish/switch, then it's most likely the receiver itself. I'm having a similar problem with my HR44. There are a few HD DVRs next to it, and none of them are experiencing this problem. Only the HR44 is.
 
#11 ·
In my case, I'm willing to bet it's the receiver, because the 3 other receivers in the living room, all legacy ones, BTW, are working well with no problems whatsoever (knock on wood). Only the HR44 is having this problem.
 
#14 ·
Legacy receivers are: HR20-700 (2), HR22 (2), and HR24 (is that a legacy one? can't remember).

I have that new dish that has an SWM13 on it, which allows for something like 21 tuners, at least; and no, I'm not maxed out on tuners, either. :)
 
#17 ·
Legacy receivers are: HR20-700 (2), HR22 (2), and HR24 (is that a legacy one? can't remember).

I have that new dish that has an SWM13 on it, which allows for something like 21 tuners, at least; and no, I'm not maxed out on tuners, either. :)
How many tuners do you currently have. The digital LNB will max out at 13 tuners when used with old SWM receivers such the HR20.

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#18 ·
I don't believe that is correct, because that SWM13 was installed in June 2016. Since then, I have used 20 tuners among several receivers, and ALL tuners on ALL receivers have been working flawlessly until the recent problem arose.
 
#19 ·
Of course you can believe what ever you want, but keep in mind that the official support for that LNB is 13 tuners anything above that and your are in muddy waters.

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#21 ·
While it may work, you can't troubleshoot the system until is properly installed, that is a system that is up to code.

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#22 ·
Speaking of troubleshooting, peds, just an FYI...

The HR44 was the only receiver among several that was experiencing this. Or so I thought. The 3 receivers next to it were all fine, as was one of the other bedrooms. Therefore, I assumed it's simply the HR44 that is defective. However, I have had guests here this weekend, and there is an HR20-700 in that guest room. Well, when double play is used, the other tuner on that receiver is having the same problem as is the one tuner on the HR44: both IRDs have a tuner that is totally pixelated or black with the ext. 771 nag., so I'm now wondering if it IS the SWM13 on the dish.
 
#24 ·
Speaking of troubleshooting, peds, just an FYI...

so I'm now wondering if it IS the SWM13 on the dish.
You need to install the system to be able to provide enough tuners as needed using official installation procedures, that means of you have more than 13 tuners a SWM16 is called for.

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#23 ·
Alot of new information and a whole bunch of older receivers. IIRC when a SWM13 is installed, there is a message about compatibility with certain older receivers and max tuners available. I suspect you have an issue with mixing the older receivers on a SWM13 and in fact being limited to 13 at certain times due to the boot up order.

To put the HR44 issue to rest. Unplug all receivers except the HR44 and reboot the HR44. If you get five working tuners that means it is a system issue with the older receivers and maxing out the SWM13.
 
#26 ·
Then why have all receivers and all tuners worked perfectly up until just recently? The SWM13 was installed last June. It was working fine until this recent issue arose.

Just wondering.
When you go "unsupported" it always leaves you "just wondering"

DIRECTV supports 13 off your LNB. Check your HR44's more system info page, it will tell you how many tuners your "switch" supports.

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#27 ·
I've got a total of 20 tuners spread across numerous receivers, with the HR44 in that bunch. Right now, 18 of the tuners appear to be working fine. All 20 were working flawlessly from installation last June until just recently. I understand that DirecTV only supports 13 tuners on that SWM13 LNB. When I said, "Just wondering," it was more of wondering what could have suddenly caused the system to go from 20 working tuners to 18 (to maybe even a potentially fewer number)? In other words, even in its unsupported state, why the sudden problem arising?

I'm certainly not trying to pick a fight or argument here, peds, especially because I truly appreciate and respect your opinions and comments; rather, I'm more or less trying to understand why the sudden problem after it has been fine for so long.
 
#28 ·
When a system is designed it does so according to their specs. So DIRECTV could of have change something on their software that affected tuner assignment. This is only an assumption. When you are running unsupported you run all kinds of risks.


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#29 ·
True enough; point well taken. Here's something I was considering doing, and it will reduce the number of tuners in use, albeit slightly...

I have 2 HR20-700s and 1 HR22 in the configuration. These 3 receivers are horribly slow. I'd like to retire them and use them ONLY to playback the many, many recordings still sitting on them. Some still have season passes. What I'd like to do is to use a brand new HR24 I have sitting in a box and a 2TB eSata external drive to record all of the shows these 3 IRDs were recording. While that would reduce the number of tuners by a net 4, my only concern would be the ability to playback the recordings on these 3 IRDs if I deactivate them (but keep them connected to my Whole Home setup).
 
#34 ·
<-... my only concern would be the ability to playback the recordings on these 3 IRDs if I deactivate them (but keep them connected to my Whole Home setup).
While I haven't personally tried it (someone else may be more knowledgeable about this) I do believe IRDs need to have a working subscription and incoming satellite signal for the whole home feature to remain usable.

Whole home requires that "authorization" or it won't function.
 
#30 ·
SWM technology is evolving. What we do know is that the HR54 and HS17 make different demands on an SWM LNB than do older systems. What works in one system/installation may not work in another. What has worked in the past in a given system may no longer work if a component in that system is replaced with a different device.

As to 13 or more tuners from an SWM13 LNB, well there was an SWM13 that did that, and there is also an SWM13 that doesn't. And as noted, it can also depend on the model of receivers in your system.
 
#31 ·
I understand. I'd really hate to go back to what I had at my apartment before I moved into this new house, and that was 4 lines going into a 6x8 multiswitch, with that splitting to two 16 multiswitches, each of which went to 4-way splitters. The biggest problem in that setup would be a physical problem—running the lines into the attic, then from there to the master junction box, which is in my master bedroom closet. In that box is located a gray PI and a splitter, from where 4 lines branch off to 3 bedrooms and the living room. Each bedroom has the coax running directly to the receiver, while the living room has a coax running to an 8-way splitter, which feeds 4 receivers.
 
#32 ·
I honestly believe the issue is in the canceling or the lnb and I don't believe it's any of the receivers or how many units you have connected because you'd be the only person who hasn't been able to run more than 13 with those receivers. I've always thought the limit would hit when they started using the RB satelites.

I'd double check all connections and if they are all good as are all cables I might try unplugging power on all but the units having issues and see what happens for a few days.

Or I might just get a new lnb and try swapping lnbs. They are pretty cheap on Amazon. And unless you are swapping receivers and going 4k soon get a RB lnb.
 
#35 ·
I honestly believe the issue is in the canceling or the lnb and I don't believe it's any of the receivers or how many units you have connected because you'd be the only person who hasn't been able to run more than 13 with those receivers. I've always thought the limit would hit when they started using the RB satelites.

I'd double check all connections and if they are all good as are all cables I might try unplugging power on all but the units having issues and see what happens for a few days.

Or I might just get a new lnb and try swapping lnbs. They are pretty cheap on Amazon. And unless you are swapping receivers and going 4k soon get a RB lnb.
You can't summarize everyone in the same bucket. While you may have not seen anyone reporting any issues with the SWM13 LNB, the probably don't have the same gear as Lord Vader does here. This can be checked FAIRLY easy, have Lord Vader disconnect enough tuners to have 13 or less and inspect the system and post back with the results.

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#33 ·
I have an extra one of those SWM13 LNBs and can have a DirecTV technician swap it out and see if that works. Interestingly, this lnb was advertised as a "reverse band" one. Those SWM13s aren't RB, are they? I never thought they were.
 
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