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AM21 Picks Up Channel but Won't Show it in Guide

2K views 15 replies 8 participants last post by  mjfoxtrot 
#1 · (Edited)
I live in the Washington-Baltimore region and I have an AM21 that works well with an HR24-500. The OTA signal comes from an antenna in my attic, and after the initial setup on the HR24, the "Edit Off-Air Channels" listing shows 41 channels. All of the channels have a white "x" next to them, and almost all of them show up in the DirecTV program guide. The two that do not appear in the program guide are channels 4.1 and 4.2 (WRC-TV out of Washington, D.C.) The HR24 signal meter shows both these stations are getting 100% signal strength.

I'm aware that the DirecTV OTA channel database is finicky, but these channels are clearly in the DirecTV database, otherwise they would not be showing up in the Edit Off-Air Channels listing after the initial setup. And, like I said, both channels test with a strong signal. But no matter what I have tried, those two channels will not appear in the program guide, meaning that I cannot tune them in.

I've rebooted several times, and re-run the initial setup three or four times, trying slightly different zip codes in my area as the primary and secondary. But always the same result: the Edit Off-Air Channels listing shows 41 channels found, but only 39 appear in the program guide. And the two that are missing are always channels 4.1 and 4.2.

Everything else is working fine and dandy with the AM21 and the OTA channels. I would like to figure out why I cannot see channels 4.1 and 4.2 in the program guide after the AM21 has clearly scanned them successfully.

Thanks in advance for any help.
 
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#3 ·
Nope, not using favorites. I always use the "All Channels" list. And channels 4.1 and 4.2 are definitely not there.
 
#4 ·
This is going to sound nuts but same thing happened to me here in Fla. after 2 attempts at initial setup 2 channels wouldn't show, the 3rd or 4th attempt worked, I also made sure that the TV wasn't tuned to that channel in question, in other words the OTA signal was going to the AM21 only. Like I said NUTS! I even tested this by having my TV tuned to 7.1(as an example) at its OTA input and then running the setup, guess what didn't show up as an available channel...... 7.1, every time I tried a new channel that one won't show, so MY solution was not to have an "available" channel tuned on the TV's OTA input while running the DVR's Antenna setup, said it was weird but after 3 or 4 attempts it worked.
having AM21s on several machines here in SoFla helps with the occasional "passing" weather but setting them up, well can get frustrating! good luck!
 
#8 ·
This is going to sound nuts but same thing happened to me here in Fla. after 2 attempts at initial setup 2 channels wouldn't show, the 3rd or 4th attempt worked, I also made sure that the TV wasn't tuned to that channel in question, in other words the OTA signal was going to the AM21 only. Like I said NUTS! I even tested this by having my TV tuned to 7.1(as an example) at its OTA input and then running the setup, guess what didn't show up as an available channel...... 7.1, every time I tried a new channel that one won't show, so MY solution was not to have an "available" channel tuned on the TV's OTA input while running the DVR's Antenna setup, said it was weird but after 3 or 4 attempts it worked.
having AM21s on several machines here in SoFla helps with the occasional "passing" weather but setting them up, well can get frustrating! good luck!
Thanks, gilviv. It was worth a shot. I made sure my digital TVs in the house were not tuned to channel 4.1, and I re-did the initial setup three times today on my HR24/AM21. Alas, the channel still does not appear in the program guide, despite showing up in the D* "Edit Off-Air Channels" list.

This strikes me as a problem that might just solve itself out of the blue in a few weeks or months, with no explanation. In the meantime, I will live without digital stations 4.1 and 4.2 in my D* program guide. First-World problem.
 
#5 ·
I have a similar issue, but I think mine is due to the OTA "repack." I have 3 DVRs with AM21's, an HR44, HR24, and HR 23. I am in RI near Boston and historically have gotten all channels from Providence and Boston until a few months ago. The Boston NBC affiliate changed, which began a string of other changes including changes in location of some of the transmitters. In January there was a storm, and we briefly lost power with a slight surge. When the HR44 rebooted, the channels from the AM21 were missing, and I had to redo the initial setup. When I did, WGBH and WGBX from Boston (channels 2 and 44), public television stations I like to watch, were as you said above listed in the "edit channels" section but not available to watch. The signal is 100%. Channels 2.1 and 44.1 are not in the guide. They map instead to 15.1 and 24.1 but those channels are two other Boston Channels. Interestingly, the subchannels 2.2 and 44.3 and 44.4 are in the guide with the correct channels. I believe this is related to the "repack" because 15.1 and 24.1 are two new channels not previously in the guide. Also, 15.1 and 24.1 are not even in the "edit channels" section listing all the OTA channels!

It is frustrating, and I have been in contact with both D* and WGBH and both do not know why this has happened. Both say they have made no changes, and WGBH says its PSIP data are correct and regularly checked.

Maybe this is part of your problem. If so, it is only likely to get worse. In another storm the HR23 and HR24 both lost their links to the AM21 and required a repeat initial setup, and those channels are gone from those recorders as well.

Another frustrating part is that since I am in the Providence DMA not Boston, if I got my locals through D*, I still wouldn't get those two channels.

SMK
 
#6 ·
PSIP is irrelevant to Directv, it isn't used by the AM21. Channel changing due to the repack depends on Gracenote/Tribune (or whoever owns them now) updating the info on their end. That's who supplies guide data to Directv. In the past when channels have changed numbers it can take a week to several weeks for it to filter through to the AM21. With all the extra action happening with the repack (which will really ramp up this fall when it starts for real) those times might lengthen, depending on what process Gracenote uses to make these changes.
 
#7 · (Edited)
Thanks for the responses. The thoughts about the repack are interesting, although I am not sure that the repack is behind my particular problem. I was just looking on antennaweb.org, and while channel 4.1 is indeed going to be impacted by the repack, it's not supposed to happen until Aug. 2, 2019. I also don't see any other channels that are being repacked as of right now in my area.

AntennaWeb - FCC Repack Station Results

Channel 4.1 has not moved or shifted anyplace in the grand scheme of things, as far as I can tell. It seems like it is just a simple bug on the D* program guide, in all likelihood. But who knows. Bottom line is that trying to get OTA working well requires not only technical know-how, but also a witch doctor who knows voodoo magic.

I'll just have to learn to live without channel 4.1 on my D* program guide, most likely. I still get the NBC affiliate out of Baltimore (WBAL 11.1, comes in clear as a bell), so I suppose I am not losing that much. If there is anything in particular I want to watch on 4.1, I still have the program guide and the tuning ability of my Bravia TV (but of course without DVR capability.)
 
#9 ·
Something that you maybe haven't tried is a double reboot, or a CLEARMYBOX maneuver. This is the only way to truly clear an AM21 and start over. But, that doesn't always work to cure a problem like you are having. I've had extensive experience working with an AM21 and know how time consuming rebooting and rerunning zip codes can be. So good luck, if you want to go through the 45-60 minute process of doing this.
 
#10 ·
Fair point, I suppose I could try that. But as you point out, these things can get frustratingly time consuming, and in the end, I MIGHT gain two channels. And who knows, after the CLEARMYBOX and the re-running of several initial setups, I might have other missing channels. I guess the easiest thing is to be happy with my 39 working OTA channels.
 
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