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Freezing/Pixelation issues on your Genie? Here's how you can help

109K views 191 replies 64 participants last post by  Stuart Sweet 
#1 ·
If you're experiencing freezing or pixelation issues on your Genie, post a description here. Also, do a keyword search for SENDREPORT -- this will give you the opportunity to send a report to DIRECTV engineers. I can't guarantee it will help, or that they'll even see the reports, but if you do that and post the report here I'll try to get the attention of the right people.
 
#127 ·
This weekend I started having a freezing video problem. It happened on Pro Football this afternoon and again on the Amazing Race that played tonight. The manifestation for me is the picture freezes but audio continues. With amazing race it froze at 7:13 and I could get the cursor to skip forward to the 15 min increments but it would keep jumping back to the frozen video section. I was watching live so I switched to watching the recording and it froze at the same spot and behaved the same way. Also if you leave it playing with the frozen video the audio continues. If you try to FF or skip it returns the the frozen video frame and starts the audio at that point again. I am running the disk diagnostic tests now so I can't share SW version.

No pixelation issues for me and the frozen video screen never unfreezed (at least when left for about 30 min). the audio kept playing.

I read on a DTV forum that there are issues with NBC but I think mine were CBS.
 
#128 ·
AZ_Engineer said:
This weekend I started having a freezing video problem. It happened on Pro Football this afternoon and again on the Amazing Race that played tonight. The manifestation for me is the picture freezes but audio continues. With amazing race it froze at 7:13 and I could get the cursor to skip forward to the 15 min increments but it would keep jumping back to the frozen video section. I was watching live so I switched to watching the recording and it froze at the same spot and behaved the same way. Also if you leave it playing with the frozen video the audio continues. If you try to FF or skip it returns the the frozen video frame and starts the audio at that point again. I am running the disk diagnostic tests now so I can't share SW version.

No pixelation issues for me and the frozen video screen never unfreezed (at least when left for about 30 min). the audio kept playing.

I read on a DTV forum that there are issues with NBC but I think mine were CBS.
My genie has been fine since Sept when it was installed, but Im starting to see this one recordings from 2 weeks ago. HBO Boardwalk empire was BAD, but just skipping forward would make it OK until is started pixellating and freeze again. Also had it show up on live tv Saturday with ESPN. ESPN started getting real herky jerky, change channel, then change back its OK. I sure hope this new FW helps out, Ive not gotten it yet.
 
#129 ·
Jason Whiddon said:
My genie has been fine since Sept when it was installed, but Im starting to see this one recordings from 2 weeks ago. HBO Boardwalk empire was BAD, but just skipping forward would make it OK until is started pixellating and freeze again. Also had it show up on live tv Saturday with ESPN. ESPN started getting real herky jerky, change channel, then change back its OK. I sure hope this new FW helps out, Ive not gotten it yet.
Quite a few people here (including me) have mentioned that Boardwalk Empire show of two weeks ago. It would be really interesting to know what about a particular episode of a specific show can make it more prone to these problems than other shows or even other episodes of the same show.
 
#131 ·
VaJim said:
I called dtv today. In the end. I was told to set up a recording on the genie in the known time/channel that's been causing a problem. Then I was told to set up the same recording on one of our other machines (hr-21) thus producing a dual recording. If we continue to see the problem on the genie and NOT on the other machine. Dtv may end up replacing the genie. If the problem is on both machines then dtv said its with the broadcasting and they would work it from that end. All of this was annotated on our account for when we call back. We do have the protection plan.
We tried this (above) for awhile and it seem to fix the pix problem. Then took the record from the hr-21 and now the problem is back. Anyone experience this., Genie has 799
 
#136 ·
Laxguy said:
Where are you located? (I have read a lot of posts that indicate NBC in particular, in some local markets, are prone to this.)
I'm in the Mobile-Pensacola market. My NBC affiliate is WPMI ("Local 15") and they also happen to have a horrible audio problem they can't seem to fix. Everything sounds like it's AM radio. Really good AM radio, but still not like the other channels. It's that way on OTA and cable as well.

I can't figure out what NBC affiliates might be doing to cause this. Each station's setup is usually pretty unique from the brand of transmitter to the subchannels they carry.
 
#138 ·
Tom Servo said:
I'm in the Mobile-Pensacola market. My NBC affiliate is WPMI ("Local 15") and they also happen to have a horrible audio problem they can't seem to fix. Everything sounds like it's AM radio. Really good AM radio, but still not like the other channels. It's that way on OTA and cable as well.

I can't figure out what NBC affiliates might be doing to cause this. Each station's setup is usually pretty unique from the brand of transmitter to the subchannels they carry.
My guess- and hopefully not just a WAG- is that there are encoding incompatiblities when the local redoes the national feed. Hopefully someone else from your area will chime in.
 
#139 ·
Had the same problem of random freezing on both live and DVR programs. I put up up with a handful of reboots, but near the end, it started to reboot itself. DTV scheduled a tech but I reset it once more and it wouldn't work but gave me an error code 14-220. I called them back and gave them the code and they sent me a replacement HR34. Yes I lost a ton of recordings but I have to praise DTV for always providing me with great service in resolving these type of issues (IMO).

Sent from my SM-N900T using DBSTalk mobile app
 
#141 ·
MysteryMan said:
My HR34-700 froze twice early this morning while watching live TV. This has been a problem since my Genie received 0x744. Time for a service call.
I don't think a service call will do any good, the problem is with the Genie and 0x0744 or 0x0797 or 0x0799. I had several problems watching recordings from last night on my HR44-500. One major freeze was right at the start of Almost Human and about 1 minute of the start would not play. I had a backup recording on my HR21-700, and that played without problems.

DirecTV has a serious basic function problem with the current firmware levels of the Genie. My wife and I have about had it with the Genie and I'm now wondering if two HR24s would be a better option. Or maybe a class action suit against DirecTV to get out of my current contract.

By the way, the Boardwalk Empire that recorded on 10/27 that was commented about earlier in this thread was unwatchable on my HR44 and played without problems on my HR21.
 
#142 ·
I have had Directv for about three years now. My HR34 was occasionally acting up with freezes with 744. I now have 799 and it is much worse! If I have to replace my DVR I will be very upset. I have a few, almost completed, seasons of shows that I was saving for later viewing, all of which will be lost with a receiver change. If it wasn't for Sunday Ticket I would seriously be considering going back to Dish. At least with Dish I could be using an external drive married to my account rather than the idiotic way Directv does it being married to a buggy receiver. They really need to pull their heads out and at least follow Dish's lead on this one feature at least. I don't really care what their reasoning is because it is faulty reasoning. If Dish can do it so can they. If I do lose all these recordings there will be only Sunday Ticket keeping me here. When Directv loses the exclusivity I'll be gone, unless they change that policy.
 
#143 ·
I have a TiVo Roamio Pro (6-tuner) with Comcast basic cable that I use to backup all the network shows I record on the HR44-500. Since many of them are unwatchable on the HR44, we use the TiVo to watch them. Unfortunately, there are a lot of non-network shows I record on the HR44 and they freezing is awful. Fox News Channel freezes a lot. I hope this gets fixed soon.

Kevin
 
#144 ·
Kevin L said:
I have a TiVo Roamio Pro (6-tuner) with Comcast basic cable that I use to backup all the network shows I record on the HR44-500. Since many of them are unwatchable on the HR44, we use the TiVo to watch them. Unfortunately, there are a lot of non-network shows I record on the HR44 and they freezing is awful. Fox News Channel freezes a lot. I hope this gets fixed soon.

Kevin
So why keep DirecTV if your TiVo Roamio works well with Comcast? Are you having any problems with your TiVo?
 
#145 ·
HR44-500
firmware 0x797
report 20131120-126E

Got the 797 firmware this morning at 2:35AM and I just started noticing freezing and pixelation as I was watching TV tonight. The screen is frozen black as I send this report. The pixelation started right after the box gave me a message along the lines of loss of Signal on sat in 1 and then a couple of seconds later it gave me the same message for sat 2. The black screen went away when I hit the channel up. I was watching The Big Bang Theory on Chanel 26 in Houston when the screen froze black.

Also posting to the issues thread.
 
#146 ·
HR44-500
firmware 0x797
report 20131121-1309

Black screen happened again tonight. The screen is frozen black as I send this report. I got the message about loss of Signal on sat in 2 and then it went blank. The black screen went away when I hit the channel up. I was watching Fox Business on channel 359 when it occurred. Posted to the issues thread as well.

Edit to add
It happened again and while I was on the frozen black screen, I went to the signal meter. I didn't stay long, but it looked like I was losing signal on the odd transponders on 101 for at least tuner 1, 2 and 5. I went to my HR24 in another room that is on the same leg of my SWM-16 and the signal for 101 on tuners 1 and 2 were in the 97's to 100's. So it looks like this release is knocking out the tuners somehow.
 
#147 ·
bpratt said:
So why keep DirecTV if your TiVo Roamio works well with Comcast? Are you having any problems with your TiVo?
I really like the programming and PQ with DirecTV. I've been a sub for ten years or so, and have gone through my share of receivers, including HDVR2s, MS Ultimate TVs, three HR10-250s at $900 a piece, three HR20s, and now the HR44-500. I'm a Premier subscriber and have always had all the movie channels. The HR44 is the first receiver that drives me crazy. I've had it since May or June (ordered from Solid Signal) and gradually retired my three HR20s (two owned, one leased) and now use only the HR44 without any clients. The features are great; it's the freezing problem that is maddening. Plus, on Fox News Channel (360) the time doesn't sync. Most of the time the bar displays about 5 minutes slow (show starts 5 mins early) whether using the buffer or recorded viewing. On the recorded shows, it starts 5 mins into the show. On Wednesday night, it was off by a half hour.

About three years ago, Comcast called to say they could upgrade my cable internet to Ultra for free if I added basic cable for $2 per month. I didn't use the cable at first, but then bought a TiVo Premier 2-tuner and used it to supplement the six tuners from the three HR20s, and as backup in case sat went out. When the TiVo Roamio with 6 tuners came out, I swapped out the Premier. I still only get basic cable (basically the major networks) and don't intend to add more. Where the TiVo and Comcast are supposed to be backup to the HR44, for major networks the TiVo is now the primary until DTV fixes this freezing issue.

In some respects I like the TiVo Roamio (it's much faster) over the HR44, and it works as advertised.

Kevin
 
#148 ·
I'm having same problems. I have 0x799. About a month ago I had a bunch of disk errors show on the screen after resetting. Got up to over 600 errors that were corrected according to the screen. So when the freezing continued to happen over the last month and it seemed like I had to unplug the thing to get it to unfreeze. Direct is sending me a replacement HR34. After reading this thread I'm not sure it will fix things and I am going to loose a lot of recordings.
 
#149 ·
I'm having the same problems. I have 0x797. This morning is the worst. The HR44 was locked up. It did not record any of the Saturday morning shows. It has been freezing on live tv. I have not seen the pixilation. I just had to do the red button reset as it did not respond to remote. It just booted up and looks like it happened last night. I have only had this a month as it was a replacement for the HR34 that was acting up.
 
#150 ·
This has regrettably caused me to decide to leave DirecTV, this problem has been happening for several months with no acknowledgment from DirecTV. During this time I have been trying to figure out where else I can get TV from (options are Dish, Comcast and U-Verse) but each has their own issues and I finally decided that I am going to be a cord-cutter; 90% of the stuff I watch can be had OTA or from Hulu/Amazon/Itunes. I have had to resort to those options as most of my shows are not watchable so the ineptness of DirecTV showed me I am paying way to much for their service.

I know many friends and family members experiencing this issue who are fed up; most I recommended so some of their angst is directed at me. I am not sure I will ever be able to suggest people sign up for DirecTV again. I wish everyone well; I hope they get this issue fixed soon for the rest of you guys.
 
#151 ·
ilovfriday said:
This has regrettably caused me to decide to leave DirecTV, this problem has been happening for several months with no acknowledgment from DirecTV. During this time I have been trying to figure out where else I can get TV from (options are Dish, Comcast and U-Verse) but each has their own issues and I finally decided that I am going to be a cord-cutter; 90% of the stuff I watch can be had OTA or from Hulu/Amazon/Itunes. I have had to resort to those options as most of my shows are not watchable so the ineptness of DirecTV showed me I am paying way to much for their service.

I know many friends and family members experiencing this issue who are fed up; most I recommended so some of their angst is directed at me. I am not sure I will ever be able to suggest people sign up for DirecTV again. I wish everyone well; I hope they get this issue fixed soon for the rest of you guys.
Did you figure out a way to get out of your 2 year contract without having to pay DirecTV a lot of money to leave?
 
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