[DrummerBoy523]

Haven't experienced this in a few years, but we got our first blank recording last night (Community). Not sure what the problem is. Big Bang Theory scheduled at the same time as Community. Big Bang recorded fine. Community shows 29 mins (partial) and when it is started, goes straight to the end (I've tried rew to no avail) and asks if I want to keep or delete.

We last had this problem a few years ago and discovered a bad LNB on tuner 2, but our signals appear to be OK.

Any thoughts?

 

[litzdog911]

It's usually a signal problem on one or both tuners.

Please post back with your signal readings for each satellite's transponders (and both tuners if applicable). You'll find these readings under "Menu" -> "Setup" -> "System Setup" -> Satellite -> "View Signal Strength". Note the "+" and "-" symbols next to the "Satellite" and "Tuner" entries where you can toggle the readings between the various satellites and both DVR tuners.

Fill in your readings for each satellite and tuner using these examples. A properly aligned dish will show 80-90s on most of the relevant transponders (although some will be low or zero):

Satellite transponders (32 total at 101º)
[Most of your standard definition channels are beamed from 101ºW]
1-8 # # # # # # # #
9-16 # # # # # # # #
17-24 # # # # # # # #
25-32 # # # # # # # #

Satellite transponders (3 total at 110º)
[No channels are currently beamed from this satellite]
1-8 NA NA NA NA NA NA NA #
9-16 NA # NA # NA NA NA NA

Satellite transponders (11 total at 119º)
[Local SD channels for some cities, Spanish package]
17-24 NA NA NA NA NA # # #
25-32 # # # # # # # #

Satellite transponders (16 total at 99º(s)) [or 99º(b)]
[Local HD channels for some cities]
1-8 # # # # # # NA NA
9-16 NA NA NA NA NA NA # #
17-24 # # # # # # # #
[Note: these can be very slow to appear]

Satellite transponders (14 total at 99º(c)) [or 99º(a)]
[National HD channels]
1-8 # # # # # # # #
9-16 # # # # # # NA NA
[Note, these can be very slow to appear]

Satellite transponders (16 total at 103º(s)) [or 103º(a)]
[Local HD channels for some cities]
1-8 # # # # # # NA NA
9-16 NA NA NA NA NA NA # #
17-24 # # # # # # # #
[Note, these can be very slow to appear]

Satellite transponders (16 total at 103º(ca))
[National HD channels beamed from D12 satellite]
1-8 NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA
9-16 # # # # # # # #
17-24 # # # # # # # #

Satellite transponders (14 total at 103º(cb)) [or 103º(b)]
[National HD channels beamed from D10 satellite]
1-8 # # # # # # # #
9-16 # # # # # # NA NA
17-24 NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA

Satellite transponders (9 total at SWM)
[You'll only see this if you have a Single Wire Multiswitch (SWM) dish]
1-8 # # # # # # # #
9-16 # NA NA NA NA NA NA NA

 

[DrummerBoy523]

It's usually a signal problem on one or both tuners.

Please post back with your signal readings for each satellite's transponders (and both tuners if applicable). You'll find these readings under "Menu" -> "Setup" -> "System Setup" -> Satellite -> "View Signal Strength". Note the "+" and "-" symbols next to the "Satellite" and "Tuner" entries where you can toggle the readings between the various satellites and both DVR tuners.

Fill in your readings for each satellite and tuner using these examples. A properly aligned dish will show 80-90s on most of the relevant transponders (although some will be low or zero):

FYI, both tuners are virtually the same as far as signals go.

I don't think this is a signal issue FYI. We've got 90s on all but 1 or 2 transponders for both tuners. Regardless, I've posted my signals below.

Another FYI, I rebooted the box (HR24-100) this morning, and the show disappeared off the list and from all history on the box. Doesn't show it recorded, doesn't show it was deleted, nothing. Weird. I wonder if there is an issue with the hard drive possibly..just seems odd.

Satellite transponders (32 total at 101º)
[Most of your standard definition channels are beamed from 101ºW]
1-8 97 100 97 55 96 100 96 98
9-16 95 99 97 0 97 100 95 100
17-24 91 100 95 0 98 100 96 100
25-32 96 0 95 98 96 100 96 100

Satellite transponders (16 total at 99º(s))
[Local HD channels for some cities]
1-8 58 43 96 86 93 58 NA NA
9-16 NA NA NA NA NA NA 59 0
17-24 98 98 # # # # # #
[Note: these can be very slow to appear]

Satellite transponders (14 total at 99º(c)) [or 99º(a)]
[National HD channels]
1-8 95 94 95 94 95 93 95 94
9-16 95 94 95 95 95 95 NA NA
[Note, these can be very slow to appear]

Satellite transponders (16 total at 103º(s))
[Local HD channels for some cities]
1-8 0 0 0 0 0 0 NA NA
9-16 NA NA NA NA NA NA 0 55
17-24 95 94 57 60 95 95 0 0
[Note, these can be very slow to appear]

Satellite transponders (16 total at 103º(ca))
[National HD channels beamed from D12 satellite]
1-8 NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA
9-16 96 91 95 91 95 89 92 91
17-24 95 91 95 90 95 90 96 92

Satellite transponders (14 total at 103º(cb))
[National HD channels beamed from D10 satellite]
1-8 96 95 95 95 96 95 95 95
9-16 96 95 95 95 95 93 NA NA
17-24 NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA

Satellite transponders (9 total at SWM)
[You'll only see this if you have a Single Wire Multiswitch (SWM) dish]
1-8 100 0 0 96 100 100 96 96
9-16 96 NA NA NA NA NA NA NA

 

[litzdog911]

It could be an intermittent reception problem. Those are tough to pin down. Doubtful that it's a hard drive problem.

 

[CTskydiver]

Oddly, my receiver also blanked on "Community" (My Local Market is Daytona/Orlando) that night (while successfully recording a lot of other things).

Later in the evening, I was getting loss of signal errors on the dormant tuner and decided a red button reset was in order. Haven't had any issues since the latest reset.

I also since decided I didn't really want to follow that series anymore, so deleted it from my series manager. I'm liking Modern Family a lot more, anyway.

 

[gnahc79]

We got our first blank recording ever for "House" on Fox yesterday evening. The wife is not pleased. Haven't checked the signals yet, but they should have been ok. It was cloudy here in San Jose yesterday evening, no rain and nothing out of the ordinary.

 

[E91]

A few days back, I found three or four blank recordings (including COMMUNITY, btw). I then did a reboot, and they all went away.

So, don't kill me for suggesting the noob solution that all the CSRs always offer, but have you tried a reboot?

 

[Scott Kocourek]

Are you all using MRV by chance? I have had a couple recordings that would not play on the client receiver until the show has been started on the local machine.

 

[E91]

Are you all using MRV by chance? I have had a couple recordings that would not play on the client receiver until the show has been started on the local machine.

That shouldn't happen. If you are getting unusual behavior like that, it is usally inidcative of a network issue (like conflict between ICK and DECA).

 

[gnahc79]

RBR wiped out the blank recording of House. Hopefully it won't happen again. No MRV here, a simple single HR21 and one TV setup.

 

[TomCat]

...Another FYI, I rebooted the box (HR24-100) this morning, and the show disappeared off the list and from all history on the box. Doesn't show it recorded, doesn't show it was deleted, nothing. Weird. I wonder if there is an issue with the hard drive possibly..just seems odd.

DVRs do a sanity check on reboot and reconcile each recording in the DB with what it finds on the HDD (part of why bootup takes so long). This it to keep the DB in sync. If it finds a file that does not exist in the location the catolog says is does, it deletes the file. If it finds a file on the HDD with no corresponding DB entry, you guessed it...it deletes the file. If something indicates the file is corrupted or if part of the file is mising (say, the video stream can be located but the audio stream cannot), same thing.

So if a reboot kicks the show that implies something was actually wrong or corrupted with the individual recording or at a minimum there was a discrepancy between the HDD and the DB catalog. It happens.

But that is also good news in that it probably bodes well for the health of the reception system and does not imply that there is an ongoing problem. Usually a partial recording will still play with a dialog stating that part did not record.

I still recommend trying to play back black recordings multiple times; play something else for a second and try again; FFW to the end and try again. On more than one occasion I have seen this actually work to play back the show, which indicates only a temporary discrepancy between the DB and the HDD.

 

[bluegrizzlies1]

Had the same problem some would record and some would not. Mine ended up being one of the box things that connect into the reciever was bad. Box thing meaning cable comes from outside into the house and before it goes into the dvr it conects to that other cable with the box.

 

[DrummerBoy523]

A few days back, I found three or four blank recordings (including COMMUNITY, btw). I then did a reboot, and they all went away.

So, don't kill me for suggesting the noob solution that all the CSRs always offer, but have you tried a reboot?

If you read my 2 post (third post in this thread), you would have seen that I indeed did a RBR and the recording went away.