[btshepard]

DIRECTV uses something they call "B-Band" to send HD signals which include network broadcasts from local channels. During daytime, when the sun heats the LNB's hot enough, the B-Band will shift off frequency causing a "Searching for satellite" screen. The picture returns fine at night or even during the day if it becomes cloudy or rainy. It is a heat problem. There is no solution. It is just bad technology. Only signals on the B-Band are affected - "ordinary" channels continue to work fine and people who do not get HD will not notice any problem at all. Theoretically, DIRECTV is supposed to solve this eventually by launching more satellites to get more "normal" bandwidth to send these HD signals. This is not a "sun outage" but rather a malfunction due to temperature.

People in warmer parts of the US should have this problem which may decrease or go away during the coming winter months.

Right now, if you get the Olympics thru a local NBC channel, you should only be able to see the HD feed in early morning or later towards sunset and, of course, all night long.

I have confirmed this with technical people from our local TV station. However, DIRECTV denies any knowledge of it officially. This may well be because they charge for HD access and, if it became common knowledge that their technology was flawed, they could be asked to pay refunds or even face a class action lawsuit.

If you are set up to receive DIRECTV HD and have this problem, this is the reason.

 

[Stuart Sweet]

:welcome_s to DBSTalk.com!

I wonder why it does not affect everyone equally. I would think that there would be thousands upon thousands of reports of this.

 

[waynebtx]

I live in South Texas and have days the temp can get up to 120 and have never had this problem.

 

[evan_s]

I would guess thats why the B band converters are suppose to be in the house connected to the back of the receiver and not outside where the sun can cause problems.

 

[K4SMX]

.......if it became common knowledge that their technology was flawed, they could be asked to pay refunds or even face a class action lawsuit.....

You might even think that DirecTV would have the good sense to stop paying hundreds of millions of dollars launching satellites which use this "flawed technology" before everyone discovered these "confirmed" facts. Wonder why they didn't do that?

Welcome to DBSTalk! There's plenty of facts to be found here about this "flawed technology." Happy reading.

 

[Tom Robertson]

Well...

In theory an LNB can be designed this poorly. Thankfully the circuits have temperature and power self-adjustments built in.

Or your TV station was quoting information from the 50s, a real problem back then.

If anyone is having "heat of the day" issues, and the dish is properly aligned, have DIRECTV replace the LNB. This is not a problem of epidemic proportions. As Stew in Florida says, DIRECTV likely thought about this...

Actually, my guess is DIRECTV didn't need to. They hired Calamp, Winegard, and other LNB manufacturers who've only been at this for 30 years to the home and years before that in the commercial biz.

Cheers,
Tom

 

[LarryFlowers]

DIRECTV uses something they call "B-Band" to send HD signals which include network broadcasts from local channels. During daytime, when the sun heats the LNB's hot enough, the B-Band will shift off frequency causing a "Searching for satellite" screen. The picture returns fine at night or even during the day if it becomes cloudy or rainy. It is a heat problem. There is no solution. It is just bad technology. Only signals on the B-Band are affected - "ordinary" channels continue to work fine and people who do not get HD will not notice any problem at all. Theoretically, DIRECTV is supposed to solve this eventually by launching more satellites to get more "normal" bandwidth to send these HD signals. This is not a "sun outage" but rather a malfunction due to temperature.

People in warmer parts of the US should have this problem which may decrease or go away during the coming winter months.

Right now, if you get the Olympics thru a local NBC channel, you should only be able to see the HD feed in early morning or later towards sunset and, of course, all night long.

I have confirmed this with technical people from our local TV station. However, DIRECTV denies any knowledge of it officially. This may well be because they charge for HD access and, if it became common knowledge that their technology was flawed, they could be asked to pay refunds or even face a class action lawsuit.

If you are set up to receive DIRECTV HD and have this problem, this is the reason.

Hogwash... but welcome to dbstalk!

 

[raoul5788]

C'mon! It's the op's first post. I smell a troll, don't you?

 

[buddybailey]

I had a similar problem with thermal heating but it was the lnb that was the problem not the b band coverters. Swaped out the lnb's and the problem went away. I was losing everything on 119.

 

[say-what]

It get's pretty hot around here, but we have no problems watching any of the new channels during the day. I'd suspect that the op might have a defective or damaged lnb

 

[litzdog911]

Well, at the DirecTV Technical Help Forum he's calling for a class action suit over this supposed problem ....
http://forums.directv.com/pe/action...read?rootPostID=10428898&returnExpertiseCode=

 

[jacksonm30354]

DIRECTV uses something they call "B-Band" to send HD signals which include network broadcasts from local channels. During daytime, when the sun heats the LNB's hot enough, the B-Band will shift off frequency causing a "Searching for satellite" screen. The picture returns fine at night or even during the day if it becomes cloudy or rainy. It is a heat problem. There is no solution. It is just bad technology. Only signals on the B-Band are affected - "ordinary" channels continue to work fine and people who do not get HD will not notice any problem at all. Theoretically, DIRECTV is supposed to solve this eventually by launching more satellites to get more "normal" bandwidth to send these HD signals. This is not a "sun outage" but rather a malfunction due to temperature.

People in warmer parts of the US should have this problem which may decrease or go away during the coming winter months.

Right now, if you get the Olympics thru a local NBC channel, you should only be able to see the HD feed in early morning or later towards sunset and, of course, all night long.

I have confirmed this with technical people from our local TV station. However, DIRECTV denies any knowledge of it officially. This may well be because they charge for HD access and, if it became common knowledge that their technology was flawed, they could be asked to pay refunds or even face a class action lawsuit.

If you are set up to receive DIRECTV HD and have this problem, this is the reason.

You just have 1 local TV station where you live in the Southeast? I live in Atlanta and my dish sits out in the afternoon sun. I get my locals 24/7 with no issues. Signal strengths during midday are just as strong as at midnight.

I think you have received flawed information.

 

[hdtvfan0001]

Hogwash... but welcome to dbstalk!

:lol: :lol: :lol:

C'mon! It's the op's first post. I smell a troll, don't you?

I knew I smelled something....

Well, at the DirecTV Technical Help Forum he's calling for a class action suit over this supposed problem ....
http://forums.directv.com/pe/action...read?rootPostID=10428898&returnExpertiseCode=

 

[davring]

Well, at the DirecTV Technical Help Forum he's calling for a class action suit over this supposed problem ....
http://forums.directv.com/pe/action...read?rootPostID=10428898&returnExpertiseCode=

Unbeleivable...Lawyers are happy.

 

[stansher]

DIRECTV uses something they call "B-Band" to send HD signals which include network broadcasts from local channels. During daytime, when the sun heats the LNB's hot enough, the B-Band will shift off frequency causing a "Searching for satellite" screen. The picture returns fine at night or even during the day if it becomes cloudy or rainy. It is a heat problem. There is no solution. It is just bad technology. Only signals on the B-Band are affected - "ordinary" channels continue to work fine and people who do not get HD will not notice any problem at all. Theoretically, DIRECTV is supposed to solve this eventually by launching more satellites to get more "normal" bandwidth to send these HD signals. This is not a "sun outage" but rather a malfunction due to temperature.

People in warmer parts of the US should have this problem which may decrease or go away during the coming winter months.

Right now, if you get the Olympics thru a local NBC channel, you should only be able to see the HD feed in early morning or later towards sunset and, of course, all night long.

I have confirmed this with technical people from our local TV station. However, DIRECTV denies any knowledge of it officially. This may well be because they charge for HD access and, if it became common knowledge that their technology was flawed, they could be asked to pay refunds or even face a class action lawsuit.

If you are set up to receive DIRECTV HD and have this problem, this is the reason.

I had this problem until D replaced my LNB. I knew heat was the issue because after I would cool the lnb with water the problem would disappear. Since the LNB switchout, no further problems.

 

[dbmaven]

:lol: :lol: :lol:

I knew I smelled something....

Somebody send him an SWM. Heck, if he was close to me I'd offer to install it for him...

Then when the problem still exists - we'll know it isn't the "flawed B-Band" technology. Must be those flawed SWMs.... :nono: :eek2: :lol:

 

[DesertFlyer]

I wonder how all of us in Arizona have survived so long with this heat sensitive, flawed technology.

 

[hdtvfan0001]

I wonder how all of us in Arizona have survived so long with this heat sensitive, flawed technology.

That thought crossed my mind more than once...

 

[RobertE]

:welcome_s



:scratch:

:scratchin

:icon_stup

:icon_lame

 

[hdtvfan0001]

:welcome_s



:scratch:

:scratchin

:icon_stup

:icon_lame

That post is a keeper!