[Brendasue]

Sorry this is a long story!
Receiver is HR24-200. TV is Samsung LMT405.
A few days ago I turned on the TV & DTV box and saw a blue screen w/ message: searching for signals. I reset it a few times and it goes to the reset screen then says "Step 1 of 2 checking sat. signals", then goes right back to the blue no-signal screen...
So I called the DTV tech and all he could say was that I must be on the wrong input. Haha.
So I scheduled a service call and the guy came out. He tried a few things and then decided to replace the receiver. Same prob. He replaced the HD cable. Same prob. We hooked up an Appletv to all the HD inputs on the back of the tv and they all work fine. So he hooked up the box to the tv with AV cables (which works fine, but we really want the HD back), told me to update the tv software, said he'd never seen this problem before, and left. So if it's not the tv inputs, not the HD cable, not the DTV box, what else could it be?

 

[Drucifer]

I would say it is your set.

Do you have another HD TV?

 

[Stuart Sweet]

:welcome_s Brendasue!

I've seen this before with some older TVs. Before you go further, I would keep the TV turned off and start the DVR. Wait a good 10 minutes before you turn on the TV. If you have picture, great. If not, look at the resolution light on the DVR. Is it 480p? If so, press the RES button on the DVR. Does the picture come back?

A lot of older TVs don't support 480p resolution and it's possible that for some reason the DVR thinks that's the resolution to use.

Another diagnostic step is to press-and-hold {EXIT} on the DIRECTV remote and see if you have picture. Again, look at the resolution lights on the front of the DVR.

 

[Richierich]

Sounds like an HDMI Compatability Problem as there are several versions of HDMI.

 

[Brendasue]

Thanks for the replies. I appreciate the help. The HD worked on this tv for about 4 months before it disappeared, and other HD components hooked up to the tv work ok, so I was hoping that ruled it out that it was a problem with the tv? Is it common for two components to suddenly develop a compatibility problem?

I will try the things Stuart suggests and see what happens. There is a picture for a few minutes through the HD input when I do a reset. But then in the middle of the step where it is checking sat. signals, it loses the HD and goes to the blue screen.

 

[Richierich]

Yes, sometimes Upgrades cause HDMI Compatability Problems and we have experienced these particulatly with Onkyo and others in the past which Directv is Aware of.

Have you tried a different HDMI Cable?

 

[ncsercs]

I quit messing around with HDMI after a few months with my 2 HR24's. Too many issues along with taking forever to switch between units. Went component and never looked back.

 

[HoTat2]

I quit messing around with HDMI after a few months with my 2 HR24's. Too many issues along with taking forever to switch between units. Went component and never looked back.

From what I've heard though you shouldn't get too comfortable with HD over component what within a year or two Hollywood may earnestly start enforcing the closure of the HD "analog hole," you may have no choice but to "look back" at HDMI.

 

[ncsercs]

I'll be glad to once HDMI cable/HDTV/DTV compatibility gets more consistent and the problems go away.

 

[allenn]

Why can't this be an HR24 problem? I had an HDMI problem with an HR22. I replaced the HDMI cable with one that came with the D* HD upgrade kit, but the HR22 would fail intermittently, no video signal. D* replaced the HR22 with an HR24, and Monster Cable replaced the HDMI cable, but I am still using the cheap D* cable. Too much of a problem to swap out the cable which works great. Best wishes!

 

[HoTat2]

I'll be glad to once HDMI cable/HDTV/DTV compatibility gets more consistent and the problems go away.

I understand this, but the point is compatibility problems or not, if Hollywood has their way, and they usually do in matters of content protection issues. The MSO providers like DIRECTV will be forced to close the "analog hole" whenever their receivers are set to display an HD telecast of their material. By either disabling the receiver's component connectors or limiting their output resolution to only 480p max.

Whether you turn out to be "glad" with this development is totally irrelevant to Hollywood unfortunately.

 

[Rich]

Why can't this be an HR24 problem? I had an HDMI problem with an HR22. I replaced the HDMI cable with one that came with the D* HD upgrade kit, but the HR22 would fail intermittently, no video signal. D* replaced the HR22 with an HR24, and Monster Cable replaced the HDMI cable, but I am still using the cheap D* cable. Too much of a problem to swap out the cable which works great. Best wishes!

I've had several HR21-700s get caught in a "771 loop". No matter what I did they kept giving me 771s. Simply replaced the HRs and everything went back to normal each time. This sounds like a completely different problem, but the installer shouldn't have given up.

Rich