[premio]

Am I missing something here:

I am having a new roof installed and had to take down my nice AT9 that has been serving me well since MPG4 came online. Being the TV guy that I am, I also have a OTA antenna that I have been diplexing through the cable. I changed all of my programming selections to record on the OTA channel, i.e 2-1 instead of 2 before the dish came down. I then connected antenna through a temproary cable to my HR20. Everything worked great last night.

This morning, I find a blank guide - I can deal with that a searching for satellite message and the inability to tune to local OTA. Is this to be expected? Can I work around this limitation?

 

[litzdog911]

All of the Guide Data is provided via satellite. So, as you discovered, you'll lose Guide Data without a satellite connection.

 

[rudeney]

Are you saying you are just missing the guide data or that there are no channels to select in your guide? I do know that the OTA channels on the HR20 are driven by the guide data, meaning that you can’t scan for available OTA like on an H20.

So, if your guide is completely gone, with no channels listed at all, you won’t get OTA, either. And if that is the case, it could be just a matter of having lost your “favorites”. Try changing form a custom favorites list back to all and see if that brings the guide back.

 

[goober22]

Plus, OTA has to be reliant on a valid SAT connection. If the receiver cannot verify that you have an active sat account, you will not have OTA service as well.

Although it is probably due to the guide not being able to update (unless it has been down awhile and then the no-sat connection would apply to OTA).

 

[premio]

Hmm..

My to-do list lists shows up and coming to record still. The guide data is now blank but had a few days cached in it yesterday. it must be something with not being able to verify the signal? Can't a call home via modem/network accomplish that?

How irritating.

 

[goober22]

The boxes receive the core info thru the sats (guide data, authorization, channels, etc.). They only use the network to send out data (PPV, game lounge, DoD in/out). If it can't "see" the sats, it will not work/authorize correctly.

My guess is that the box can't verify authorization so it is in a limited mode. Cable boxes will do this as well if they are off-line for awhile. Their DVRs won't playback recorded material if they haven't been able to "connect" after a certain time. I guess it's to prevent theft/fraud.