[JackBikes]

I am getting pixilation on my HD DVR on HD Chanels. Not all the time just some time. In looking at the sat setup screen. The Sats 98 s and 103 s show very few numbers on each transponder. Is this bad? Or the cause of my problems. I am about a step away from switching to cable.

 

[Davenlr]

The "s" satellites are spot beams. You should only get two or three strong signals (your local HD channels) on one of them. The rest are all pointed somewhere else.

The "c" "ca" and "cb" sats are the ones that count, unless your problem is occuring on your locals only.

If you are having problems bad enough to cause you to want to switch, I would suggest a service call to get it fixed. You are using the slowest DVR DirecTv has in its inventory. Its possible the hard drive is failing, or you have a bad connection outside.

 

[litzdog911]

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)
[Not present with Slimline3 dish. 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)
[Not present with Slimline 3 dish. 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

 

[JackBikes]

Here are all the radings from both tuners. Could it possibly be the DVR causing the Pixilation? We mostly watch recorded shows.

Satellite transponders (32 total at 101º) Tuner 1
[Most of your standard definition channels are beamed from 101ºW]
1-8 95 96 92 100 92 0 92 99
9-16 93 96 92 100 95 93 100
17-24 95 0 95 100 95 100 95 100
25-32 96 0 96 0 99 100 96 100

Satellite transponders (32 total at 101º) Tuner 2
[Most of your standard definition channels are beamed from 101ºW]
1-8 95 97 89 100 99 89 99
9-16 89 96 88 100 92 90 100
17-24 95 0 94 100 95 100 95 100
25-32 95 0 95 0 97 100 95 100

Satellite transponders (3 total at 110º) Tuner 1
[Not present with Slimline3 dish. No channels are currently beamed from this satellite]
1-8 NA NA NA NA NA NA NA 97
9-16 NA 97 NA 98 NA NA NA NA

Satellite transponders (3 total at 110º) Tuner 2
[Not present with Slimline3 dish. No channels are currently beamed from this satellite]
1-8 NA NA NA NA NA NA NA 98
9-16 NA 97 NA 98 NA NA NA NA

Satellite transponders (11 total at 119º) Tuner 1
[Not present with Slimline 3 dish. Local SD channels for some cities, Spanish package]
17-24 NA NA NA NA NA 95 83 97
25-32 54 95 97 95 96 95 83 96

Satellite transponders (11 total at 119º) Tuner 2
[Not present with Slimline 3 dish. Local SD channels for some cities, Spanish package]
17-24 NA NA NA NA NA 90 75 95
25-32 48 91 95 92 91 92 72 91

Satellite transponders (16 total at 99º(s)) Tuner 1
[Local HD channels for some cities]
1-8 99 0 97 0 96 0 NA NA
9-16 NA NA NA NA NA NA 99 0
17-24 100 100 0 0 0 0 100 99

Satellite transponders (16 total at 99º(s)) Tuner 2
[Local HD channels for some cities]
1-8 99 0 97 0 97 0 NA NA
9-16 NA NA NA NA NA NA 98 0
17-24 100 98 0 0 0 0 98 99

Satellite transponders (14 total at 99º(c)) Tuner 1
[National HD channels]
1-8 84 92 77 87 86 89 86 86
9-16 80 89 85 82 87 88 NA NA

Satellite transponders (14 total at 99º(c)) Tuner 2
[National HD channels]
1-8 83 92 85 87 82 89 83 85
9-16 79 87 82 82 85 88 NA NA

Satellite transponders (16 total at 103º(s)) Tuner 1
[Local HD channels for some cities]
1-8 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
9-16 NA NA NA NA NA NA 100 0
17-24 100 95 0 0 0 29 95 98 These take a long time to read

Satellite transponders (16 total at 103º(s)) Tun\er 2
[Local HD channels for some cities]
1-8 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
9-16 NA NA NA NA NA NA 100 0
17-24 95 95 0 0 0 24 92 97

Satellite transponders (16 total at 103º(ca)) Tuner 1
[National HD channels beamed from D12 satellite]
1-8 NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA
9-16 91 91 94 94 88 86 93 94
17-24 86 88 95 93 86 85 95 92

Satellite transponders (16 total at 103º(ca)) Tuner 2
[National HD channels beamed from D12 satellite]
1-8 NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA
9-16 92 91 95 94 88 86 92 94
17-24 87 88 94 94 86 85 94 94

Satellite transponders (14 total at 103º(cb) Tuner 1
[National HD channels beamed from D10 satellite]
1-8 91 90 86 80 86 86 84 82
9-16 82 86 85 86 82 87 NA NA
17-24 NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA

Satellite transponders (14 total at 103º(cb) Tuner 2
[National HD channels beamed from D10 satellite]
1-8 91 90 87 82 84 86 81 80
9-16 79 84 81 83 79 84 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[/QUOTE]

 

[litzdog911]

Not sure if this is the cause, but you do have some low readings on the 99 and 103º satellites. Ideally all of the 99º(c) and 103º(ca) and 103º(cb) readings should be up in the high 80-90s. You've got a few in the 70s.

Are you getting any "Searching for Satellite ..." errors? Perhaps you could post a short video clip of the problem?

 

[Davenlr]

Might look at the dish too. A branch could be blowing in front of the dish with the wind, wires could be moving in wind causing an intermittent connect.

Its interesting you are getting some 100's on 101, and yet still have some 70's on the HD sats. From my experience, once you get into the 70-80 range on 99 or 103, you wont have any 100's on 101 anymore. Almost seems like you are getting some attenuation in your cable, or have a bad connector. Hard to tell without being there.

 

[P Smith]

Just call CSR, report the problem and the 70s levels - they will send a tech to your place to check and fix.
If you cannot go further after the numbers ...

 

[JackBikes]

Luckily I have no trees around that would block the signal. I have seen the "searching for sat" in the past but not recently. All these numbers are meaningless to me. Do I call DTV for service? I watched several channels today & all was good, (no pixilation) I also ran the diagnostic and it said everything was okay. Mysterious.

 

[P Smith]

Sure, call for service. It could be bad cable (sometimes the F connector become loose or water sneak inside ...) or LNBF.

 

[litzdog911]

Agreed, call and request a service visit. It's free if you have their Equipment Protection Plan, or within 90-days of installation. Otherwise ~$50.