Black Screen with Banner - Hopper

[buckybadger2014]

Hey all,

I'm pretty new to DISH after having DirecTV for years with no issues. The Hopper technology was enough to convince me to switch, but we've been having enough issues so far that we are starting to question the switch....

The issue I had for the 4th time in the last couple weeks is a black screen on an HD channel that I am recording. Today it was ESPN2, the other 3 times it has been my regional sports network (recording local baseball game).

In all 4 instances, the recording didn't actually record, although it looks like it is on the guide. when I go to the channel in real time, I just get a black screen. This occurs on the Hopper, Super Joey, and Super Joeys - none work.

When I call support, they always have me reset the main hopper, which "solves" the problem for the time being. But they make no attempt to actually solve the issue, which is extremely inconvenient because I have to reset the Hopper, and end up missing what I tried to record.

Anyone have any ideas on how to permanently fix this? Could the fact that I am attempting to DVR be part of the issue? It seems like a common enough issue since they have a link about it, but is there anyway to avoid this in the future???

http://www.mydish.com/support/black-screen-with-banner-hopper?WT.svl=leftnav

Thanks!
Jeff

 

[lucky86]

Maybe it's signal loss and switching to SD feed and getting stuck on a black screen. I had that happen to me last week and I was told it's been worked on. I would check you signal levels on those hd channels and also remember whether you had weather at the time

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[dvrexpander]

Sounds like the channels were blacked out as the programming or event was being shown on a local feed..if that is true there is nothing Dish or Direct could do as its a FCC controlled thing and how content is broadcasted to certain regions in favor of advertising.

 

[lucky86]

Good call, what games were they? What's your zip?

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[buckybadger2014]

Hey guys, thanks for the response.

Definitely wasnt a blackout based on zip or anything. If that is the case, you get a message saying blacked out in your area, not just a black screen.

Today was ESPN, so that obviously wasnt a blackout. The other games have been Brewer games. But I was definitely on the correct channel - the standard def equivalent worked, and when I reset the Hopper, with the "black" channel left on, it would work after the reset.

 

[dvrexpander]

Hey guys, thanks for the response.

Definitely wasnt a blackout based on zip or anything. If that is the case, you get a message saying blacked out in your area, not just a black screen.

Today was ESPN, so that obviously wasnt a blackout. The other games have been Brewer games. But I was definitely on the correct channel - the standard def equivalent worked, and when I reset the Hopper, with the "black" channel left on, it would work after the reset.

It is possible you have an issue with the hopper itself, what software version are you running? Just press menu twice and it will show up the details. I don't believe the joeys or super joey have anything to do with this since the hopper is the brains of the system. Also what are your signal levels and how long ago was the install done and was the install done with existing cables run in the home? I got a lot of questions that could carry on from these questions depending on the answer.

Past Dish Tech here too just FYI so I'm thinking like a tech in trying to figure out the issue.

 

[Jim5506]

Here's what is probably happening: If you set a timer to record an HD RSN and the timer fires BEFORE Dish turns on the HD RSN, you get the black screen and you will ALWAYS get the black screen, because the tuner cannot redirect itself from the blank preview channel to the now active HD RSN. Set your timer manually, to start a minute or two after the advertised start of the event and you will get your recording.

The ESPN2 thing - I don't know.

 

[Rolling Joe]

I record baseball on my RSN and I never have this problem. The RSN HD channel has the "check back often" slate up whenever programming isn't provided. The receiver should have no trouble recording the slate if it fires off early.

The link provided by the OP should be a clue. They first advise a reset. If that doesn't fix the problem, then do the
"check switch" procedure. Maybe the switch is bad.

 

[Jim5506]

The thing is the receiver does not switch to the newly tuned stream after the recording has begun.

This has been the case since Dish began HD RSNs, if you start the recording before the HD channel kicks in you get a blank screen and no audio.

 

[Rolling Joe]

The thing is the receiver does not switch to the newly tuned stream after the recording has begun.

This has been the case since Dish began HD RSNs, if you start the recording before the HD channel kicks in you get a blank screen and no audio.

The RSN HD channel does not "kick in", it's there 24/7. The problem is on your end, not theirs.

 

[Bobby]

The RSN HD channel does not "kick in", it's there 24/7. The problem is on your end, not theirs.

While it always there, there is a slate that says tune in to this channels for your sports most of the time. It only goes to HD programming when there is an actual game. What Jim5506 said is exactly correct.