If your DIRECTV receiver, DVR or Genie Client is running slowly or acting a little strange, there are a few things you can try right away. A slow receiver isn’t always a sign that it’s broken. In fact most slow receivers just need a few tweaks and you’ll find they work much better.
Rebooting your receiver fixes a lot of things. We tend to not think about rebooting because the receiver rarely needs it.
Find the red button on the receiver. It may be hidden behind a panel, but in most modern DIRECTV hardware, it’s on the side. Push it and wait. As soon as you get to live TV, push it again. That will empty out some of the logs. While this will actually slow the receiver down for the first half hour, but after that you may find that it’s surprisingly quick.
I have personally noticed that receivers being controlled over RF respond a lot faster than ones being controlled by IR. There are some ways you can tell if the remote is in RF mode but the easiest way is to point it directly away from the receiver. If it still works, it’s is RF mode. The RF signal is stronger and it seems like in every case I’ve tried, the RF performance is a lot better than the IR performance.
You can also try simply replacing the batteries which doesn’t usually do much but it can be a quick fix sometimes.
If you are looking for a new remote you’ll find the best price on them at Solid Signal. Personally I think you should stay with the DIRECTV branded remotes because they are the only ones that will actually work in RF mode. Universal remotes are not much of a value when you look at the low price and maximum convenience of the DIRECTV branded ones.
The biggest contributor to slow performance on DIRECTV Genie clients is the distance between the client and the DVR. If you have a lot of wasted cable between the wall and the client box, try to eliminate it. It might even be worth moving the client to a different wall to try to eliminate longer cable. Just remember that simply moving the client isn’t the goal. The goal is to eliminate extra cable.
In an extreme case, you could try using a Wireless Video Bridge and run your Gemini in wireless mode instead of a wired one. The video bridge can safely traverse 30 feet and 3 walls so it might be a better solution if you have to snake 75 feet of cable just to get to the bedroom.
If you’re one of those folks who is using a DECA to provide Ethernet to other devices (like a streaming box) you know that it works. What you don’t know is that the streaming box could be slowing down your DIRECTV box, even if it’s not on. At least as a test, disconnect those other devices from the DECA and see if the problem goes away over the course of 24 hours
If you still have an HR34, HR24, or H23 device, or even something older, upgrading to something newer will definitely speed you up. However this means you lose saved recordings and enters you into a new two-year contract so it’s something you would do as a last resort.
If you’re looking for more tips, read this blog or call Solid Signal at 888-233-7563 to get the best advice on how to speed up an older receiver. Call during East Coast business hours or fill out the form below!
The post Easy fixes for DIRECTV receivers with problems appeared first on The Solid Signal Blog.
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First thing to try: reboot twice
Rebooting your receiver fixes a lot of things. We tend to not think about rebooting because the receiver rarely needs it.
Find the red button on the receiver. It may be hidden behind a panel, but in most modern DIRECTV hardware, it’s on the side. Push it and wait. As soon as you get to live TV, push it again. That will empty out some of the logs. While this will actually slow the receiver down for the first half hour, but after that you may find that it’s surprisingly quick.
Switch to RF remote
I have personally noticed that receivers being controlled over RF respond a lot faster than ones being controlled by IR. There are some ways you can tell if the remote is in RF mode but the easiest way is to point it directly away from the receiver. If it still works, it’s is RF mode. The RF signal is stronger and it seems like in every case I’ve tried, the RF performance is a lot better than the IR performance.
You can also try simply replacing the batteries which doesn’t usually do much but it can be a quick fix sometimes.
If you are looking for a new remote you’ll find the best price on them at Solid Signal. Personally I think you should stay with the DIRECTV branded remotes because they are the only ones that will actually work in RF mode. Universal remotes are not much of a value when you look at the low price and maximum convenience of the DIRECTV branded ones.
Move the TV, shorten the cable
The biggest contributor to slow performance on DIRECTV Genie clients is the distance between the client and the DVR. If you have a lot of wasted cable between the wall and the client box, try to eliminate it. It might even be worth moving the client to a different wall to try to eliminate longer cable. Just remember that simply moving the client isn’t the goal. The goal is to eliminate extra cable.
In an extreme case, you could try using a Wireless Video Bridge and run your Gemini in wireless mode instead of a wired one. The video bridge can safely traverse 30 feet and 3 walls so it might be a better solution if you have to snake 75 feet of cable just to get to the bedroom.
Eliminate other devices
If you’re one of those folks who is using a DECA to provide Ethernet to other devices (like a streaming box) you know that it works. What you don’t know is that the streaming box could be slowing down your DIRECTV box, even if it’s not on. At least as a test, disconnect those other devices from the DECA and see if the problem goes away over the course of 24 hours
Upgrade older boxes
If you still have an HR34, HR24, or H23 device, or even something older, upgrading to something newer will definitely speed you up. However this means you lose saved recordings and enters you into a new two-year contract so it’s something you would do as a last resort.
If you’re looking for more tips, read this blog or call Solid Signal at 888-233-7563 to get the best advice on how to speed up an older receiver. Call during East Coast business hours or fill out the form below!
The post Easy fixes for DIRECTV receivers with problems appeared first on The Solid Signal Blog.
Continue reading...
