HR-24 DVR problems

[WJD38]

Hello to the forum. I am just about at my ropes end with this problem so I thought I would throw it out here and see if anybody had any ideas.
Starting around mid to late October I started noticing that sometimes I would go to watch a recorded program on my HD dvr and in the first minute to 3 minutes it would freeze on the picture and never move again. Never any problems with live TV. Pretty busy taking care of an elderly parent so just ignored problem till it got worse and worse before thanksgiving. Since then I have had 7 service calls, 3 or case manager and 2 more boxes installed and am still having the problem, with a third 'new' box coming Friday.
The last supervisor than came out this weekend replaced everything from the lnb down to a new 6x8 multi switch and all new cables. Three hours later it happened again on a local channel. I have an old TiVo in my office that never has any problems its always just on my living room set. Signal strengths have always been great.
So now we are basically down to Direct saying its my problem with an electrical issue and they are washing their hands of it.
Never had any kind of electrical problems show up and I find it strange that if it is some electrical gremlin it always show up at minute 3 of a program, never at 24th minute or 53 minute or at the last minute.
Spent 12 years with direct and have always thought I received good to great technical support the few times I needed it but man this time it has been HORRID from the very start. I mean just piss poor.
Any ideas would be greatly appreciated and thanks in advance.

 

[raoul5788]

to Satelliteguys WJD38!

Sounds like gremlins to me!
Have you had the electrics checked? With everything being replaced, I can't imagine what else it could be. I assume you don't have line of sight issues otherwise one of the techs would have mentioned it. I don't know how sensitive the Directv boxes are to electric issues, but you never know. If you are using a power strip I would remove it to be sure that's not it. I would also check the outlets with a voltage meter to be sure you have 120 volts, and also with a receptacle tester to be sure you don't have connection issues like an open ground, etc. It's worth a shot I'd say.

 

[WJD38]

Thanks for the reply. One of the Techs sometime back in Jan. Didn't like that the box was plugged into a power strip so its been plugged directly into the outlet ever since. The last 3 techs have all tested the outlet multiple times and it says fine.
I would just be done with it all except I am taking care of a sick elderly parent who depends on it for entertainment.

 

[raoul5788]

I wish I had a better answer for you, good luck!

 

[Jimbo]

Thanks for the reply. One of the Techs sometime back in Jan. Didn't like that the box was plugged into a power strip so its been plugged directly into the outlet ever since. The last 3 techs have all tested the outlet multiple times and it says fine.
I would just be done with it all except I am taking care of a sick elderly parent who depends on it for entertainment.

Seeing everything has been replaced, I gotta think its something other than the D* equipment.
Seeing that were swapping things out, how about changing or at least unplugging and reconnecting the HDMI cable you using ... you wouldn't think that would be it, seeing it happens at the same time like that though.

 

[Zashel]

while it sounds like all big things have been changed, have you asked to have your system converted to SWM? at this point any change can only help.

 

[WJD38]

No I have not asked about converting it to SWM but will bring it up with my case manager I guess. Thanks for the input.
Also the HDMI cable was replaces.

 

[b52pooh]

If you are using an "old" TIVO, assuming it is a standard def receiver, you will not be able to switch to SWM system without upgrading that receiver. The model number would help us determine that. The question I have, though, is, Is the freeze happening at the beginning of, or during, a local channel commercial? It is important to determine the exact channel and program this occurs on. Also, have they tried switching the receivers to see if the problem follows the HD, This may also help determine if the problem is related to some kind of failure in the b-band converter system.

 

[WJD38]

If you are using an "old" TIVO, assuming it is a standard def receiver, you will not be able to switch to SWM system without upgrading that receiver. The model number would help us determine that. The question I have, though, is, Is the freeze happening at the beginning of, or during, a local channel commercial? It is important to determine the exact channel and program this occurs on. Also, have they tried switching the receivers to see if the problem follows the HD, This may also help determine if the problem is related to some kind of failure in the b-band converter system.

To me there is no real pattern though it may happen more on the local channels just because she records more of them. But it has also happened on the Velocity channel, discovery channel and other channels besides local. I guess I should have written them all down but at this point there has been to many to recall them all over the last 3 months. I have never seen it happen during a commercial.
But its always in the first 3 minutes and has never been after that. I just looked at the last one that occurred on local fox station Saturday an it was within the first minute.