Problem with OTA channels with DISH box

[hoophead]

I have the VIP722 DVR/receiver and have my antenna (new last December) plugged into the back of it. Every once in a while, roughly every few weeks to maybe a month or so, my signal strength for those channels will be 0 (zero) while the satellite channels will be just fine. We find that by rebooting the box brings those channels back to life. I called DISH and they, obviously, blame it on the antenna connection (probly outside) and my antenna installer says it is nothing he did as he has done antenna work for 25yrs.

Anybody here ever hear or run across such a problem?

 

[Sammy033]

Anybody here ever hear or run across such a problem?

If you are getting the yellow screen of death then its similar to what alot of people get now and then. I got tired of it and plugged the antenna (rabbit ears btw) directly into the TV since I dont record anything on the networks. For whatever reason it handles the same signal much better. Although... I might switch is back temporarily so I can record the 24 special.

 

[hoophead]

But, I do record from the networks.

The Milwaukee CBS is not carried in HD on DISH so when I do getting it OTA in HD is paramount.

 

[rcbridge]

If you plug the antenna directly into the TV how is your signal?
If you haven't done this I would do it, this way you can eliminate the antenna and cabling as the source of the problem.

 

[hoophead]

Like I originally stated: Every once in a while, roughly every few weeks to maybe a month or so...

Therefor I never really know when it will happen. In the meantime I like to record from the OTA channels

EDIT: Or, are you insinuating I should do this when this happens the next time instead of what I do now, which is resetting the box?

 

[Russell Jorgensen]

I live in Sheboygan, and get Milwaukee HD locals with an OTA antenna too. The problem that I have with them is that temperature inversions will cause analog stations to get mixed up with the digital signal and the signal strengths will drop to 0 because the tuner can't figure out what to do. This might last a couple of hours or the whole evening. I have read here that should change in Feb. when everything has to be digital. Then there will not be any analog signals left to interfere. Could this be the problem that you are having? My biggest problem is with the Milwaukee HD locals supplied from Dish. They will pixelate a lot, and break up. Two different installers checked out my system and can't find anything wrong. I am assuming that it is a problem that comes straight from Dish.

 

[cparker]

Get a regular antenna coax splitter.
Disconnect OTA antenna from the 722 and connect that cable to the splitter
Now you need 2 more pieces of coax (one very short one)
From splitter take one coax to 722 and the other directly to the TV.

Watch OTA through the 722. Next time it acts up, switch inputs on the TV to the antenna input.

If watching OTA through the 722 is messed up but the direct connect to the TV is fine, then it's very likely an issue with the 722.

If both are messed up, then the problem is likely to be with your local station's signal.

 

[gdarwin]

Probably the station. I have one station here that dropps out and at the same time the Dish SD drops out also. Dish uses the HD signal for the SD channel.

 

[rglore]

Anybody here ever hear or run across such a problem?

Mine does it too once in a while, usually after vigorous channel changing activity with the remote. All OTA channels go to zero signal strength and I have to reboot to fix it. Sometimes when I have weird OTA channel problems, turning off the box with the remote and back on will fix it. Used to get the yellow signal loss error a lot but the latest firmware fixed that.

 

[kevink]

I came to post a problem I had today, and I see this thread.

Earlier today, the ABC affiliate went to 0 strength, but my CBS was still working. Figured it was just a momentary glitch on their side. Left home for a while. Came back, and saw CBS also wasn't working. Nor NBC and FOX. Just a black screen, dish channels worked fine. I've lost signal often before on some channels (2 are distant, 2 fairly local, large antenna in attic). But then I get the popup about lost signal. I verify connections, all tight.

I go into System Info, and during the scan of satellites all my channels came back.

 

[jpw711]

Mine does it too once in a while, usually after vigorous channel changing activity with the remote. All OTA channels go to zero signal strength and I have to reboot to fix it. Sometimes when I have weird OTA channel problems, turning off the box with the remote and back on will fix it. Used to get the yellow signal loss error a lot but the latest firmware fixed that.

Has happened to me twice today on my 622, had to reboot both times, didn't try the on/off with remote. For what it is worth, my ota channels are locked on 100% signal strength and the yellow screen of death only appears once in a very blue moon.

 

[dishby]

I have seen this on my 622. If I go to menu with the local channels and select a station, the signal strength bar goes from 0 to value. Then when I change to channel that was not working, everything is back to normal.

 

[gdarwin]

Going to zero indicates a multipath problem with Dish receivers.

 

[bebop]

Mine does it too once in a while, usually after vigorous channel changing activity with the remote. All OTA channels go to zero signal strength and I have to reboot to fix it. Sometimes when I have weird OTA channel problems, turning off the box with the remote and back on will fix it. Used to get the yellow signal loss error a lot but the latest firmware fixed that.

Me too. I got the zero signal on all OTA channels, and was able to recover each time (5 or so) by simply turning off the receiver (by remote), turning it back on and the OTA channels came back at normal strength. That saved lotsa time from having to reboot the receiver.

I suggest the OP'er try this next time if he hasn't yet.

 

[jpw711]

on/off worked for me last night