Need Help - What is Wrong with My UTV?

If the 5 LNB and UTV have co-existed for sometime now... It probably isn't that... most people have a problem right away if there is an issue.

Have you run a Signal Strength Test for a few minutes (under settings/hookup) to see if Tuner 2 is "dropping out" briefly. That might be a sign of early failure or maybe just overheating.

I'd recommend you make certain the UTV is keeping cool (In the open/good air flow,clean vents and working internal fan)... That is a simple thing people can do to resolve video freeze ups and pixelation issues.

Have you tried adding a USB Fan or other circulation fan to help cool down the UTV to see if that helps? Sometimes a simple reboot (either by unplugging or UTV Code like 12357) can resolve those problems for a time. An overnight or few hours cool down can help too... particularly if it is/was overheating. Give it a chance to get to room temp and let any cooling improvements start with a "cold" UTV.

Start with that and let us know... We can go from there.

Harden, you might also want to check this History list in My Shows ==> History (at the bottom of the screen). If a tuner is going bad you will usually see "Tuner Changed" messages scattered in the history list.

Those Tuner Status changes should also be during non-weather related events, when the Dish is known/could have been blocked, or when the Multi-Switch/Cables were switched off/disconnected.

I've had some "odd" ones that on review I found strange but were probably weather related. Since I have multiple UTVs I can get several other History Logs to backup what I'm seeing.

If you have a Multi-Switch feeding the UTV you may want to try bypassing the switch and see if a "direct" feed will resolve the issues.

The "Jenny" UTV code 8675309 will just download the UTV 3.8 OS... It isn't likely to do anything for you. But it can't hurt I guess.

As for cooling... just because it's been fine for years doesn't mean it isn't overheating now... Just like one's vehicle radiator... The coolant gradually degrades and needs flushing/replacement every few years and checked for leaks more often.

My Sony UTV had shown some pixilation in the past and after moving it to the basement, placing it sideways (fan side down) (limited space concerns), AND installing a PC Slot Blower fan it seems to be OK. It's an extreme measure but I'm sure just one of those things might be enough to keep my Sony UTV "cool" enough. Before the pixilation it had been elevated on bottle caps (just as all my other UTVs) and didn't have problems.

Now if you wanted to try restoring the UTV to "out of the box" condition you can try UTV Code 2355 2355 which will "default" everything back to it's original configuration.

YOU WILL LOSE ALL RECORDINGS and UPCOMING Auto/Series Settings.

That might eliminate/narrow the problems to figure out if it is Software and/or Hardware related.

www.ultimatetv.com says that 3.8 will be in the satellite stream for one year after release, which was shortly after the start of September.

2355 2355 should be thought of as a "restore" code.

It is usually incorrectly thought of as a FORMAT code since it deletes EVERYTHING (except the current OS interface).

It will restore it to the same condition you'd expect to see if you'd installed a "new" drive and downloaded a "fresh" copy of the OS, just like an "out of the box" like condition... if OS 3.8 had been available when UTVs were still in stores.

I've had similar issues with 2 different UTVs on 2 different dishes. Both were fine until the 3.8 upgrade...

People have complained about "My UTV was fine... until 3.x/3.5/3.7/3.8 came along."

One needs to figure out if it really is/was a bug with the software OR just something unrelated that happened around the same time.

Just like when taking the Car in for repairs. Is that rattle or new problem because of the previous repairs/upgrades, just because it was time, or some combination and a more alert customer? Did the customer just let the problems snowball (unchecked overheating) and the problem is out of control now regardless of what is done?

I'd probably point to the 3.5/3.7 time frame when some people complained that the software upgrades "KILLED" their UTV Tuner(s). I've faired rather well the last 5+ years with MOST of my UTVs but the 2002/2003 time frame was probably when most "New" UTVs had had a chance to get "broken in" and problems were due to surface. The problems with the chips probably played some role in the discontinuation of manufacturing of UTVs by Sony/RCA around that time.

Overheating plays a role in tuner failures... BUT it really is the BAD Chips (and poor heat sink design layout?) that are a big cause. IF the chips want to fail... they will do it when they are ready. You could do everything possible to keep them cool and they'd die like flies OR they last 10 years...

You can't really blame it on just a software upgrade.
That Milk Truck slamming into your house might be because you recently downloaded UTV OS 3.8 OR maybe not...

IF YOU GIVE A MOUSE A COOKIE...

As we know the tuners are the weak link on the UTV. The tuners and associated capicators will degrade over time due due to heat. To prolong the tuner life keep them cool.
I started using a cooling fan on my two units after one had to get shipped off for a tuner replacement. I found the Thermaltake A1888, variable speed, USB cooling fan to be the best solution. It cools and it is quiet at low speeds. I lay it down over the vent holes on the top, left side. Tape over the side vents just below the fan and air is drawn into the unit through the rear holes above the tuners.

For cooling I'd recommend a PC Slot type blower fan.

It requires one to open the UTV (REMOVE ACCESS CARD FIRST!) and attach it (via twist ties or bolts) to the rear vent holes. (Some flattening of the "slot" with a pliers is all that is needed and power is provided off the hard drive's connection.

It may not be as quiet or as easily removed/switched off... but it does provide plenty of air flow without making any long term modifications to the UTV.

Your kidding right? If you still got an original 40 gb drive that's working that's a miracle in itself. Most problems are drive related, they take a beating with video and audio applications.


I am using an old 35 hour drive that I resurrected myself but it does crash now and then but I hardly record on it anymore.

You can try swapping tuners via pip or use one input at a time only.

Frankly I like the HR20 I just picked up one myself. I am not sure I would put another $50 out for a utv drive anymore since the os is limited to 110 hours of sd, it's time to move on. They (utv) have surely served me well. I am almost certain if you sent one in to directv for repair they wouldn't replace it with another utv?


oth

True. DTV will probably end up sending out a DTV DVR of some flavor that they have in stock now. Tivo and UTV DVRs are not likely to be on the list anymore.

As for hard drive failures... Have you seen the specs on the Seagate 40GB U Series 5? MTBF is like 500000 hours. I won't deny that DVRs are tough on Hard Drives or that failures don't happen... but lets not be so quick to jump to the "easy" answers.

UTV's are specialized computers. If you had a problem with your PC or Mac... and someone said... It's just a hard drive problem, just swap it out and you'll be fine... You'd have a 50/50 chance that would actually FIX the problem... Because it was really just a software problem... having to reinstall everything from scratch "fixed" the problem... because the "problem" was removed along with a perfectly good hard drive.

Try to eliminate the problems that don't require modifying the UTV.

To many people like jumping to the "BIG" fix when it's just a little tweak that is needed.

Hard drives are cheap. You won't benefit from replacing it if it's working when you sell it.

I'm assuming you have done all the isolation tests and have determined it's a particular tuner issue. Check the history to see if there are any tuner log messages. A single bad tuner is the most common fault with a UTV, they usually go one at a time. There's a company that fixes them, search the sticky, I forget their name.

"What exactly are the isolation tests?"

From rereading the previous posts I'd gather you HAVE in some form or other already done most of these tests.

Basically have you tested each cable run (by itself NOT in PAIRS) on each tuner? If the GOOD Tuner works on ALL Cable runs then that is likely a sign the runs are OK. If the Bad Tuner works on one but not the other(s)... that might point to a run being bad/poor.

Have you tried cooling down the UTV to see if that resolved the Tuner issue? Either improving it's open air location (elevation/open area) and/or placing a fan to increase air flow over the underside... along with making sure the vents/ internal fan are clean and working. An overnight/few hours power down can also be enough to cool the tuners and allow the tuner(s) to work (for a time at least) as they should.

Since the Tuner isn't exactly DEAD (still gets at least a degraded A/V signal)... It probably isn't showing in the History Log as a Tuner Status Change.

In the Signal Strength Meter it might show strong (Locked), or momentary drop out (Unlocked) randomly.

As part of the testing you might use the "Advanced" Signal Strength Meter under Dish Pointing Setup... testing the "Multi-Switch" (if you are using one or not) using each Tuner (Individually) might further point to a weakness in the "Bad" Tuner. If it can't pickup the High and/or Low Voltage (Even/Odd Transponders) and has problems seeing all the available Sats (compared to the "Good" Tuner)... That further "Isolates" the problem.

With that info you can see if it reacts the same way on other runs or if it comes/goes with additional cooling (say 1 hour or more after increasing cooling).

As for the "upgraded" hard drive. I'd try and sell it as-is and maybe OFFER to upgrade the drive for $XX if the buyer wanted it. It is up to you... but there are buyers for ALL types of UTVs...

Good Luck,