Tuning & Power Problems - Missing Channels, Timer Records Black/Wrong Channel, Machine Freezes/"Dead"
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Sources of Tuning Problems
Specific DVDR Problems & Solutions
The "Map-Your-Own" Solution for OTA & Cable TV
The "Clean-Tuner" Solution for Cable TV
FW Update for Recurring Freezes with 513/515
Old Stuff Archived In Place
Four Manual Channel Preset Procedures for Finding "Hidden" Digital Cable Channels
#1-Comparing to Another Digital-Tunered TV or Recorder
#2-Guided Search
#3-Sydyen Procedure for Comparing to Channels a Cableco DTA Tunes
#4-ALL-OR-NOTHING (AON)
NOTE: The 53x Series (533/5/7) may have more "accurate" cable-channel mapping than previous models, as ALP describes here
Sources of Tuning Problems
ION OTA AirBox channel(s) can cause problems. Delete them to fix.
List of channels here.
- Our hybrid (switched DTV/TV) tuners - Our tuners don't handle co-channel (duplicate-channel) interference as well as typ. HDTV integrated tuners, in which all analog/digital channels are in numerical sequence with no "switch."
- No error correction in cable-QAM modulation - per Wiki : "Although QAM uses the same 6 MHz bandwidth as ATSC, it carries about twice the data (38.47 Mbp/s @256QAM per 6Mhz channel) due to the lack of error correction; however, this requires a significantly cleaner signal path, such as distribution through hybrid fiber-coax digital cable."
- Program and System Information Protocol (PSIP) errors and omissions - per WIKI : FCC requires OTA signals to include terrestrial (OTA) virtual channel tables (TVCT) that define each virtual channel and its guide data, but cable virtual channel tables (CVCT) are optional... and we should know by now what "FCC-optional" means to cablecos today!
- Duplication from "Stealth" Cable Channels - per domino92024: "Your TV may tune an analog channel when 2-99 is selected. But many cable systems have digital only tuners in their STBs, and must simulcast those channels 2-99 in a "stealth" digital stream for reception by those STBs. More than half of the current Scientific Atlanta or Motorola STBs have digital only tuners. For example, Cox uses the SA 8240HDC DVR, which has a digital only receiver (as do many STBs in their employ.) So, they must simulcast their analog 2-99 tier in digital format for these STBs."
- HDMI or DUST !? - A couple of truly odd causes of channel loss users would NOT normally consider. One user lost a range of digital channels and we narrowed his problem down to the HDMI cable he was using. The channels were in his DVDR but they weren't getting to his TV. Another user lost one channel, then another, etc. and found a layer of dust on his circuit boards. Cleaned off and all channels back to normal.
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Specific DVDR Problems & Solutions
- All DTV Channels Disappear
If you suddenly see ALL blank screens on DTV channels, it may be temporary, so hold DTV/TV button down to toggle to analog tuner and back to DTV tuner and see if they show up again. If not, look for one of the other problems and solutions below.
- All-Analog Cable Channel Numbering
Some cablecos send all their channels on simple analog-like numbers, 1, 2, 3, etc. There is nothing DVDR users can do about this but it can cause some "disorientation" since the analog numbers don't and never will match what this DVDR's "hybrid" analog/digital tuner shows for digital channel numbers (XX.XX). Only that cableco's rented box (of course) and some HDTVs with "integrated" tuners will show those analog numbers. See Vickyg post here, my comment and her final comment following it.
- Your Cableco Goes All-Digital
If your cableco has eliminated all ANALOG channels, do a "Clean Tuner" scan for digital channels only, as described below.
On Oct 11 2012, the FCC gave approval for cablecos that went all-digital to scramble ALL their channels, and Comcast was the first in line for that one... in fact, 4 months early for this user ... like the FCC didn't even exist... they must have "winked" when they gave Comcast their latest "update"!?
YOUR Cableco MAY go all-digital, then tell you you need a box, or they may not be able to "afford" the transition costs (e.g., $$$, goodwill, customer retention) so they may just TELL you that you "need a box" anyway... no way to know with them except by TESTING in YOUR home... no need for "helpful advice" from the Axis of Evil here! By the way, their latest spiel is to tell you that a cable-QAM tuner "will soon be useless," so don't even consider one of these... they're afraid it might work well where YOU live, and you might like it!
DO NOT accept ANY dire warning from a cableco at face value since they LIE all the time! DO NOT jump the gun and pick up one of their boxes. If you've already got one or more, don't connect and "activate" them in your system until you first connect the incoming coax directly to this DVDR or to your HDTV, scan for analog/digital channels, and see if you really "can't see ANYTHING.
If it turns out that your cableco actually HAS gone all-digital AND actually HAS encrypted (scrambled) ALL their channels, your only options then are:
- Place this DVDR on the coax behind the box, which makes it a "slave" to the box but at least allows you to record whatever channel the box is tuned to, as described here . You'll have to set this DVDR on ch. 3 or 4, and leave it there, and set timers for that channel. Check your box for a REC feature or record simultaneously with the DVR if your box has one, as described here .
- Switch to OTA antenna ( see what channels are on your local airwaves).
- Switch to Satellite ( DishTV or DirecTV ).
- Get their #@*&%* boxes and pay them their enslavement fee. A rented cableco DVR might be your best option since it seamlessly integrates with your existing cable system and you can just trade it in if it dies or a better DVR comes along. You can then use your DVDR to record from the STB and copy from the DVR, or to view/record OTA channels with an indoor or outdoor antenna at your main TV or one of your other TVs scattered throughout your home.
- Get a Tivo w/rented cablecard. (However, see this before you go this route.)
- Known Cable/OTA Channels Won't Tune, or
Timer Records Black or Wrong Channel
Some cable/OTA antenna users have "duplicate" channels or bad channel-mapping info so they refuse to tune or be timer recorded. To fix, FIRST do another Auto Channel Preset to see if that simple action fixes things.
For a couple of oddball remedies, click the HDMI and Dust links in #5 above for info on users who found a bad HDMI cable or dust on the circuit boards made them lose channel tuning.
If no help, see the solutions described in the "Map-Your-Own" section below.
- FIOS Premium Channels Can Cause Conflicts
Ken.F advises not scanning in (or deleting) FIOS ch. 1-10 since they use those ch. for encrypted premium content that can cause tuning interference in these DVDRs if in channel memory. He advises running Auto Channel Preset with coax OFF for those channels. See "Clean Tuner" Solution below for procedure.
Here are four posts that describe one user's use of the "coax-off" scan in his FIOS system, where he found premium channels also above ch. 90.
- ION Airbox OTA Channel(s) USED TO Cause Shutdown, "Dead"/Freeze, etc.
ION OTA AirBox channel(s) used to cause problems, but ION supposedly fixed the problem in their signal. List of channels here just in case.
- Machine Freezes and Appears "Dead"
As a temporary measure, a "dead" unit can be revived with a Soft Reset, as described here.
A workaround for a unit that freezes only occasionally is the "Clean-Tuner Solution" below.
For a 513 or 515 that has many recurring freezes, a permanent solution is this Funai DTV-S 0x2C FW Update
When all else fails, you can try the "Grounder" solution : his 515 was rendered inoperable by loading of the Power Supply by poorly connected DVD ribbon cables. If you remove those cables, make sure you open any clamshell latches on ends and don't rock them side-to-side to remove, pull straight out.
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The "Map-Your-Own" Solution for OTA & Cable TV
• Don't use CH+/- to tune a duplicate channel you want to DELETE in the Manual Channel Preset menu. Instead, while in that menu, tune to a different channel in same tuner, then direct-enter the number you want to delete |
You have to watch closely, but you can sometimes SEE problem channels ("co-channels," or duplicate-channels) "flashing" from one number to another in the front-panel display as you surf thru the problem area with CH+/-. You can also find duplicate channels by seeing the same program content and station call sign on diff. channel number. Other times, it's not obvious and requires a search thru channel listing resources for
station call signs, like "KTVT-TV", as described in the suggestions below.
If all digital channels are blank or blue-screen:
See if it's temporary by toggling from digital to analog tuner and back to digital.
Temp. workaround for a channel that refuses to timer record:
Using only the CH+/- button, tune your DVDR to the actual channel you want... live TV pic showing desired channel/content, don't worry about channel #s. Stay on that channel and set up a timer program with that channel automatically inserted in the timer menu. Test with 1-min. timer program. If problem recurs, see next suggestions.
If you have a missing or "flashing" channel:
1. Use these sources to discover YOUR Physical (Display) and Virtual ch. #s:
- Antenna: rabbitears.info for antenna ch. #s.
- Antenna: tvfool.com for antenna ch. #s and directions from your location.
- Antenna & Cable: silicondust.com , Enter zip, then type of service in dropdown box at top, then "grid view" at right for both antenna & cable ch. #s side-by-side. Use them all as necessary to ferret out where they actually put their Physical channels that this DVDR can tune.
- Antenna & Cable: Wiki . Search a station's call sign, like "WFLA-TV," for info on that station, incl. ch. #s.
2. In a trial-and-error process, delete one of the duplicate numbers using the Manual Channel Preset menu. You can start with the following: If analog/digital, delete analog... if low#/high#, delete low#... if flashing, delete either one. If no joy, reverse process.
Successful Map-Your-Own resolutions of duplicate-channel problems:
- CABLE, Artwire & Nottenst, high/low DTV interference, higher-numbered channel used for timer rec. LONG series of posts.
- CABLE, Stump69, high/low DTV interference, higher-numbered channel used for timer rec.
- CABLE, Ken.F, high/low DTV interference, deleted lower ch.
- CABLE, Sap2007, high/low DTV interference, deleted lower ch.
- CABLE, DojoPat, multiple DTV duplicates at 117.X, deleted 117.X group.
- OTA, PeterTheGeek and George55 , both solved their "out-of-order" channel problem by combining the main Physical ch. # with the Virtual subchannel #.
- OTA, Jam-h, duplicated 5 & 9, deleted both, added Physical (RF) 44 & 38 per rabbitears.info.
- OTA, ALP, duplicate HD/SD DTV channels 5.1/5,2, out of order w/CH+/-, fixed for timer rec by using Physical (RF) ch.#s per rabbitears.info
- OTA, Kansas_Tom, both 13 & 44 on 13.1, deleted 13 by MANUALLY entering 13 in menu (not w/CH+/-), added 44.
- OTA, jjeff, double-duplicated DTV HD/SD 9 & HD/SD 29 in Minneapolis-St. Paul area, deleted 29 leaving it still recordable via timer (direct-entry of deleted ch. #). PeterTheGeek, also OTA in same area, gives tested options 5 posts below.
- OTA, gryffandor, duplicate channels 11 & 29 compete for 11.1 and both show sequentially as "11.1," w/ch. 29 not obvious except by Wiki search by ch. call sign, deleting 29 cleared spot for true 11.1
| Be aware that a subsequent unmodified (all-channel) Auto Channel Preset will bring back any problem channels, requiring this "fix" again, but at least now you'll know how to fix. To prevent this, pull coax off for bad channel or group(s), as reqd |
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The "Clean-Tuner" Solution for Cable TV
This solution can fix any DVDR model on cable that loses digital tuning on occasion or exhibits other odd tuning problems.
If currently dead, do a
Soft Reset to revive it. Then do the following:
- Once your unit is operational, do an Auto Channel Preset > Cable (Analog/Digital) with the coax OFF for all your channels, both analog and digital. This is to wipe the channel memory in both tuners so you can start with a "clean slate."
- Do another Auto Channel Preset with the coax ON, but only for one of the tuners, whichever you use most and need NOW. If you cableco went "all-digital," always skip the analog channels (1-125).
You can do a single-tuner scan with the coax's inner core fully inserted/engaged but the nut barely threaded so you can remove or insert it more quickly. You can also use a push-on coax. Analog channels go first and quickly up to 69 (Antenna) or 125 (Cable), and digitals go next and slowly up to 69 (Antenna) or 135 (Cable). Don't worry about missing a few channels in the "good" tuner, you can always add channels manually later... just don't let the scan catch any of the channels in the other tuner.
These are the first steps in isolating problems to a single tuner. If a channel problem still exists, now you know there's one or more duplicated channels in THAT tuner that need to be found and deleted as described above.
After you've operated normally for enough time to see if you've now got a clean tuner, you can Add back important channels you really need in the "problem" tuner, using Manual Channel Preset. Don't duplicate any channels, like WABC in both analog/digital tuners or in high/low DTV slots, and don't Add any crapchannels you don't really need.
If no joy with a 2160A/513/515, a permanent solution might be a FW Update to the latest FW available,
as described here.
Success stories:
- CABLE, Javtosser, problem and results, two analog ch. interfering with digitals, scanned digital tuner only.
- CABLE, Sleeve1961, problem and results, had constant lockups with 515, scanned digital tuner only..
- CABLE, DaveFinton, lots of analog/digital dups w/lockups if he turned off on analog ch., scanned analog tuner only, added one important digital manually.
- CABLE, Kansas_Tom, had same problem as DaveFinton (lockups when left on analog ch. on shutdown), scanned both tuners with coax off, then added important channels manually.
| Be aware that a subsequent unmodified (all-channel) Auto Channel Preset will bring back any problem channels, requiring this "fix" again, but at least now you'll know how to fix. To prevent this, pull coax off for bad channel or group(s), as reqd |
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FW Update for Freezes with 513/515
There's a
FW Update, Ver02C , for fixing a 513/515 that locks up (plays dead) regularly and persistently.
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