Þ Sound lag only on HD channels
Re: Sound lag only on HD channels
Posted Nov 6, 2007 by litzdog911
There can be several causes of out-of-synch audio/video, including:
* Original source broadcast: This seems to be all-to-common with some network broadcasts and certain HiDef networks. There's nothing you can do about the problem if it's caused by the source, other than complain to them.
* HDMI Audio/Video interface: Some TVs and AV Receivers don't do a great job processing the audio and video simultaneously. If your out-of-synch timing is always the same, regardless of the source channel, then try using component video plus digital audio connections instead of the HDMI connection to see if that helps. Note that sometimes this problem will be different if the source channel uses DD5.1 audio instead of 2-ch PCM audio. Also, some newer TVs and AV Receivers allow you to independently set audio/video delay to compensate for this problem. Check your TV or AV Receiver owner's manual.
* Temporary DVR problem: Sometimes the DVR itself will get "confused" and the audio/video may go out-of-synch. Sometimes a simple FF/REW will clear that up. Or resetting the DVR will solve it. Or try pressing STOP to stop the recording and then press LIST to find your program and restart it. If you're watching Live TV, try changing the channels back & forth, or try rewinding slightly into the live recording buffer.
Here's a bit more information I've learned recently that might help explain why it's such a challenge to properly synchronize the audio/video ....
The digital TV standard (ATSC) allows for four different Dolby Digital DD5.1 audio rates (192, 224, 384 & 448kbps). Often the local stations will change these rates on the fly. For example, the network programming might be using 448kbps and then the station will switch to 224kbps. It's also one of the common causes of audio dropouts.
Þ Recording 2 shows at once
Posted Nov 5, 2007 by frederic1943
You
should be able to record two at once if you have two cables coming into the
back of the HR20 with two BBCs. You can't record two shows and watch a third
because there's only two tuners in the HR20. You can record two and watch a
previously recorded show. Or record two and watch a broadcast from an OTA antenna
connected directly to the TV.
Þ Second tuner non functional
Re: Second tuner non functional
Posted Oct 18, 2007 by texasbrit
You can see from this forum how many people are having these problems. The good news, if there is any, is that almost all these problems are due to incorrect installations - dish not aligned correctly, using the wrong multiswitch, having OTA or cable modem diplexed onto the same line as the sat signal, running the sat cable through a surge protector/line conditioner. The bad news is that there are so many installation problems, it makes it very difficult to diagnose when there are real problems with either the HR20 or the dish itself. And many DirecTV installers just don't seem to have the knowledge or training to get these problems fixed.
If you want to try to sort out these issues without relying on the installer/tech, here's a basic checklist.
Do you have the 5-lnb dish? Is the receiver set to 5-lnb and to the correct multiswitch?
Do you either have the receivers connected by individual cables directly to the dish (no splitters allowed), or through a multiswitch?
If you have a multiswitch, is it the Zinwell WB68/616? Other multiswitches will not work.
Do you have anywhere where the satellite cable is shared with a cable signal, cable modem or OTA from an antenna? This is called diplexing and won't work with the new satellite signals.
Do you have any other devices in the satellite cables, like surge protectors? Some of these interfere with the signals from the new satellite 103(b).
Do you have the b-band converters (BBCs) attched to the back of your receiver (one BBC) or DVR (two BBCs)?
If the results from the checklist look OK, look at your satellite signal strengths. If it is the new HD channels where you are having problems, these come from the 103(b) satellite. Look at the signal strengths on all transponders on 103(b) and on both tuners if you have an HR20. If your signal strengths on 103(b) are below the 80s, you need to have the dish aligned properly. Anything much below 60s and this will cause 771 searching for satellite signal messages.
If you get zero signal on one of the tuners on an HR20, and good signals on the other, the chances are something is interfering with the signal to the second tuner. Swap over the BBCs (not the cables). Do a reset. If the problem moves to the other tuner, you have a faulty BBC. If not, swap over the cables. Do a reset. If the problem does NOT move to the other tuner, that indicates there is a fault in your HR20. If the problem moves with the cables, that indicates a problem with the cable/connectors, in the multiswitch or at the dish.
Check out your system and post back here with your results.
Þ Direct TV Guide Feature
Posted Sep 5, 2007 by Carl6
You can identify what channels are in which package on the DirecTV web site. You can also go through all of them to find out, but as you noted that is time consuming.
In general...
Channels 2 to 69 are for local stations.
Channels 70 to 79 are the current hi-def offerings.
Channels 80-89 are hi-def distant networks.
Channels in the 100's are pay per view.
Channels 200 to 399 are in most subscription packages.
Channels in the 400's are Spanish language channels.
Channels in the 500's are premium (movie) channels.
Channels in the 600's are sports related.
So, that should help you narrow down the ones you may or may not get, and your research from that point should be fairly easy.
Þ Native Setting
Posted Sep 5, 2007 by greywolf
Native on will output a program in its original resolution. SD is 480i. In HD, ESPN, ABC and FOX are 720p as are some local stations. The others are 1080i. Native off will output only the resolution you set the box to output and it will convert all programming to that resolution. Your TV will convert all signals to 1080p. Conversion involves changing the number of lines of resolution. It will involve some loss of clarity. The receiver or the TV may be a little different in their ability to do a good conversion job. Changing from i to p just involves de-interlacing and is pretty seamless. Just use the settings that look best to you.
Þ Slow motion on the HR20
Re: Create Slow Motion Replay with HR20?
Posted May 22, 2007 by sungam
From the HR20 manual: "Cruise Controls: Use the PAUSE, FFWD, REWIND,
REPLAY, RECORD and ADVANCE keys to control your viewing time. Pressing FFWD
or REWIND multiple times lets you increment the speed at which you cruise through
a program. Pressing and holding PLAY shows the program in slow motion. If you
press FFWD while a program is paused, the program is displayed in frame-by-frame."
BTW: If you release Play once slow-mo starts, it should continue that way until
you hit play again to return to normal speed.
Þ Sony remote with HR20
Re: Using A Sony Remote With HR20
Posted May 21, 2007 by Tivoburkee
Yes, sounds like you need a universal remote, the RF30 is great remote, I have one myself. The code in the Rf30 for the SAT receiver is sat 173. what isn't preset can be taught.
THE RF30 is a RF remote, but it will only control the HR20 set to IR, no universal remote will communicate directly with receiver via RF, only IR.
Þ RC34 remote
Posted May 22, 2007 by Tivoburkee
You're not suppose to enter 960 procedure after each time you enter a new tv code, in fact you will be turning it off half the time.
program the remote for the toshiba, make sure the input key works on that tv. Now take it to the panasonic tv, try the following codes, 10250, 10051, 10055, 10650, 11410. Tapping the input key to see if it works after each code.
Þ RC34 remote
Re: New Equipment DIRECTV HR20-700S
Posted 11:50 AM by Tivoburkee
If the sony is set to default codeset Av2, then the code to use is 31758. First there has to be a tv code programmed to the tv device, or the volume keys won't work, Then:
1. av1 or av2 whichever has the sony code
2. press and hold MUTE & SELECT for two blinks
3. enter 9 9 3
4. press VOL UP
If you wish the sony vol in all devices do the following instead:
1. av1 or av2
2. press and hold MUTE & SELECT for two blinks
3. enter 9 9 3
4. press SELECT
Þ RC32RF remote
Re: RC32RF remote with Sony SAT-T60 DVR
Posted May 22, 2007 by Tivoburkee
No, the only models of receiver that the rc32rf will control via RF are H10, H20, HR20, and R15.
Þ Resolution on the HR20
Posted Apr 27, 2007 by texasbrit
It depends how you set the resolutions on your HR20. If you set the DVR to always output 1080i (i.e. upconvert the 480i and 720p signals in the HR20) you will see 1080i all the time. My HR20 is set that way. If you set your HR20 to send the TV the signal in the same resolution in which it was received, the resolution lights will change. It's all a matter of personal preference, there is no "right" way to do this. I would suggest the following: Find out what is the native resolution of your TV. If it's a flat panel of some sort, it will be 720p, 1080i or 1080p. If it's a CRT TV, it's probably 1080i. Go into the HR20 setup screens and switch native "off". Go into the resolutions setting screen and checkmark only the following: for a TV native resolution of 720p, just check 720p For TV native of 1080i, just check 1080i For TV native of 1080p, just check 720p and 1080i. The other most often used approach is to set native "on"; then check all the resolutions and let the TV sort it out. Warning: some TVs will not accept 480i over an HDMI connection so if yours is one of these and you are using HDMI (some Samsungs are the most often reported, but there are others) make sure 480i is not checked). Which is best? Depends on your TV and other issues. Native "on" has the advantage that the stretch/zoom etc controls on your TV will still work with 480i signals. If you convert them to 1080i in your HR20, most TVs don't provide the stretch controls on HD signals. Native "on" is also better if your TVs conversion circuits are better than the ones in the HR20. With most TVS, you can't see the difference. Native "off" gives slightly faster channel changing on the HR20 than native "on", (I use native "off".) and puts the conversions in the HR20.
Þ Blue screen when changing HD channels
Posted Mar 16, 2007 by greywolf
Some TV's cannot support some resolutions. Check the TV's manual to see what resolutions it can do. A number of older CRT TVs especially cannot do 720p. Even some new sets cannot do 480i over component or especially HDMI. See if turning Native off in the display menu and selecting an output resolution close the that of the TV helps. 1366x768 TVs do best with 720p and 1920x1080 TVs can be set to 1080i for example. If Native on is preferred, go to the TV type section of the menu, click the resolutions tab, and uncheck the resolutions the TV does not support.
Þ HR20 black screen
Posted Jun 13, 2007 by ebonovic
Monkeybread100 -
Your's doesn't sound like a hard drive failure, but just an occurence of a bug that has been worked on... just not completely eliminated.
Do a simple restart of the system:
Menu->Setup->Reset->Reset (I think that is the right menu order).
And that should restore your ability to play the recorded programs.
Þ Deleting unwanted series link
Re: delete programs on prioratizer list on hddvr 700
Posted Jun 11, 2007 by litzdog911
Try rebooting the DVR. Then the "double dash" remote code should work to delete your unwanted Series Links.
Note that if you're just trying to remove unwanted recordings from the To Do List, just press "Stop" on the remote.
Þ Prioritizer
Posted Jun 5, 2007 by ebonovic
To delete programs that no longer have an episodes:
Highlight the program in the prioritizer, hit "-" "- " (double dash) to delete the Series Link.
There is no way to go past the 50 Series Links, at this time.
Þ Removing programs
Re: Removing programs from HD on defective receiver.
Posted Jun 9, 2007 by Carl6
A couple of things to check.
1. Make sure you did not accidentally change the R15 to the AV1/AV2 remote setup. Use the front panel controls to bring up the menu, scroll down, and check the remote setup.
2. If you have not done so yet, reset the unit. I would pull the power plug, wait about 30 seconds, and plug it back in.
And, as someone else noted, you can keep that receiver active and use the front panel controls to watch the recorded programs. Then when you have watched everything, deactivate it and return it. Or, again using the front panel controls, play your recordings to a DVD recorder or VCR.
Carl
Þ Fast forwarding
Re: Skipping forward in recorded program
Posted May 28, 2007 by packerfan53
Press and hold FFWD to jump to next tick mark. Press and hold for 3 secs to go to the end of recording. Press and hold rewind to jump back to previous tick mark. Press and hold it for 3 secs to go to beginning of recording. Here's a link to Tips and Tricks for the HR20 http://www.dbstalk.com/showthread.php?t=72648&highlight=tips+tricks
Þ Pixelation and signal strength
Re: Signal strength of 89 vs 95
Posted May 8, 2007 by texasbrit
119 carries ESPN2 HD, Discovery HD and HDNet.
89 vs 95 signal strength will make no difference to the pixelation. Pixelation due to weak signal strength will not show up until the signal is much weaker, certainly in the 50s or lower.
Pixelation within the picture on sports is usually coming from the source, such as the national network feed or the TNT feed, so there's nothing you can do about it in your equipment.
Þ Searching for a signal for HD local channels
Re: Searching for Signal HD Local Channels - Resolution per Directv Technician
Posted Jun 6, 2007 by Carl6
DGF9600,
Sounds like the BBC was the source of your problems.
By switching the coax and having the problem move between tuners, I agree with you that alignment is good and cabling someplace is the problem. That would include the BBC.
To clarify just a little bit, the BBC's should not have caused any problems, and should have been installed originally. They don't do anything at the moment, but will be required to get new HD channels after the next satellite is placed in service in a few months. It is true, there were a batch of bad BBCs, not sure if it was the bent cable or something else, but you are not the first person to have a problem with a BBC.
It sounds like you have the problem identified and fixed.
Carl
Þ Searching for a signal
Re: H20 High Def receiver no signal
Posted Jun 10, 2007 by Carl6
Your last sentence contradicts a previous statement, which confuses the issue.
If a given receiver works at one location and does not work at another location, that points to a wiring problem.
If you have a problem at a given location and put another receiver there and still have a problem, that points to a wiring problem.
You said that both of those were true - you did both of those and that was your result. So it really sounds like a wiring problem to that location.
You found a corroded connector and replaced it. Good troubleshooting and repair so far. But that did not fix the problem. So, first thing to check is to make sure your replacement connector is on properly, no short between shield and center conductor, good shield to shell connection, etc. You should use good compression connectors, avoid twist on connectors entirely.
Next, follow the line back and see if there are any other bad connectors. If there is one, there may be another.
You are doing everything right to isolate the problem, and your indications all point to some type of wiring problem.
But then we come to your last sentence which says that you have a problem with one receiver, but don't have a problem with a different receiver, at one given location. That is opposite of what you said earlier. So take a step back, and go back through the same process you did the first time. Check the first receiver at two locations. Check a known good receiver at the bad location. Note the results and go from there.
Carl
Þ HR20 dish issues
Posted Jun 12, 2007 by ebonovic
In all seriousness...
Take a look at your dish...
How many wires are comming out of it?
Are those wires, directly run to your HR20... Or is there a multswitch in the middle (or something else, like a splitter).
If you have NO multiswitch, then the runs shoudl be straight from your dish... to your HR20.
if there is a multiswitch, then there better be 4 straight runs from your dish to that switch.
The problem you are describing is the classic symptoms of either:
-) A multiswitch failure
-) Incorrect multiswitch setup (not all the feeds from the dish)
-) Faulty dish hardware (since there is built-in switch in the LNB assembly)
BTW: let me guess... you painted the HR20-100b while it was taken out of the box.... in the installer defense... it is probably the first, and maybe the last black one that he/she has seen.... simply because it was such a small single production run, and most are being purchase by private sellers, with no installer involvement.
Þ Pixelation on HR20
Re: Pixelation on HR20 Receiver
Posted Jun 13, 2007 by sungam
I'd say that the diplexed cable internet is the problem. While diplexing cable or OTA might possibly work for the time being, it won't once the new satellite(s) launch. The frequencies they use will overlap cable and OTA TV frequencies making diplexing impossible.
The typically higher signal levels and/or the bidirectional nature of the cable internet service may contribute to the interference you're seeing between cable and DirecTV. Best bet is to run a separate cable for the internet.
Þ Pixelation
Posted Jun 11, 2007 by Carl6
The H20 tends to read 15 to 20 points lower than other receiver models on transponder signal strengths. Given that difference, your readings all look good, and the couple of transponders you report from the other receiver support that. You do not appear to have a dish alignment problem - at least it isn't obvious that is the problem.
That brings us back to overall signal compression, and the degree to which it is noticeable in fast moving scenes. Sometimes careful adjustment of your video settings can minimize the degree to which these are noticeable - or even better, professional calibration of the input to the source.
Carl
Þ B-Band converter
Posted Jun 10, 2007 by sungam
Here's a link to the DirecTV web page on the BBC issue...
http://www.directv.com/DTVAPP/global/contentPage.jsp?assetId=P4200018
There's also a link there where you can sign up to get the BBC modules if you don't already have them.
Þ Audio and video synchronization
Re: Audio & video not synchronized
Posted Mar 14, 2007 by texasbrit
Here's what I posted in response to a similar question:
QUOTE: The audio-video sync problem is not just with the HR20, it is a problem across the industry. It's because with digital processing the audio and video are processed separately, there's no "timecode" attached to the data to tell all the equipment when things are in sync. At each stage of the processing, starting in the studio, people try to manually sync everything or try to compensate for the sync delays that might be introduced by later processing. It is worst when there is lots of data to process (such as with MPEG-4 locals) and with digital displays (plasma, LCD etc) when displaying high-definition pictures. The HR20 contributes its own processing delays, it sometimes seems to sync better when its internal queues are empty, which is why a reset seems to help. But the problems start all the way back at the studio, and get worse as the signals travel from the network to the local affiliate, through the DirecTV encoders, through your satellite box and surround sound receiver and though the processing systems in your digital TV.
Some video-switching receivers are now including controls to adjust the audio-video sync, you can buy special boxes to adjust the audio-video sync, and the next release of the HDMI spec will contain audio-video sync information. I'm not recommending any equipment here but the following link might help in understanding the issue http://www.lipfix.com/lip_sync_error_.html UNQUOTE
Some TVs now have adjustments for audio-video sync also. Doing a red button reset on your HR20 will sometimes help, probably because it clears out some of the internal video processing queues.
Þ MPEG4 vs MPEG2
Posted Feb 20, 2007 by texasbrit
Anything you record from the DirecTV HD locals is MPEG-4. Any other DirecTV, and OTA locals, are MPEG-2. MPEG-4 is a more efficient form of encoding so the recordings take up less space.
Þ HR20 and MPEG4 format
Posted Jun 19, 2007 by ebonovic
There
is no other HD-DVR for DirecTV, that is compatibile with the MPEG-4 format...
only the HR20. (the MPEG-4 is what all the HD-Locals and the future HD networks
will be sent in). For skipping to the beginning: Hold the Reverse Advance Button
(Top Left of Play) for three seconds To jump to the end: Hold the Forward Advance
Button (Top Right of Play) for three seconds To skip to ticks (average of 15
minutes, for an hour program) Forward Tick: Hold FF for 3 seconds Back Tick:
Hold RW for 3 seconds -- As for the dual buffers, nope not there -- As for the
guide... you are probably in the LIST (aka TiVo) Guide mode. Two columns, left
side channels right side programs? For something similar (not the same, but
similar), highlight the channel number in the guide... hit INFO.... it will
then list every program on that channel for the next 12-14 days
Þ Integrated HDTV
Posted Feb 21, 2007 by texasbrit
The integrated HDTV tuner in your TV is probably an ATSC tuner, it will receive digital Over The Air signals from an antenna. It could possibly be an integrated QAM tuner for cable. But whichever it is, it has nothing to do with DirecTV. To get DirecTV in HD, you need an HD receiver which connects to your TV via either HDMI or component cables. An HD receiver like the H20, or the HR20 DVR, coupled with the 5-lnb dish, gives you the ability to receive HD channels such as HDNet (if you purchase the HD access package) and local HD channels (if they are offered in your city). Later this year and into 2008 DirecTV will start to deliver other national HD channels thru the 5-lnb dish also.
Þ HD Format - Fitting on your screen
Posted Feb 20, 2007 by skaneri
With a true 1080i (or 720p) signal your screen should "fill" the 16:9 aspect ratio...if the channel you are watching isn't broadcasting an HD signal you will get black or gray borders unless you set your receiver or tv to "stretch" mode. When stretched you will lose original format of picture and PQ will diminish overall. I am not familiar with H20 but the HR20 allows you to make these settings in the installation screen. You can optionally let your TV do the stretching/letterboxing/pillaring by setting the aspect ratio accordinly on the TV.
Skane
Þ Recording light flashes on HR20
Re: HR20 - Recording light flashes sometimes...is that normal?
Posted Jun 10, 2007 by Carl6
The recording light will come on anytime the unit is recording. That is normal (whether the HR20 is on or "off"/standby). They are also introducing "showcases" to the HR20, which are programs DirecTV sends and records on a special, reserved, part of the hard disk - so it may record even if you haven't scheduled something to record. Again, that is normal.
However, you should be able to turn the HR20 on/off at any time, and it should not reset if it is on when the record light comes on. That is not normal.
Try the following, in the order listed, and only go as far as needed to resolve your problem.
1. Do a menu reset (restart receiver from the reset menu).
2. Do a red button reset (red button by access card).
3. Do a power cycle. Unplug power cord for about 30 seconds, then plug it back in.
4. Do a forced software download. Start with a menu reset. Then when the LED light circle starts to rotate, push the 0 2 4 6 8 buttons on your remote, one at a time, in that order, and one time only. Don't push any other buttons. Then wait. After a pause, you should see a screen that says Found New Software. The unit will download the software, then restart. This usually takes up to 20 minutes.
5. If after all of the above you still have the problem, do a "reset everything" from the menu. Warning: This will erase all recordings and reset everything back to factory defaults.
6. Call and arrange for a replacement HR20.
Good luck,
Carl
Þ "Please Wait" message
Posted May 20, 2007 by REXJONAS
turn off native mode on your recv. menu-settings-setup-display-native. with the mode on it slows down channel changes because the recv takes a few seconds to determine the resolution of the programming coming through. then use the format button on the remote to set your resolution to 1080i if your tv supports it otherwise use 720p.
Þ Poor resolution
Re: Poor resolution all channels
Posted Apr 27, 2007 by texasbrit
There could be multiple issues here but let's try to solve them one at a time.
First, you have the HR20 DVR but do you have the 5-lnb dish? If you think you do have the 5-lnb dish, go to menu>help& settings>setup. Look at the info on the screen. Does it say "Dish Type: 5 lnb multisat"? If it does not, you either don't have the 5-lnb dish or you have it but the installer did not set up your HR20 properly. So if it does NOT say 5-lnb, go into setup and repeat the satellite setup, making sure you specify the 5-lnb dish. Also, if this is your only DireCTV receiver and you do not have a multiswitch installed, make sure the multiswitch in setup is specifiesd as a 4x4 (that's the one buil into the dish).
Once you get to the stage where the HR20 says it is connected to a 5-lnb dish, and everything is running, go to check your signal strength on all the satellites and post back here with your numbers. The New York HD locals come in two different places - channels with channel numbers in the 80s on sats 101/119, and then the new MPEG-4 HD locals are on satellite 99. You can ignore the 103 satellite numbers because they are all spotbeams pointed at a different city and do not carry any programming for you.
If you are not getting signals on 99 you will not see any of the MPEG-4 HD locals, you will get a 771 when you select them.
The reason why you see pictures with black bars on your local channels with numbers in the 80s (not the 70s) is that they are probably broadcasting non-HD programming. A lot of the programs broadcast by the networks outside prime time is not HD material, it was filmed in SD. This includes many programs, most of the commercials, and in most cities the news and other locally-originated material. The station adds the black bars, upconverts it to 1080i and broadcasts it. It is not HD because you can't add the "missing pixels" but what you do get is a high-quality SD picture.
Anyway, let's tackle the signal issue first so post back when you can confirm the 5-lnb and give us your signal strengths.