directv dvr locking up satellite signal screen and unit

[vhelp]

anybody else having this issue with their dvr receivers ?

this started many months ago but i put it off and ignored it till now. i need to realigne the dish in my room and need to use the on-screen signal strength meter gauge to tune to the highest frequency, but can't because the screen locks up, and also locks up my dvr permanently. i have to pull out the access card and hard reset the unit. i wouldn't complain about it but the point is, it takes 20 minutes to finally get a picture because it has to go through all the boot up, receive new or latest firmware updates, and access/reset the channels package i have, (family package) and all that takes too much time. it is now annoying to the point that i may cancel this directv. my dvr is the SD version, not HD. i have the regular round dish.

[misterbill]

What does DirecTV customer service tell you to do?

[vhelp]

i have not spoken to them yet, just only occured this evening when i needed to realign the dish, that the symtom still occurs. it locks the unit. none of the buttons on the remote do anything, the screen sort of freezes. but if i turn off the unit, it will never turn back on no matter how many buttons i press. the only thing i can do is turn off the unit, pull the plug out of the wall for a minute, pull the card out and then press the reset red button, put card back in and press the reset (red button) again and then it will come back on. but i'm tired of waiting 20 minutes for it to go through the whole initilization process in order to complete. that's just absurd to have to do every time i try and test it again, trying to get the satellite setup screen. it fails every time. never used to. can't be the dvr, or else the thing wouldn't work. i mean, everything else works. it must be their firmware updates. no one is checking everything, nor should they. anyway.

this time, i don't want to touch anything again. i plan on calling them tomorrow, and telling about the situation in hopes to see if they can access the unit (we know they can) and reset something on their end. the test: i want to see if they *can* access the unit (turn it on, for instance) and the unit should come up. if they can't, then it means something is wrong with the firmware and it keeps locking the unit down. i know they will tell me to do the things i just mentioned already. but thats not what i want to hear, and is not an answer since i already know the steps. the point is, something is wrong with their firmware update that keeps locking the unit down when you access the satellite setup screens. i used to use it all the time with no problem. now there is a problem. don't know what else to say.

[vhelp]

What does DirecTV customer service tell you to do?

just got off the phone.. short answer: to replace the dvr. or else, they want to run me through steps of powering off and removing the card, pressing the reset button, etc etc., just what i already mentioned and know to do.

it is obvious that is what they wanted to do all along. thats why they locked the satellite setup screen early this year, i was just ignorant about inquiring since it wasn't a big deal, just reset the unit and forget about it.. but now i need to realign the dish. so they finally snagged me.

next time, i will just draw a line on the wall instead of on sticky's. the sticky came off and i lost the coordinates / position of the dish. i get close but it keeps chopping up. i need to see the meter gauge to get the best signal strength.

[vhelp]

there is nothing wrong with the dvr unit. i am convenced that it is their firmware updates. i looked and saw the last update: Wed, 11/13, 3:17am and this problem has been since at least early this year when i first discovered it.

talking and troubleshooting the issue with their tech support did nothing. all the steps i already do. they insist that my dvr is defective and want me to return it asap in exchange for an HD unit. i don't have that size/shape dish nor do i want it in my living room let alone the added cost for that service now. i am not convienced that HD is the best quality upgrade. just larger picture and more/new generation of artifacts to adjust to, plus i only watch one channel.

so i decided to live with the issue as is. it is only the sat setup that doesn't work. and you would never know it if you don't use it. and nobody uses it since their dish is outside. mine is inside my apt for easy access and decoration. moving on...