Posted on 10/24/2006 9:22:15 PM PDT by hsmomx3
We got the Dish installed today and all was fine.
Then the kids started manually inputting different channels using the remote.
As a result, the entire satellite programming was lost. We have what looks like the blue screen of death.
I called customer service twice and they have no clue as to how to fix this.
We have to wait two days for a tech. to come out and fix this.
Have any of you had this happen where the kids did this and your entire programming disappeared.
If so, I would appreciate some pointers.
The way the people set it up was that the cables run from the VCR to the satellite box, and the cable runs from the tv to the wall. All of the connections appear to be in properly.
Thanks so much!!
Can you get anything to show up like "menu"? You might try turning off the power to the box to reset it.
We tried all of that and no such luck.
I'm telling you I am ready to toss it all.
You have Dish Network, right?
My husband says, "Turn off the tv and everything. Now, take your card out in front and put it back in snugly. Now turn everything back on.
It should work.
If it doesn't, check all your connections make sure they are tight.
Now unplug the Dish Network Box from the wall, wait 20 seconds and then plug it back in.
Now try and see if your tv works.
If not..."
Yep. And make sure that the vcr isn't set to some odd channel or different input. They have a vcr/tv button too I think. It sounds as if it may be sitting on an empty vcr channel.
The VCR--I will bet that is it. Wonder why it worked initially and now, it is doing this??
What card are you referring to? I never got a card.
LOL!
Easy answer... the kids broke it.... make them fix it.
They are more tech savy than you are for certain.
No more food till the TV works. ;-)
Step 1: kill the kids.
If Step 1 doesn't work, then Step 2: Unplug the power and then re-plug...
"The card looks like a credit card.
It's inserted in the Dish Network box in front."
Hmmm.........they said the boxes are fairly new but I will look for a card.
This is sooooo frustrating.
Also, make sure you are on the right channel.
Are you on channel 3?
Yeah, I have been letting them play around with it. I think I will tell them to keep on playing.........
Their dad came over tonight and tried working on it for over two hours but he couldn't even get it to work. He checked all of the connections as well. Then he left to go back to prison. Not really a prison but he is going thru a midlife crisis and it is something I do not wish on anyone. That is not what this thread is about so I will keep my mouth shut for now.
I thought we were but the VCR says channel 2.
Turn the vcr to channel 3.
See what happens.
I have this same system -- the card is behind a little door on some units, and then just poking out of the front slightly in others.
That's what I was going to say. Set the VCR to 3, or turn it off. Have the TV set to 3 as well.
Okay--I will try channel 3 on both units.
Prayers.
My Wife couldn't figure out how to record from the DVD to the VCR once. I told her she needed all of the channels to be set at the same station: TV and VCR. Some of the older VCRs have a little switch that tells the default blank receiving channel to be either 3 or 4. Newer ones are internal using the settings menu on the VCRs and TVs.
You sure? Doesn't sound right. The cable from the Dish should run into the input of the satellite receiver, the output of the satellite reciever should go to the input of the vcr and the output of the vcr should go to the tv jack of the TV.
Does that sound right?
If you mess around with the remote, you can accidentally switch it from "SAT" to "TV". When you click up or down, you actually are changing the TV channel--which makes it look like you've lost your signal. You haven't really lost the signal.
Make sure you're on the right channel and then hit the SAT button. That should get the signal back provided you haven't done anything else while you've been trying to fix it. My wife does this periodically and it's always the fix that works on our system. Good luck.
I understand what you are saying.
What a mess this is!!
Now this sounds so easy. I will try that first.
Simplify it. Run the TV set out cable from the reciever directly to the TV. Bypass the vcr and set your TV on channel 3 or 4. What do you get?
If the remote doesn't work for you try this. Turn power off to the VCR. Use your TV remote control to see which input your TV is looking at. If your cable is plugged into the tv jack and your telling your tv to look at line 1 input you'll get a blue screen.
My DishNetwork box is a little old, but the card is behind a panel on the left-hand side of the box. Looking from the front, the word "Philips" (manufaturers name) is in the top let corner of the box. Pull the panel open from the top, and the card is inside the panel. Turn off the power, pull out the card, put the card back in, and turn the power back on.
Where is the blue screen located? When do you first see it?
It's possible that your access card has been pulled out. If you have one, try checking the slot and making sure it's all the way in there.
If all your cable connections look good, check your transponders. The kids may have changed them. Do you have menu access? Go to the menu (not the program guide) and hit option 6, system setup. I think option 1 is the pointing and angles. Check and see what your signal is, see if it's locked on. If you have different options, try switching between the options on the signal screen (the one with the annoying tones).
You might also try a switch test.
Otherwise, good luck with the phone support. :-P
Also, about this card folks are referring to....
If you hear the kids giggling in their rooms, they have the card.
;-)
The blue screen is what is on the tv at all times.
We cannot get menu access either.
I opened up that little door in the front of the box and see that no card is in there.
I'll have to take a closer look, though. Nothing is locked but I am going to take notes when they come over on Thursday.
Ha! Visualize us all in your living room offering different suggestions at the same time!
LOL--Sure, come on over and we'll order pizza and have some beer.
I'll have to take a look at our new receiver we just got. The new ones may not have a card. Has it worked before now? When did it mess up for the kids?
So let me make sure I have it straight. You have your television on, and try to turn on the power to the Dish, and get nothing on the screen at all, not even a "signal not found"? If you're not getting ANY kind of Dish screen, then forget about the card for now, because you would at least see a message from Dish about needing or fixing your card.
A couple of things to check. First, there are different viewing modes besides just channels 1, 2 or 3. Our TV has three different input modes, Video 1, Video 2 and (something else I don't remember). To view Dish, we use Video 2. To view DVD, we have to switch to Video 1. Check and see if maybe the input on your TV is switched.
We also have issues with the VCR being routed through the TV as well. The VCR has to be set on the right mode, and in our case, has to be powered on for the Dish to be viewed.
And last but not least, check and make sure someone didn't hit a button to alternate between TV/VCR. It should be a button on your VCR remote. Sometimes that messes things up, especially if someone hit it without knowing.
On your TV control panel or your TV remote their should be a button called TV/Video. Hit a couple of times and if the front panel light is on on the reciever you should get video.
From your description of how the cables are currently set up, I suspect your kids have been disconnecting and reconnecting your cables.
Satellite Dish to Satellite Receiver - The cable should come FROM the satelite (out of the wall) to your satellite receiver. It should connect on the receiver to a screw type RF connector that has a picture of the satellite dish above it. There may be two of these. If you have two cables coming from the wall, it doesn't matter which goes to which RF connector.
From the Satellite receiver, you may have one of several types of cables that should go to your VCR and then from the VCR to the TV.
On most VCRs, this choice will require the VCR be on for the TV to get the signal. This is a step up in picture quality.
I hope this helps.
Hit the input button slowly three or four times.
Step one
Throw all of it out into the yard
2- purchase a good PC and connect to DSL if available.
3- Log on to FreeRepublic.com
4- if children can read find, many educational programs and encourage reading.
5- talk radio is available, via DSL
I could go on and, on with programing via the PC.
You should know most TV programming is left leaning with pro homosexual, pro abortion programming, not good for kids.
Any updates?
Yes, it finally got fixed. It had to do with the way the VCR/DVD player was hooked up and they had to use a different cable for that.
It is all working now but we cannot get the volume control to work on teh Dish remote. We are using the old remote for that.
I tried following the instructions in the book but it did not work. I cannot get too picky. At least it is up and running.
And, the picture quality is much better than it was with COx.
Digital cable is prone to the same programming/software problems as satellite. And in comparison to analog (regular) cable...satellite is generally superior.
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