# Screen saver pops up randomly



## F1aReD (Sep 27, 2011)

I was just watching NICK HD with my son, and suddenly the sound cutout and the Directv screen saver popped up and was floating from side to side. This was NOT a recording, and it happened randomly & out of the blue. It's happened a couple of times before, but I never remember if it was a recording or what channel, etc. I usually just walk in on it.

This was the first time I actually witnessed it. Is there some setting for the screen saver so I can disable it?

Thanks


----------



## jimmie57 (Jun 26, 2010)

The screen saver can not be disabled.

If you have not done so recently,
Menu,
Settings,
Reset,
Reset Receiver

This helps with many small problems, just like doing a shut down and restart of your PC.


----------



## texasbrit (Aug 9, 2006)

This is unfortunately a bug of long standing which for some reason DirecTV has been unable to fix....


----------



## peds48 (Jan 11, 2008)

what model of receiver do you have. look for the model number inside the access card door. 

Do you have a SWM set up? This can often occur if one of the tuners is lacking satellite signal…


----------



## scoop8 (Jul 18, 2009)

I've been using my HR22 since Sept '08. I haven't seen the random screen-saver issue occur. I'd think that if this is a system-wide DTV issue, I'd have seen it at least once during that time.


----------



## F1aReD (Sep 27, 2011)

Thanks for all replys! I have an HR-24 w/ SWM. I don't have any outages due to weather or anything...Just some minor pixelization every so often, but I figured that was normal. The screen saver coming up is a very minor issue and has happened maybe 3 times in the past 6 months.

I thought it had something to do with the energy saving feature, or due to the fact I probably hadn't changed the channel or pressed a button for a few hours. 

I did reset it also, only time will tell if that fixed it.


----------



## jimmie57 (Jun 26, 2010)

I have never had it pop up when it was not supposed to.
Having said that I feel certain that as a channel hopper and very very frequently do something with the remote that mine never sits long enough to get it to happen.


----------



## gov (Jan 11, 2013)

Never thought I had this issue, but NTYMI, when I turn on a mirrored TV, once in a while, infrequently, the screen saver is on. that would be the only time at this house a receiver would sit long enough for that problem to occur.

I hadn't noticed it, just figure someone in the house had paused something, and then I caught it later, however, when I knock it off of the screen saver, it is not playing a recording, it's live TV (when this occurs).

I have 3 boxes mirrored, not sure if it is just one doing it. I'll try and pay attention for this issue.


----------



## Getteau (Dec 20, 2007)

It just happened to me on my HR23-700.

My kids and my wife sleep with the TV on. I haven't looked in a week or so, but every morning the screen saver would be active on my kids R22-200, HR23-700 and HR21-100. None of these were caused by pausing TV. They all had it activated sometime during the night while live TV was on. Like others have said, this is a long standing bug that never seems to get fixed.


----------



## JosephB (Nov 14, 2005)

This is definitely a bug but for some reason the mention of it can be testy around here at times. It happens to me, and no amount of rebooting or anything fixes it. It doesn't happen to everyone so some people will fight you over whether or not it actually exists. Wish DirecTV would fix it.


----------



## F1aReD (Sep 27, 2011)

It must have something to do with the amount of time that has passed since someone changed the channel or pressed a button. The screen saver coming up randomly seems to be tied to that, which is why it doesn't happen all that often: most people change the channel or press a button atleast once in a few hours.


----------



## peds48 (Jan 11, 2008)

F1aReD said:


> It must have something to do with the amount of time that has passed since someone changed the channel or pressed a button.


But is not supposed to happen while on live TV.


----------



## mystic7 (Dec 9, 2007)

jimmie57 said:


> I have never had it pop up when it was not supposed to.
> Having said that I feel certain that as a channel hopper and very very frequently do something with the remote that mine never sits long enough to get it to happen.


Yeah, I was gonna say the same thing. I'm constantly changing channels, bringing up the guide, the menu, scoreguide. My remote rarely sits untouched for more than 4 or 5 minutes. Never seen the screen saver pop up.


----------



## carlsbad_bolt_fan (May 18, 2004)

gov said:


> Never thought I had this issue, but NTYMI, when I turn on a mirrored TV, once in a while, infrequently, the screen saver is on. that would be the only time at this house a receiver would sit long enough for that problem to occur.
> 
> I hadn't noticed it, just figure someone in the house had paused something, and then I caught it later, however, when I knock it off of the screen saver, it is not playing a recording, it's live TV (when this occurs).
> 
> I have 3 boxes mirrored, not sure if it is just one doing it. I'll try and pay attention for this issue.


Hmmm...you maybe onto something here. The screen saver never pops up on my HR20-700 in my family room. It only pops up on the HR20-700 in my office, which is mirrored.

Restarting the DVR where this is occurring has no effect. The screen saver still pops up.


----------



## F1aReD (Sep 27, 2011)

I understand that it's not _supposed_ to happen, I'm just pointing out what I think has to do with the problem.

So I guess there's no real fix for this, unless D* has a software change? Are they even aware of the problem?


----------



## acostapimps (Nov 6, 2011)

Why does everybody says that it could be energy savings feature being enabled? I have it on and don't see the screensaver unless a recording paused or been on for a long time, but it could be model specific.


----------



## Beerstalker (Feb 9, 2009)

People with these issues should report it in the threads for the firmware they are running, and include what model numbers they are having the issue with, what you were doing when it happened etc.

I have never had it happen to me personally. I often sleep with the TV on, so there is a lot of times that my DVRs are on and playing live TV or recordings for 4-8 hours at a time without me hitting any buttons on the remote, and I never have the screen saver come on while watching live TV or recordings. For me it only comes on when I leave something paused, just like it is supposed to. This is true for both of my HR21s and my HR22.


----------



## SomeRandomIdiot (Jan 7, 2009)

It has to do with if you have recorded a program since your last reboot.

You can go for weeks watching live with no Screen Saver, but for some reason, if you record programs on a tuner (or both - for sure 4 of the 5 Genie Tuners recording are needed to force a Screen Saver on live TV) for a period of time (unknown exactly what that period is), something in this sequences forces the screen saver on live tv. 

There is another thread with some more exact details in the DirecTV DVR section.


----------



## gov (Jan 11, 2013)

It's my HR20 that does this. It finally did it while I was watching it mirrored in the kitchen recently and the SS kicked on. Select on the remote brought back live TV.

(My new DISH 722 does it all the time, but I was aware of that before I got it.)


----------



## runandhide05 (Sep 3, 2011)

If your running a mirrored tv off of a hd reciever and the mirrored tv is on and connected via rca, and your watching tv on the none mirrored tv which is connected via hdmi or component and the res is at or above 720p the ss can be triggered because there is a staic on screen message on the mirrored tv stating something like "press and hold exit to enter sd mode...bla bla bla" 
This can also happen if you have a AV tuner connected via RCA cables (including yellow video) then a feed from the av unit to a mirrored tv which is off, becaus the av unit is still pulling the video from the hd reciever and therefore the hd reciever sees an active sd connection, therefore "displays" the message about viewing hd via non hd connection. 

This can also happen if one of the tuners does not have signal. But that was already mentioned. 

... just my opinion. ..

Sent from my SCH-I605 using DBSTalk mobile app


----------



## jimmie57 (Jun 26, 2010)

I have stated before in threads, including this one, that I have never had the screen saver to pop up when it was not supposed to.
Well, I have now. I have it on CNBC and the TV is muted, just watching the numbers and the screen flashes.
Went outside to water the roses and trim off the old buds and came back in, sat down and whoops there it is. This took about 3 hours for this to happen.
I pressed the Select button and the picture came back.


----------



## gov (Jan 11, 2013)

runandhide05 said:


> If your running a mirrored tv off of a hd reciever and the mirrored tv is on and connected via rca, and your watching tv on the none mirrored tv which is connected via hdmi or component and the res is at or above 720p the ss can be triggered because there is a staic on screen message on the mirrored tv stating something like "press and hold exit to enter sd mode...bla bla bla"
> This can also happen if you have a AV tuner connected via RCA cables (including yellow video) then a feed from the av unit to a mirrored tv which is off, becaus the av unit is still pulling the video from the hd reciever and therefore the hd reciever sees an active sd connection, therefore "displays" the message about viewing hd via non hd connection.
> 
> This can also happen if one of the tuners does not have signal. But that was already mentioned.
> ...


I have the Monoprice $50 HD component to composite adapter. Receiver is in 1080i all the time.


----------



## HoTat2 (Nov 16, 2005)

jimmie57 said:


> I have stated before in threads, including this one, that I have never had the screen saver to pop up when it was not supposed to.
> Well, I have now. I have it on CNBC and the TV is muted, just watching the numbers and the screen flashes.
> Went outside to water the roses and trim off the old buds and came back in, sat down and whoops there it is. This took about 3 hours for this to happen.
> I pressed the Select button and the picture came back.


Happened to me just recently now;

On my HR34-700 Genie toward the end of the Miami-San Antonio NBA Championship game. Pressed play and it went away.

Hasn't happened on any of my boxes here in a long time (five DVRs here including the Genie), and first time its happened on the Genie. Only one program was recording on it at the time.

Have the Genie for over a year now.


----------

