# BUG?: OTA -WTBS-DT Atlanta - 91% Signal but not locking - Was Working but stopped.



## ThomasTrain (Aug 9, 2005)

I've had the 942 for a little over amonths now with no problems picking up my local WTBS-DT station via OTA with somewhere between an 89% - 98% signal strength. Now beginning Friday, the 942 in unable to lock on the signal even though it still shows an average 94% signal (just shows red). Channel number is 17.1 and the actualy broadcast channel is 20 here in Atlanta.

Is anyone else having problems with the OTA TBS here in Atlanta.

P.S. I did try to call Tech Supprot and as always they are completely worthless :nono2: and claimed that I need to repoint my antenna even though I've got a signal of 94% and it have been working perfectly for the last month.


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## Bichon (Jun 5, 2003)

First, I'd try deleting and re-adding the channel.

If that doesn't work, I'd check the appropriate local reception forum at http://www.avsforum.com. If others are having problems, contact the broadcaster.


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## lakebum431 (Jun 30, 2005)

Thomas,
I am having the same problem. Signal strength over 90 and all I get is the yellow box that says the signal has been lost. Let me know if you figure anything out.


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## Neil Derryberry (Mar 23, 2002)

I set up my 942 on friday and a scan didn't find that channel... curious, indeed.


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## sammy61 (Aug 26, 2004)

Same with me. A rescan doesnt help. What is strange is that the 921 in the bedroom which is on the same antenna, pulles the station in fine.....
I sure hope they get it fixed soon so we can watch the Braves in HD!!


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## lakebum431 (Jun 30, 2005)

So, it looks like this is a 942 bug. Who should we report this to?


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## Elderberry (Aug 22, 2005)

It's not limited to the Atlanta area. I'm in Shreveport, LA and was getting the local
PBS digital signals fine. Starting Sunday I can no longer can get them. Signal strength
is 90-95 but receiver will not lock. All other local channels digital signals work fine.


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## lakebum431 (Jun 30, 2005)

Yeah, this is very strange. I'm getting all of the other OTA channels just fine, but nothing on TBS. I hope this gets fixed soon.


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## Bichon (Jun 5, 2003)

lakebum431 said:


> So, it looks like this is a 942 bug. Who should we report this to?


There is a bug tracking thread stickied at the top of the forum. Also, when Mark returns from vacation, he might be able to bounce it off the Dish engineers.

You might also try to contact the engineering department at TBS, tell them about the problem that Dish 942 owners in their viewing area are experiencing, and ask if they've made any PSIP (or other) changes recently. Since the start of your problem didn't coincide with a software release on the 942, it's logical to question whether a change at the station might have triggered the bug.


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## sammy61 (Aug 26, 2004)

I just sent an email off to them. I will let everyone know if I hear anything back.


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## Elderberry (Aug 22, 2005)

Well, I just had a rather interesting experience. About 30 minutes ago I tried the PBS channels again and I am once again getting a lock and receiving them.

I had sent an email to DISH Monday and about 15 minutes ago I got a phone call from tech support about it. The lady went through the usual smoke blowing about why it had failed and claimed they did nothing to fix it. However it sure is an interesting coincidence it came back right before the phone call. I wonder if it has come back for any of the others having problems?

In any case I'm quite impressed that I got a phone call in response to an email and my opinion of DISH just went up a notch or two.

Mike


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## lakebum431 (Jun 30, 2005)

Any word on this? I still can't get the channel. Anyone else getting it with the 942 now?


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## SimpleSimon (Jan 15, 2004)

My first thought is that the stations are having PSIP datastream trouble.


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## GateTraveler (Aug 27, 2005)

Noob here.

I have the same problem. I have both 942 and 811 receivers. I can pick up all local OTA HD stations in my area on the 811. However, I just got the 942 and can't add two channels that seem to have a strong enough signal to the guide. One of these is very important to me since it carries our regional NFL football games (Fox).

Fox Ch 24 (digital 40) gets about 72% signal and locks fine w/green bar yet the 942 doesn't accept it. What's even more strange is that Ch 36 (digital 35) comes in at a stronger 75% and won't even lock. It's weird because it accepts others with weaker signals.

My 811 has no problem at all with any of the channels and reports comparable signal strength which is not surprising since both receivers are hooked to the same antenna and amplifier in the attic. 

I have tried swapping everything between the two receivers and the results are always the same. 811 does fine with all stations. 942 will pick up all but the two mentioned even though the signals are over 70%. Ch 40 always locks. Ch 35 never locks. Neither will add to the guide yet they both have plenty of signal.

As others have found, tech support is pretty friendly but useless in solving this as they want to point to everything but the receiver as being the problem. I have narrowed it down to either the receiver and/or the software and I'm betting its the software. I hope they fix this soon because football starts in two weeks.


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## goaliebob99 (Jan 29, 2005)

for you guys with 90+ signal streignth try putting an antinuatior on the line and see if that helps... what could be happing is that your local station's signal has too much power cauzing the tuner not to lock.. That might help and its worth a shot. There should have been one in the box when you got your 942. it said that it was used in certin situations for the tv 2 output.. try it on your ant input an report back. I have a hunch that it will work for you all and you will have nothing but perfect signal.. with no breakups..


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## GateTraveler (Aug 27, 2005)

goaliebob99 said:


> for you guys with 90+ signal streignth try putting an antinuatior on the line and see if that helps... what could be happing is that your local station's signal has too much power cauzing the tuner not to lock.. That might help and its worth a shot. There should have been one in the box when you got your 942. it said that it was used in certin situations for the tv 2 output.. try it on your ant input an report back. I have a hunch that it will work for you all and you will have nothing but perfect signal.. with no breakups..


Well, my PBS station comes in at 98-100 and is rock solid. The stations I am having trouble with are in the 70s with one not locking and the other locking but neither adding to the guide. I feel pretty strongly that this is a software bug considering that my 811 has no problem with these signals.

FYI, the latest CSR I spoke with said that the OTA portion of the software is incomplete. He said that when it is completed, I probably won't have a problem but he could not give me a date when it will be fixed.


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## lakebum431 (Jun 30, 2005)

Well, I tried the antinuatior that comes with the 942 and no luck. All it does is reduce the signal strength. but still no lock. I have no idea what else to do here. I'm thinking it must be a software problem.


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## HDTV55 (May 9, 2003)

I have sent three emails to WTBS in Atlanta with no responce.


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## Bichon (Jun 5, 2003)

HDTV55 said:


> I have sent three emails to WTBS in Atlanta with no responce.


Have you tried calling the station and asking for the engineering department?

I had luck doing this when WHYY (Philadelphia PBS) made some PSIP changes that were doing some really strange things on my Dish 6000. Admittedly this was a couple of years ago - shortly after the station went live with their digital signal, and WHYY is a MUCH smaller station than TBS, but the person I worked with seemed genuinely interested in resolving the issue, and in fact DID get it resolved.


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## HDTV55 (May 9, 2003)

IT'S BACK!
I went home for lunch today and TBS 17.1 is back. I dont know who did what, but its good to have it back!


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## ugafan (Oct 7, 2003)

It must have been a TBS problem. I couldn't pick it up with my JVC TV's internal ATSC tuner or on my 942. But I was showing around an 80 signal strength with plain old rabbit ears. It was back on last night.


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## Bichon (Jun 5, 2003)

Someone at the station probably bought a 942 or other affected receiver, and experienced the problem first-hand.


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## lakebum431 (Jun 30, 2005)

Bichon ---- Haha, either way. I'm glad it is fixed.


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## GateTraveler (Aug 27, 2005)

I guess since this thread seems to be devoted to the TBS problem I'll post in the regular bug thread. My problem as described in my 1st post in this thread is still unsolved dispite several attempts by customer service. I got my signal strength up to about 80% on digital ch 40 yet it still won't add to the guide. Looks so far as if I am out of luck.

Any ideas would be appreciated. Glad you TBS folks are fixed though...


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## Bichon (Jun 5, 2003)

If you aren't getting a lock with 80% signal strength, chances are good that there is something in the PSIP data that the 942 doesn't like. As I mentioned to the people having problems with TBS, I'd suggest reaching out to the engineering folks at the TV station in question. Since they aren't having the issue in Denver (where the 942 people work), I wouldn't hold my breath for a quick fix from Dish.

P.S.
Gullah Cuisine, a restaurant in your home town, is one of my favorites!


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## GateTraveler (Aug 27, 2005)

Bichon said:


> If you aren't getting a lock with 80% signal strength, chances are good that there is something in the PSIP data that the 942 doesn't like. As I mentioned to the people having problems with TBS, I'd suggest reaching out to the engineering folks at the TV station in question. Since they aren't having the issue in Denver (where the 942 people work), I wouldn't hold my breath for a quick fix from Dish.
> 
> P.S.
> Gullah Cuisine, a restaurant in your home town, is one of my favorites!


Thanks for the response. I will try but if I have to depend on on my Fox station to fix this then I am probably SOL. They have given HD very low priority. are broadcasting at extremely low power, and do not answer e-mails.

I just don't understand why 811 works like a charm but 942 while locking, won't let me add it to the guide. Why don't they just let you add the channel to the guide regardless of signal strength or what 942 "thinks" about the signal? If the receiver allowed this, I probably wouldn't have a problem. Regardless, signal strength is good anyhow so I guess I'm probably screwed.


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