# Hopper Not Recording



## chris83

Hi All,

This one seems pretty cut and dried to me: go to the program guide on my Hopper, select a program and select "Record This". Problem is, the show (in three out of four instances anyway) does not record. No red light on the front of the Hopper, no program recorded. There is no recording conflict or anything like that; it's just not recording programs which I have selected to record.


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## P Smith

just make cold reboot and try again


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## chris83

P Smith said:


> just make cold reboot and try again


Did that. Once we went through the reboot cycle I picked a show via the program guide to record at 9:30 local time: selected the show, clicked on "record this"...and zippo at 9:30. Went to the guide and the red button showed up there for that program, but it's not recording the program. When I hit "Select" to take me to that program via the guide the screen went blank and now I'm stuck on a "Acquiring satellite signal" screen. Just sitting there doing nothing.


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## P Smith

oops ! you got something to check and fix ... cables, diplexor, switch, LNBF ... time to start troubleshooting 

unscrew each F-connector, look into, see if there tiny wires or aluminum braid, clean all of them, but disconnect any source of power before that


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## chris83

P Smith said:


> oops ! you got something to check and fix ... cables, diplexor, switch, LNBF ... time to start troubleshooting
> 
> unscrew each F-connector, look into, see if there tiny wires or aluminum braid, clean all of them, but disconnect any source of power before that


I'll do that, but the installer was just out three days ago and got everything hooked up.
Couple other weird things: when I go back 10 seconds on a program, a lot of the time it's pixelated while watching it forward again; then it just goes back to "Live TV" by itself
I'm on a channel and push the record button on the remote; the record button now lights up on the Hopper.and that program is showing up in "My Recordings". However, no other stations will tune in; "Acquiring satellite signal" shows up on every channel. Turn the DVR off and then back on and all the channels are now back


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## BillJ

Either the installer did something very wrong or you've got a bad receiver. Call tech support and let them run through the usual attempted fixes. If that doesn't work they'll get someone out there or send a new receiver. (I'd wait until Monday to call tech support. Might not make a difference but I know I always have better luck with CSRs during US business hours.)


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## chris83

BillJ said:


> Either the installer did something very wrong or you've got a bad receiver. Call tech support and let them run through the usual attempted fixes. If that doesn't work they'll get someone out there or send a new receiver. (I'd wait until Monday to call tech support. Might not make a difference but I know I always have better luck with CSRs during US business hours.)


I'm looking at the "bad receiver" possibility at this point as well. When I go to "TV Activity" Tuner 1 shows as "Watching" and Tuner 2 and Tuner 3 show as "Available".
Last night I set up a program to record just *AFTER* I would be turning the DVR off; sure enough, the red light on the front of the unit popped on at the proper time and this morning the program had recorded and was in the proper folder.
I'm also unable to access programming via the Joey. The "Acquiring Signal" screen pops up and that tuner shows "Lost Signal" in "TV Activity"
So, I don't know what's up. When the installer was here, both the Hopper and Joey worked fine. Weird.


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## P Smith

could be .. sometimes we get sick next day after a visit to a doctor ...


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## david_jr

If the installer left you a phone number I would call them first.


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## Mike.H_DISHNetwork

P Smith said:


> could be .. sometimes we get sick next day after a visit to a doctor ...


chris83, 

I am more than happy to help you with your recording questions for the Hopper today! When you press the record button, is the recording apart of PTAT? 

If that's not the case, please PM me with the phone and 4 digit PIN number on the account for further assistance.

Thanks


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## chris83

Wow, this has turned into a disaster. I contacted Tech Support via chat on Monday, went through 4 representatives who could NOT grasp the situation and was disconnected each time. I finally called to speak to a live person and explained the situation in detail each time to the three different people I was transferred to. I finally asked if it would be possible for an installer to just stop by and take a look at things (I TOTALLY forgot to get a phone number for the fellow who did my install); the person I was speaking with said no, they had to send out a new receiver. I suggested have a tech stop by and then they could switch out the Hopper if needed. No, they needed to send out a new Hopper and that arrived today. Went through the activation and tried to link the Joey...nothing. Pushed the "Record" button...nothing. The "TV Activity" screen shows all the tuners as available. I go to the guide, find a program and select "Record This"; a message (531) comes up saying "Please wait while we search for events that match your request" and just sits there doing nothing. So, I'm paying DVR and Joey fees and neither works. So I call tech support again; NOW they're sending a tech out tomorrow. I think I just want my Vip722k back. :bang


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## chris83

Okay, I'm not very good at these things, but I ran the check switch process. I got a warning saying one of the satellite inputs or switches wasn't connected properly (code 530).

For satellite input #3 on Port1, Port2 & Port3 it says "WA.4 Good Connection, No Signal". Satellite inputs #1 and #2 look good. Those two also have green check marks next 110, 119 and 129; Tuner 3 has three red "X".


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## david_jr

Any progress update?


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## P Smith

chris83 said:


> Okay, I'm not very good at these things, but I ran the check switch process. I got a warning saying one of the satellite inputs or switches wasn't connected properly (code 530).
> 
> For satellite input #3 on Port1, Port2 & Port3 it says "WA.4 Good Connection, No Signal". Satellite inputs #1 and #2 look good. Those two also have green check marks next 110, 119 and 129; Tuner 3 has three red "X".


any chance to post a picture ? it will cut typing (and mistyping  )


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## RASCAL01

Problem is that the middle lead on the cable is too short it needs to stick out past the fittings. Once you get a properly fitting cable it will will work fine.


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## normang

I set a recording on my hopper with record this tonight, and the schedule showed it was completed, but it's no where to be found to play, this a bad hopper or something else ???


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## P Smith

could be


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## Grampa67

normang said:


> I set a recording on my hopper with record this tonight, and the schedule showed it was completed, but it's no where to be found to play, this a bad hopper or something else ???


 I had this. I did a search and it came up as 100% watched and recorded. Went back to the record menu and it wasn't there. The program was intact and watchable.

Sent from my iPad using DBSTalk


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## normang

Grampa67 said:


> I had this. I did a search and it came up as 100% watched and recorded. Went back to the record menu and it wasn't there. The program was intact and watchable.
> Sent from my iPad using DBSTalk


This didn't work for me , recordings that show completed are not found... Guess it maybe time for a service call


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## normang

Lost another recording tonight, Arrow has been recording for weeks, and tonight it shows completed in the schedule and it's no where to be found...really annoyIng...


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## P Smith

replace it


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## normang

Ran diags tonight and on they system status page, the sat signal has 119 green, 110 and 129 are red, but on the point signal page, there is signal for all three. And the details are reporting signal losses, I try to scroll the diags, but then it seems to blow up and exits to the last channel... Guess it really is time for a tech to check things out..


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## P Smith

to be sure everything is good for whole sat, you must check signal level on each transpnder


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## augie

We also noticed that some shows that were on our timer list often didn't record. Then, last night, when that caused us to miss the season finale of one of our favorites, I took a look at our timers list and it was empty! Would not let me do a manual record either!


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## Jim5506

Power cord reboot!


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