# Samsung 303W Guide



## JohnQ (Nov 11, 2007)

I recently installed a Samsung 303W in my motorhome. The antenna set up is a King-Dome 9702. I also have an older Samsung SIR-70 for the rear TV. Everything seems to work OK but one exception, and that is the Guide gets lost on the 303W after about 3 days. I can cut the power on it and the Guide reloads OK but the problem repeats in another 3 days. I am sure I am NOT having any power problems. I did/do notice that the signal strength on the SIR-70 is in the Ninties but the only in the mid to high Sixties on the 303W. 

Any ideas on the problem guide??? Any ideas on the signal strength differences (the 9702 King-Dome has dual LNB's)? Is there a way through the menu's of the 303W to force reloading the guide (I don't like the powering up/down)????


----------



## JohnQ (Nov 11, 2007)

Small Update But Still Confusing: It is now "maintaining" the guide for some reason or other. I did reset the power last week. One difference I noted is that the signal strength is now above 70.


----------



## admdata (Apr 22, 2011)

the signal strength on transporters 1 and 2 need to be at least 70 or above for the guide data to download to the receiver (this is for the 101 sat only), that is where all guide data is from on SD receiver's


----------



## JohnQ (Nov 11, 2007)

Extension of the same problem. Started having trouble with my oldest RCA DRB424 Sat Box (13 years old), so I hoped on Fleabay again and got a Brand New never installed with a virgin access card Samsung 303w to replace it. After arguing with the "Customer Service" clerk at Directv that I OWNED the receiver & NOT DIRECTV (had to get a Studivisor involved) and finally got it activated. After about 5 days the guide was lost. My transponder 1 & 2 signal strengths are 90% plus on the 18 inch round antenna, and it is hooked up to a land line. Powering the unit down (power strip unplugged) for 15 seconds and re-plugging it in, the guide comes back and last about 5 days. 

I must be missing something on the setup, or DTV is screwing with me.


----------



## wahooq (Oct 19, 2011)

actually all the receiver you are mentioning are considered legacy receiver and are known to have guide issues as well as missing channels...dtv will upgrade a lot of legacy receivers free...might hurt to check it out


----------



## P Smith (Jul 25, 2002)

admdata said:


> the signal strength on *transporters 1 and 2* need to be at least 70 or above for the guide data to download to the receiver (this is for the 101 sat only), that is where all guide data is from on SD receiver's


As the stream shows, MPG [old type of EPG, system tables] spooling on EACH transponder.

Where your statement came from ?


----------



## ThomasM (Jul 20, 2007)

admdata said:


> the signal strength on transporters 1 and 2 need to be at least 70 or above for the guide data to download to the receiver (this is for the 101 sat only), that is where all guide data is from on SD receiver's


That's baloney.

I've left my SD receivers (D11-300, R15-300) tuned to channels for 24 hours OTHER than those on transponders 1 or 2 and the guide data updates just fine. (In the case of the R15, I was only set up for one tuner at the time)

The guide data is sent out on all transponders.


----------



## P Smith (Jul 25, 2002)

ThomasM said:


> That's baloney.
> 
> I've left my SD receivers (D11-300, R15-300) tuned to channels for 24 hours OTHER than those on transponders 1 or 2 and the guide data updates just fine. (In the case of the R15, I was only set up for one tuner at the time)
> 
> *The guide data is sent out on all transponders.*


Do you know what PIDs MPG (legacy guide) using ?


----------



## admdata (Apr 22, 2011)

ThomasM said:


> That's baloney.
> 
> I've left my SD receivers (D11-300, R15-300) tuned to channels for 24 hours OTHER than those on transponders 1 or 2 and the guide data updates just fine. (In the case of the R15, I was only set up for one tuner at the time)
> 
> The guide data is sent out on all transponders.


What I ment in my post was that the guide data streams from transponders 1 and 2 , you don't have to be tuned to those channels to get the guide data they are sent from the 1st and 2nd transponders


----------



## P Smith (Jul 25, 2002)

admdata said:


> What I ment in my post was that the guide data streams from transponders 1 and 2 , you don't have to be tuned to those channels to get the guide data they are sent from the 1st and 2nd transponders


First - what type of guide you mean ? MPG or APG ?
Second - what is your source ?
Third - you are wrong; just imagine - the receiver tuned to a channel what is on other 30 transponders, not on 1 or 2.

To finish the mistakes - on *EACH* transponder a PID 0009 and some other carry MPG data.

[The fact could support anyone who use/used TH1020A or SkyWalker DVB cards with TSReader +DSStoDVB.DLL.]


----------



## JohnQ (Nov 11, 2007)

Still losing the guide about every 5 1/2 days. Unplugged it for 30 seconds, plug back in and guide is back. Just aggrevating.


----------



## ThomasM (Jul 20, 2007)

P Smith said:


> Do you know what PIDs MPG (legacy guide) using ?


No, but I would believe that the legacy guide IS on only 1 or 2 transponders with the exception of the programming for the next 2 hours which can be displayed at any time on certain legacy receivers without interrupting the video feed (PIG). If you want any more guide info, it is available in 6 hour blocks (up to 6) but you have to wait about 5-10 seconds for each block to be retrieved. The receiver displays "please wait-retrieving guide info" and I presume this is when the receiver tunes to those 1 or 2 transponders since you can't view video during this process. The receiver stores this info in memory until the subscriber returns to video in which case that memory is freed up and the info lost. The receiver has enough memory to retrieve all 6 six hour blocks and store them at one time. Since a 6 hour block of guide info only takes 5-10 seconds, I assume it is being transmitted at quite a high data rate-much higher than the current "advanced program guide" which takes many hours to fully populate the receiver's guide memory.

The maximum guide info transmitted in the legacy guide is 38 hours (2 hours always available and 36 hours available in 6 hour "retrievable" blocks.

The one benefit to the old guide is that you can power down your receiver and when you power it up, it only takes 30 seconds to boot up and display video! What a far cry from the current DVR's which take 5-10 minutes but then again it is only retrieving 2 hours of guide data.


----------



## P Smith (Jul 25, 2002)

I know MPG PIDs what spooling EPG behind 2 hours. I saw them on all transponders, so I can't support the claim about only tp1 and tp2 are the source.

If you have more technical data I could verify, but it doesn't work at all if we talk about believing or not.


----------

