# Genie Freeze/Pause While Watching Live TV



## lyradd (Mar 20, 2006)

Recently on my HR44/500 while watching live TV the picture will freeze/pause by itself. Pushing the play button has no effect. If I fast forward briefly the program will start to play. I have only noticed this on HGTV.


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## jimmie57 (Jun 26, 2010)

lyradd said:


> Recently on my HR44/500 while watching live TV the picture will freeze/pause by itself. Pushing the play button has no effect. If I fast forward briefly the program will start to play. I have only noticed this on HGTV.


Check out this thread.

http://www.dbstalk.com/topic/209506-freezingpixelation-issues-on-your-genie-data-collection/page-11?hl=%2Bfreeze#entry3341261


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## Rojma (Jan 6, 2004)

I've been having the same problem on my Genie HR44. This is on the TV that is attached directly to the HR44. I haven't noticed it on any of the client receivers (but can't say for sure if its happening there or not). Interestingly what I have noticed is that this always happens at the end of a local commerical that plays on a national cable (non-network) channel. Usually changing the channel fixes it. Channel Up and then back Down causes it to unfreeze. I will try to pay attention if it is specific channels.


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## Rojma (Jan 6, 2004)

I don't think its the same issue from that thread. This is with HR44s (which the issue in that thread the HR44s are supposed to fix) and there is no pixilation. Just a complete freeze of the picture at the end of the local commercial. It's almost like its having problems switching from the local feed to the national feed (not sure if this is what actually happens technically - just theorizing).


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## MountainMan10 (Jan 31, 2008)

I am getting a similar issue. The screen freezes on an Intel Inside Core screen. It almost seems like a screen saver. I think it is always after the Intel Inside commercial and it is stuck on the end of the commercial. Sometimes going into the guide and out fixes it. Sometimes rewinding a few seconds fixes it. Sometimes I need to change channels.


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## Indiana627 (Nov 18, 2005)

My HR44 has frozen twice recently and has been completely unresponsive to remote and front panel. I had to do a RBR to fix it. Once it happened on HGTV but not during a commercial but instead during a show. Can't remember what channel it happened on the other time. 


Sent from my iPhone using DBSTalk mobile app


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## peds48 (Jan 11, 2008)

Rojma said:


> I don't think its the same issue from that thread.


You are correct, the thread that should have been linked is this one

http://www.dbstalk.com/topic/219056-fanduel-commercial-freezing-on-multiple-receivers/


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## Rojma (Jan 6, 2004)

Yeah just read through that thread and it seems to be the same issue being reported here. I confirmed that fast forwarding also seems to fix the problem. I'll monitor that thread.


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## lyradd (Mar 20, 2006)

Had same problem this evening on HGTV. Picture froze, F/F briefly and was OK.


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## narrod (Jul 26, 2007)

It's happening on my Genie 44 and both 24s.


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## gvc (Sep 13, 2012)

Is this happening just on live tv or does it also affect a scheduled recording that your not actually watching? it would be a huge problem if you playback a previously recorded program and the pic froze and never finished recording the entire show.


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## lyradd (Mar 20, 2006)

gvc said:


> Is this happening just on live tv or does it also affect a scheduled recording that your not actually watching? it would be a huge problem if you playback a previously recorded program and the pic froze and never finished recording the entire show.


It also affects recorded programs but the whole program records and you can just F/F briefly to continue.
http://www.dbstalk.com/topic/219056-fanduel-commercial-freezing-on-multiple-receivers/?p=3386051


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## pappasbike (Sep 19, 2006)

Rojma said:


> I don't think its the same issue from that thread. This is with HR44s (which the issue in that thread the HR44s are supposed to fix) and there is no pixilation. Just a complete freeze of the picture at the end of the local commercial. It's almost like its having problems switching from the local feed to the national feed (not sure if this is what actually happens technically - just theorizing).


That's the commercial freeze that's been widely reported in multiple threads on multiple sites. Happens on every dvr with specific commercials. Until this is fixed pause, play, FF will get you back to normal program. If it's been frozen for a while just FF may be enough. For me this happens with Fox Sports 1 and Carnival Cruise Lines. For others it's different ones, may depend on your region. DTV is well aware. And one bright note for me today was that the Carnival Cruise commercial did not freeze for the first time in a week. So they may be getting this fixed.

While changing channels will also get you past this you will lose the buffer and miss whatever part of the broadcast took place during the freeze. That's why I've been advising pause, play, FF. The buffer is still recording even though the image is frozen and that will allow you to see the whole broadcast.


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## daveangles (Sep 14, 2015)

Been happening to our HR34-700 for two or three weeks but it is not limited to commercials. We have two clients C41-700 and we have freezing issues with them as well.
There is no rhyme or reason to our events. When it freezes, you cannot remedy the issue with the remote. Cannot access the guide or anything else. The remote becomes useless. Sometime the freeze will clear itself at 20 seconds to 1 minute. Other times, the system has to be rebooted. This process takes thirty minutes because we receive a message that says:

"A problem has been detected in the storage device. The system will now scan the disk to attempt to fix it."

That process takes 20-15 minutes and then the normal reboot process starts.

Rebooting sometimes helps for several hours but then the freezing begins again. Sometimes the system has to be rebooted as many as 3 times aday.

I've been a customer of DirecTV since the 1990s. Their attitude is typical. Treat their new customers like gold and their long established customers like crap.


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## jimmie57 (Jun 26, 2010)

daveangles said:


> Been happening to our HR34-700 for two or three weeks but it is not limited to commercials. We have two clients C41-700 and we have freezing issues with them as well.
> There is no rhyme or reason to our events. When it freezes, you cannot remedy the issue with the remote. Cannot access the guide or anything else. The remote becomes useless. Sometime the freeze will clear itself at 20 seconds to 1 minute. Other times, the system has to be rebooted. This process takes thirty minutes because we receive a message that says:
> 
> "A problem has been detected in the storage device. The system will now scan the disk to attempt to fix it."
> ...


Your hard drive is dying. You should call for a replacement.


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## daveangles (Sep 14, 2015)

jimmie57 said:


> Your hard drive is dying. You should call for a replacement.


Thanks Jimmie. Glad to know they're putting out such quality equipment. It's 11 months old and already failing.


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## jimmie57 (Jun 26, 2010)

daveangles said:


> Thanks Jimmie. Glad to know they're putting out such quality equipment. It's 11 months old and already failing.


Unfortunately hard drives don't seem to go by a timeline to fail.
I remember one year I bought a brand new Gateway computer. At the time I thought it was awesome. In 3 days the hard drive totally died and wiped out everything I had on it. They sent me a new drive, I put it in and it was still working 6 years later when I upgraded.


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