# ASK DBSTalk: No picture wont' boot up 921



## bluegreg (May 10, 2004)

nothing works. 
can turn off only?
any suggestions?

have call into dish, but they will need to get back to me to authorize return!


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## David_Levin (Apr 22, 2002)

I hesitate to reply since you didn't read the forum rules. Perhaps Mark will move this to the general PVR forum.

You need to post A LOT more details.

Are you looking at a black screen? There are a number of bugs that can cause this.

What do you mean by won't reboot? Can you hear the hard drive spinning?
Have you tried watching different box outputs (DVD & S-VHS) during the boot?


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## Mark Lamutt (Mar 24, 2002)

c'mon bluegreg...how do you expect us to help you out if you don't give us anything at all to go on...

Your 921 worked before. What happened? What were you doing? Was it off or on before it stopped working? Have you unplugged it for several minutes and plugged back in? Have you pulled the smartcard? Have you tried pressing the SysInfo button on the front of the 921 at the black screen to see if the SysInfo screen comes up? Have you checked all of your video connections? Audio connections? Have you checked to make sure it's plugged in? etc, etc, etc...


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## bluegreg (May 10, 2004)

I dont hear the hard drive spinning.
no buttons work anywhere to bring anything up on the screen.
since I last posted I had a LNB go bad and in troubleshooting the unit with dish they made me do a few power cord reboots. and now it wont work. It says its retrieving software but just nothing happens, black screen and nothing works. 
sorry if my posting is bad.
but I fear its the hard drive.
greg


I think the bad LNB effects one tuner and the whole unit is inupheavel. so I will wait for a new LNB..I think thats maybe why the unit acted strangley before the LNB was going bad.


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## bytre (Sep 10, 2003)

Mine did this about 3 weeks ago. Worked with support on it for an hour, they finally decided it had to be returned and arranged for a 921 support person to return my call and set up an RMA. 

2 weeks later and multiple calls back to Dish, I finally got my return call and an RMA. They overnighted a new one to me.


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## jsanders (Jan 21, 2004)

bluegreg said:


> I dont hear the hard drive spinning.
> no buttons work anywhere to bring anything up on the screen.
> since I last posted I had a LNB go bad and in troubleshooting the unit with dish they made me do a few power cord reboots. and now it wont work. It says its retrieving software but just nothing happens, black screen and nothing works.
> sorry if my posting is bad.
> ...


Do any lights on the front panel illuminate? Does the green power light turn on? Do you get a blue or yellow light for SD/HD?


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## SpenceJT (Dec 27, 2002)

bluegreg said:


> I dont hear the hard drive spinning.
> no buttons work anywhere to bring anything up on the screen.
> since I last posted I had a LNB go bad and in troubleshooting the unit with dish they made me do a few power cord reboots. and now it wont work. It says its retrieving software but just nothing happens, black screen and nothing works.
> sorry if my posting is bad.
> ...


BlueReg,

The problem you are experiencing sounds exactly like the problem I had with my first 921. Tested all connectons and still had nothing (no hard drive activity, no picture, no power lights etc.).

Dish ended up sending me a replacement (which ended up having a bad OTA tuner by the way... which was once again replaced).

Now I've got a (knock on nearest eco-friendly woodlike substitute) a 921 that is working as advertised (well, 85% of "as advertised"). Can't complain as I've had little to none of the problems that have been regularly reported.

Send yourself an e-mail to [email protected].

Good luck!
Spence


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## bluegreg (May 10, 2004)

I will find out friday if its the LNB. I am pretty confident thats whats wrong based on all the things and pregression of things that have happened over the last few weeks. the unit was perfect prior to that. and if there is no signal into the second tuner the unit malfunctions as an advanced tech told me. they also asured me a new unit would be sent if the service call doesnt fix the preoblem. I have to say I still love dish even after a lot of hastle to gewt high def and and this monster of a pvr.. 

hey what does the aux input mean after you press channel zero on the 921? it shows as aux? what is that for what can you do with that?

thnks greg


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## boylehome (Jul 16, 2004)

bluegreg said:


> I will find out friday if its the LNB. I am pretty confident thats whats wrong based on all the things and pregression of things that have happened over the last few weeks. the unit was perfect prior to that. and if there is no signal into the second tuner the unit malfunctions as an advanced tech told me. they also asured me a new unit would be sent if the service call doesnt fix the preoblem. I have to say I still love dish even after a lot of hastle to gewt high def and and this monster of a pvr..
> 
> hey what does the aux input mean after you press channel zero on the 921? it shows as aux? what is that for what can you do with that?
> 
> thnks greg


It may be your LNB or a poor connection. Short or break in a wire. The AUX in an input for something that you desire to connect with composit video. By the way, when you are in AUX is the picture, "Noisy" lots of herringbone or lines?


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## bluegreg (May 10, 2004)

no liners in aux mode.
can you explain how I would use aux? what is the benefit of using it?


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## SimpleSimon (Jan 15, 2004)

I don't have interference on my AUX input, either.

I use mine for a cheap CCTV camera mounted on the garage so I can see who's ringing the bell.


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## boylehome (Jul 16, 2004)

SimpleSimon said:


> I don't have interference on my AUX input, either.
> 
> I use mine for a cheap CCTV camera mounted on the garage so I can see who's ringing the bell.


You can play a dvd, vhs, or other devise through this input. It may be useful if you have every other input used on you monitor.


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## keitheva (Aug 23, 2002)

I have noticed in my dealings with trying to get the 921 to work with a DP+44 and separator, that if, for example, one tuner is not getting a satellite signal, then the 921 becomes effectively dead - you can power it on and get the power on light, but no output whatsoever to the TV, and no response to any remote input. Your symptoms are the same and therefore certainly could be caused by a bad LNB on one side as you suggest.

Cheers,
-Keith


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