I have an RCA DSS. Last night I pushed the off button, but the little power light didn’t go off. I thought this was strange. Then I turned on the TV and discovered that although the power light was on, my TV had a blank blue screen - as if the receiver was off.
I unplugged the receiver and left it unplugged overnight. Today I plugged it back in and the power light is off. When I press power, nothing happens.
Is my receiver dead, or could it be fixed? Could this just be a problem with the power switch? Is it safe to try and fix this? Or should I just go buy a new one?
I don’t have one myself, but I’ve found the following procedure to be helpful when dealing with gadgets like this.
Unplug the whole thing, unhook everything so that it’s the way it came from Best Buy, and then start over. Hook everything up again. Usually this works.
Usually it does these weird blue screen things because somebody pressed some combination of power and On/Off buttons in some particular order that gave it a big headache, so it’s just pouting. If you unplug it and disassemble it, that serves as a brisk “listen, buddy, no one is irreplaceable”, and the thing will usually shape up. Good luck!
And, of course, don’t overlook the obvious. Is this thing mounted outside on your porch roof, and is it possibly (a) covered with ice, or (b) simply too cold to function properly? Or is there a loose connection somewhere between the porch and the living room? Or did somebody unplug part of it to plug in the Christmas tree on that outlet, and then put the DSS plug into the outlet that needs to be turned on with the switch by the front door (I hate those things)?
Don’t immediately assume that it’s broken, is what I’m saying. First Rule: Always ask yourself, “Is it plugged in?” [sigh]
I’m assuming this is a DirecTV or Pegasus system. I used to work in a satellite store, so forgive me if I ask you what may seem to be a stupid question, but are you sure you have it plugged in correctly, and plugged to an active outlet? (Could be your breaker went off.)
If so, try unplugging it again, and removing the Smart Card. Let it sit for 10-15 minutes, and then put the card back in and plug it back in. If nothing happens, then you have a problem. If the receiver is less than six months old and you had it installed by a satellite company, call them . . . they should come out to check it out.
If it’s less than a year old, it still should be covered by DirecTV. Give them a call at 1-800-DirecTV. Tell them that you tried unplugging it, and removing the card, but no dice. The equipment should still be under warranty.
If it’s older than a year old, DirecTV should still give you some troubleshooting tips. If it’s totally fragged and not under warranty, you have a couple of options:
Buy a new receiver. Could vary depending on where you live, but it should be around $99 for the receiver. If the stores seem to be asking too much, you can buy it directly from DirecTV by calling their 1-800 number. You should just be able to plug it in, and get DirecTV to reactivate on the new receiver. You will need to give them the numbers off of the back of the box and the card number.
Switch to DishNetwork. Until Jan 31 they’ll give you a free system and installation if you give them your DirecTV or Pegasus bill. This will require switching the dish that’s on your roof, and they’ll give you a new receiver as well. Dish is a bit better than DirecTV. You get more channels for less money, and you also have a bit better signal quality. Dish Network requires a clear southwest view of the horizon, which is a tiny bit different than DirecTV. If you have a lot of trees this might be a problem.