DirecTV Help & Troubleshooting 
DirecTV Help & Troubleshooting
No matter what brand DirecTV system you have there are only a few things that can go wrong. The receiver, the LNB, the wiring, the remote, or Dish tuning. We offer these trouble shooting steps to DirecTV customers. However SSC hold no responsibilities for customer errors. The following troubleshooting steps are provided with no liability. We always recommend having a professional SBCA certified DirecTV expert check your system.
1st if there is an On Screen Message appearing at the bottom of the screen, go to our On Screen Messages section. Find your message in the Message Text and see what it says for the Description and Comments for that message.
Click here for On Screen Messages.
Troubleshooting
Whether there is a message or not,
you can
try
these common fixes before calling for service.
Receiver:
 | Make sure your TV is on the proper channel and the VCR is off. |
|
| Soft reset: While the receiver is on push the down
arrow on the receiver and the power button at the same time. Then release. |
|
| Hard reset: With the power on remove the access card, then unplug the unit for about 10 to 15 minutes. Plug the unit back into the power source and reinsert the card. If you have more then one system in your home unplug all the IRDs. Sometimes power may be back feeding thru the cable wires from another IRD and will not allow that box to reset properly. |
Wiring:
|
| Check ends to ensure a good connection. You
may want to disconnect the wires and make sure the fitting is properly crimped
and that there are no little strands of wire inside causing a short. We
recommend replacing any and all push-on jumpers with wires that have proper
threaded fitting. |
|
| Check for damaged areas on wire. (i.e. staples, sharp
bends, cuts, etc.). |
|
| Try bypassing any components between the receiver and TV. |
Remote:
|
| Most remote problems are best handled by calling the
manufacturer or DirecTV at 800-531-5000. If you have replaced the batteries,
don't forget you will have to reprogram the remote to control your TV and VCR. |
LNB:
Dish Tuning:
|
| Only try retuning the dish as a last resort if your On Screen Message says Searching For Satellite. Never attempt to re-peak the dish in unless you know the proper method for finding the satellite. If have a service contract do NOT try to peak your dish. Call for service. Prior to adjusting the dish, use a marker to mark the current location so you know where you started from. Mark where the angle is set as well as the elevation. Never attempt to tune your dish during a storm or when a storm is approaching your area. Electrical interference may occur during bad weather causing a SEARCHING FOR SATELLITE message to appear. If a storm is approaching, you may loose satellite reception even if it is not raining in your area at the time. Signal interruptions can also be caused by solar flair-ups in the Spring and Fall. These solar flair-ups usually last up to 15 minutes. Please see DIRECTV - How to Point Your DIRECTV Dish. |
If you are still having problems, please call DirecTV at 1-800-531-5000 to set up a Service Call.
Quick Guide for Troubleshooting
DIRECTV - How to Point Your DIRECTV Dish
Hook-Up Diagrams
for RCA-manufactured DIRECTV Receivers
 |
TV (Non-Stereo) and DIRECTV System |
|
|
TV (Non-Stereo), DIRECTV System and Stereo/Surround unit |
|
|
TV (Stereo) and DIRECTV System |
|
|
TV (Stereo), DIRECTV System and Stereo/Surround unit |
Hook-up
Diagrams for Sony-manufactured DIRECTV Receivers
Contacting DirecTV
To contact DirecTV or one of there programmers (Channels) Click here