Direct TV local channels don't appear in WMC guide (1 Viewer)

[John O. Barton]

Hi
I sent this question to Direct TV but I have no hope of receiving an intelligent answer, so I was wondering if anyone out there has this problem.

“I pay to get local channels from Direct TV that show up as HR21, HR27,HR43, HR8, etc. I use my computer with Windows XP Media Center to record shows to view later. The Windows Media Center downloads Harrisburg's Direct TV "guide", but what doesn't appear on the Media Center guide is the HR local
channels that I need to record from. I currently record the shows from my outside antenna but I would prefer to
record them from the HR Direct TV channels and get rid of the antenna. That's why I pay more for the local channels in the first place. Please advise. Thank you.
John”

 

[Robert_J]

Why are you e-mailing DirecTV about the guide for Window's Media Center? They have nothing to do with it. In fact, they don't have anything to do with their own guide. DirecTV buys their guide information from Tribune Media.

What receiver are you using? It sounds like it may be an older model since it does not rename the channels and only displays them as HR##.

-Robert

 

[John O. Barton]

I didn't know that about the guides. The receiver is a Mits SR-HD5 and it's about 7 years old. It does the channel numbers listed.
So for example, for local channel 8, I have 2 channels numbers; the satellite 8 (HR8) and the antenna channel 8. When setting up to record a TV season on the computer with the media center, the media center guide sees only the antenna 8 and records from that which doesn't come in very well. I want it to be able to record from the satellite channel 8, but I can't even add/edit that channel in.

 

[John O. Barton]

Robert
I didn't know that about the guides. The receiver is a Mits SR-HD5 and it's about 7 years old. It does have the channel numbers listed.
So for example, for local channel 8, I have 2 channels numbers; the satellite 8 (HR8) and the antenna 8. When setting up to record a TV season on the computer with the media center, the media center guide sees only the antenna 8 and records from that which doesn't come in very well. I want it to be able to record from the satellite channel 8, but I can't even add/edit that channel in the media center guide. If I disconnect the antenna from the receiver, I record a blank picture. Any suggestions? Thank you.
John

 

[Robert_J]

This is what bothers me. Depending on your location, you should be able to receive the local digital channels using the proper antenna. This receiver my be using a 2nd gen ATSC tuner but there are probably hundreds of these boxes still in service. I'm giving mine to a family member so he can get an HD signal in his Man Cave (aka workshop).

If you are unsure about how to change the antenna setting, your owner's manual is here.

Finally, is there a reason that you are using an HD receiver but recording SD? Why don't you get an HD DVR? Since recording is integrated into the receiver, you don't have problems like this. And the recording quality is identical to the original.

-Robert

 

[John O. Barton]

Robert
Thanks for the manual.
That should work. I'll let you know Tuesday when I'm back home.
My OTA antenna is a Channel Master 5646 mounted on the chimney, almost 3 stories up, but the Radio Shack rotator stopped working which helped the reception, and I was told that I might need to replace the balun or the F coaxial cable fitting at the antenna. That's why I bought the local channels from Direct TV at least until get up on the roof to fix it and possibly upgrade the antenna, because it still occasionally had a hard time getting 2 channels 25 miles away.
I use my 3 year old Toshiba computer to record the TV shows and I'm pretty sure that this computer won't record in high definition. Plus,I have a commercial skip program which usually works well.
I should have, but never thought of an HD DVR. It's a good idea and I'll look into buying one.
Thanks a lot for your help.
John

 

[Robert_J]

The HR-21 receiver is the current model from D*. It receives all of the 90+ HD channels available via satellite. If your locals are not available via satellite, there is an add on module that connects to the HR-21 that has dual ATSC tuners. It works in conjunction with the dual satellite tuners of the HR-21.

-Robert

 

[John O. Barton]

Robert:
Thanks again for leading me in the right direction.
John

 

[John O. Barton]

Robert
Your fix worked. Thanks a lot.
John

 

[John O. Barton]

As a brief follow up for anyone with the same problem, I made the receiver see the OTA antenna again, but I deselected the analog local channels, but kept the HD channels selected. So now the WMC doesn’t get confused by recording the antenna received local channels and I can watch a local channel in HD when desired.
John

 

[John O. Barton]

I bought a new balun and a rotator, but before I did anything, I decided to connect my roof antenna to a regular analogue TV (rather than through my 7 year old Mits SR-HD5 receiver that it always went to) and most of the analogue channels are now clear. I’m guessing that the antenna
connection inside the box is bad? What do you think? Replace or repair the box? Thanks.
John

 

[Robert_J]

Are you using the antenna connection to the receiver or are you combining the antenna with the satellite and using the receiver's internal diplexer? Are you using one of the options above but have the menu setting for the other?

-Robert

 

[John O. Barton]

Robert
I'm using the antenna connection to the receiver. The satelllite connection connects elsewhere.
It's set like this on the menu:
Local In 1 (IN FROM ANT): Antenna
Local In 2 (SATELLITE IN): None (I chose None since the choices are None, Antenna, and 3 Cable TVs (STD, HRC, or IRC)
John

 

[John O. Barton]

Robert
Today, I installed a new antenna rotator and balun. I can now receive
my digital channels 8 and 43 that I couldn't since the old rotator broke. However, the analog channels
are still have horrible reception on all local channels. I get the standard
definition locals from Direct TV anyway but I'm curious as to why the analog signal on all channels is
so poor when I send it throught the Mits receiver, but it's ok when I connect the antenna to
a cheap analog TV.
John

 

[Robert_J]

Tuners of different quality. I never had good luck with analog channels on my Hughes E86 either. In Feb it won't matter about your analog reception anyway.

-Robert

 

[John O. Barton]

Right! Thanks.
John