Receiver Help and Tips

• Blackout Message
• Channels not in program guide
• Blue screen
• Snowy screen
• Boxes in screen
• Black screen
• Frozen screen
• Black screen with a banner
• Black square on screen

Blackout Message

1. If you have activated a receiver today, that receiver will not have the current blackout information until after the nightly download. Your receiver will download current blackout information nightly.
2. Make sure you are not turning off electrical power to your receiver at night. If the electrical outlet that your receiver is plugged into is controlled by a light switch, you must keep the switch in the On position overnight to maintain standby power to the unit. Turning the switch off or unplugging the receiver from the wall outlet prevents your receiver from downloading up to date blackout information
3. If you have had your receiver connected to power and signal for the past 24 hours, it is likely you are receiving the blacked out message because the channel that you are attempting to view this upon does not own the rights to this broadcast. Many times when an event is blacked out on ESPN (national provider) it is because a regional or local provider owns the broadcast rights to this event (such as a Fox Regional Sports Network or a local independent or network affiliate channel). In most cases when you see a black out message on a Fox Regional Sports Network, this will be because you are either located outside of that region (a Customer Service Agent can verify this), or because it is also being shown on a local channel. Remember, even with the Multi-Regional Sports Package, you may not receive additional out of market professional sporting events. Please refer to your electronic program guide or local listings to verify.

Channels Not in Program Guide

1. Verify you are in the correct guide. Receivers with favorite lists may be on a guide list that does not contain the channel you are looking for. Your receiver may be on ALL CHAN, ALL SUB or LIST 1. To change between the different guide lists, press the Guide button on your remote until you are on the one you want.
2. Verify that the channel you want is not blocked using the parental control feature.
3. Power your receiver off and unplug it from the electrical outlet.
4. Wait 15 seconds, plug it back in and turn it on.
5. Press Menu on your remote.
6. Arrow to and select System Setup or Installation.
7. Arrow to and select Multi-DISH Install or Point Dish/Signal.
8. In this menu option you should have an option for Check Switch. If not, Cancel and select the other option in step 6.
9. Verify you have a green signal bar at the bottom of the screen.
10. Arrow to and select Check Switch.
11. Select Check.
12. Wait for summary and select OK.
13. On your remote, select Cancel, then View

Blue Screen

1. Verify that your satellite receiver is plugged into a power outlet and turned on.
2. Verify that your TV is tuned to the correct channel or input. If you are using coax between the receiver and TV, your TV should be set to channel 3 or 4. If you are using RCA (yellow, red and white) cables between the receiver and TV, your TV should be set to a video input. (Televisions vary by manufacturer. If you are having difficulty changing your television to Video, sometimes called "Line" mode, consult your television's owners manual for more information.)
3. If you are using a VCR, verify it is tuned to the correct channel (3 or 4) or video input. (VCRs vary by manufacturer. If you are having difficulty changing your VCR to Video, sometimes called "Line" mode, consult your VCR's owners manual for more information.)
4. Insert and play a pre-recorded tape into your VCR and verify that the picture shows on your television.
5. If no picture is seen, check the connections from your VCR to your TV.
6. There is no problem with your satellite receiver and it may be necessary to replace or re-connect the cable from your VCR to your TV.
7. If the picture is seen on your TV, bypass your VCR and connect the cable from your TV into the back of the satellite receiver. If you are using coax between your TV and VCR, connect the cable to TV Set Out on the receiver. If you are using RCA cables between your TV and VCR, connect the cables to the Video and Audio (yellow, red, and white) ports on the receiver.
8. If there is still no picture and you are using coaxial cable, switch the output selector on the back of the receiver to a different channel, (3 or 4) and then change the channel on your TV to 3 or 4.
9. If there is still no picture or you are using RCA cables and there is still no picture, please call 1-800-333-3474 for further assistance.

Snowy Screen

1. Verify that your satellite receiver is plugged into a power outlet and turned on.
2. Verify that your TV is tuned to the correct channel or input. If you are using coax between the receiver and TV, your TV should be set to channel 3 or 4. If you are using RCA (yellow, red and white) cables between the receiver and TV, your TV should be set to a video input. (Televisions vary by manufacturer. If you are having difficulty changing your television to Video, sometimes called "Line" mode, consult your television's owners manual for more information.)
3. If you are using a VCR, verify it is tuned to the correct channel (3 or 4) or video input. (VCRs vary by manufacturer. If you are having difficulty changing your VCR to Video, sometimes called "Line" mode, consult your VCR's owners manual for more information.)
4. Insert and play a pre-recorded tape into your VCR and verify that the picture shows on your television.
5. If no picture is seen, check the connections from your VCR to your TV. There is no problem with your satellite receiver and it may be necessary to replace or re-connect the cable from your VCR to your TV.
6. If the picture is seen on your TV, bypass your VCR and connect the cable from your TV into the back of the satellite receiver. If you are using coax between your TV and VCR, connect the cable to TV Set Out on the receiver. If you are using RCA cables between your TV and VCR, connect the cables to the Video and Audio (yellow, red, and white) ports on the receiver.
7. If there is still no picture and you are using coaxial cable, switch the output selector on the back of the receiver to a different channel, (3 or 4) and then change the channel on your TV to 3 or 4.
8. If there is still no picture or you are using RCA cables and there is still no picture, please call 1-800-333-3474 for further assistance.

Boxes in Screen (Pixelization)

1. Turn off your receiver from its' front panel power button.
2. (Exception: model 1000 has no front panel buttons, use remote.)
3. Unplug the receiver's power cord from the electrical outlet.
4. Wait 15 seconds.
   Plug the receiver's power cord back into the electrical outlet and turn your receiver back on.

Black Screen

1. Verify that your satellite receiver is plugged into a power outlet and turned on.
2. Verify that your TV is tuned to the correct channel or input. If you are using coax between the receiver and TV, your TV should be set to channel 3 or 4. If you are using RCA (yellow, red and white) cables between the receiver and TV, your TV should be set to a video input. (Televisions vary by manufacturer. If you are having difficulty changing your television to Video, sometimes called "Line" mode, consult your television's owners manual for more information.)
3. If you are using a VCR, verify it is tuned to the correct channel (3 or 4) or video input. (VCRs vary by manufacturer. If you are having difficulty changing your VCR to Video, sometimes called "Line" mode, consult your VCR's owners manual for more information.)
4. Insert and play a pre-recorded tape into your VCR and verify that the picture shows on your television.
5. If no picture is seen, check the connections from your VCR to your TV. There is no problem with your satellite receiver and it may be necessary to replace or re-connect the cable from your VCR to your TV.
6. If the picture is seen on your TV, bypass your VCR and connect the cable from your TV into the back of the satellite receiver. If you are using coax between your TV and VCR, connect the cable to TV Set Out on the receiver. If you are using RCA cables between your TV and VCR, connect the cables to the Video and Audio (yellow, red, and white) ports on the receiver.
7. If there is still no picture and you are using coaxial cable, switch the output selector on the back of the receiver to a different channel, (3 or 4) and then change the channel on your TV to 3 or 4.
8. If there is still no picture or you are using RCA cables and there is still no picture, please call 1-800-333-3474 for further assistance.
    

Frozen Screen

1. Turn off your receiver from its' front panel power button. (Exception: model 1000 has no front panel buttons, use remote.)
2. Unplug the receiver's power cord from the electrical outlet.
3. Wait 15 seconds.
4. Power your receiver back on.
5. Turn off your receiver from its' front panel power button. (Exception: model 1000 has no front panel buttons, use remote.)
6. Locate the Smart Card in the receiver. The Smart Card looks like a credit card and is usually located in the front left of your receiver behind a small door. The door will either swing up or swing down. The Smart Card could be damaged by static electricity. To prevent this, you should touch the metal case of the receiver before touching the Smart Card.
7. Carefully remove the Smart Card for 15 seconds.
8. Carefully reinsert the Smart Card with the colored side up and the arrow facing into the receiver.
9. Power your receiver back on.

Black Screen with a Banner

1. Turn off your receiver from its' front panel power button. (Exception: model 1000 has no front panel buttons, use remote.)
2. Locate the Smart Card in the receiver. The Smart Card looks like a credit card and is usually located in the front left of your receiver behind a small door. The door will either swing up or swing down. The Smart Card could be damaged by static electricity. To prevent this, you should touch the metal case of the receiver before touching the Smart Card.
3. Carefully remove the Smart Card for 15 seconds.
4. Carefully reinsert the Smart Card with the colored side up and the arrow facing into the receiver.
5. Power your receiver back on.

Black Square on Screen

1. Turn the Closed Captions off on your television. In almost every instance of this, you have selected one of your television's closed caption capabilities (often one of the "Text" options). The black box will generally only cover a portion of the screen and often you are able to view the rest of the picture not covered by this blackened area. The box may go away briefly during channel changes. You may also see varying forms of this; website addresses and possibly the channel name. Because of the wide variety in how menus are accessed and operated between manufacturers, we suggest consulting the television's user guide for instructions on how to turn closed captioning off, or try a different caption mode to give the desired result.