Blank screen on dreambox

[Devilfish]

If you're getting a blank screen on your dreambox, it's usually an emu problem.

First of all, check to see if FTA (free-to-air) channels are working, i.e. BBC1, Ch4, etc. If they are working and premium channels aren't then it's an emu problem.

What to do is flick to Sky Sports 1, press the BLUE button to access the emu manager and restart the emu. This will check that the keys are valid and if they're out of data, it should auto update and store the new keys. Your channel should come on within a few second. If not, flick to Sky Sports 2 then back to Sky Sports 1. If still no channels after about 2 minutes, reboot the box via the shutdown menu (Menu > Shutdown > reboot now).

If you are getting a 'switch channel not found' error then it's a signal problem and nothing to do with the emu. Check the SNR value (Menu > Information > Stream Info > Page 3/3). If this is lower than 90% then you won't get that channel. Make sure all your coax connections are tight, disconnect and reconnect them and check again. Try removing any splitters that you've put inline and connect the box to the main feed and check again. If you now have a working channel and the SNR is about 95/96% then you have a low signal. If you want to connect the splitter back up, you will need to get a signal booster.

[caveman_nige]

Well i have been getting this error ''switch channel not found' since i switched on the option for the error window. I switched this on as was getting the blank screen on cams 2.13 and 2.14. Have had zero TV from this box so far, its not a fake, its just me, i think... I'm a noob u see..

Seeing as i have nothing to loose i am bidding for a booster this afternoon while i am hard at work performing miracles again for my client.. (no I am not a fluffer).

So unless there is anything else i can try I will report back when i have the booster in place..

Laters

[Devilfish]

Hi caveman_nige,

First of all, what image are you using and do FTA channels work ok?

Next, what area are you in, i.e. town/city and ex-ntl or ex-tw?

I would stick with evocamd_2.13 for now.

One thing to check, on the channel where you get the error, do the following...

Menu > Information > Stream Info > Right > Right

Note the SNR value - this should be higher than about 90%. Let me know what it is.

[caveman_nige]

Glen

I am getting no FTA channels either, nothing, nada, nicht, niet, niechivo.

I have tried cli and pli images and nothing happens, I even moved my box to the main VM feed which my VM box runs from and no change.

I have spilt the line in the box outside the house (using a splitteri have bought) into two feeds, one goes into my standard VM box and the other goes upstairs and splits (using a splitter provided my VM)out into my VM modem and my DM600C. I think i will fit the booster (when it arrives) in this last section before it spilts between the modem and the DM.

I am in Hampshire, in the Portsmouth/Southampton area which is ex C&W.

Will come back soon with the SNR details when the booster is in place so I can make some comparisons, unless i get a chance to have a play tonight.

Thanks

Cavey

[Devilfish]

You can find out if it's a signal issue by connecting it straight to the main feed. This will improve the signal more than a booster so it's an easy way to find out (and cheaper ).

Even if you just use the connection downstairs after it's been split once. Ideally you would remove the splitter outside and test. Then if you're still not getting anything you can rule out the signal being a problem.

If you try this, and the booster doesn't help, it might be a problem with the box. Does it rattle when you shake it lightly? The tuner may have come loose inside the box and needs to be 'reseated' properly. If the box is under warranty then you might void it my removing the cover. Check with your seller first. Is it a 600 or a 500?

[caveman_nige]

Well, my SNR is averaging 66% both upstairs and downstairs, I cannot knock out the first splitter at this time as i seem to have misplaced the coupler that I thought i had. I have not received the booster from the knob on ebay yet so my options are limted tonight.

From what i understand, i need an SNR value of 95 % ish for the DM600C to work..... I hope the booster works or I am screwed...

Any ideas..

[Devilfish]

Yip that's right m8.

Even if you can take the dreambox to a mates house to make sure it's working. Then you know you're working with a signal problem.

Try and eliminate factors one by one.

[caveman_nige]

I think i will ask my colleague to see if he can have a go and find out what happens when he plugs it into his VM. The thing is his house is only 5 - 10 miles away, surely my area cannot be that arse... its not far enough to make a difference I would have thought, its not like a live in cave in the middle of nowehere..

I might complain to VM that some of my channels are blocky on my VM box (Paramount +1 is a to blocky to watch but i have not bothered doing anything about it yet). Maybe I can persuade them to turn up the signal strength a bit from the big green box in the street. I hate calling them and being treated like a monkey, but my choices are getting thinner by the day...

[Devilfish]

I know what you're saying, I hate phoning them too.

It might be that a rookie installer has messed up when connecting someone else in your street and tapped it off your feed, etc.

But they should be able to increase at the cab. You have two connections inside the cab so they could try the other one if you don't already have 2 separate feeds coming into your house.

[caveman_nige]

interesting info, i reckon i will bite my tongue and give the muppets a call tomorrow eve and push on them for something like that.

They did not send me a spletter for the outside box on my house to start with, just just sent cables and a box etc, well they did send a splitter that splits out to TV and modem which i have upstairs. I guess the splitter i bought which is something like 5-2400mhz jobby should be ok. my mate uses the same one...

[caveman_nige]

Well, i thought i had to have another crack at my box tonight, so i have just done a brute force scan and it stopped when it said it had found a transponder at with an SNR of 96%, so i have selected that and now it off doing its thing and scanning for the channels etc..

This must be right so far, reckon i just don't know what i am doinf when it comes to put in my local stuff... haven't got a clue how to do that... well i have read about it but forgotten..

[Devilfish]

Hehehehe....

Bruteforce will scan all frequencies.

6952 is for ex-tw and ex-c&w.
6887 is for ex-ntl.

Bruteforce will scan all 3.

See how the scan yields and we'll take it from there.

If you get all the channels, happy days!

Every day's a school day ma man!!!

[caveman_nige]

Well, i stayed up last night and cracked it. I just wish some of the tutorials were accurate, I mean across the net they all seem to be written in laymans terms and are no really any good to a noob.

Just need to sort out the bouquets now, will read up on that tonight...

[Devilfish]

Well at least you're moving in the right direction.

There's a guide here for setting up bouquets...

http://www.digital-kaos.co.uk/forums/downloads.php?do=file&id=16

That's only one method.

You can also use DreamboxEdit to sort them on your PC and then upload them to the box, all from within the program. If you're going to use this method, setup the FTP section with your own ip address, etc. and after you send your files to your dreambox, remember to reload the settings or else they won't take effect.

[khizar]

I am having prblems with viewing encrypted channels
Screen just stays blank