Has anyone else noticed this DirecTV glitch?

[Tilted]

Over the last week or so I've noticed that my TV signal has been freezing a lot as though I'd paused it. This has happened maybe 30 or 40 times, and to get the frozen image on the screen unstuck I either have to change the channel or turn the receiver off and then back on. Otherwise the image just stays there indefinitely. I can, e.g., switch to a different input source (e.g. my Apple TV) and it will still be on that frozen image when I switch back hours later.

Here's the weird thing: Every time it's done this over the last week or so, the image it has frozen on has been the end of a commercial where the company's name or logo is prominently displayed. See below for an example of what I mean. I've noticed it most often with Intel, but I can also remember it being Amex and some car brand (which one I don't remember now). It never freezes during regular shows and it never freezes during the body of a commercial, just at the end.

I have DirecTV. I've mostly noticed this happening on CNBC, perhaps because that's what's typically on in the background (whether I'm actually watching it or not) through most of the day. But I've also had it happen on TBS and I think some other channels.

I'm not much of a conspiracy person. But I do have a fairly good sense of likelihoods and whether a given set of occurrences is likely to represent happenstance or something more - some kind of causal connection or intentionality. It strikes me as implausible that it's just coincidence that the TV signal always locks up on particular advertising images. I'm to the point now that when I see the Intel commercial I know that it's going to lock up at the end, and it always does.

Anyway, any other DirecTV customers (or others for that matter) experiencing something similar? I'm wondering if there's more to this story.

 

[Tilted]

Right after I posted this I walked into my living room and there it is, the TV is stuck on the Intel image again.

 

[vraiblonde]

Mine will freeze every once in awhile, but it freezes on whatever we're watching - usually a show, not a commercial. When it loses signal, it shows a DTV logo.

 

[DEEKAYPEE8569]

Sunspots? :shrug:
More often than not, a reset by turning off the receiver with the button on said receiver, vice the remote, and waiting about 10 minutes works.

 

[Tilted]

Mine will freeze every once in awhile, but it freezes on whatever we're watching - usually a show, not a commercial. When it loses signal, it shows a DTV logo.

Mine has long done that every once in a while - maybe once or twice a month. But lately it's been happening a lot and always on a company logo at the end of a commercial. It's as though something in the software (maybe a very quirky bug, I wouldn't rule that out) or the signal causes it to freeze on those images in particular.

 

[Ken King]

Never have had that problem. Sounds like a ginked up processor in your receiver unit. Do you have multiple receivers and does it happen on all of them?

 

[Tilted]

Never have had that problem. Sounds like a ginked up processor in your receiver unit. Do you have multiple receivers and does it happen on all of them?

I have the kind of system where the signal goes through a central DVR unit and then on to client units at each of the other (non-primary) TVs. But I almost never watch content from the DirecTV source on the other TVs, I usually use an Apple TV or Chromecast on those.

I'll have to turn those other TVs on and let them run for a while to see if they also freeze up.

 

[General Lee]

Yes, I noticed a day or two ago mine froze at the end of a commercial. Only noticed this once so far. Had to change channel and then back again to fix it.

 

[Tilted]

Yes, I noticed a day or two ago mine froze at the end of a commercial. Only noticed this once so far. Had to change channel and then back again to fix it.

Do you call what network it was on or what the commercial was for?

 

[Merlin99]

Mine has long done that every once in a while - maybe once or twice a month. But lately it's been happening a lot and always on a company logo at the end of a commercial. It's as though something in the software (maybe a very quirky bug, I wouldn't rule that out) or the signal causes it to freeze on those images in particular.

Mine does it after local commercial are added, just now it was a sleepy's commercial on the TNT network.

 

[tuffenuff2]

Yes, yes, yes. It's so annoying. Ours freezes on the Carnival cruise ship commercial and The Bit one.

 

[DoWhat]

Never seen this problem yet.
We have separate DVR's for each TV, attached to the whole house viewing from any DVR.

 

[hitchicken]

I'd be curious how far the folks with this problem are from the base. I have an OTA antenna system that has been experiencing 'glitches' in my signal at the exact rate of once every 10 seconds suggesting a rotating radar signal of some sort. The problem disappears suddenly and reappears just as quickly after several hours. It's been happening frequently of late. I realize the signals between DirecTV and OTA are totally different, but... just curious.

 

[cheezgrits]

Yes, it has happened to us lately. Particularly during prime time hours. Also, our receiver is very slow to bring up menu and/or channel changes. Directv knows nothing about the freezes, and says the receiver has a normal response time of 5-8 seconds. I have noticed more problems since they came under AT&T.

 

[General Lee]

Do you call what network it was on or what the commercial was for?

I do not. But I will keep an eye on it now and report back if I notice it again.

 

[DoWhat]

I'd be curious how far the folks with this problem are from the base. I have an OTA antenna system that has been experiencing 'glitches' in my signal at the exact rate of once every 10 seconds suggesting a rotating radar signal of some sort. The problem disappears suddenly and reappears just as quickly after several hours. It's been happening frequently of late. I realize the signals between DirecTV and OTA are totally different, but... just curious.

EMP Testing.

 

[GopherM]

I have had it happen several times and always on an Arby's commercial. It only seems to do it at the end of a commercial. I have the Genie also and very seldom watch other sets so it is happening on the set connected directly to the master unit.

I also have a problem when switching from HD to SD programs where the screen goes black and I have to turn everything off and back on to get the SD channel. Plus if I have recorded an SD channel, when I try to play it back I only get a black screen. I am pretty sure that the problem is in my TV not doing a proper HDMI handshake since I don't have the same problem on the other sets (Mitsubishi for the main set and two Samsungs).

 

[Dakota]

I haven't read all the responses in this thread but Titled, we were also having that problem but since lowering our package and reseting our box, I haven't had it happen since. :shrug:

Another thing I did and I am so happy I spent the time to do it is go to menu... settings & help... favorite channels... custom 1, it will allow you to select all the channels I get...

which is deceiving because you cannot view them all but the list is there and you can now uncheck the channels you don't want to show up in your guide... name the custom 1list to something like "favorites."

when you click guide and exit you can scroll over to FAVORITES and select your list. This will only show the channels you want to see on your guide. Every time you turn on your box, your list is automatically used as the default.



I removed all the shopping channels - all the movie pimping channels - all the channels that you click but don't get... just so much junk. I love the less cluttered guide.

 

[wagondriver1]

We are having the same issues that everyone is saying. It was off and on starting about 1 month ago. At first it was just certain commercials, now it's everything. Last night I spent about 30 mins on the phone with Direct TV and they said it is a known problem with a certain model box and they are actively working on finding a solution. However they couldn't give a time line on when it would be fixed.

 

[Restitution]

Having the glitch issue on my HR44 (?) Genie box. The one with the mini-clients on the other TVs.

It will glitch randomly during any programming (shows, commercials, sports, etc.) for about 10 seconds, then it comes back. Will do this about once an hour or so.