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It has happened to all of us. It's fourth and ten with just 1:42 to
go in the second half - and of course your team is down. The weather
outside is getting worse and worse. Suddenly, the image on your TV
looks eerily like the snow falling outside your window. It is a race
against the game clock to get picture back on your TV before you have
to resign and just look for the score on the evening news. Remember,
only on a rare occasion will you lose picture with Dish Network - when
you do, more often than not, there is nothing wrong with your equipment
or the service. This article discusses some of the easiest and fastest
ways to troubleshoot your Dish Network receiver. From High in the Sky to Your Dish Network ReceiverDish
Network uploads programming to its satellites via gigantic transmission
stations on earth. The digital image travels upward through the
atmosphere where it eventually finds satellites orbiting the Earth
miles above the United States. Those satellites capture and resend the
digital signal in such a way that nearly everyone with a plain view of
the sky can receive it. The signal is collected by the ubiquitous
mini-dishes and sent through cables to your Dish Network receiver,
which is set up to decode and convert the digital signal to a viewable
picture. That viewable picture is transferred to your brand-new, 56
inch widescreen plasma TV, where only moments ago you were watching the
second half of your favorite team's football game. The Game PlanIf
you suddenly lose picture on your TV, the problem could be in any one
of six places - but before you panic, let me tell you you're only going
to have to check four of them. - The Dish - If
something interferes with the signal getting from the satellite down to
your dish the picture is obviously going to suffer. If the signal is
completely blocked, your picture will disappear. Make sure that there
is nothing between your dish and where your dish is pointing in the
sky. This could include: a tree branch, your motor home, your
neighbor's motor home, a build-up of snow, ice, or excessive water on
the dish, or anything else you could possibly imagine. Luckily, the
solution is simple. Get the signal flowing freely back to your Dish
Network receiver by removing the obstruction. Of course, if the
obstruction is your neighbor's prize winning oak tree, be judicious as
you contemplate ways of removing it (i.e. talk to her about it and
figure out a solution together). If it is ice or snow just wipe the
dish clean, and you'll be back to your game before they even snap the
ball.
- The Cables and Connections - The wiring and
connecting pieces that carry the signal from the dish to your Dish
Network receiver could also be part of the problem. It is unlikely that
the image will suddenly cut out on you, especially in the fourth
quarter, if the wiring is bad. The easiest way to test this is to
ensure that the integrity of the cables is still intact and that all of
the connections are tight. If you are still not getting picture to your
television, try plugging the cables into another TV, or routing the
picture through your VCR. If you still have no football game, try using
different cables. If the picture comes back at any time while you are
doing this, you've honed in on where the problem is and you can go
about fixing it… after the game, of course.
- Your Dish Network Receiver -
On a very rare occasion, your receiver may stop receiving or decoding
the signal properly. To fix this, simply unplug the receiver for 30
seconds and then plug it back in. (Don't worry - 1:42 can last anywhere
from 5 to 30 minutes at the end of a football game.) You can also try
taking the programming card out of the receiver and then putting it
back in again. Both of these steps help reset the receiver, and it
should start functioning properly again as soon as you turn it back on.
- Your New Plasma TV -
I'm no expert on troubleshooting TVs that cost more than my car, but
checking the cables and connections is never a bad thing. A word of
advice from one who has been there and done that - make sure the back
of your huge, heavy television is readily accessible. The only thing
that will make you more angry than missing the miracle comeback of your
favorite team in that game you are missing, is dropping that massive
television on your toes as your were breaking your back moving it out
from the wall.
The good news is your team came back from
behind and won. The better news is you read this article and were able
to watch it live. The best news is you kept your cool and because your
wife was so impressed with the way you handled the whole situation, she
bought you a pool table.
Nick Smith is an internet marketer specializing in corporate internet branding. For more information about a Dish Network receiver or to order, visit DishNetworkProducts.com.
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