everydaywithvj

New TV Set-up

Alas, even reading the directions would not have helped in this case because we DID read the directions – ALL of them – as annoying as it is to me to need to read directions.

There is a new TV at our house.  A smaller screen for a guest room that is also my sewing and crafting area and when hubby is snoring loudly it is also my get away for a good night’s sleep. Brought the TV home and plugged it in.  We need cable or satellite in this area to get any stations, yet we wanted to be sure the basic TV worked.  It came on, had some controls to click on the main screen for the first time the TV is turned on, but we left that alone.  Called DirectTV, added 1 more outlet, and waited for the control box to arrive in a couple of days, which it did. We’d had Direct in that room previously and the cable was already there.  Things were going along quite well.

Unwrapped the control box and remote.  Followed the directions and hooked up all the cables and HDML.  Turned on the TV and control box.  It took a bit and I had to read those darn directions but there it was on Channel 2, the Ole Miss game. I had cousins at that game.  Bright and clear!  I hit “Guide” and the list of other stations came up.  I was so happy.  Hubby called for me to come and eat lunch.  So much for the morning.

After lunch I went back to the room to organize Christmas gifts and tidy up while the USC-Notre Dame game was on.  Hit Guide, scrolled to Channel 11, hit “select”.  The game came on for 1 second then disappeared and an error message, “771” came up.  Something about a satellite dish.  That started an afternoon of adventure.

Both hubby and I went over all of the directions, carefully checking all connections.  I called DirectTV and talked to a Representative.  She was very patient with me and over the next hour we tried everything.  On. Off. Search. Wait. Try it all again. How was the weather here?  Any clouds? NO. Any rain? NO. Any large trees near the dish? NO.  Did the other TVs work? YES. Hook this up, hook that up, unhook this, unhook that.  Finally she gave up and scheduled us for a service call 3 days later – today, between noon and 4 p.m.

A couple of hours later Hubby tried the same thing I had done and called DirectTV.  Different Representative: same attempts.  On. Off. Search. Wait. Try it all again. How was the weather here?  Any clouds? NO. Any rain? NO. Any large trees near the dish? NO.  Did the other TVs work? YES. Hook this up, hook that up, unhook this, unhook that.  Sorry, the Technician will take a look.  Tuesday between noon and 4 p.m.

Around 11 a.m. today the DirectTV Technician called.  He was running ahead of schedule.  Could he come to our house in 10 minutes?  Yes!  He did.  The first thing he did was to look at another set-up in our house. He didn’t even look at the set-up in question.  The other TVs had some type of filter thingy on the satellite input line that that does not come in the set-up kit with the control box. He walked out to the truck, picked up the unit, and attached it.  BINGO!  Perfect link and all stations working. It took less than 5 minutes.  Bravo to the Technician!  See, It’s EASY when you know how.

Has anything like that ever happened to you?