| DishTV gets "stuck" on an unsubscribed channel when controlled by another device
Scenario: you've set up your TV so that your TiVo controls your DishTV set-top box. You have your Slingbox connected to the TiVo. Things work fine. Then, when you're far away from home, you're using SlingPlayer to watch your TV, and you inadvertently dial in a channel that you don't receive. All of a sudden you see a screen telling you that you don't receive that channel, and "Press OK to continue."
You press every button that your TiVo remote offers, but none of them get you un-stuck from the "unsubscribed channel" message. You're out of luck! You've got to wait until you get home to watch your TV, or hope there's someone there who can perform the simple task of pressing "OK" on the DishTV remote. There has to be a better way! Fortunately, there is.
First of all, it's good to take steps to minimize this from happening in the first place. Get a list of the channels that you subscribe to from your content provider, and use that list to program the device controlling the set-top box so that it skips over the channels that you don't get. That way, at least this problem won't happen while you're channel-surfing. It should also prevent some devices (like TiVos) from displaying programs on those channels. (It won't help you, though, if you use the remote control to manually dial in the number of an unsubscribed channel.)
Another couple of things you can do to minimize your set-top box from getting stuck is shut off features like TiVo's "Suggestions" -- but only if you're not using them. This is more useful if you haven't programmed the controlling device to skip over unsubscribed channels (if you've set up the device to know which channels you get and which you don't, it shouldn't record "suggested" shows on a channel you don't receive).
Finally, some set-top boxes (like DishTV's model 322) have a feature you can use to have the box change to a particular channel, on a repeating basis, at a set time each day. In this way, the set-top box will become "unstuck" as it changes the channel when you've specified. So, if you use this feature to have the set-top box change to (for example) channel 2 at 4:00 a.m. every day, then you may miss an evening's programming, but the box should be back to normal by the next morning.
However, the best way to fix this problem is to set up your TV components so that you have access to both remote controls: the one for the controlling device (say, a TiVo) and the one for the set-top box. Here's how you can do that with an original Slingbox ("Classic"), Slingbox AV, and Slingbox PRO:
- Look at your Slingbox to see what input(s) aren't being used. For example, if you have a Slingbox AV, and you've connected it to your video device using composite cables (red, white, and yellow), then the S-Video input is free. An original Slingbox would have the S-Video and the coaxial cable inputs free. A Slingbox PRO can control up to four devices, so it'll have lots of available inputs.
- Look to see if the available input(s) on your Slingbox match an available output on your set-top box. For example, if the S-Video input is the only one that's free on your Slingbox AV, and there's an available S-Video output on your set-top box, then you're all set. If not, then see if you can switch things around so that both your video device and the set-top box are being controlled by the Slingbox. NOTE: the set-top box does NOT need sound! If an S-Video input (which doesn't include sound) is the only one you can use, that's fine. (Coaxial cable includes both video and sound, as do composite cables. The red and white cables are right-channel and left-channel stereo sound, respectively, and the yellow is video.)
- Once the Slingbox is connected to the set-top box, position one of the IR (infrared) emitters, or "blasters," so that it controls the set-top box. Each IR blaster cable provided with your Slingbox contains two emitters, which both send the same signal at the same time. One of these IR emitters is already pointing at the IR receiver window on your controlling video device; take the other, unused one, and set it so it's pointing in a similar fashion at the IR receiver window of the set-top box. Hardware setup is now done.
- Turn on your TV and set it to a channel that you don't receive, so that you see The Dreaded Onscreen Message. (You can then switch your TV back off again.)
- From your computer, launch SlingPlayer, and try to watch TV using your Slingbox. You should see the same error message that you just saw on your TV.
- Click the Stop (square-shape) button to disconnect from your Slingbox.
- Go to the Slingbox Directory, and click to select your Slingbox, then click Edit.
- Windows: Click the Slingbox Configuration tab, then click Audio/Video Setup. Mac OS: Click Configuration, then click Change Audio/Video Setup.
- The configuration utility walks you through changing your audio/video setup. After you specify how you have your set-top box connected to your Slingbox, be sure to also specify your set-top box's type, make, and model where indicated. You do not need to change the other settings, just click OK. Note: you may stop hearing sound when you specify how your set-top box is connected. That's okay, this is only temporary.
- Complete the settings, and click OK and Finish to exit the configuration utility.
- Connect to your Slingbox. You should see an image as well as the remote control for you set-top box.
- Using the set-top box's remote control, click OK, or change the channel ... whatever you need to do to move it past the unsubscribed channel error screen.
- Once you see a proper video image again, repeat the steps above, starting with #6. This time, though, re-specify the video component you normally use (such as a TiVo or other DVR).
- When you finish with the configuration utility, your Slingbox setup should be back to the way it was before ... and your set-top box won't be stuck on the error screen any more.
If the set-top box gets stuck again, follow the procedure above (starting with step #6) to change your setup temporarily to control the set-top box directly. Get your set-top box un-stuck, then follow the same procedure to put things back to the way they were before.
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