Hughes Platinum DirecTV box

[jfrancour]

I have a Hughes Platinum HD DirecTV box, Model #HIRD-E86 and I need some help. I have an OTA antenna (don't know model but it is 'Zone 2' from American TV) and when I turn off my Hughes box when I am not using it and turn it back on later to use it, I get crappy reception with the OTA channels. I have to do like a reset or hard boot to the Hughes box (turn it off, hold the down arrow key on the box itself, and hold the power button for 10 seconds) and it resets itself so it has to go through checking for a new guide data and whatever. I was told this is because the entertainment center I have it in is making it over heat due to no ventilation and the reboot process resets it to work. Now I am sure most of you say "Why don't you move it?" Well, I would love to, but I just had a  hip replaced and I am not that mobile enough right now (yes, I am young for a hip replacement, only 29, long story).

OK, I am fine with resetting the Hughes box when it does this until I can tear everything apart and set it up better. But, the problem is that when I reset the box I loose my settings as to what local channels the antenna should look for. It's not like a factory reset, because I retain most of my local channels and settings, and all my other A/V set up is saved/unchanged. I just have to go and scan for the newer local UHF channels. For instance, I have 4-1, 12-1, 18-1, 24-1, 36-1, and 58-1 at all times, even after a reset. But, if I scan and pick up 24-2 and the 58-X channels, the next time I do a reset it, it loses the 24-2 and 58-X channels, or whatever is new.

Any ideas? If I didn't explain this well, LMK, and I will try to do better.

Thanks...

[dlhoppe]

You say you get "crappy reception" after turning the box off and back on again.  That tells me that your channels are still in your guide and that the picture looks bad. What's do you mean by "crappy reception"? Is it digital pixelation, or snowy/ghosting analog images?  If the OTA channels (both digital and analog) are still in the guide, then re-scanning shouldn't make a difference.  

Are you sure you're not confusing digital channels with analog channels?  If you watch a digital channel and then switch to an analog channel, it will probably look worse or "crappy".

[borghe]

you will have to move the box. I'm sorry but there is no other way.. these boxes are notorious for running hot (I have the exact same one).. I had mine inside a well ventilated cabinet on top of the dvd player, but with the tivo which also runs super hot and it crashed many times.. since then I have moved it to the top of the TV where is hasn't crashed in two years.

just old technology.. the newer boxes don't have anywhere near the heat of the old boxes.

[jfrancour]

Sorry about that description, the crappy reception is digital pixelation and I do know it is digital channels and not the analog because I take the analog channels out of the guide. If I just turn the box off and back on it retains the channels/guide, but sometimes has the digital pixelation which requires me to do the reset. So then when I reset the receiver the digital pixelation goes away, but I lose my latest channel scan.

I guess I will have to deal with it for a while until I can replace the box or tear everything out and set the Hughes box on top of the cabinet. Thanks for the help.