DIRECTV Technical Support: Five Easy Fixes

DIRECTV residential customers typically enjoy their satellite TV service without any problems or interruptions.  Every now and again, these subscribers might experience a connection issue.  In most cases, these are small issues that can be resolved rather quickly.  You just need to know how.  That’s where Signal Connect comes in.  We’re your DIRECTV experts, and we offer free DIRECTV technical support to anyone who calls us.  In this installment, we show you how to fix five common connection problems with your DIRECTV residential account.

If you have DIRECTV residential service, here is a list of common connection issues and how to fix them:

PROBLEM 1: No Picture or Sound

Did you turn your DIRECTV on only to get nothing?  It happens sometimes, but there are some things you can do to get your programming back.  For those experiencing no picture or sound, try these seven DIRECTV fixes:

  1. Make sure the receiver is plugged in and functioning.
  2. Are the front panel lights lit? Can you turn the receiver on with the front panel?
  3. If you push a button on your remote, is there a green light on the top? If not, you might need new batteries.
  4. Make sure your TV is plugged in and turned on to the correct input. (This is a simple step but worth checking.)
  5. Use the {TV INPUT} or {SOURCE} button on your TV remote control to change to the right input.
  6. Make sure all cables between your receiver and TV are connected. (The vast majority of problems are caused by bad cable connections.)
  7. If your DIRECTV receiver and TV are both on but you still have no picture or sound, try changing cables between receiver and TV.

PROBLEM 2: Slow Receiver

Does your DIRECTV receiver seem slow lately?  Like really really slow?  If so, you can try one of these fixes to get things back to speed:

1. Double-Reboot

  • Press the red reset button on your receiver or client.
  • As soon as it’s finished rebooting, reboot it again.
  • (Note: This can take a few minutes to speed up after a double reboot. Your DIRECTV equipment should operate at its fastest about 12 hours after you conduct a double-reboot.)

2. Run a System Test on Non-Genie Hardware:

  • Press your remote’s {MENU} button
  • Navigate to: Settings & Help, Settings, Info & Test, Run System Test
  • Press the {DASH} button to confirm

3. Run a System Test on DIRECTV Genie (or Gemini) Hardware

  • Press the {MENU} button on your remote
  • Navigate to: Settings, Info & Test, Run System Test
  • Press the {DASH} button to confirm
  • If the message reads “All Items OK,” try the double-reboot procedure listed above

4. If an External Hard Drive is Installed:

  • Unplug the receiver then disconnect the external hard drive.
  • Plug the receiver back in and try to use the internal hard drive for a day or so.
  • You won’t have access to recordings stored on the external drive until you plug it back in and reboot it.

PROBLEM 3: Interactive/On Demand Content Doesn’t Work

This can be frustrating for anyone who’s excited about watching event programming.  We understand the frustration, and we want to help you make it go away.  Fortunately, this can be a very easy DIRECTV fix.  When your interactive and/or On Demand programming doesn’t work, it’s time to check the network status on each receiver using these easy steps:

Press the {DASH} button and confirm that “Internet: Connected” appears.  (On Genie or Gemini, press {DASH} button twice.)  Reset the network connection on each receiver.

1, Non-Genie Hardware

  • Press the {MENU} button on your remote, then navigate to:
  • Settings&Help, Settings, Network Setup, Reset Network Defaults
  • Once network defaults are reset, choose Connect Now

2. Genie (and Gemini) Hardware

  • Press the {MENU} button on your remote, then navigate to:
  • Settings, Internet Setup, Reset Network Defaults
  • Once network defaults are reset, choose Connect Now

If the receiver does not show that both Network and Internet are connected, or if Connect Now doesn’t not work, check your cable connections and reset the router and Broadband DECA.  You should also unplug the SWM power inserter then plug it back in.

PROBLEM 4: Error Codes 771, 775 or 776

When many DIRECTV subscribers experience a connection issue, DIRECTV error 771 message is one of the most common.  When this happens, your DIRECTV equipment is unable to grab a signal, which means you can’t watch any programming.  If this happens, or if you encounter DIRECTV error 775 or 776 messages, try these easy fixes: 

Signal Connect can help with these DIRECTV fixes:

1. Error Code 771 – Poor Signal Strength:

  • Press the {MENU} button on your remote
  • Navigate to: Settings&Help, Settings, Satellite (or Sat&Ant), and View Signal Strength
  • Press {DASH} on remote
  • Check each satellite and tuners 1 and 2 if you have a DVR (1-5 if you have an HR34)

Note: It’s normal to see some zeroes or “N/A” listings, but every other number should be at least 75.  If you have many numbers lower than 75, you might need to re-aim or replace your dish.

2. Error Code 775 – Power Loss from the SWiM:

  • Make sure all cables are clean and corrosion-free
  • Tighten loose cables
  • Unplug and re-plug the SWiM power inserter

If these problems continue, you might have a broken cable.  Unplug one cable at a time until you find the one that’s damaged.  Replace the broken cable.

3. Error Code 776 – Too Many Receivers Plugged into SWiM

Count the number of tuners you are using.  (Regular DVRs use two tuners while an HR34 uses 5.)  If that number is greater than eight, you might need a SWiM-16.

PROBLEM 5: Whole-Home Doesn’t Work (non-Genie systems)

While DIRECTV Genie is the most popular residential receiver, it’s not the only one.  There are plenty of other receivers out there, and they sometimes have the occasional connection issue.  If you have a whole-home system that isn’t working, take these steps to get things back on track:

1. Check the network status on each receiver:

  • Press the {MENU} button on your remote
  • Navigate to: Settings&Help, Settings, Info & Test, and More System Info
  • Scroll down until you see Network: Connected and Internet: Connected

2. Check to make sure that Sharing is turned on:

  • Press the {MENU} button on your remote
  • Navigate to: Settings&Help, Settings, Whole-Home, and Share Playlist
  • Press {SELECT}
  • Set “Share Playlist” to YES

3. Reset the network connection on each receiver:

  • Press the {MENU} button on your remote
  • Navigate to: Settings&Help, Settings, and Network Setup
  • Reset Network Defaults
  • After the reset, choose Connect Now

If the receiver doesn’t show that both Network and Internet are connected – or if Connect Now doesn’t work – check your cables and reset the router and Broadband DECA.  You might also want to unplug and re-plug the SWM power inserter.

Get DIRECTV Technical Support from Signal Connect

The DIRECTV connection issues listed here are just some of DIRECTV problems that we can help you fix. Check out the second part to this series on DIRECTV fixes. While DIRECTV connection issues are rare, you never know when you might have one happen in your home. If your TV screen goes dark or you get an error message, you don’t want to say, “Where did I read those tips to fix this?” That’s why it’s a good idea to bookmark these pages in case you might need them.

There’s an easier way to get the DIRECTV technical support you need. Just program Signal Connect’s number into your cell phone and call us whenever you need us. Our DIRECTV expert will diagnose your problem and walk you through the fix. Best of all, this customer support is free to all DIRECTV subscribers! Whether you have DIRECTV in your home, RV, or boat, the help you need is at 888-233-7563.

About the Author

Jake Buckler
Jake Buckler is a cord-cutter, consumer electronics geek, and Celtic folk music fan. Those qualities, and his writing experience, helped him land a copywriting gig at Signal Group, LLC. He also contributes to The Solid Signal Blog.