Have you tried pressing the red button in the access card door?

I have a similar issue. Purchased an hr21 a few months back (from weakknees). Installed and tuned myself, as I always have. Receive all channels fine, but when recording can't watch another channel. Receive a "searching for signal" message #771 on every channel other than one being recorded. Soon as I stop recording, channels tune fine. In addition, when playing back recorded programs, some play and others go directly to the "do you want to delete or save this program" option. Discovery HD and a few others do this every time, regardless of another channel being recorded/watched or not. Is this a receiver problem, DTV problem, or some issue with hookup and/or fine tuning. Tuning was done with a Ku/Ka meter and, as stated, works fine when not recording. A side note, my cable run is apprx. 75 feet, no other option based on trees. Would inline signal amplifiers solve this problem. Any help would be appreciated. Will contact DTV as a last resort. Thanks.

Have you gone through the satellite setup and checked your transponder strength on each tuner/transponder?

Yes, and with a few exceptions signal strenth ranges from low/mid 90's to 100. I did notice a few 0's, which DTV says is to be expected. And on one of the satellites (99 or 103, will have to go back and check), tuner number 2 doesn't show acquired. Is it possible this is the root of my problem? Why could I watch a channel but not record? Seems to record non HD channels ok, while recorded HD channels, upon playback, go immediately to the save/delete screen. I will go back through each tuner/transponder tonight and check for strength; I'll take notes so as to be more specific. My first instinct is the second tuner is the problem, either tuning or hardware. Could be way off, I'm no expert. As always, appreciate any help. Thanks.

P.S. Don't know if this helps, but when changing channels, seems awful slow to respond. Changes over, screen blacks out once or twice, then tunes in. Not like prior SD unit, which was fairly immediate, maybe slight delay.

That's the question: Do you get signal strength on tuner 1 and 2, equally? It does sound like an issue with one of your sat inputs. Have you tried swapping cables (sat 1 into 2 and vice versa)? Does the problem follow the cable?

will check and get back to you. may be a few days. thanks.

Okay, checked each satellite along with each individual tuner. A bit wordy, but here goes.

Sat 101, 110, 119--> Both tuners acquired @ 97, 89, 98% respectively. Transponder (32) strength ranges from 94-100 (101), 80-91 (110), and 89-100 (119), with 3 zeros total.

Sat 99(c)--> Tuner 1 not acquired, tuner 2 82%, trans (14) strenth 77-95.

Sat 99(s)--> Neither tuner acquired, both tuners 3 out of 13 transponders @ 69-77.

Sat 103(s)--> Neither tuner acquired, tuner 1 with 2 trans. @ 93-96, other 14 @ 0. Tuner 2 with 8 trans. @79-95, other 8 @ 0.

Sat 103(c)--> Tuner 1 not acquired, tuner 2 86%, with 14 trans. @ 77-90.

One last note, I do have an oak tree that's possibly interfering with the eastern most sats, but seeing as I've had no problem tuning channels, don't know if this is an issue. Hope this helps, as always appreciate the help.

So if you swap the SAT 1 and SAT 2 cables, do you get the same behavior?

will check and get back with you in the a.m. just thinking, could it be a b-band converter problem (defective, etc.)? thanks again.

Swapped b-band converters first, no change, then swapped SAT1 and SAT2 cables (@ receiver); 101,110, and 119 sats same as above. 99 and 103 sats same results, just opposite as far as tuner1 / tuner 2 acquisition concerned.

As stated above, could see how tree could possibly interfere with these sats, being the furthest east. But watching channels hasn't been a problem, so doesn't make sense. I do have diplexers connected to one of the incoming lines (in and out) as there is cable in the house and didn't want to run another line. Never has been an issue. Also two grounding blocks; as stated previously there is a long cable run (apprx. 75ft.) and ground is on entry side of house. Ground @ dish to first block, then another block grounded @ entry. Don't think this is a problem, but can't say for sure. Any thoughts?

You cannot diplex cable signals over a standard DIRECTV coax coming from a 5LNB dish. That is your problem. You could do it before the 5lnb, but not after. DTV recently started using the 99 satellite, so the changes might be impacting you because of your effort to diplex.

If you want to diplex cable signals, you need a SWM--see:

SWM Single Wire Multiswitch for DIRECTV

Okay, got it. Thanks for all your help, much appreciated.

swm problem

Okay, followed your advice and purchased the swm. Installed Monday, 9/22, and after reset received signal/picture. Then "searching for sat 2" followed by lockup. Did numerous resets, checked a few connections, thought maybe dish moved (had a small storm), etc. Read a few posts, thought maybe I needed a software download (new hr21), so disconnected swm and wired dish directly to receiver (with bband), unplugged, powered back up, signal fine. Reconnected swm, removed bband, powered up, end result, "searching for signal on sat 1 and 2" message 772(?)
To make a long story shorter, today I did a complete connection check/test. I own a ka/ku meter, so I tested reception @ every connection, starting @ the dish. By the way, I KNOW the swm is connected properly. Anyway, here's what I got:

4 connections @ dish-->each 95-97 (signal strength, 101 and 119 sats)
At swm, using jumper-->88-89; swm apprx. 5 feet from dish (under eave).

Because of tree, dish on one side of house, entry on other. Prior setup was grounded on entry side, so cable has a break @ ground block.
Tested signal on either side of block, and without block, and signal same, reduced to 66-67.
Straight drop to entry, wall jack inside, signal @ 55-56.
Apprx. 15 ft. run to power inserter, signal @ 44-45.

Without swm, signal strength on most trans. in the 90's, and everything I read suggests I'm well under the max cable run. I have no splitters and only 1 receiver. Spoke with a tech from weakknees earlier, and he seems to think it's a bad power inserter; says they very seldom see bad smw's. The person I purchased the swm from suggested the inserter was too far from the dish. From what I gather that doesn't make sense. I'm waiting for a followup response.

My question to you, does this sound like the inserter is the problem, or is it possibly the swm? Let me reiterate, I'm absolutely positive the swm is connected properly, and the same cables work fine without the swm. I purchased my hr21 from you this summer and all cable, connections, etc. are new. The worse thing dtv ever did was get away from tivo. Anyway, thanks for all your help, hopefully you have a solution.

You can't use a normal signal meter for the SWM; it requires a special meter that is SWM compatible. So I'm not sure your readings are accurate or reliable.

Have you gone through satellite setup again to specify that you have a SWM?