CASPER
New member
For those that do not like to keep their receiver on 24/7,
Backgruound:
If you have a motor running different satellites, you must ensure the satellite is pointed to the appropriate satellite in order for the timer function to work... Otherwise, the receiver will wake up, change to the appropriate channel, but not move the satellite to the appropriate position. If you utilize the timer to record a movie on your DVR or VCR, those of you with a motor setup will record 2 hours of Scrambled Channel. A very predictable movie with the same plot throughout.
Cause:
After reviewing this situation, and how it similarly operates on a DVR, I've identified the cause as not being a channel change at all, only a channel wake up. Let me explain:
If you have a DVR, or VCR.. you'll notice a channel change occur when the machine wakes up... So lets say you turned the machine off on channel 3 the night before, when the machine wakes up, you'll see it momentarily wakes up on channel 3 before switching to channel 8.
On the Coolsat.. there is no channel change, it simply wakes up with the channel you wish to go to. So there is never any signal sent to the motor, even though it's onscreen display says its moving the dish.
Solution:
This solution, is not without flaws. This solution works for those that wish to record once later in the day, or record daily. However there is no option to record on a later date, or record weekly for that matter.
This solution involves using both available timers on the coolsat. The wakeup timer in the Time setting, and the Timer in the guide.
First, set the wakeup timer 10 minutes prior to your show start time. It doesn't matter much what channel you choose for it to wake up on, because as the problem earlier dictates, the dish will not move at this point.
Second, set the timer in the guide for 9 minutes prior to the show start time. At this point when the timer changes the channel, the box is already awake and knows its time to move the satellite... and it does.
I have instructed a 9 minute window before the start time just in case the keys changed. This will give the box time to roll the new keys so you don't miss any of your program. This is provided, however, that autoroll works on the BIN you have installed.
Finally, set your VCR/DVR however you do to record from the Coolsats feed.
This TIP was intended to assist with a key roll problem from October / November 2006. It may or may not be applicable to such a key roll issue any longer or ever again. However, these "TIMERS" are still usable and may prove handy for other issues. Experimenting with these TIMERS will at least allow you to discover how they work and how to implement them in case they ever prove beneficial to your application/s. They may prove to have a valid future use, so it is good to understand what they are and how they operate. Especially since they are quite simple to use.
Here is a possible short term remedy for the key rolling and activation problem most everyone has been experiencing at some time or another. It is not proven to work, but
there are no software or firmware alterations to muddle with. Therefore, you are not out anything but a few seconds to set this feature into operation to test it. Please give it a try.
It is built in! No new gimmicks to download, just test it to discover if it has merits.
It appears that most folks are required to cycle power to their STB to either allow the keys to roll in or to activate that set of keys once those keys have already rolled in.
If you are like me and desire to record programs to DVD, HDD, PVR or VCR and are away from your home theatre more often than not, it isn’t possible to cycle power to the STB to hopefully make everything right.
However, there is an automatic feature built into the Coolsat 5000 that offers us an opportunity – [hopefully & possibly] – to work around this “short term” problem.
If you are attempting to record movies or events onto your DVD, HDD, PVR or VCR and you cannot be there to ensure that the channels are not scrambled when the recording session begins, why not set the Coolsat 5000’s timers to cycle power to the unit for you?
Access the menu: SYSTEM SETTINGS TIME SETTING and then scroll down to the WAKE UP and SLEEP TIME options. Set these timers so that the Coolsat STB turns off (first) then back on (second) about 20-30 minutes prior to the start of your program,
event or when you would arrive home and wish to view TV.
Don’t forget to use the RED recall button to toggle between AM and PM.
Set the WAKE UP CHANNEL to one of the PPV, Premium or EPG channels that you have found to work best for assisting the keys to roll in.
Set the WAKE UP timer to turn the STB back ON about two to five minutes after the sleep timer.
Select the timer frequency (once or daily) as necessity dictates.
Now, I do not know how well this will function, if it does at all, it is simply an idea that I thought to try and I thought everyone may as well be trying it too, since it doesn’t involve any extra expense or programming (just setting the timers).
Another sidebar to the same issue is if you could set the record TIMERS to switch back and forth between channels or even providers to do something similar. That may be a possible half-ass remedy as well, but not tested as of yet, and you only have eight timers to work with which is a negative, but may be helpful if you need to switch back and forth between providers and really want all SATs to be operational when you get home.
Please give it a trial run on your system, if it works, GREAT! If not, oh well, it was worth a shot.
Backgruound:
If you have a motor running different satellites, you must ensure the satellite is pointed to the appropriate satellite in order for the timer function to work... Otherwise, the receiver will wake up, change to the appropriate channel, but not move the satellite to the appropriate position. If you utilize the timer to record a movie on your DVR or VCR, those of you with a motor setup will record 2 hours of Scrambled Channel. A very predictable movie with the same plot throughout.
Cause:
After reviewing this situation, and how it similarly operates on a DVR, I've identified the cause as not being a channel change at all, only a channel wake up. Let me explain:
If you have a DVR, or VCR.. you'll notice a channel change occur when the machine wakes up... So lets say you turned the machine off on channel 3 the night before, when the machine wakes up, you'll see it momentarily wakes up on channel 3 before switching to channel 8.
On the Coolsat.. there is no channel change, it simply wakes up with the channel you wish to go to. So there is never any signal sent to the motor, even though it's onscreen display says its moving the dish.
Solution:
This solution, is not without flaws. This solution works for those that wish to record once later in the day, or record daily. However there is no option to record on a later date, or record weekly for that matter.
This solution involves using both available timers on the coolsat. The wakeup timer in the Time setting, and the Timer in the guide.
First, set the wakeup timer 10 minutes prior to your show start time. It doesn't matter much what channel you choose for it to wake up on, because as the problem earlier dictates, the dish will not move at this point.
Second, set the timer in the guide for 9 minutes prior to the show start time. At this point when the timer changes the channel, the box is already awake and knows its time to move the satellite... and it does.
I have instructed a 9 minute window before the start time just in case the keys changed. This will give the box time to roll the new keys so you don't miss any of your program. This is provided, however, that autoroll works on the BIN you have installed.
Finally, set your VCR/DVR however you do to record from the Coolsats feed.
This TIP was intended to assist with a key roll problem from October / November 2006. It may or may not be applicable to such a key roll issue any longer or ever again. However, these "TIMERS" are still usable and may prove handy for other issues. Experimenting with these TIMERS will at least allow you to discover how they work and how to implement them in case they ever prove beneficial to your application/s. They may prove to have a valid future use, so it is good to understand what they are and how they operate. Especially since they are quite simple to use.
Here is a possible short term remedy for the key rolling and activation problem most everyone has been experiencing at some time or another. It is not proven to work, but
there are no software or firmware alterations to muddle with. Therefore, you are not out anything but a few seconds to set this feature into operation to test it. Please give it a try.
It is built in! No new gimmicks to download, just test it to discover if it has merits.
It appears that most folks are required to cycle power to their STB to either allow the keys to roll in or to activate that set of keys once those keys have already rolled in.
If you are like me and desire to record programs to DVD, HDD, PVR or VCR and are away from your home theatre more often than not, it isn’t possible to cycle power to the STB to hopefully make everything right.
However, there is an automatic feature built into the Coolsat 5000 that offers us an opportunity – [hopefully & possibly] – to work around this “short term” problem.
If you are attempting to record movies or events onto your DVD, HDD, PVR or VCR and you cannot be there to ensure that the channels are not scrambled when the recording session begins, why not set the Coolsat 5000’s timers to cycle power to the unit for you?
Access the menu: SYSTEM SETTINGS TIME SETTING and then scroll down to the WAKE UP and SLEEP TIME options. Set these timers so that the Coolsat STB turns off (first) then back on (second) about 20-30 minutes prior to the start of your program,
event or when you would arrive home and wish to view TV.
Don’t forget to use the RED recall button to toggle between AM and PM.
Set the WAKE UP CHANNEL to one of the PPV, Premium or EPG channels that you have found to work best for assisting the keys to roll in.
Set the WAKE UP timer to turn the STB back ON about two to five minutes after the sleep timer.
Select the timer frequency (once or daily) as necessity dictates.
Now, I do not know how well this will function, if it does at all, it is simply an idea that I thought to try and I thought everyone may as well be trying it too, since it doesn’t involve any extra expense or programming (just setting the timers).
Another sidebar to the same issue is if you could set the record TIMERS to switch back and forth between channels or even providers to do something similar. That may be a possible half-ass remedy as well, but not tested as of yet, and you only have eight timers to work with which is a negative, but may be helpful if you need to switch back and forth between providers and really want all SATs to be operational when you get home.
Please give it a trial run on your system, if it works, GREAT! If not, oh well, it was worth a shot.
