Helpful Hints and Tips
Our March Letter is just a short one for those of us who like to try Troubleshooting before calling the repair or service people.
Here are a few useful tips, some of which you may already know. You can’t really get in trouble trying any of these and they may save you time, frustration and money!
With equipment controlled by microprocessors you can try troubleshooting or rebooting before you call for assistance or a service appointment.
Speaker/Volume
If you’re having problems with the sound, such as no volume on cable programs, or voices being out of sync with the picture. check for Sonos updates if you have a Sonos sound system. If that does not help, we have often found this is due to a lack of communication between your sound system and your cable box. This can usually be cleared up by updating or rebooting your cable box. See below for some tips on troubleshooting your cable box.
TV
The TV is missing some channels, has poor picture quality or other issues you can reboot your cable box. See below for easy to follow tips. If the TV won’t turn on and stays in standby mode, showing a blinking red or blue power light, this is an error message. Please contact Watt Integration for professional help.
Receivers
These are the brains of the system and should NOT be reset, unplugged or updated.
If you do run into any issues with your receiver this is a problem for a trained technician. Please contact Watt Integration for an appointment.
Apple TV
If your Apple TV is having trouble connecting to the internet or not loading your requested iTunes you can
1) Check for updates.
2) Try rebooting the Apple TV box.
DO NOT press the Reset button as this will return the unit to original factory settings and require tech programming.
Apple Extreme Router
If your internet is not connecting to any smart devices, this may be resolved by rebooting or updating. If you are receiving a yellow flashing light on the router its time for a software update. Download the Free Airport Utility App, connect to your network and check for updates.
DO NOT press the Reset button as this will return the unit to original factory settings and require tech programming.
Cox Modem Box and CenturyLink Modem Box
Again, if your internet is having difficulty connecting to your smart devices or dropping service this may be resolved by rebooting the Cox modem or CenturyLink Modem. Just unplug the power cord at the back of the modem, wait a minute and plug it back in.
DO NOT PRESS THE RESET BUTTON ON THE MODEM as this will return the box to its original factory setting and require tech reprogramming.
Troubleshooting, Updates & Rebooting Guide
Here are some more specific troubleshooting and rebooting tips.
If unit will not power on
1) Check the outlet. Always check to make sure you’re getting power to the system and has you have not lost electrical power due to a breaker tripping. Check your indoor wall outlets first. Check the suspect outlet with other electrical devices to see if the outlet may be the problem.
2) Once you have confirmed the outlet is functioning you can move on to troubleshooting or rebooting.
Cable and Satellite Boxes can be easily rebooted. The process is simple and can save you phone calls and time waiting on hold. There are some simple processes which may help with box-related problems such as pixilation (a dot or tiny square pattern in the picture), a pattern of on-screen lines or the sound not being in sync with the picture.
Here are some of the types of boxes you may be able to cure with a quick troubleshoot or reboot.
Troubleshooting DirecTV DVR
(Digital Video Recorder)
One of the simplest steps you can take is resetting your box, which also can save you time on the phone with DirecTv or the cost of a service call.
* Press/lift the flap on the right side.
* Press the red Reset button for 30 seconds.
* Wait for the service to reload and start your favorite program. This can take 5-10 minutes.
Rebooting DirecTv HD or Client Box
* Locate the red Reset button on the left side of the box.
* Press the Reset Button for 30 seconds.
* Wait for the service to reload and start your favorite program. This can take 5-10 minutes.
Troubleshooting Cox Solution Cable Box
* Unplug the detachable power cord located at the back of the box.
* Wait for box to power down.
* Wait 15 seconds, then plug the cord back into the box.
* Power the box back on.
* Wait for the service to reload. This can take 5-10 minutes.
* Watch your favorite program.
Updates
You can check for updates if you have Smart devices. You should check regularly for updates on these pieces and perform updates on a regular basis. These devices will also frequently notify you when updates are needed. This is a common and easy solution to many annoying problems.
Rebooting Process
All rebooting items listed above for rebooting can be reset by unplugging the DC IN located on the back of the box.
Wait one minute and plug back in.
DO NOT press the Reset button as this will reset the box to factory default setting and will then require tech programming.