If you’ve recently activated a commercial receiver only to find that it automatically shuts off within 4 hours due to an energy saver setting, don’t worry. Unlike residential receivers, commercial receivers should not go into energy saver mode and in fact the option to turn Energy Saver on and off is not even selectable on commercial accounts.
Why this happens
New receivers sometimes come with older versions of the firmware that still have energy saver enabled but because this is a commercial account it’s impossible to turn off. This is actually more common than it was in the past due to the large number of DIRECTV receivers being put into commercial use after a few years spent as residential receivers.
In most cases this will solve itself after leaving the receiver in standby (not turned on) for a day or so, allowing it to automatically download new firmware. However, if you are in a hurry, this is one of the few cases when you are justified in manually downloading new firmware. I generally don’t recommend bothering to “force a download,” but in this case it makes sense.
How to download new firmware
To download new firmware, reset the receiver with the red button on the front or side, and when you see the first screen (“Your DIRECTV receiver is starting up”) press the following buttons on the remote, one at a time:
0 2 4 6 8
If you’ve done it right, you’ll see a screen that says “Searching for new software.” Wait and watch until it says “New Software Found,” This should take no more than 2 minutes. If it takes longer, then the firmware may not be available for download at that time. Your receiver will eventually automatically reset itself and you can try again another time.
If it doesn’t say “New Software Found…”
This sometimes happens because the software for these receivers is not available on the satellite 24/7. The best time to try is during East Coast business hours. You’ll generally have success at that point. Of course you do need a good satellite signal and the receiver needs to be connected properly. If you’re getting live TV, you should be fine.
What happens next
After the new firmware is loaded, you still won’t have the ability to turn the energy saver on and off, but it should be off permanently. In rare cases — far less than 1% of the time — the power saver remains on. This condition is hard to diagnose. Sometimes it can be fixed with a new access card. More often than not, you’ll need to swap out the receiver. That’s where the people at Signal Connect come in.
Calling AT&T’s main call center isn’t going to get you anywhere. They are much more focused on home users. You need an expert in your corner. That’s why the folks at Signal Connect are so successful. We have almost 20 years of experience in fixing problems like this. We know the ins and outs and we can help you when no one else can. Call 888-233-7563 during East Coast business hours, or fill out the form below any time of the day or night and we’ll get back to you, usually within 24 hours.
