Disconnect receiver for several days

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readytorock

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Hi.

This may be quite the nooby question, but nonetheless, I would appreciate some feedback.

I recently purchased a new HDTV for my son's room. Up until now, we have had a 4100 connected to the old CRT television but today, I picked up a 6131receiver to replace it. I will now use the 4100 in another child's room.

Okay, here's the question: I want to activate the 6131 today which means I will be disconnecting the 4100. Can I leave the (now disconnected) 4100 lying around for several days until I get, and run the RG-6 to the other TV, or will doing so somehow totally screw up the programming (of the 4100)?

I appreciate the time and effort.

Thanks very much.
 
Leaving the 4100 disconnected will most likely cause it to loose its programming. If you have an account at the Bell website you can have the receiver reset, without having to call Bell at all, synchronising I believe they call it. (Only once per 30 days I believe, via the website). Or you just call Bell and they will re hit the receiver to bring it back to full programming.

Just as an aside, if this is your first HD receiver, (or you do not have programming from 82 degrees) you can get it installed for free by Bell.

This is not the case as I just read a previous post where you already have a 9200.
 
Not an issue at all.

Worst case, it can take up to 20 minutes for it to regain it's programming when you reconnect it - patience.

I have yet to see one that needed another hit on a move order, and some of those boxes had been in storage for months.
 
how long can you leave it disconnected?? Iam doing a little reno on the weekend and I will be disconnecting for a few hours...will that matter?
 
A few hours is just fine, a few days might be OK, a few weeks will create some minor problems.
 
Not at all. The receivers have never been de-activated. Worst case is out of date software, and that is easily remedied.

Not to say you won't get the "not authorized" message when you first fire it up again, but all subscribed programming will come back once the current authorization keys get to the receiver from the data stream. Just a matter of time.

I'm sure if there were issues surrounding this scenario, the Bell hand-held units would have a method of recording and then 're-activating' move units - they don't - they just report the quantity of receivers installed at the move location.

For that matter, I selectively tell upgrade customers that are under the max tuner threshold not to remove their old receiver from their account so they have a backup available. More than a few have resorted to it waiting for service/rma receipt - again, sometimes months down the road from the upgrade.
 
Keeping it plugged in to A/C power without a satellite connection will do nothing except waste power :)

As mentioned above, a few hours is fine, a few days are usually ok but if you go a week or more then your programming "expires". Usually reconnecting to the satellite dish/power will restore your authorization within 24 hours (not 20 minutes - they don't send the codes that often). If it hasn't come back within 48 hours, or if you don't feel like waiting, then you can go to the web site and "resynchronize" your receivers through the online selection, or, just pick up the phone and call Bell.

FYI - This was covered in one of the "10 Tips to Fix BellTV Tech Isuses" sticky thread http://www.digitalhome.ca/forum/showthread.php?t=96604
 
We'll have to agree to disagree on this one then. Personal experience refutes the above.

Activation codes have a limited run, but that's not what we are talking about.

Provider keys are always present. Just a matter of time for the already authorized cam to update so it can properly decrypt the encrypted packets to watch tv.
 
Well, I don't think we can even do that :) We (at least most of us) are talking about authorization on the CAM and not simple the provider encryption key.

FOr the provider encryption key, then yes, if the key has changed, it usually takes up to 20 minutes to "roll".

owever, we are talking about a receiver that has been unplugged for a couple of weeks. This will result in expiration of the authorization tier on the CAM. This can talk up to a week to receive a re-auth.

You said "up to 20 minutes for it to regain it's programming" where programming=tier authorization. Rolling key is not "programming". :)

Enough said. This topic has been discussed to death and well covered.
 
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