Hobby Corner Satellite - Arabic 105 Channels Receiver/Computer - Problems Checklist Our customer support is at: hobby43@hotmail.com You will get the fastest support for Arabic 105 Channels from Hobby Corner Satellite by contacting us by e-mail. The e-mail address is hobby43@hotmail.com This is our preferred way. You can call as well. It may take longer. If you call after-hours and get the answering machine, please leave a message so we can cue you in the line-up for support help. The phone number is 902-477-5458. This is our sales-line. So after finding out your problem, we will cue you up in the line-up for using the e-mail support system and you will be helped when your turn comes up. Before you contact us for help, have you tried the options that apply to you in the Problems Checklist? That is a document at: www.hobbysat.com/images/Problems Checklist.txt It is at the top right of our Arabic page. http://www.hobbysat.com/arabic.htm It is in fact this same document you are reading. Have you also looked at the Help Videos and manuals? They are located at the top right of the arabic page as well. TO TURN ARABIC 105 CHANNELS RECEIVER/COMPUTER OFF AT NIGHT: To turn the computer/receiver off at night or when you don't use it for a long time so you can save the internet bandwidth for something else in the house: Press Esc on your remote control. It is on the bottom right, second up on the remote. "Stop" will appear on the screen. The video freezes and you are no longer using the internet bandwidth. To start watching again in the morning, just press "Enter" which is located on the bottom centre, 3 buttons up on the remote. It is recommended to turn the machine off when not in use this way because by unplugging in the back or turning it off with the front power button it takes too long to turn on or off, having to wait for Windows XP to load/turn off. After a number of times of doing this, the computer/receiver does get confused and will not work properly, the same as your own home computer. This way is quick and saves you problems. The MAIN Problem often is the router. We do not own the router and the internet company does not own the router: 1. Have you tried re-booting (unplugging from wall outlet) the router? When one calls the internet company, they will usually have the following disclaimer on the answering machine: "The main source of problems is the router. To avoid trouble connect the computer directly to our modem." Well the same is true with our Arabic TV 105 channels. When the internet slows down, it is usually the router which we don't own and the internet company also does not own. Many have bad software which needs to be updated or a better router purchased. If you want to avoid those problems, do as the internet provider says and connect directly to the modem. Or unplug the router every time the internet slows down.... 2. How many things are connected to your internet besides the Arabic 105 Channels? Ideally for maximum bandwidth only the 105 Channels arabic receiver/computer would be connected to your router. In our store we have 2 computers plus the arabic 105 Channels arabic receiver/computer and we are still ok, with little breakup or freezing. If we add another connection, the arabic receiver/computer starts to freeze up a bit. Our internet is cablevision and only 5 MegaBytes and that does a fine job. 3. Have you tried connecting the VGA cable instead of the RCA push-in composite video and see if your poroblem goes away? 4. Have you tried connecting your arabic receiver/computer at a different person's house and see if the results are the same or different? 5. Have you tried a different CAT5 Networking cable going from your router to the back of the receiver/computer? 6. Have you tried re-booting (unplugging from wall outlet) the computer/receiver? 7. Have you tried re-booting (unplugging from wall outlet) the TV or monitor? 8. If you have a blue screen only on the screen, press the www button 1 time on the top right of the remote. 9. If you cannot see video after pressing a channel name, only black in the box for video area, you might have a password-leaked problem or are watching at 2 locations. Only 1 person's computer/receiver or desktop/laptop can be used at a time. A second person trying to use the same account is locked out. Hence, if someone is watching using your account info or even yourself, you will be locked out by the security system until the first person logs off. 10. If you have a credit card error message, you may need to give us a new expiry date, or the new card number or simply put some money into the account and then ask us to try processing it again. Try to keep us up-to-date on your credit card changes as these delays when you are turned off are beyond our control and we can only wait for the banks to do their thing. 11. You are being asked to input your password and username on the screen. Contact us by e-mail and we will remotely fix this for you. Normally this screen should not come up. 12. If the computer fan is excessively noisy, the fan can be cleaned and oiled by a computer/satellite service person in your area. If you are closer to us, we can get the unit in our store and we can do this for you. Please allow a day to get this done. 13. If you have a small square for a picture and not the full screen and you do not have a blue video converter: You have both RCA video and VGA video connected. You can only have one video cable connected. Re-boot your computer/receiver and you will be ok. If you have a video converter you can have both cables connected. 14. Error Code 1: If you get this on your TV with an all-red screen, you have too many browsers open on your computer/receiver. You can only have one open: the one you are using for the TV Guide. You can close the browsers by placing the cursor arrow over the browser at the bottom of the screen. Click enter and then click the x on the top right of the browser. Close all the browsers. Now unplug the receiver/computer from the back and plug it back in and turn on the front panel button. You should be ok. You open a browser by pressing the "e" button at the top right of the remote. If you don't press it more than once, you won't have an extra browser open and your tv picture won't go off. Also, Error Code 1 can be someone else is logged in to the system with your username and password. It is a good idea to keep the username and password to yourself if you have it. You can only be on one computer at a time. 15. If your picture freezes a bit too much: Try the receiver elsewhere or try a different router. Not all routers are the same and some cause the freezing. Also try new software for your router available on the internet. Or you can get a GOOD wireless router from us for $49. The model has been checked by our computer gurus so that we know it works well with the Arabic 105 Channels system. And good ones are usually $100 and more. 16. With the new features added to the remote control and programme guide, some problems can occur. Below are answers for the most common questions regarding the upgrades to the Remote Control: (1) If you are getting a black screen, you must press the "Enter" key to choose a channel (you CANNOT use the "Full Screen" key to choose a channel). (2) If you are seeing a toolbar on your browser, we can quickly fix this issue. Send an email to us. (3) You may not be able to watch in full screen. The company will fix this in time. 17. ONLINE SUBSCRIBERS ONLY: The resolution of the video is 640x480. If you have a computer screen that has a higher resolution, the video will only ever show at this resolution. If you want a bigger picture you must do the following: (1) Click "Enter" on the channel you want to watch. (2) Once the video is playing, right click on the video Window. (3) Select ZOOM --- FULL SCREEN. (4) Press ESC to return to the normal screen at any time. 18. If your online subscription has a message like: "no subscription" or "not registered" then, This message means you are not using IE 6 or 7. Something is not compatible with your browser. Either you need to switch to Internet Explorer, or you need to configure IE8 if you are using it. This ONLY happens on non-IE browsers, or with browsers with extremely high security, that cannot display basic content. Reduce the security level on Internet Explorer. The system only works with Internet Explorer. 19. Does the online option #2 subscription work with Vista, Windows 7 and IE (Internet Explorer) 8? Yes, the system works on any PC and with those versions of Windows with IE and Windows Media Player 11. If you are using IE8, you must press the "compatibility view" button. 20. When you see "Unsupported Video Signal" message on the TV or monitor. This message only appears when the refresh rate on the PC/receiver VGA output is not compatible with the TV. We can lower or raise the refresh rate remotely or in the store, so that the TV and computer/receiver are compatible. 21. Error Code 6: The Windows Media Player needs to be re-installed. This is the programme used to watch the arabic channels. We can do this remotely for you if you leave the computer/receiver connected to the internet and let us know. 22. If your computer/receiver goes black on boot-up and says at the end of the text: "Press F1 to save changes", then you can fix that by bringing it in to us or if you have access to a USB keyboard you plug that into the computer/receiver and press F1. If you do not have a USB keyboard, we can send you one. 23. Question: How much does the streaming take from the bandwidth usage? Answer: A customer watching TV will consume approximately 500kbps. So if a customer is watching 6 hours per day for 30 days he will consume approximately 40GB. Two people watching 6 hours per day for 30 days will consume approx 80GB. As an FYI, in our experience, people overestimate the number of hours they will watch TV per day. We have found the average is less than 4 hours per day. We have a bandwidth consumption chart that may be of use to you. If you wish it, please email hobby43@hotmail.com for it. The most cost effective ISP packages are those offered by TekSavvy Solutions and Yak Communications. Our recommendation if you want to have the best viewing experience is: Get unlimited high-speed internet with a good provider. Our system is only $1 per day. Less than coffee! Connect your new receiver to the modem directly. That is the best way. Of course if you have other computers you may wish to use the router. However some people get a second connection from the high-speed internet provider just for the Arabic 105 Channels system and it connects directly to the modem. 24. Do not download any programmes or add-ons or upgrades into your Arabic 105 Channels Receiver/Computer. If you do, it may void the warranty. But it will certainly cause trouble with the operation of your receiver/computer. It is designed to work with Internet Explorer 6 or 7 and Windows Media Player 11 and only as those programmes are. Any additions or changes and the Arabic 105 Channels may go off. So to make your system run smoothly and the best it can, leave it as it is. Do not download anything from the internet. Thanks! If you have downloaded "Active X" or whatever, then contact us for help to get you back on.... If the Arabic 105 Channels system asks you if you want to do an update for "Log Me In" that is ok and click "update". Then click "close". Do not accept updates for anything else. All of these previous checks will help us find out what is happening, why and where. If you have any tips or help, we can certainly add that to this list and help some others out!