Panasonic DMR-EZ17 recorder

[fifthranger]

Having issues with recording channels over 96. It won't recognize these stations and therefore won't record or even be able to watch t.v. -- just a blank screen. I have already ran set-up several times and it says that stations upto 111 are in digital. What's up??

[MrBoylan]

Having issues with recording channels over 96. It won't recognize these stations and therefore won't record or even be able to watch t.v. -- just a blank screen. I have already ran set-up several times and it says that stations upto 111 are in digital. What's up??

Are you receiving these channels over the air or via cable? If via cable, then it's possible that these channels are either encrypted or delivered via SDV (Switched Digital Video) by your cable provider. Encrypted and SDV channels can *only* be tuned in via a cable box. They can't be tuned in via a standard digital QAM tuner like the one in your DVD recorder.

If these are over the air channels via antenna, then the recorder's built-in tuner should be able to tune them in.

Do you have any other devices in your house that have a digital cable tuner built-in? Like an HDTV? If you connect your cable jack directly to your TV's antenna or cable input and go through its "auTo add" or "channel scan" process, it should be able to tune in the same channels as the Panasonic recorder. If you get a discrepancy - if the TV can directly tune in some channels that the DVD recorder cannot find, then the recorder may require service.

Regards,

-Chris