The Record Light on My DirecTV DVR Receiver Is Frozen
By Eoghan McCloskey
If you use a DVR, such as those provided by DirecTV, a record indicator light on the front panel of the DVR unit will illuminate when you are recording a program. Just like any other DVR units, DirecTV DVRs are not immune to certain intermittent technical problems. You may occasionally find that your record light is staying illuminated even though you are not recording anything. This issue can be resolved in a few basic troubleshooting steps.
Verify Remote Settings
If you were trying to stop the DVR recording using your DirecTV remote control, the first troubleshooting step is to verify your remote settings. This may seem an obvious step, but DirecTV remotes are capable of controlling more than one device at a time; if your remote was configured to control the TV rather than the DVR, the DVR would not have received the remote command to stop recording. Verify that the remote is set to control the DVR and again try and stop the recording. You may also need to try replacing the remote's batteries to ensure that they have not gone dead.
Manually Stop Recording
It is possible that the DVR controls on the remote have stopped working, even if the rest of the remote controls are still working. To test if this is the case, try the other controls on the remote (volume, channel selection etc.) and see if the DVR unit responds. If the other controls are working, some further troubleshooting is required. If none of the controls on the remote are working, it will be necessary to contact DirecTV and have the remote replaced.
Reboot the DVR
Having eliminated a remote control failure as the cause of the problem, the next troubleshooting step is to reboot the DVR unit itself. Simply remove the power cord from the back of the DVR unit or from the electrical source for a full 30 seconds and then plug it back in. Allow the DVR unit to reboot fully and see if the record light stays illuminated.
Contact DirecTV
At this point, it will likely be necessary to have the DVR unit replaced, but first contact DirecTV technical support. The technical support rep you speak to will be able to walk you through some additional troubleshooting steps and have the DVR replaced, if necessary.
Writer Bio
Eoghan McCloskey is a technical support representative and part-time musician who holds Bachelor of Arts degrees in English and political science from Texas State University. While at Texas State, McCloskey worked as a writing tutor at the Texas State Writing Center, proofreading and editing everything from freshman book reports to graduate theses.