DIRECTV Error 920: Guide Information Not Downloaded, and How to Fix It

What DIRECTV error 920 means for your venue

DIRECTV error 920 means a receiver has not been able to download program guide information from the satellite for more than four hours. DIRECTV's first step is a System Test, which is designed to show you why. If the resulting message includes the number 82 or 83, the receiver is configured for the wrong satellite dish, and correcting the dish type setting is the fix.

Treat the code as a clue, not the whole story. Something has kept that receiver from finishing a guide download for hours, and the System Test is how you find out what.

How it shows up on a busy floor

Picture a Friday rush. A bartender grabs the remote to put the game on the corner screen and gets a 920 message instead. The screens around it may look normal, which makes it tempting to keep flipping channels. Pause and ask one question first: is this one receiver, or several?

• One receiver: work through the routine below on that box.
• Every screen at once: the cause is likely upstream of the receivers. Start with our triage guide for no signal on every TV.

The fix routine, fastest first

1. Write down the details. Note which receiver and which TV, and copy the full message, including any extra numbers. Those numbers decide the next step.
2. Run a System Test. Press MENU, then choose Settings, Info & Test, and Run System Test. It can take a few minutes, so let it finish.
3. Read the result. If the message includes 82 or 83, go to step 4. If not, skip to step 6.
4. Correct the dish type. Press MENU, choose Settings, Satellite, then Repeat Satellite Setup. Press the DASH button, select Dish Type and set it: 03: Slimline-3 if the message showed 82, or 04: Slimline-5 if it showed 83. Select Continue.
5. Give it time. Leave the receiver alone for a few minutes while it verifies the new dish configuration.
6. Escalate. If the code returns, the menus on your receiver do not match these labels, or the test points to something other than dish type, stop and call support.

When error 920 keeps coming back

A code that clears and returns usually has a pattern behind it. Before you call, gather what a technician will ask about:

• Which receivers. The same box every time points somewhere different than several boxes in rotation.
• Recent changes. A new or replaced dish, a remodel, or receivers added or moved are all worth mentioning. If you are planning work like that, our page on moving or remodeling with business TV service covers what to coordinate.
• Other codes. If you also see dish communication errors such as error 771 or error 775, say so. They help narrow down the cause.
• Timing. Note the time of day and the weather when it appears.

A short log written by whoever is on shift often saves a second visit.

Keeping it away from game day

Error 920 tells you something has been wrong for hours, which means you can often catch it before guests arrive.

• Test ahead of big nights. Run a System Test on each receiver a day or two before a major event. Our event-week TV planning timeline fits this into a wider checklist.
• Map receivers to screens. Label each receiver with the TV it feeds so staff do not troubleshoot the wrong box.
• Train one person per shift. Someone who knows the routine above can handle a dish type fix in minutes.
• Have a fallback. Know which working receivers can carry the main game if one goes down.
• Post the support number near the equipment rack.

Sports Direct | DLM Media is an authorized commercial dealer, not DIRECTV, and our programming, equipment, install and support services include help when a code like this will not clear. For other on-screen messages, see our error code library.