269 Bug list

[charper1]

Just FYI that Sports Center is in HD every weekday morning; this week being an exception so they can do the "Old School Week". They also provide a HD sched on their website.

 

[Jaspear]

Jaspear,
I have also noticed the skipping frames ever since I first received my initial receiver in February. I tried a replacement and it was exactly the same. I notice it the most whenever watching quick moving sports or scenes. Hopefully everyone that has noticed this has logged a complaint with Dish.

Thanks for your input. this is why I haven't - as yet - gone through replacement struggle. I've had E* service since 1996. I've been through this before.

This frame dropping issue may not related specifically to 269, but it is, in my opinion, a bug.

 

[NightRyder]

ESPN-HD NFL game on tonight. I switch to it. Then during a pause, I do my usual reset of the HDTV setup (I have a Sammy DLP that is 720p native) to match the ESPN-HD 720p input to my 720p Sammy monitor (gets the best PQ I've seen). I hit MENU 6-1-9 and scroll over to the input levels. 1080i is checked. I scroll down to 720p and hit enter. I scroll right to SAVE. I hit enter....all hell breaks loose! Image on screen is flickering wildly. I click through the CANCELs until I have the game back on. Transparent INFO screen is still flickering/flashing wildly, but times out. Next time I hit INFO, same flickering/flashing.

After a few trys at resetting HDTV Setup to 720p, I do a soft re-boot. Doesn't help. Same problem. I do a hard re-boot. Doesn't help. Same problem.

This is the first time I've tried to reset my HDTV setup to 720p since the 269 update (ESPN-HD hasn't had any HD to speak of much less compelling HD since we got the 269 update). This problem looks to be 269 related.

Anyone else with and 811 hooked to a Sammy DLP via DVI try this? Any problems?

I'm contacting E* to report this and see what they say.

I have a Samsung HLN507W1 connected via DVI to an 811. I also watched the game on ESPN-HD last night. I switched between 1080i and 720P several times to compare the picture. I did not encounter any problems.

NightRyder

 

[Carl B]

Flashing Software Menu Stumps E* - 811 to be Replaced

After 2, hour long sessions with different CSRs, and my refusal to accept less than I started with, my 811 will be replaced. There enthusiasm for this action was apparent by their sending the replacement unit UPS ground.

Anyway, the first call went through the check the cables exercise and a series of other questions. No apparent problems and I noted that selecting 720p for HDTV input to my 720p native Sammay DLP, only affected their menus, not the broadcaster's signal on my screen, they authorized a reload of my 269 software.

They said wait 20 minutes. I turned the 811 off and waited an hour. Problem still there, but I can't verify that they ever reloaded the 269 software. Called again and was told that 1) HDTV input selection wasn't designed to be changed frequently (I hadn't done in 3 weeks) and such changes could damage the 811 and/or my TV, 2) I should just leave the HDTV input on 1080i and not use the 720p since there shouldn't be any noticeable difference, and 3) it may be the DVI hookup so I should switch to component cables as most people can't tell the PQ difference between them.

Wow! Number one is BS as we know, otherwise they would be swamped with calls like mine. I told them #2 was unacceptable because I can clearly see the difference when I watch ESPN-HD live sports in HD. I had some component cables lying around so I hooked them up while the CSR was on the line. Recommendation #3 was DOA! Not only was the HD PQ much softer, but the flashing menus were still there.

She went back to keeping it on 1080i as there was probably something wrong with my TV's ability to receive 720p. I pointed out that other than their software's problem with 720p, my TV didn't have a problem. It was clearly the 811 and its software.

Very reluctantly they agreed to replace my 811. UPS ground and I pay all the shipping (the wife went ballistic over that, but that is another story). I still think the problem is the 269 software. Either a corrupted download or an incompatibility between my 811 model (I got one of the first ones in December '03) and the 269 software.

Anyone else with a Sammy DLP hooked to an 811, please check out your ability to change to the 720p HDTV input (Menu 6-1-9). I would appreciate hearing from anyone else that encounters the flashing software problem.

 

[jerryez]

I went to watch HBO HD on my 811 receiver and found it not authorized. I checked the guide and all my HBOs were red in the guide. I called Dish to get an authorization hit and the CSR had me reboot the 811. It fixed the problem. Is this a new 811 bug or an old one. I do not recall anyone reporting this as an 811 bug previously. My 811 does not have many of the reported bugs, but it freezes up at least once a week and I have to reboot it to get it fixed. The 811 sucks. I want my 6000 back.

 

[long_time_DNC]

Anyone else with and 811 hooked to a Sammy DLP via DVI try this? Any problems?

I'm contacting E* to report this and see what they say.

I have a Sammy DLP, but not doing DVI with the 811 yet (need to buy a DVI switchbox). No problems on this end doing 1080i.

 

[Carl B]

Flashing Software Menu Stumps E* - Last Minute Solution

My email to the E* CEO apparently prompted a VoiceMail from a E* technical manager who wanted to see if he had the solution. Well today we finally connected at the same time the replacement 811 showed up on my doorstep. Anyway, the solution was Menu 6-1-6, Restore Factory Defaults. Clicking YES fixed the blinking menu problem when switching to the 720p HDTV input. Of course it also wiped out my favorites, but they would have gone with a replacement 811 also.

I was right all along. It was a software problem. Seems that by using the picture position adjust from the 811's menu some time ago, when the 269 software loaded it couldn't sync with the changed configuration of the 811. Restoring the factory defaults cleared it all up.

As for the replacement 811, it was a refurb. Probably one of the duds one of you guys sent back. It wasn't one of the newer Dish Pro labeled models, so there wasn't any reason for me to swap out for the one I have, so it is going back.

On related note, the technical manager was very professional and knowledgeable; pleasant to talk to to. A big improvement over the female CSR I dealt with last Friday.

 

[charper1]

Not that being a female had anything to do with it, right?

 

[tonyp56]

One of them is unlimited channels in your favorite list. I read a few posts about this as if this was a bug. Is there documentation that states unlimited Favorites list. With a device like this I would not expect unlimited anything. In my opinion, just because a feature is on one box does not necessary mean it is in another. Also, features may work differently from box to box. In both cases this does not necessary mean it is a bug. My 2 cents.

Read the manual for the 811, in there when it is talking about favorites lists it states that you have unlimited channel capacity!!! (Not in those exact words.) I don't have my manual handy, but it is there, I've read it! The reason, I couldn’t add more than 120 channels to my fav lists when I first got my 811, so I looked it up.

Between all four favorite lists (not including all channels and all sub) it only holds 120 channels, that’s thirty channels per fav list. That, I am sorry is not enough considering Dish has 500 channels! Now we have a work around on the 811 were we can lock channels that we don't want, and don't have to scroll through them when we are looking for something to watch. The downside of this is, for instance, I would like to be able to not scroll through 200 channels of music (not literally) while I am looking for a movie, but at the same time I would like to listen to the music channels every once and awhile, by locking channels I would have to go into the menu, and unlock the system to listen to these channels. Then when I don't need these channels any more I would have to go back and re-lock channels, but with fav lists I could simply go to the guide and switch to a different fav list.

I understand what you are saying about just because one feature is on one box doesn't mean it is on another, but in this case there is documentation in the manual about this supposed capability of the 811. So it is a bug, software or other wise.

P.S. on both of my 301's I've selected every channel that I get (AT180, HBO, Cinemax, Starz, HD pack, locals, only from 110 and 119) for all four fav lists, and it says nothing about having enough memory! Once again I am talking about 301’s, but according to the manual the 811 should be able to do this too!!

 

[WeeJavaDude]

Read the manual for the 811, in there when it is talking about favorites lists it states that you have unlimited channel capacity!!! (Not in those exact words.) I don't have my manual handy, but it is there, I've read it! The reason, I couldn’t add more than 120 channels to my fav lists when I first got my 811, so I looked it up.

Read the Manual?? LOL.. Nah!! Those things tend to be usually wrong. I did take a look at the manual and on Pg 45 it states unlimited favorites per list. Find that suprising since this is a limited resource box. I will add it to the list. This could be a documentation bug or software bug, but none the less there is a definite place to point and say software does not work as designed and documented.