5 Receivers, 6 service visits, 722 & 722K keep restarting

[richjh213]

I had DISH installed in Jan. '09 & had no problems at all until early July 2009, when my original 722 started acting up - restarting repeatedly, hard drive running at all different times of day or night, and could not watch either TV1 or TV2 until the rcvr finished resetting. Dish service has been out 6 times & done everything imaginable, and they have also replaced the receiver 4 times, twice with 722's, and twice with the newer 722K. With each service visit, or each new receiver, things work o.k. until I turn off the receiver the first time. All the receivers have had similar problems, and the 722K's have remote control problems. Timed DVR recordings are mostly cut off within 1 - 10 minutes. If the TV is on & receiver is working, there are usually no problems until I try to turn it off, when it may not respond, and once it IS off, the hard drive runs, and it keeps resetting itself. On the last visit the "Field Service Manager" came with a technician, but he did not know anything more than the tech. They said it might be too hot inside an enclosed cabinet, or the cell phone booster might be causing the problem, so I cut open the back of the cabinet, left the door open with a fan blowing through, and shut off the cell phone booster for the whole weekend. It did not help...same problems.

 

[KAB]

Search will find much talked about issue.
http://www.satelliteguys.us/dish-network-technical-discussions/186057-vip-722-keeps-restarting.html

 

[Awohar]

Resetting receivers are usually the result of stray power. Here's what you need to do to identify the problem:

Unhook all wires from receiver, noting where they are attached. A digital camera might help here.

Next disconnect any other satellite receivers in the home.
Plug in the problem receiver to just power, no satellite or phone or TV connections at this time. Observe it for a little while, see if you can power it off and back on normally. If it resets still, plug into another plug outlet or better yet one at a friends home. If it then behaves at a different outlet or friend's home, inspect electrical outlet for miswiring. In fact, check the outlet either way with a $2 plug tester from Home Depot.

Once you know it can behave on just outlet power alone, then connect back up to the tv set. If it resets, try a different tv. If it doesn't, then add just the satellite in connections back to setup. If it starts to misbehave, check the satellite cables and grounding. If it's stable, then connect up any other satellite receivers, one at a time. Stray voltage from a bad outlet at another receiver can feed that voltage to this receiver, causing unusual behavior.

Next, add in any other components such as phone line, broadband, etc., one at a time. This should help to locate the issue.

If the satellite system checks out and the receivers have been replaced multiple times, you have what we call an "environment issue". Something in your environment (home, electricity, etc) is the cause of the problem. Unfortunately, DISH can't really control environment issues so if you have something like a bad outlet, you're gonna have to address it personally or with an electrician.

 

[richjh213]

In the other thread HiDef Jeff mentioned a faulty surge suppressor; I have tried plugging the 722k into the wall directly; and it still is now, but the surge suppr. is still there, in the same outlet, with the TV, etc. stiil plugged into it... could it still be the cause of the problem?

 

[chiodo]

I suspect the power outlet or power going to the outlet is the problem, you should check your wiring as mentioned in above post, and look into a power conditioner or a decent UPS which would help regulate the power.

 

[richjh213]

maybe a clue?

Thanks to all for the feedback; I tried some of the suggestions...power looks good w/ the checker tool, and I also now have plugged the 722k into a different outlet in a different room via extension cord. I also disconnected the coax cable that comes from the Sat. dish. None of that did not seem to help. The TV, DVD, and 722k all are connected to a Onkyo AV receiver/(surround sound home theatre system); everything goes through the AV unit via HDMI cables, and audio cables, etc. - what I noticed is this: when the AV unit is turned OFF, I cannot turn the 722K off or on via remote or directly from the power button on the 722K. But when the AV unit is on, there's no problem... I am going to try leaving the AV receiver on, to see if that stops the other 722K problems, but does anyone have any idea what this might mean? (To help clarify... throughout this fiasco, it seems like the 722k has only been acting up when I turned the whole system off, which includes the AV receiver; if I turn off the 722k first, it goes right off, but not if I turn off the AV unit first)

 

[Hall]

Could be an incompatibility issue between your receiver (Dish) and the Onkyo. That's a firmware issue that either Dish or Onkyo needs to correct..... Good luck with that.... Definitely connect it directly to the TV, bypassing the receiver. Even safer, try using component cables for a short time.

 

[richjh213]

Here's the thing: it was working fine for quite a while (months) with the Onkyo - (assuming it's all the same issue now with the 722k...the original 722 has been replaced with 2 other 722's, and then with 2 - 722k's in an effort to solve this problem)

Also, I think a key question is: why is it when the Onkyo is OFF that the problems occur?

 

[n0qcu]

Also, I think a key question is: why is it when the Onkyo is OFF that the problems occur?

I am just making a guess here but does the Onkyo have some setting (that you may have accidentally changed) that wants to power off a device connected by HDMI when it's powered off?

 

[richjh213]

hmmm...I don't think so, but also not sure how that would work...you mean the Onkyo would output a signal to the 722k via the HDMI input cable ? is that possible?

 

[Hall]

Yes, I believe HDMI has some two-way communications capabilities.

Do you have a good idea of when the problem started ? Since it worked at one point and now doesn't, well, Dish does push s/w updates and there's no doubt little changes that they don't mention (not that they mention ANY of the fixes or changes they do now).

Can you update the firmware on the Onkyo ?

 

[richjh213]

It started in early July. I have been pushing DISH hard to get more info about their s/w updates but it's a dead end subject - very VERY poorly run company with regard to tech problems.
I don't think there is any way to do anything to the Onkyo unit, but I will ask them when I call to pick their brains, if THEY have any.

Thanks again... if anyone else has any ideas - by all means please post them.

 

[Awohar]

Eliminate the hdmi between the receiver and the onkyo. Then unplug both units and plug them back in. Then check for the issue. If it stops happening, then something is happening through the HDMI.

Dish has no obligation to ensure functionality with your Onkyo, and Onkyo has no obligation to ensure functionality with your DISH receiver. Ultimately, its up to the end user. If dish can prove their equipment capable of operating normally without an interfering source such as the Onkyo then they've done what is reasonable.

 

[SandFarmer]

hmmm...I don't think so, but also not sure how that would work...you mean the Onkyo would output a signal to the 722k via the HDMI input cable ? is that possible?

That's part of HDMI is that connected devices talk to each other. With the last software update on my 722 it has disabled settings on my DLP that were there prior to the update. Also in the Analysis panel on my 722 it tells me all about my DLP including the week and year it was manufactured along with all the resolutions (up to 1080p24/30/60) that the box acknowledges the DLP can support. As it checks if you can support 1080p VOD. So it could very well be a setting in the Onkyo that may have gotten changed. BUT then while things were working, and you probably don't know, was the software version on the 722k the same? And if it has changed check to see if you can find out when the update came out and compare it to when things started going wonky. The problem with the HD boxes is that you can not block software updates as we use to be able to on our 625. Disguised as or piggybacked on EPG updates.

I would look at the 722k first. All my DISH related issues have always been at the box. Of which is more likely to change more often than your Onkyo.

 

[whatchel1]

Maybe if you look at the running bug thread you could see if there is something that is close to the same time as the problem started.

 

[Awohar]

I would look at the 722k first. All my DISH related issues have always been at the box. Of which is more likely to change more often than your Onkyo.

He's had 4 boxes, two of them 722 and two of them 722k. I doubt its the receiver. He needs to eliminate the Onkyo from the setup completely, including all cables to it in order to diagnose it as the source of undesired operation.

When you troubleshoot these issues, you have to eliminate one thing at a time until you get normal behavior. Swapping receivers for a fifth time and expecting a different result is insanity.

 

[richjh213]

"Swapping receivers for a fifth time and expecting a different result is insanity.[/QUOTE]

Thanks - For what it's worth, swapping the receivers repeatedly was DISH's idea each time - I was hoping they had the ability and/or experience to find the problem, and I was desperately trying to tell them there must be more going on that we needed to uncover, but they are very limited in training & advanced troubleshooting (VERY!!)

When I have the time I am going to try isolating the Onkyo, etc. - as discussed. For now I am just unplugging the 722K when I leave the house.

 

[Hall]

For what it's worth, swapping the receivers repeatedly was DISH's idea each time...

Did you tell them you were connecting through the Onkyo ? If you did and they didn't tell you to bypass it, they failed to troubleshoot properly.

 

[richjh213]

They were at my house 6 times & saw the whole setup...even the "Field Service Mgr." was there, and he was a nice guy, but knew even less than the normal techs.

 

[dns tech 4189]

Have the electrical circuits been checked. Open ground hot neutral reverse and surge protectors have been known to cause these types of issues