510 freezes

[nitstalker]

Ok I have recently noticed a quirky problem with my 510

If I am watching a show, every once in a while the image will freeze for about 5-10 seconds and then go back to the program.

Also if I am recording it will skip like 5-10 seconds of program every now and then

This is extremely intermittent but is annoying.. Any ideas?

Stephen

 

[Briant73]

Ok I have recently noticed a quirky problem with my 510

If I am watching a show, every once in a while the image will freeze for about 5-10 seconds and then go back to the program.

Also if I am recording it will skip like 5-10 seconds of program every now and then

This is extremely intermittent but is annoying.. Any ideas?

Stephen

Try rebooting the dvr (either turn it off wait 2 mins and pull the plug for awhile or do the hold power button for 10 seconds in method).
Check how much space is left to record programs.
But sounds like hardware problems, good luck.

 

[Anole]

I'll bet $5 on loss-of-signal.
Tree blowing in front of dish, maybe?
Birds mating on your LNB?
What you described is a classic lost of signal problem.
Could also be a poor/lose coax connection outside, blowing in the wind.

On the remote, in the upper left, press the menu button, followed by 6 1 3.
Now press the left arrow for Details.
If you had a loss of signal, the unit is supposed to log it.

Just my opinion.

 

[Purogamer]

Mine was doing that too, I only noticed it on espn channels, hasn't done it in a while though...

 

[rccks96]

I posted a couple months ago how mine was doing the same thing - and how i thought it was the result of the software upgrade. still does it every now and then.

 

[Anole]

Well, the 5xx family has been plagued by bugs ever since Dish deployed version P300.
See other threads for a list of at least three other problems.
I don't connect this anomaly with the firmware change, but you never know.

edit:
Read through this other thread for a list of firmware-induced bugs.
http://www.satelliteguys.us/showthread.php?t=89252
(it gets better on the 2nd page)

 

[Purogamer]

Well, Dish Motto is "You can't pretend to fix something if you don't break it first" so it makes sense...

Oh wait, I forgot that E* software engineers are looking at us...Hey guys, don't fix 3.03, give us back an old software version instead. That sh*t WORKED!!! Oh, and take your tv guide logo and shove it, it is a complete contrast to the nice blue color scheme you've had working for a while now, way to quality control yourselves, hope the TV Guide coffee mugs you got out of adding it was worth it...

 

[Frank Jr.]

I agree with Purogamer. Give me back the old software version. If I was the CEO I would fire those software guys. They have produced buggy software for years. My 510's were pretty much flawless for about 3 years until this crap.

 

[Purogamer]

They have produced buggy software for years. My 510's were pretty much flawless for about 3 years until this crap.

I'm with ya buddy, but we can't directly contradict ourselves in back-to-back sentences like that...Can't be buggy and flawless at the same time, at least on the same receiver...I know what you mean, they're always looking for a way to break things for no reason...I swear as soon as they break it, they send it to the uplink...

 

[mr.gadget]

My 501's and 510 just started to experience this "FREEZE/JUMP" problem on 10/05/05. I was hoping it wa a "temporary" problem, but here it is 5 days later and getting worse.

I thought it was the dishes, so I bypassed the SW64 switch, still a problem.
Performed the power-hold reset, same problem, performed the power-plug pull reset, same problem, performed the smartcard-pull reset, same problem.
I do not have any trees, branches, bird nests, bees, debris blocking the sky view.

I Put my TV into Picture-in-Picture mode, placed the 501 and 510 on same channel and observed until both performed "FREEZE/JUMP" -- AT THE SAME TIME. Perhaps this is an UPLINK problem??? Or could it be a video decoding problem (at the exact same location on two receivers, running P303 and P302)?

Has anyone called and talked to Dial A Prayer, er, I mean a Dish CSR? I reported the problem today 10/10, but they have no reports from ANYONE else (so they say). If you are having this problem, REPORT IT, so they know they have a widespread problem.

 

[jayn_j]

A couple of thoughts.

First, the other site was reporting widespread dropouts on locals, but it seemed to be entirely on abc stations. That would seem to say there was a problem with an uplink on the west feeds. I was wondering if abc downloaded the Sunday night content to the affiliates during the solar conjunction time. I saw this on the Denver abc station, but it was also reported in Seattle, Portland, Sacramento and others.

Second, we've had weather here for the last 36 hours. I live about 35 milessouth of the Cheyenne uplink facility. My signal levels have been consistently in the mid to upper 90's on both 110 and 119, but the weather was heavier up in Cheyenne.

Third, I have been noticing all the same problems as everybody else since the lat upgrade including pixilation after pausing, jumpback after fast forwarding, jumpback after pause, video skips and audio dropouts without video skips. (508 for me)

I think it could be any one of the three.

 

[Purogamer]

You guys are crazy, you just need to hold the reset button for 6 seconds...

er...

 

[Frank Jr.]

You guys are crazy, you just need to hold the reset button for 6 seconds...

er...

I have two 510's that have been flawless for over two years. After this last update they both started what has been described in this thread to include audio sync problems as well. Reboots have done nothing to improve these issues. When Dishnetwork started talking about nbr for the 5xx series receivers I was afraid that they would screw up my boxes. Dish has finally succeeded. If the problems persist or get worse I may go back to 301's or even change providers. One of the posters in this thread said that they called customer service and that they informed them they had no reports of problems associated with the recent update. That is B.S. DishNetwork can deny the problems and stick there heads in the sand like an ostrich but it won't go away. I have resisted going to a dual tuner because of these issues. Who knows how much buisiness they have lost because of their buggy boxes.

 

[catnap1972]

DishNetwork can deny the problems and stick there heads in the sand like an ostrich but it won't go away. I have resisted going to a dual tuner because of these issues. Who knows how much buisiness they have lost because of their buggy boxes.

They lost some of my money because of it. I would've liked to upgrade to a 522 from my pair of 4000s but no way considering the problems (audio/video issues, overheating, disappearing HD contents) I'm hearing about the DVRs these days.

 

[Frank Jr.]

They lost some of my money because of it. I would've liked to upgrade to a 522 from my pair of 4000s but no way considering the problems (audio/video issues, overheating, disappearing HD contents) I'm hearing about the DVRs these days.

Hello Catnap1972, ditto same here. OBTW don't ever replace two receivers with one dvr.

 

[Frank Jr.]

I'm with ya buddy, but we can't directly contradict ourselves in back-to-back sentences like that...Can't be buggy and flawless at the same time, at least on the same receiver...I know what you mean, they're always looking for a way to break things for no reason...I swear as soon as they break it, they send it to the uplink...

I guess I didn't make myself clear. The 510's were pretty much flawless but their software on ther other boxes were buggy as the dickens.

 

[Frank Jr.]

I'm with ya buddy, but we can't directly contradict ourselves in back-to-back sentences like that...Can't be buggy and flawless at the same time, at least on the same receiver...I know what you mean, they're always looking for a way to break things for no reason...I swear as soon as they break it, they send it to the uplink...

I guess I didn't make myself clear. The 510's were pretty much flawless but their software on their other boxes were/are buggy as the dickens and they finnally got to my 510's. doggonit !

 

[mr.gadget]

Dish engineers looking into Problem

I called dish yesterday about the Freeze/Jump problem, to which the CSR
said they were not aware of the problem.

Today I got a call from a Dish Engineer looking into the problem. Asked for more specifics and thanked me for taking the time to report the problem and providing additional data.

It appears they are trying to determine the scope of the problem, since nobody is calling to complain, yet everybody has the problem!!!

 

[Purogamer]

...Who on earth WANTS to call a CSR who aren't aware of anything?

...and then talk to a dish engineer (CSR on a lunch break, having fun with you...) who's also unaware of the problems they caused...

...no thanks...

 

[Anole]

I'm all for calling and bitching, but you feel like your complaints are falling on deaf ears.
The CSRs may be instructed to say your problem is the first they've heard, or maybe that particular person just hasn't gotten this complaint.
Or maybe nobody at Dish has put together that all these faults are from one source: firmware bugs.

Maybe public discussion here will act as a secondary channel.
Either to Dish-folks who read this forum,
... or by bringing users together who will realize it's not just a problem with their unit, and make more noise.

Whatever works, the decline of the firmware of the 5xx series of PVRs is a black eye for Dish.
In a Japanese company, such embarassment to the company name would cause heads to roll!
(literally, a hundred years ago, but still figuratively today)