522 Software L4.11 Issues?

[Balock]

My 522 dvr recently (just a few days ago) received the version L4.11 software update. Previous to this it was running version L2.98. I've not gone through all the menus, etc., to find any new features, but have seen the new "Original Air Date" and Episode data in the Info screen. That much appears to be working fine.

With this new software, I am now having serious issues with the FF/REW and SkipFW/SkipBack functions on recorded material. Sometimes the FF/REW goes slow (x60 really only x4), or it just refuses to move either direction. The SkipFW/SkipBack functions will work fine about 50% of the time, but occasionally will just not go any further. SkipFW has also done each of the following at least once: 1) Skip to the beginning of the recording--from the middle, 2) freeze playback until I exited the recording and reentered it and 3) completely "blacked out" (black screen) the recording to where I could not resume or start over until rebooting the machine.

Rebooting the machine clears up any problems, but does not guarantee they won't return soon. I have also noticed that the audio "blips/beeps" and pixelization have returned on at least one recording that was made last weekend before the upgrade hit.

Has anyone else with this version encountered similar issues? I had the occasional FF/REW issue under version L2.98, but never to this degree. It is now a daily occurence. Any chance of getting Dish to back out this release? Also, have any release notes been distributed yet?

 

[wied]

Don't use my 522 very much since I got the 622 but I will check tonight for you.

Does anyone have release notes on L4.11 as to what is was for?

 

[Scott Greczkowski]

Here are the notes I have on L4.11 which went out last night to 100k units and will be going out to an additional 250k on Thursday.

DVR Re-work (No idea what that means... Maybe something Tivo Related?)
118.7 / various checkswitch fixes,
Misc. Fixes.

 

[Balock]

Thanks, Scott and wied!

If the "DVR rework" is the cause of the issues I'm having, I'd say they missed the mark significantly. The DVR is now less usable due to the problems with FF/REW and Skip. Maybe this was a hidden effort by advertisers to disable commercial skipping?

My 522 has rebooted itself twice (that I know of) since my original post. Once that night while I was watching a recording and went back to live TV and the other yesterday morning while I was watching TV1 and my wife turned on TV2 while getting ready for work.

Have the 625's received this same software push yet?

 

[RandallA]

"Have the 625's received this same software push yet?"

It's only going to the 522 receivers for now.

 

[Giantsfan]

Balock - It's not just you. The same issues you described happened to me last night.

I would skip ahead a few times, and either lockup or find myself back at the beginning of a show. Then I would have to fast forward in the new improved slow mo 300x speed. Talk about aggravating! It would skip ahead fine if it was only pushed once or twice, but any more than that caused the problem. I reset the box twice, and that fixed the problem for a little while each time.

Up until this download, my 522 worked great. It's now been reduced to having intolerable performance. I must say I truly feel honored to pay for the privilege of being part of Dish's informal (and uninformed) Beta tester group! I am surprised there haven't been more posts about this...

 

[jollygrunt]

My 522 still hasn't received the 4.11 update, and from reading this post, I hope it doesn't .

 

[Balock]

Giantsfan, I'm both glad and sad to hear that you're having issues too. How long have you had your 522? I've had mine nearly two years. Maybe the hardware version has a part to play with this update. Mine has had relatively little trouble while I've had it, even while there were many complaints from other 522 owners on this site and also dbstalk. The audio blips and pixelization in earlier software releases have been the most common issue for me, and an occasional FF/REW error that required rebooting with release 2.96 (I think that was it).

The rest of my system is another story--I'm on my third 322, third or fourth LNB (the last tech replaced the DP Quad with a DPP Twin--my only complaint is that my signal levels dropped), and the original installer was a 3-week newbie who didn't ground the system and didn't weatherize cable splices he had to bury underground. I'm surprised the 522 has lasted through all this!

I'll contact Dish directly to complain about the issues I'm having. Maybe if they're widespread enough we'll see a (relatively) quick update.

 

[Giantsfan]

Balock, I have also had mine for two years. Like you, I also have been fortunate to have a pretty much trouble free piece of equipment. Occassionally I would get a drop out or a bit of stuttering during playback, but nothing close to what other folks were complaining about. The L2.98 software that I had worked pretty flawlessly.

I'm sorry to hear about the incompetent installers you had. How much did your signal drop by? Any chance he jarred the dish a bit out of alignment when replacing the LNB? If you had it done recently, let them know of your signal degregation and have them go back to repoint the dish. Also, any chance the LNB isn't up to spec, or is it the type of thing that either it works or it doesn't?

I just got off the phone with tech support. She told me they have been getting alot of calls about this from other 522 owners. She asked for some details and information and submitted a tech report. At least it sounds like they know there is a problem. The infuriating part was that she told me if they can't fix it, they will have to replace my receiver! I told her in no uncertain terms absolutely not. I have too much stuff recorded. It's not the receiver...it's the piece of crap buggy software they imposed on me!! (OK...vent over).

 

[SteveC]

Sometimes the FF/REW goes slow (x60 really only x4), or it just refuses to move either direction. The SkipFW/SkipBack functions will work fine about 50% of the time, but occasionally will just not go any further. SkipFW has also done each of the following at least once: 1) Skip to the beginning of the recording--from the middle, 2) freeze playback until I exited the recording and reentered it and 3) completely "blacked out" (black screen) the recording to where I could not resume or start over until rebooting the machine.

Yes - I've seen all of these issues.

 

[Southern]

With this new software, I am now having serious issues with the FF/REW and SkipFW/SkipBack functions on recorded material. Sometimes the FF/REW goes slow (x60 really only x4), or it just refuses to move either direction. The SkipFW/SkipBack functions will work fine about 50% of the time, but occasionally will just not go any further. SkipFW has also done each of the following at least once: 1) Skip to the beginning of the recording--from the middle, 2) freeze playback until I exited the recording and reentered it and 3) completely "blacked out" (black screen) the recording to where I could not resume or start over until rebooting the machine.

Interesting. I just started seeing the exact same problems with my 522 tonight. I thought maybe my unit was just going bad, I wasn't even aware that we had received a firmware/software upgrade. Glad this place is here!

Now I'll run over to DishNetwork.com and add my voice to the (probably) dozens of other people that have probably already sent them the same complaint.

 

[Southern]

OK, I just got off the phone with Tech Support at Dish Network -- Apparently they actually received a memo today specifically indicating that if anyone calls in with "DVR Issues with Fast Forwarding or Rewinding on the 522 with Software Revision 4.11" to create a ticket and send it over to the Engineers.. The tech went on to say that they're debugging the problem(s) with this issue now, and that anyone with the problem should call in so they can gather as much detail about the problem as possible.


The tech unfortunately didn't have an estimated date as to when an updated revision might be available that will correct the issue. Darn it.

 

[AJF]

I'm having the same problems with my 522's .

 

[RandallA]

Wow, more and more people are reporting the problem. Another nice job by the Software Eng. Dept. at Dish Network.
I hope they don't release this software to the 625s.

 

[jlhugh]

The starting the program over thing happened to me last night. The wife accused me of rewinding instead of FF it. Glad it is not only me. Do they not test this crap before they send it out? Does nobody in the SW dept at E* have a 522 to run the test on? This is just crazy.

 

[finoky]

Mine just started this problem today. Never had any problems before this. Now ff works half the time and 60x or 300x work very slowly when they work at all. They need to fix this soon.

 

[partymonkey]

We are not alone....

Well, it seems like many of us are on the same boat. I thought my 522 was dying for the second time in two years.

This upgrade and change came as an unpleasant surprise. While I welcome the episode number and original date on the guide, the problems caused by the fast foward, rewind, and skip are truly irritating. Not only does the 300x not work anymore, but even worse I had my DVR reboot twice during skipping functions, interrupting the recordings that were in progress.

I hope that Dish realizes that this upgrade is a problem, and that it is corrected quickly. Otherwise, the DVR is no longer reliable, as the "improvements" in these skip functions have caused it to reboot during show recording (in addition to just watching a DVR event).

 

[mitchflorida]

I am having the same issues as described above.

Should I call Dish Network to report it, or are they already working to fix it?

 

[gulmer]

Having the same problem with our 522 until today when I ran a test on some recorded programs and the jump and FF seems to back working like before the update, but, still need to test some tonight.

 

[Voyager6]

Temp readout missing

With this update, L4.11, the temp reading on the counter screen was removed. How are we going to monitor the internal temps?