622 L4.01 To Spool on Thursday! (Not sure WHICH thursday though)

[navychop]

So, you're saying that no everyone will get the update? Is there anything we can do make sure we get the update? I don't mind being a beta tester.

The updates are rolled out by serial number. The download itself lists the range of serial numbers it applies to. No known way to volunteer for yours to be in the series selected.

I guess they roll it out to some percentage of boxes and see how many problems roll in before sending it out to everybody.

 

[John Kotches]

Too bad we won't get what we really want; which is external archiving.

Cheers,

 

[db2]

If your a Dish customer, you already are a beta tester

Software updates are generally rolled out in phases, you just have to wait for your turn. Dish software updates are one of the times in life where it's better not to be first.


NightRyder

Is there any logic to which boxes get new firmwares at different times? For me "partial phase" always means, "you'll get it last."

 

[NightRyder]

Is there any logic to which boxes get new firmwares at different times? For me "partial phase" always means, "you'll get it last."

I've had mixed experience, I've had receivers that always seem to get the updates early and also had those that don't seem to update until the release is in "Full Phase". The bad experience I had with my 811 and updates, taught me to be wary of them....My son has a 508, the last few updates have trashed those boxes (501,508,510) and they used to be the most solid receivers Dish had.

NightRyder

 

[JrC]

In addition the 501 / 508 / 510 will get new software (version P3.67) on Tursday.

For what it is worth, in "Tech Updates". This has got to be getting close to a record number versions partically released before really going to full release!

3/13/2007: 1024 Software Version P3.68 for 501/508/510

Effective Wednesday, March 14th, Engineering plans to spool a PARTIAL PHASE of software version P3.68 for the 501/508/510 receiver. This is primarily a non-forced maintenance release available at ALL satellite locations.


At this time P3.65, P3.66, P3.67, P3.68 will be the valid software versions for the 501/508/510.​

 

[jmel]

I like the HD icon in the guide.

The entire guide now looks slick and more professional. I also like how all the channel names are justified to the right so they all line up.

A good job was done on the look.

But Scott, would you not agree, that it would be a smart(er) idea to have HD icons for the actual programs? I mean, first off, I don't think it's something we should have to 'choose' but, if we did have to choose one item over the other, I would think the icon for that tv show or movie would be more use than an icon for the channel.

If you pay for a programming package, you typically are going to KNOW what channels are HD and what ones arent (if nothing else than them being in the 9000's...), but even with the HD channels, they don't show HD content (some don't) 100% of the time.. It's aggravating to switch to an HD channel and there be 4:3 sd showing on a&e hd.

 

[NightRyder]

But Scott, would you not agree, that it would be a smart(er) idea to have HD icons for the actual programs? I mean, first off, I don't think it's something we should have to 'choose' but, if we did have to choose one item over the other, I would think the icon for that tv show or movie would be more use than an icon for the channel.

If you pay for a programming package, you typically are going to KNOW what channels are HD and what ones arent (if nothing else than them being in the 9000's...), but even with the HD channels, they don't show HD content (some don't) 100% of the time.. It's aggravating to switch to an HD channel and there be 4:3 sd showing on a&e hd.

The HD icon for the channel probably goes with the coming ability to to re-map like feeds (ESPN, HBO etc) to the SD channel number.

NightRyder

 

[Scott Greczkowski]

Believe it or not many people with HDTVs and HD receivers do not actually watch the HD channels. When they watch movies on they tune to channel 300. Some of these same folks also come here or call Dish and complaign how bad the HD looks on HBO when they were not watching HBO.

This HD icon is to show them which channels are in HD, not necessarly what shows are in HD.

This is why they are remaping them near their SD version and are showing the HD icon.

 

[cosmo_kramer]

Scott - What about the extended guides?? Not a lot of real estate there. Will the HD logo appear like a watermark on those??

 

[RandallA]

Scott - What about the extended guides?? Not a lot of real estate there. Will the HD logo appear like a watermark on those??

The PDF in the first post shows how it looks in the guide and while watching TV.

 

[cosmo_kramer]

I did look at the PDF, but I don't see an example of the extended guide. The channel column is a lot smaller in that guide.

 

[jmel]

The HD icon for the channel probably goes with the coming ability to to re-map like feeds (ESPN, HBO etc) to the SD channel number.

NightRyder

Yeah, I followed that part.

Believe it or not many people with HDTVs and HD receivers do not actually watch the HD channels. When they watch movies on they tune to channel 300. Some of these same folks also come here or call Dish and complaign how bad the HD looks on HBO when they were not watching HBO.

This HD icon is to show them which channels are in HD, not necessarly what shows are in HD.

This is why they are remaping them near their SD version and are showing the HD icon.

I actually didn't realize this. Granted I'm pretty tech savvy, but I thought that most of the channels being in the 9000's was a no brainer... also that when you sign up for programming, you are aware of what is on what channel because they give you pamphlets as well as mailers that show what is on what channel. So, to me, it seems pretty simple.

I know that it's not perhaps that easy for some users (even though channel 100 or 101 or whatever is constantly telling people how to do it), but I use favorites lists and block most of the junk that is repeated on channels (like preview channels) and most of the channels that we dont receive but that by clicking on you will subscribe to. It just seems like everyone is given more than enough tools to know if a channel is hd or not, but yet we have zero tools to know if a program is showing in hd or not. It sucks when you pay for an hd station, and the content they show is sd, and you dont know till you watch it.

All that aside however, I still DON'T get why if they are going to go through the trouble of doing THIS, why they don't add the hd icon to the SHOWS themselves as well. I would love to be able to see if that episode of "the first 48" is actually hd, or sd on an hd channel, because at this point you really have NO way of knowing without actually watching it in real time (which is useless for dvring). I don't want the dvr to auto choose for me in secret, I want to know up front.

Doesn't that make sense?

 

[navychop]

But some of the shows on "HD" channels aren't HD, as you said. Or are stretch o vision and the provider may wish to argue whether it's HD or not. I'd like to see it so labelled also, but I figure it may open up a can of worms.

 

[jmel]

But some of the shows on "HD" channels aren't HD, as you said. Or are stretch o vision and the provider may wish to argue whether it's HD or not. I'd like to see it so labelled also, but I figure it may open up a can of worms.

EXACTLY!

some arent and we should know which ones by glancing at the guide!

but you're right... then tnt hd couldnt claim that they were a 100% hd station because they stretch sd content, and put up a higher rez tnt logo bug in the corner.

 

[navychop]

:haha Wouldn't that be how it works! "Of course we're HD- our logo bug is high res!"

 

[tjwgrr]

Too bad we won't get what we really want; which is external archiving.

.....and an active ethernet connection with on-screen menus to enable DishONLINE.

 

[Scott Greczkowski]

All that aside however, I still DON'T get why if they are going to go through the trouble of doing THIS, why they don't add the hd icon to the SHOWS themselves as well. I would love to be able to see if that episode of "the first 48" is actually hd, or sd on an hd channel, because at this point you really have NO way of knowing without actually watching it in real time (which is useless for dvring). I don't want the dvr to auto choose for me in secret, I want to know up front.

Doesn't that make sense?

They do, do this...

The Big HD is to show that the Channel Broadcasts in HD, and the description of the program tells the viewer is the program is in not.

Many folks with HD dont realize the real HD channels are in the 9400 range. I myself did not realize this (and how stupid some people can be) until I went too one of Dish Networks call centers and found this was a COMMON issue.

 

[HDNewone]

You would think people would press the "guide" button until they got the HD only channel listings. I love that built in feature of the guide.

 

[Hall]

What happened to the plan or idea that they would "replace" HBO (ch 300) with HBO-HD on HD receivers ?? Same with ESPN vs ESPN-HD, TNT and TNT-HD, etc, etc ??

 

[Scott Greczkowski]

To many people bitched about that idea here, so they came up with plan b.

Why do you think they sometimes bounce ideas off of us first before starting the work.