625 DVR audio glitch addressed

[Technojunky]

Yesterday I called into Dish support to find out what they are doing about my 625's audio problem. Many other 625 users say that they also noticed the random glitch in audio on their 625 receiver/DVR. This only occurred during playback, the recording is always fine if you backup and play it again.
The tech I spoke with last night said that it was the hard drive and that a new replacement 625 would not produce the same problem. So i have a new 625 coming to replace my current 625. I have 14 days to watch 60 hours programming and send the old receiver back to Dish. I may have to resort to recording it to DVD's instead of actually watching it all in record time.
I don't know why they didn't tell me that a new receiver would fix the problem when I called them last week. In any case, I will try to update this thread when I get a chance to run the new receiver and know if they are telling me the truth.
Tivo is still the king of all DVR's, it's a shame that DirecTV stopped selling them. Everybody thinks they can do it better, and they are wrong. Only a true Tivo user can understand how good a Tivo really is. JM

 

[RocketFoot]

I don't have any audio glitches, but I have slight pixelation and background distortion issues. Have you noticed anything like that on your 625?

 

[Technojunky]

Once in a while I might see pixelization, but it has not been a problem that warranted any comment. The audio problem is a much bigger probelm, and must be on certain hardware paltforms. The tech did say that it was the hard drive in the unit I have that needs to be replaced and they can only send me a new receiver, not replace my hard drive.

 

[Bob Haller]

I have had intermttent audio drops on my 522 ever since i bought it. wierdly the missing audio is always missing, but limited to a few words

we have learned to live with it

 

[KFEdaddy2k]

I'm sure it's the hard drive, but Dish doesn't think so.

I have the dreaded audio glitch (drop outs, pops, etc.) during playback mainly. It's especially noticeable while recording TV when you are watching a previously recorded app. To me, this is points directly to a poor performing hard drive.

After reading the above post, I called Dish and explained everything to them. The tech was helpful, and after about 15 minutes or so he came to the conclusion that the audio problem was a grounding issue. He said that both the dish itself and the coax coming out of the dish (at a grounding block) should be grounded. I have the wires grounded at a grounding block, but nothing going up to the dish itself. The tech said to just extend the ground wire and clamp it to any metal point on the dish. Interesting, a "Dish Certified" install tech did the installation. The wouldn't let me do it myself even after I insisted (I didn't want to take off work just to have a dish installed).

I was hoping for a new 625 with a new model of hard drive, but now I have to go out in sub-freezing weather to hook up an extension to the ground wire up to the dish. I'm hoping this fixes the problem, as I have quite a bit of content recorded that I don't want to loose, but I doubt it will.

For background info, I got one of the first 625s when they first came out. It was the first one the local sat store had seen. They didn't even know about the dishOnDemand feature. I have had this problem since day one, but it seems to be getting worse lately. It was pretty unbearable tonight while watching the first part of a show while the DVR finishes recording that same show, at the same time recording another show on TV2. I know that taxing the system pretty good, but that's what the 625 is supposed to do. I feel that more than 1 audio glitch an hour is excessive, but tonight it was closer to 15 glitches during the hour show.

I'll update this after I try the additional grounding to let you all know.

Kurt

 

[jlhugh]

If this is a grounding issue then everyone with a 522 has there dish grounded wrong. Everyone has this problem. It can be fixed with a software upgrade. They did fix this at one time and then issued another upgrade after that and the problem came back. That CSR was running out of ideas to help you and threw that out. If it works I will fall out of my chair and then go re-ground my system.

 

[Van]

I have a 508 pvr, I get the audio drop out on recorded events but only if there is alot of stuff on the hard drive at say %40 to %60. I will also get pixelation when the receiver first starts up, I also will get barely noticeable pixeling in stark black screens from time to time but thats to be expected.

 

[RocketFoot]

I have a 508 pvr, I get the audio drop out on recorded events but only if there is alot of stuff on the hard drive at say %40 to %60. I will also get pixelation when the receiver first starts up, I also will get barely noticeable pixeling in stark black screens from time to time but thats to be expected.

Good call...that is when I notice my pixelation...on dark backgrounds. Ocassionally I see verticle candy stripes in blank backgrounds also. I just wish someone would say that this is normal or if i need to get a replacement! I don't wanna sell myself short.

 

[Technojunky]

I can state without a doubt that grounding the dish, or grounding of any type is not causing the audio dropouts I have in my new 625 receiver. A good reason for the Dish peole to replace my 625 could be that i have a service plan on it, plus, i was not going to let it rest. I threatened breaking the contract and legal action if they did not supply me with a receiver that worked as advertised.

To prove that the grounding of the dish is not at fault, try removing the coax from your Dish receiver and playback any one of your recordings. My receiver will stil gltich, with or without the dish. It only does this on playback, not in record. I proved this by backing up and replaying the glitched audio, there was no glitch on the replay.

The receiver is grounded through the electric plug, but the grounding of the receiver is more for safety than anything else. The ground of the dish is to make it perform well and discharge static that can generate on it. I have used a dish without grounding it many times for short periods, as week or two.

Also, there is never an audio glitch on the Non-DVR models. The poor video, or pixeling should not be so bad that anybody is bothered by it. you can get that if you have a poor signal, or a defective receiver, or bad weather on the verge of rain fade.

 

[downriver]

OK 1st 625 HD failed in 24 hours, installed 2nd one and experienced frequent audio drop and pixellation in replay. recording was made in ideal weather with latest software release in single mode with shared view.

Called dish support and they said to unplug it and plug it back in. Whadaya'll think?

 

[Technojunky]

I have the new 625 and it does not have any glitches in playback. The most interesting thing is the fact that the old 625, which I still have, has been playing back shows without one glitch. I played back 10 hours of Invasion into my DVD recorder, with not one glitch, and we watched 20 hours of other shows since the daythat the antenna was removed and still had no glitch.

The simple fact is this, once the antenna was removed and all recording was stopped, playback was flawless, no matter how many hour of shows were on the hard drive.

I am dissapointed in DISH for lying to us. They are woring with a inferior device and don't know any easy way out, so they continued to lie to every customer who complains.

I feel bad for the DirecTV customers who enjoyed the luxury of owning a DirecTivo. One thing that many Tivo Lovers know, is that Tivo has their act together. Tivo is strill the king of DVR's. I have used many other devices and still wish that any of them were half as good as a Tivo. The second place, next to Tivo was my Media Center with BeyondTV 3.0. It wasn't Tivo, but is was good enough to not wish it was every time we used it. Now that I am on Dish, my media center has been collecting dust. I intend to go back to cable TV as soon as I can get out of the Dish contract. Joe

 

[KFEdaddy2k]

I've got to admit, I haven't seen any problems with my 625 since the day I called Dish and complained, the day I posted on this thread. I have done NOTHING to my wiring, grounding, or anything like that. I have roughly the same amount of programming on my hard drive. It's almost as if...sit back now...there was a software update that fixed the problem. I'm sure we'll never know what it was.

I'm glad it's fixed, and I hope it stays that way. Knowing Dish, it probably won't.

All said and done, I love my 625. I can NEVER go back to watching live TV again. DVRs are the way to go.

Kurt

 

[ralfyguy]

What output where you all using when the glitches occured?
My TV is hooked to the 625 via s-video and RCA-Stereo connectors and it doesn't occur there, but I also have it connected to my Home Theatre Receiver via optical out and there it occurs, while at the same time you still get sound out of the TV speakers. So mine must be related to the optical output only.

 

[RocketFoot]

I am running video s to the tv with the optical output going into my surround sound receiver...and I have no audio glitches on the tv or the receiver...

 

[downriver]

What output where you all using when the glitches occured?
My TV is hooked to the 625 via s-video and RCA-Stereo connectors and it doesn't occur there, but I also have it connected to my Home Theatre Receiver via optical out and there it occurs, while at the same time you still get sound out of the TV speakers. So mine must be related to the optical output only.

This appears to be the problem with my 2nd 625. the first lasted 24 hours before the hard drive utterly failed. It is dropping digital audio. I think more specifically 5.1 as opposed to pulse code modulation. Like Ralf I am using a high quality optical cable to the receiver and RCA plugs to the TV. Is it a hard drive problem or a software problem? I don't know but either way it is unacceptable to me and I am going to try and dump this POS today and trade it for a 942. Does anyone know if the 942 has similar problems?

Dish did tell me a firmware fix is on the way. I think perhaps the machine is fundamentally flawed.