Why do I get "NO INFO AVAILABLE" so frequently on program guide? Also, I keep getting "LOADING GUIDE INFO". At this point, I'm just waiting for December to come, that's when my 1 year commitment ends from the 811. Even my kids are disgusted with this thing. They want Directv back. Thanks.
811 guide problem
- Thread starter JimMcC
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Just one of the many "inconveneience" problems. I find the best thing to do is not use the guide. ( this has been said in a sarcastic toner;(
I had the same problem. Turn on the 811, hold down the power button on the 811 box for 15 seconds or so. This will reboot the system. That cleared it up for me.
This problem is much worse if you use OTA. It looks to me that the guide is not updated when tuned to OTA. Then you switch back to a Dish channel or use the guide and the receiver doesn't have up to date information and has to go and fetch it. Sometimes you will end up having to recheck the switch because the 811 really loses itself.
I am not sure this is a software bug. It could be that the 811 hardware can not receive Dish guide channel info when tuned to OTA. If so, this will never be fixed. Having to recheck the switch is a software bug, not updating the guide information when tuned to OTA could be an unfixable hardware bug. Sorry for being skeptical, but I have had my 811 for more than 4 months and these are simple software bugs that should have not been released in the first place, or fixed a long time ago. That they are not fixed makes me wonder if they can be fixed. P266 is the last straw.
Keith.
I am not sure this is a software bug. It could be that the 811 hardware can not receive Dish guide channel info when tuned to OTA. If so, this will never be fixed. Having to recheck the switch is a software bug, not updating the guide information when tuned to OTA could be an unfixable hardware bug. Sorry for being skeptical, but I have had my 811 for more than 4 months and these are simple software bugs that should have not been released in the first place, or fixed a long time ago. That they are not fixed makes me wonder if they can be fixed. P266 is the last straw.
Keith.
keith said:
Keith,
Are you familar with the 811 code base or developing embedded software for Satellite receivers? Curious how you know that these are "simple" software bugs and that the no info issue is hardware related.
If you expecting all your software defects to be fixed with 266, you might as well start yelling now because I don't think they will be. Personally I am hoping for the major ones fixed and an incremental improvement usability. But that is my take, and we all have our expectations and own level of tolerance.
WeeJavaDude said:
I have been writing embedded software, general purpose and both video and audio digital signal processing, since about 1980, for professional and consumer products. Some of the products were of similar or greater complexity than the 811. My first exposure to HD design was full bandwidth analog back in the early 1980's (Sony).
I understand all about commercial pressures and rushing out unfinished products. That doesn't make it any the more tolerable or acceptable for the consumer. The 811 was not ready for release, end of story. It appears to me to have serious and unfixable hardware problems (some inherited from the 6000 architecture!). Still waiting for Dish to prove me wrong. Let's see what P266 brings.
Keith.
keith said:
Cool!! Hope you did not take my response the wrong way.. Just was curious because there have been a number of posts that made statements to simple bugs that have no software/hardware background.
I still think that unless you are intimately involved in the design and have a good understanding of the code base determining what is simple vs. what is hard is at best a informed guess. I work in the upper application levels of system managment and I have more than one experience where what seems like a simple fix is actually a hair ball problem. I am sure you have been there before yourself. I have also from experience had lower level engineers over simplify what goes into application level development at the appliance level.
I agree that rushing out a product before its time is a bad formula. As for the 811, Yes it was not ready for release. You are not going to get an argument from me.
My guess is Dish used the argument... Is it better than the 6000... and the answer they came back with was yes. So they shipped it. That seems to be Diish's design phlosophy in general. Rather than asking the questions is it as rock solid as it can be, they seem to ask if it is as good or slightly better than the box it is replacing.
Personally, I waited for initial reports and then based on what people found made my decision to make the move and get one. I am glad I did and overall I am happy with the unit. Yes it still has some bugs to be worked out and hopefully these are software only. If there are some hardware issues, we have bigger problems.
Below is my list of main issue:
1) General Dark video. both on DVI, component, svideo. On SD and HD content.
2) Continuous loop retrieving guide data. Guide data needs to be acquired then the box is off also so that the user hardly ever sees the getting guide data dialog box.
I know there are more, but these are the two that I feel are the most annoying in my use case. The rest of the defects I run into are minor in nature to me. Like I said.. We all have our tolerance level.
WeeJavaDude said:
I agree with the two problems being the most anoying and I also hope that the 266 S/W fixes them.
I also agree that having an intimate knowledge of the H/W and S/W is necessary to determine the complexity of a problem.
But this has been going on for five months. I worked in leading edge design of electronics including H/W and S/W design for 34 years and I never saw a problem take five months to fix.
It must all be so complicated.
Pb ft. said:
Definitely those 2 are showstoppers. It's hard to fathom how the 811 shipped with inferior image quality. It is not as good as the 6000!
The guide issue pretty much makes watching OTA a misery waiting to happen. Having to go through many seconds and sometimes minutes of fetching new data or checking switches or rebooting when switching back to Dish is not acceptable. For me, this is reason enough to get rid of the 811. I watch HD OTA. The 6000 is not a great alternative though, so if the 811 is a bust, I will look into the 921 (from the frying pan into the fire).
Keith.
keith said:
I had the 6000 for about a year. I did not do an A/B Comparison, but through the DVI output I don't feel I took a step down in PQ with most material. Maybe on dark source material, but I could not say with any level of certainty.
As for jumping to the 921. You are a brave man for sure. I would like a HD PVR, but the 921 right now scares me. To much uncertainty in its future and I think you would changing one set of problems for another.
Wrong tense: you meant "suffers"...snathanb said:
Having owned a 6000 from its introduction, the first year of ownership was pretty much "why did I buy this?" since my 6000 would spontaneously reboot from time to time. But, it got better. IMHO, the 811 is better than the 6000. I'm not saying the 811 is perfect (HA!), just that I like it better than my 6000. I'm expecting the 811 to get better.
smodak said:
I have not had to do a check switch since I got my 811 back in December. I have a SW64. What switch/switches are in your topology? I would agree having to do a check switch once a day sucks.
I was asking the switch question to see if there is a difference that is causing having to do a check switch daily. I have to reboot too due to the continues loop bug. I run into it a lot.keith said:
Has anyone else noticed that the dreaded "downloading guide" problem seems to be gone? I haven't had it on my 811 for quite a few days. I was able to force it by going out over a day and a half but even staying in OTA mode doesn't seem to cause it to happen anymore. Or have I just been lucky?
keith said:
I have a dishpro Quad LNB, which ends up being the same setup you have. I had to perform my first "re"check switch yesterday. I took the opportunity to connect the 61.5 from the Voom dish to check out the HD Demo channel. I was idle yesterday indeed
.Could someone provide a list of the advantages of using a 6000/U at this point? I think that would be a great help to folks that are considering Dish HD and have the option of purchasing the 6000 or 811 via their retailer or ebay.
Grandude said:
Hmm, I get it everyday. Especially if I leave the 811 set on OTA. The first time I try to access the EPG I get the acquiring sat msg and then it downloads the guide. I just thought that was normal due to the lack of a hard drive to store more information. Should the 811 be able to communicate with the satellite while it is set to OTA? Other than that minor annoyance I have been thrilled with the performance of the receiver. Both sat and OTA.
I do have an issue with why it takes a long time to lock my local PBS station. Once locked it is fine but it takes a few minutes. The rest of the stations snap right in.
Mike
