ATT Homezone 622HZ Defective?

[schneid]

I ain't the heat. 48c is around 127f and not too hot for the equipment. The temperature issue is just a Homezone "blame the customer" cover up. I kept mine cooled to the high 30c's and it made no difference.

As Dish ViP622/722's don't have the issue it has to be the 2Wire AT&T operating system.

 

[shetaan819]

Homezone Issues Still Occuring

It looks like these issues are still going on guys as of yesterday (10/14/07)....

The Homezone DVR would go through a reboot every time the channel was changed through the guide. Also, it seems the overheating issues are still taking place as the fan would turn on right away (its real noisy too) after the channel was changed and shortly afterwards, the system would reboot.

The installer as well as ATT Homezone Technical Support did an excellent job in attempting to troubleshoot the issue by doing a LSDN reset as well as a factory reset of the DVR.

Unfortunately, this didn't help either and we had to go through an approval process to exchange the DVR with the VIP722. Luckily, as this was the day I was getting the service installed, and the fact that the installer had been at my place since 9AM and it was now 3pm, they waived the charge for the VIP722 so I suppose I got a bit luckier than some of you....

The installer also heard from another installer on the same day that had the EXACT same issue with two ATT Homezone DVRs that they'd attempted to install at another home.

I was hoping to sell of my Tivo Series2 and get the ATT Homezone DVR which has similar/better features and is HD but I suppose I'll have to wait a bit longer,

 

[Smith P.]

Would you mind post your System and Diags[2] screens here ?
You could mask personal info from pictures.

 

[shetaan819]

well, since I had to give back the receiver I no longer have access to those screens but I can tell you that we had checked for Temperature (normal) and attepted the automated diagnostic program. The unit however upon the first boot up had indicated that it had found problems with the hard disk and was attempting to repair those issues. I'm not sure if this issue had any role in the consistent reboots caused by channel changing but obviously, I wouldnt be surprised if it did of course...

 

[schneid]

It sounds like 2Wire tried to have you force a factory reset. That would reload the Dish software and then the AT&T Homezone software. Erroneously, the message for that routine says it is repairing errors on your disk. It is just re-partitioning and formatting it to accept the AT&T 2Wire Homezone operating system.

I miss it over here. Been back to D* for a week and the equipment is so stable and user-friendly it is down right boring. However, there are others don't have my luck so far. Seems there is high rate of infant mortality there. If you get a box that lives the first few days, you're golden.

 

[Smith P.]

well, since I had to give back the receiver I no longer have access to those screens but I can tell you that we had checked for Temperature (normal) and attepted the automated diagnostic program. The unit however upon the first boot up had indicated that it had found problems with the hard disk and was attempting to repair those issues. I'm not sure if this issue had any role in the consistent reboots caused by channel changing but obviously, I wouldnt be surprised if it did of course...

Can you remind us how it was intiated ?

 

[Smith P.]

It sounds like 2Wire tried to have you force a factory reset. That would reload the Dish software and then the AT&T Homezone software. Erroneously, the message for that routine says it is repairing errors on your disk. It is just re-partitioning and formatting it to accept the AT&T 2Wire Homezone operating system.

I miss it over here. Been back to D* for a week and the equipment is so stable and user-friendly it is down right boring. However, there are others don't have my luck so far. Seems there is high rate of infant mortality there. If you get a box that lives the first few days, you're golden.

a) Is it possible for 622HZ ? It's totally different from 622, I'm doubt if you could revert SW to factory.
b) There is no OS on the HDD - all software located in NVRAM.
c) Unfortunately it's not true - after months number of errors still the same and practically exist in buggy SW, but not in the HW box itself.

 

[schneid]

My replacement boxes would boot to Dish software. After they found the right satellite they would download and generate the repairing disk notice. They would then reboot and come up with Homezone software. Therefore, I think a factory reset would bring back up the Dish software followed by the AT&T disk repair, a reboot, and their software. Can't prove it as I am no longer a customer.

 

[Smith P.]

All main Dish satellites spooled/spooling M3xx FW for 622HZ ONLY.
Ask RandallA - he will show you - there is no way to load Dish 622 FW into ATT 622HZ from sats! Different "plug".
You're mistaken.

 

[RandallA]

"My replacement boxes would boot to Dish software."

This is not possible. They use different software and the logical condition for the updates doesn't incluce any of the Dish Network software.

Take a look at this:

PID: 0854h, ID: 0JNC, FW: M302, Model: 622HZ


PID=0854h

DownloadID:'0JNC'
Upgrading FW:
'M302': 'M040'- 'M301' 'M303'- 'M304'
'NONE': 'M040'- 'M301' 'M303'- 'M304''1410': '1[2-4]1[AB]'
'M040'- 'M304'
New FW:'M302'
List of BootStraps and BuildConfigs:
'1[2-4]1[AB01]' 'RH[BC][A-DJ]'
IRD Model: 622HZ
List of Serial Numbers:
[2] 1-4000000000

 

[Cornstalkk]

He is probably talking about when you first get the box and start it up, it is the standard Dish Network interface, not the 2Wire Homezone interface. After you run check switch and then downloading begins, once it reboots, it then has the 2Wire HZ interface. Both of mine were the same like that, so yes, it is possible, and the receivers are pre-loaded with the the standard 622 software.

On a side note, after the 2Wire software downloaded, I got the disk error on both of my boxes. Thank the lord for my new 722. Not had a problem since I got rid of the 622HZ piece of crap.

 

[RandallA]

The interface probably looks similar but they are not using the same software as the Dish Network's receivers. The 722 sure is a nice receiver. My 622 has been very stable too.

 

[Smith P.]

For sure I know that one what I'm observing had initial FW ( didn't catch it number because it was impossible stop the initial setup process regardless how I did try - removing coax, etc ) from 2WIRE with SAME style of windows and color scheme.

You guys confusing your selfs.

 

[slatterie]

Finally got HZ SW Update

We got the software update over the weekend and it has been perfect since then. So far no random reboots, we can watch the DVR while its recording another program and also watch the 2nd TV (TV2) at the same time (things we could not do without it getting stuck or rebooting). However, we really haven't pushed it too much as my hubby and I have been working late and have not much tv time.

We will see what happens this weekend, but so far so good. Of course now that I've posted such a good status - its going to crap out on me when I turn it on in a few mins.

PS IIRC I remember when initializing the HZ box it started with a Dish screen/interface then after a few steps or loads then proceeded to go into HZ.

 

[Smith P.]

Did your 622 downgraded to M3.02 ?

 

[schneid]

He is probably talking about when you first get the box and start it up, it is the standard Dish Network interface, not the 2Wire Homezone interface. After you run check switch and then downloading begins, once it reboots, it then has the 2Wire HZ interface. Both of mine were the same like that, so yes, it is possible, and the receivers are pre-loaded with the the standard 622 software.

On a side note, after the 2Wire software downloaded, I got the disk error on both of my boxes. Thank the lord for my new 722. Not had a problem since I got rid of the 622HZ piece of crap.

Some people don't see the initial Dish interface as some installers pre-prep the boxes as it is time consuming. The found errors notification is normal during the process. There are no errors, it just re-formatting the drive and setting it up for the HZ software. Somewhere in the HZ support documents there are screen prints of this message and the instruction to ignore it as it is normal. I am still presuming that a BIOS reset could bring back the initial Dish startup messages.

After the installers came back, spent an hour on the phone with 2Wire, stated it was a software error, and wanted to hard boot the box, I passed. I ditched the service instead.

 

[Smith P.]

Do you recall how he did explain the process "wanted to hard boot the box" ?

 

[schneid]

Nope. Just said they wanted to do a factory reset and that would delete any recorded programs on the drive. I didn't think it would do any good, nor did he or the on site tech, and I wanted to watch the recordings so I declined.

When I did disconnect, I called and asked how to erase the box. They gave me three simultaneous key presses as the box was plugged in and powered up. Of course, I forgot them and as the the box was disconnected, i don't know if anything happened anyway.

May have been I/O, ATT globe, and Back or I/O, ATT globe, and OK.

and just for funzies, the box is still waiting to shipped back so I hooked it up to the S-Video on my PC display and plugged it in. It came up to what looks like an initial HOMEZONE setup screen. So it appears, that once the HZ software is copied to the the drive, it persists.

 

[rcdallas]

I think it's called the three finger reset... let's see if I remember this;

Power button, Orange button, ATT Globe

Hold all three for 10-15 seconds or so?

I recall it was very awkward doing this as the buttons are spaced far apart.

 

[schneid]

Update. The process above stalls at the point of looking fo transponder to download software. As I no longer have a dish, that would be expected. I unplugged it and then plugged it back in while simultaneously pressing the I/O, ATT globe, and Back keys. The box came back with the initial setup screen above.