Beta / Engineering Testing

[EvilEuro]

I see lots of people talk about being beta testers with Dish, but I've never seen anyone mention exactly how one becomes a beta tester. Is it a random process? Does one have to sign up to do so? Exactly how does one go about becoming one?

Just curious and I hadn't really seen anything on the subject before.

 

[mdonnelly]

All Dish HD customers are Beta testers.

 

[LER]

you get asked. Plain and Simple. It's a closed program. (I am **NOT** one, but have seen this happen).

 

[Van]

Ive been a beta tester for dish on the starband system and on a more recent dishnetwork receiver, I got my beta testing status because Im an employee and not many of us get asked to beta test.

 

[boba]

Actually it is a negative comment about the quality of DISH Network software. So much is released with problems that customers consider themselves BETA tester every time they buy a DISH receiver or receive a software upgrade to their equipment.

 

[RandallA]

boba,

I know you like to bash E* but this time you're right. We as customers shouldn't have to deal with their BETA testing everytime there is a new software upgrade.

 

[goaliebob99]

If I remember right you have to be an E* employyee specifically living in colorado. wich I allways thought was bougus as hell!

 

[CJPC]

If I remember right you have to be an E* employyee specifically living in colorado. wich I allways thought was bougus as hell!

Yeah, so the Hit-Squad can come and do there thing quickly when you report bugs in software, like P332

 

[Van]

Nope, dont have to live in the land of snow bunnies to be a beta tester if your an employee of E. Like I said I pilot tested starband 180 and 360 systems way back when in 2000 and 2001 and a 411.

 

[rdinkel]

Nope, dont have to live in the land of snow bunnies to be a beta tester if your an employee of E. Like I said I pilot tested starband 180 and 360 systems way back when in 2000 and 2001 and a 411.

What did you think of the 411? (Those of us in the land of snow bunnies would like to know!)

 

[jayn_j]

If I remember right you have to be an E* employyee specifically living in colorado. wich I allways thought was bougus as hell!

Right on. I've been in this industry a long time, and that is Alpha Testing. Totally necessary, but does not replace true Beta testing. Problem is there is too close a link between the tester and the developer. Tester knows at the very least the culture of the development and often the developer is available to explain how it is a "feature" and what the workaround is.

 

[Van]

What did you link of the 411? (Those of us in the land of snow bunnies would like to know!)

I liked the ability to use the coax port along with the hd outputs on a tv to get a better sd picture so Im asuming that is why it was added. For those that dont know what Im referring to Ive noticed that SD pictures look much better on a coax feed than they do through the HD jumpers. This feature makes it nice for those who are using a LCD DLP projector and dont want to use it all the time, all you have to do is have a long jumper ran from the cabinet to a regular tv.

Outside of that the system functioned pretty well but I didnt find any big surprises within it though I didnt have a great deal of time to test it out nor was I able to test the ota portion due to a bad antenna. Its remote is basicly the standard fair 811 / 921 / 942 type of remote. I was able to view the hd channels through the coax port on my crt set just as clearly as any other channel though to me they seemed to be crisper than any other channel but it could have been my imagination.

 

[BCH]

I have done beta work for Microsoft and other software developers and what you described appears to be a cursory review which lacked a detailed testing regiment. If this is the type input given by beta testers to E* I now know why my 921 has been such a mediocre performer.

 

[rdinkel]

I have done beta work for Microsoft and other software developers and what you described appears to be a cursory review which lacked a detailed testing regiment. If this is the type input given by beta testers to E* I now know why my 921 has been such a mediocre performer.

A casual response to my question is not to be taken as the full extent of product beta testing. Van, thank you for your reply.

 

[Van]

I have done beta work for Microsoft and other software developers and what you described appears to be a cursory review which lacked a detailed testing regiment. If this is the type input given by beta testers to E* I now know why my 921 has been such a mediocre performer.

Im sorry that my reply to someone elses question wasnt up to your highly technical needs but hey thats just to bad. Theres alot of information I cant give as it could effect the longevity of my employement with E, details that could cast a favourable light or a dark shadow, and information that I cant even hint at.

Dont blame me because you purchased a product that may or may not work as you expect it to, its your fault for not researching said product and if you are one of those who has to have a new product the day it hits the market then you should expect any new product to have bugs and flaws as everyone knows that first year product release is always a beta quality product.

 

[RandallA]

And you guys expect Van to tell you everything about his beta testing. He's a Dish Network employee, he can lose his job if he starts posting everything he knows.
Sheesh!

He did give us some good information about the receiver. Thanks Van.

 

[DishBacker]

... expect any new product to have bugs and flaws as everyone knows that first year product release is always a beta quality product.

All sounds good... except we just completed 2 full years of the 921 in release and we are still with a 'beta quality product'. Hopefully year 3 will bring it finally to a GA release level (or swap out by dish for an MPEG4 DVR).

 

[Van]

All sounds good... except we just completed 2 full years of the 921 in release and we are still with a 'beta quality product'. Hopefully year 3 will bring it finally to a GA release level (or swap out by dish for an MPEG4 DVR).

I cant be positive on this one, dish has really wanted to drop the 21 series of receivers like a bad newlyweds rerun due to all the issues that they have had with them. Personaly I'd like to get my hands on a 721 but you cant find them new or refurbed anymore. I would have to imagine that any existing customer with a 921 will hopefully ( crosses fingers ) get a chance to upgrade to one of the new mpeg2/4 hd dvrs that are slated to come out.