I've written computer code - BS.
I run a technology team now that develops commercial software, hosts it, and supports it (including customer service). Pure crap.
Problems HAVE come up with Dish. No problem assuming they get resolved. However, they do NOT get resolved - quickly or otherwise. I have no beef with the 3xx or 5xx series (even though 2 out of 3 failed on me completely). However I have major problems with the 8xx and 921 series. As to fixing them, they've discontinued the product 13 months after releasing it and having never fixed it.
I will not rant about the lack of understanding that people exhibit when they compare the delivery of quality E* receivers and selling/supporting PCs. Suffice it to say that such a claim only serves to illustrate that the person making it has no experience in the field. There are NO - to repeat that categorically - NO variables that Dish does not reasonably control with respect to the ability to design, TEST, and support their product. For whatever reason, they are incapable or unwilling to do so.
To be clear, even cable device providers such as SA or MOTO have far more complex issues, as they need to allow individual cable companies the ability to modify software based on their own infrastructure. Dish has absolutely no variables whatsoever that they are not capable of designing around, testing adequately, and delivering results.
Bugs are expected. SEV1 bugs are frankly not permitted to go to the public.
BTW: This forum is ALSO a place where people can get unvarnished information BEFORE making an investment. I just wish I had stumbled across it prior to spending $549 on the 921. It would have saved me quite a bit of time and money. Unfortunately, I listened to the marketing hype. You are correct that people tend to emphasize the bad rather than the good, and that it really shows up on the boards. But, show me another "product" like Dishnet that completely controls their product with respect to the technology, and that has such a high degree of unresolved problems.
smroycro said:
Ok folks...time to summarize some important information (hopefully without being accused without basis from the peanut gallery about being on the corporate payroll). I do think most people don't have problems with their equipment. When problems do come up (and by the laws of statistics, they will), hopefully, they get resolved quickly. This forum is an avenue for those who have experienced problems to find answers, to voice complaints, and to learn new stuff. I completely understand why the majority of posts is about things that are wrong. Show me a web site with the traffic volume this site has that is full of compliments and kudos. The expectation the consumer rightfully has is that the system will work correctly out of the box. This should be the objective of the engineers that design the system. Bugs are going to happen, problems will crop up and if the problems are identified and given a high priority, fixes are developed and implemented. This process takes time, and anybody who has written computer code knows that writing effective code is part science and part art.
I am in the group of people who have had very limited problems with any of my 3 active receivers and the other two receivers that have been retired the problems have been minimal. So those like me who scan through the postings to learn more, see what else is going on out there and may think that there are a majority of dissatisfied satellite customers, think a little longer. You will not see many posts (like mine) in which we say our problems are nearly non-existent, that is because our expectation that things will work correctly out of the box has been met.
