new Dish user as of 9 hours ago and currently not happy

[Clbe]

So my first day as a satellite user has been a bit on the annoying side but I still have positive expectaions!

First off MOST of my aggravation came from the installer. After all was done, I sat down to play and then discovered that he didn't put the 522 where I wanted it. This caused me to have to redo a bunch of the coax and move some equipment - not a problem for me but still annoying.

So now I'm watching from the 322 and notice some pixelation. This raises my hackles as this is the VERY reason I dropped cable. I call Dish, we go through the point dish routine and I learn that a signal of about 70 is "not very good" and I need to call the installer again. F* that!

Thats when I find this place and the dbsforum - learned about aiming a dish and went at it. 20 feet up I go with ratchet and L square with level indicator and compass. Immediately I see that the vertical mast is not vertical - get that fixed and then check the azimuth and declination and skew. All is good so I go back to the TV and do the point dish and voila... 101 102 103 102 101... Nice.

Until I start watching the 522 and it SUCKS - pixelation - frozen screens - audio drops - skipping in the buffer. Oh man my wife is going to be pissed!

I come back here and then learn that l235 is bad stuff. I try forcing an update and it doesn't work. I call DISH and immediately let the tech dude know that I've researched the problem via this forum and he acknowledges that this place rocks. We go through the same routine I just did and end up with 235... hahahaha... not.

So here I am after multiple updates and reboots and am watching superior TV with superior audio only about 30 seconds at a time - then it stutters - then it pixelates - then it comes back.

Like I said - I DO want this to work well. I've been a LOYAL Tivo user since practically Day One and have come QUITE accustomed to how flawlessly it does the critical stuff (picture - guide - wish lists - record and buffer stability). I expect this 522 and related tech will mature QUICKLY but gracefully... please?

Clbe

 

[chaddux]

I come back here and then learn that l235 is bad stuff. I try forcing an update and it doesn't work. I call DISH and immediately let the tech dude know that I've researched the problem via this forum and he acknowledges that this place rocks. We go through the same routine I just did and end up with 235... hahahaha... not.

L235, L236 and L237 are still current versions. New versions are released to receivers in blocks. Unless your specific receiver is in one of those blocks, ABSOLUTELY NOTHING will force an update. When problems crept up with L236, they stopped sending it out to receivers. If you are still at L235, it means your specific receiver had not come up before it was stopped. You will have to wait until L237 is released to your specific receiver before you can update. It doesn't matter how many times you call DISH, force a reboot or do anything else, if it has not been released to your specific receiver, you CANNOT get the update...period.

On the other hand, I love my 522. I have L236 and it FINALLY solved the audio/video sync issues.

 

[Clbe]

L235, L236 and L237 are still current versions. New versions are released to receivers in blocks. Unless your specific receiver is in one of those blocks, ABSOLUTELY NOTHING will force an update. When problems crept up with L236, they stopped sending it out to receivers. If you are still at L235, it means your specific receiver had not come up before it was stopped. You will have to wait until L237 is released to your specific receiver before you can update. It doesn't matter how many times you call DISH, force a reboot or do anything else, if it has not been released to your specific receiver, you CANNOT get the update...period.

On the other hand, I love my 522. I have L236 and it FINALLY solved the audio/video sync issues.

I generally like the layout of the menus. The feature set is pretty much what I would expect and want. The video and audio (aside from problems) are LEAPS and BOUNDS beyond Comcast Dirigible Cable. The dual DVR is perfect for our house / tv / viewing habits setup. There is so much to like that just can't be until the oh so basic crap is fixed.

FEATURE REQUEST : continue to buffer the channel that was selected when the tv was turned off!

Clbe

 

[chaddux]

WHOA! Usually not a good idea to post your receiver and smart card IDs. I would edit your post and remove those quickly.

FEATURE REQUEST : continue to buffer the channel that was selected when the tv was turned off!

You need to get your terminology correct. When you turn the "TV" off, you are turning off the screen, not the tuners. If you just turn off the TV, the receiver has NO idea that the TV has been turned off and continues to buffer. If you turn off the tuner, that's a different story. If you want it to continue buffering, leave it on. This is a VERY, VERY bad request. Most people would be quite furious if their receiver continued buffering all night long, especially if the receiver was in the bedroom. When turned off, the receiver should not continue buffering. If DISH is listening, ignore that feature request.

 

[DVDDAD]

FEATURE REQUEST : continue to buffer the channel that was selected when the tv was turned off!

Clbe, If you turn off your TV and only the TV, the 522 will continue to buffer. Is your 522 plugged into an outlet in the back of your TV or A/V receiver? If not, there is no reason the buffer would stop when your TV is turned off.

 

[chaddux]

Clbe, If you turn off your TV and only the TV, the 522 will continue to buffer. Is your 522 plugged into an outlet in the back of your TV or A/V receiver? If not, there is no reason the buffer would stop when your TV is turned off.

It helps to READ replies and THEN post. I said that 10 minutes ago.

 

[Clbe]

fixed on the id stuff... is there that much of a security threat?

Hmmm. ok. I'm thinking on this one.

Most folks are not going to distinguish this difference. There is a tactile difference in the power buttons for the TV and the tuner output but they are situated so that both can be pressed simulataneously. when I do that, the TV turns off but not the tuner so in that situation we're ok - the buffer will be available when the TV comes on.

keep in mind "our wives" are using this however. In their minds, it doesn't matter. If they hit the tuner power first, they'll just see the static or "black but on" screen then hit TV power. When they wake up, if they will learn to hit TV power first. This will result in the dish screen saver. they press select and voila... last channel... no buffer - LAME

Clbe

 

[chaddux]

last channel... no buffer - LAME

That's the point. When you turn a light off, would you want the bulb to stay on? Of course not because that's absolutely insane. Same situation here: when you turn the tuner off, it shouldn't be buffering because YOU TURNED IT OFF! Who would think that turning something off would actually turn it off? The DISH engineers must be insane! If your wife cannot tell the difference, either teach her or deal with no buffer. The hard drive should not have to grind all night long just because your wife can't figure out the difference between two buttons.

"Yes, Mr. mechanic, it's the weirdest thing. I turned my car off and everything stopped working. The air conditioner went off. The radio went off. Everything. Please tell (insert car company here) to fix this horrible error!"

 

[SimpleSimon]

And a final note - DEFINITELY turn "off" both tuners of both receivers every night to make sure you get your guide and software updates.

 

[chaddux]

And a final note - DEFINITELY turn "off" both tuners of both receivers every night to make sure you get your guide and software updates.

Oh come on Simon. We've addressed this before. You DO NOT have to have the tuners turned off to receive updates as long as you have Updates (Menu > 8 > 5) enabled (for the 522 and I assume the 322). At the set time, the receiver will AUTOMATICALLY turn itself off and receive the updates. Feel free to leave the receiver on as much as you like.

 

[SimpleSimon]

Oh come on Simon. We've addressed this before. You DO NOT have to have the tuners turned off to receive updates as long as you have Updates (Menu > 8 > 5) enabled (for the 522 and I assume the 322). At the set time, the receiver will AUTOMATICALLY turn itself off and receive the updates. Feel free to leave the receiver on as much as you like.

Oh yeah - that's right. I forgot - because it applies only to the 522 (and probably the 625).

 

[OoTLink]

only? I hope that was sarcasm! I find our boxes "off" all the time because of the auto updates (funny becaues the LEDs stay on), lol.

 

[chaddux]

Oh yeah - that's right. I forgot - because it applies only to the 522 (and probably the 625).

I knew the 522 had it but I thought the 322 had it as well.

 

[SimpleSimon]

Not sure about the 322.

I am certain about the 921, and resaonably sure about the 501.

 

[Sapient]

On the other hand, I love my 522. I have L236 and it FINALLY solved the audio/video sync issues.

Yeah, that's what I thought (though I am now at L327 and the problems are back). But others with L326 say that it did nothing about the audio/video sync issues.

I wonder why some of us see (saw) such a difference when others don't see any.

 

[chaddux]

Yeah, that's what I thought (though I am now at L327 and the problems are back). But others with L326 say that it did nothing about the audio/video sync issues.

I wonder why some of us see (saw) such a difference when others don't see any.

Oh please tell me you're joking. The only problem I've seen with L236 is the intermittent failure of the 4x Forward. Surely they arent bringing back the a/v sync issues.

 

[larrystotler]

Keep in mind that the may be minor production revisions in the hardware, which would not warrent a change in the receiver IDs, but that the software could work improperly with. Not all receivers are identical. Even 2 chips straight from the fab 1 after the other are not completely identical. That's one of the fun things about computers(which is all an IRD is). It's like overclocking - 1 chip may over clock fine, another of the same "lot" may not.

 

[BobaBird]

A signal strength of 70 isn't really "bad" but is definitely worth improving on as you already have. It won't do anything for pixellation or other PQ issues because anything above the threshold of 35-40 gives you the same picture. What it will do is give you extra margin against rain fade so that you stay above the threshold.

 

[larrystotler]

Actually, E* receviers start to pixellate between 45-55. That's one of the reasons there are so many complaints about the locals on the 105.