Problem with Dish Remote Access

[barrysb]

I've been using dish6.sling.com for some time on my Mac computer without any problems to program recordings on my 722k. In the past few days I've not been able to preview any trailers and today there are no listed movies when set to Today and HD Content Only. Luckily I can still program the 722k. I talked with a CSR a few days ago about the trailer problem and he said a report about the condition was submitted. Anyone else having these problems?

 

[bondoo0]

I'm having what I think is a similar problem to the original one (just started showing up yesterday). I can view the grid, or my DVR, but when I try to search on anything other than my DVR, the results area of the screen just goes blank. I've had this happen before intermittently, but usually just did the search again and it fixed the issue, now it's all the time. I also noticed that previously when I logged in I was on dish5, now it's showign dish4, not sure if that's just a coincidence or not.

 

[MattG@DISH]

I'm having what I think is a similar problem to the original one (just started showing up yesterday). I can view the grid, or my DVR, but when I try to search on anything other than my DVR, the results area of the screen just goes blank. I've had this happen before intermittently, but usually just did the search again and it fixed the issue, now it's all the time. I also noticed that previously when I logged in I was on dish5, now it's showign dish4, not sure if that's just a coincidence or not.

If you send a phone number/account number, I'll see if I can duplicate the issue.

 

[barrysb]

Matthew,

Maybe you could shed some light on exactly what function Dish plays in providing net access to 722k receivers via Sling. For months I've been able use my Mac to go to dish6.sling.com to read movie synopsis, watch trailers, and set timers. Last week my ability to watch trailers went away, the other two functions remained. Today I talked with a CSR who told me I was actually using the wrong site to program timers, I should be using dishnetwork.com, however, she indicated that site never had the ability to watch trailers. She recommended I either change my cookies to use the Dish site or get in touch with Sling. I called the number she gave me for Sling and couldn't break through the phone selections to talk with a real person. Ended up going to the Slingbox web site but it had no info on this Dish/Sling web site. Is there an answer here or am I just spinning wheels?

 

[Chanz01]

I've had the sling adapter with a 722 for a few weeks. I have an iPhone while my wife has an android (Droid X), both on Verizon. I was able to watch live tv and the dvr over 3G on the iPhone for the first few days, now I get the "sling connection lost" message while trying to startup on 3G. Over wifi, it still works fine.

My wife is still able to access live tv and dvr over her android on 3G.

Any ideas of something I could be doing wrong? I don't remember changing any settings on the phone. Maybe there was a software update and the newer version has issues...? I haven't tried going back to a previous version of the Dish app yet FWIW. I'd rather try to work with what I have first.

Thanks for any ideas.

 

[TG2]

Maybe you could shed some light on exactly what function Dish plays in providing net access to 722k receivers via Sling. For months I've been able use my Mac to go to dish6.sling.com to read movie synopsis, watch trailers, and set timers. Last week my ability to watch trailers went away, the other two functions remained. Today I talked with a CSR who told me I was actually using the wrong site to program timers, I should be using dishnetwork.com, however, she indicated that site never had the ability to watch trailers. She recommended I either change my cookies to use the Dish site or get in touch with Sling. I called the number she gave me for Sling and couldn't break through the phone selections to talk with a real person. Ended up going to the Slingbox web site but it had no info on this Dish/Sling web site. Is there an answer here or am I just spinning wheels?

First ... saying you're going to dish6.sling.com ... many people either don't notice what's in front of them, or have never been through the steps to see an end result. When you log into Dish Remote Access at dishnetwork.com, it will redirect you to one of the dish XX.sling.com servers.

So you happened to notice you're connected with dish6.sling.com ... some day in the future you may notice it changes ... so far there's been dish1 thru dish15 ...

As to movie trailers and the like .. you might have to come in through dishonline.com to get to the trailer version of the Dish/Sling "experience"

There is also the access you get through "watch.sling.com" though some people get it, some don't ... it seems to depend on whether you've install one of the Sling Player stand alones. Older versions of the Sling Player stand-alone software would run Sling Adapters just as if they were Sling Boxes.

Next the externals of dish / sling

You've probably heard that Dish bought Sling ... before that, dish used Sling to make available the SlingAdapter. To get access to the Adapter ... you authenticate (at least once) to Dish Network, they then link your web player software, and the ID for your slingadapter together. This gives you the ability to start playing (authentication keys passed around, some other "administrivia" too) and then the Sling Servers (sling.com) put your computer and the slingadapter together handing off port and IP information as needed.

Where you are operating the Sling Adapter inside the same network (wifi, wired, etc) the data connection (stream data) goes between you and the slingadapter / dish receiver. The only information that comes into or leaves your home network, is the persmission to use the adapter, administrivia, statistics, quality control information etc..

As soon as you connect from outside your "home" internet connection.. which, unfortunately, I haven't logged and tracked as much information (have only done that three times in 4 months) ... I would presume ... the same conditions exist ..

exist .. except that now the stream data does leave your home network ... and if done the same as when inside your network, Sling's involvement would be to get the "authorization" information from Dish ... and still getting the administrivia from your current location.. and from the sling adapter at home ... and then the last piece would be to make the connection pathway between where you are (ip on the internet) to and from your home IP address.

In that situation .. I would hope the stream data is only going between you and your home ... but no garentee on that..

beyond the functionality .... dish's involvment in sling ... at this point ... seems to still be one of a forced partnership .... that is.. dish needed sling's infrastructure and rather than encorporating it ... they are currently leaving it external and this mixed mash of domains is one of the fronts we see..

ie. why duplicate Sling just to add the sling adapter's ability .. sling.com has been doing this for a few years.. they're equiped.. but we stll want people to see the DISH NETWORK front end.. hence the login at dish, but redirection to dish6 (your case) for the content.

The real problem here ... what I allude to as the mixture of sites ... is that its disjointed, there's no good communication available to all of dish, where most dish customers would normally think to direct their questions... and as you found from Sling's side.. they aren't currently taking responsibility for the Sling Adapter..

so you have a technology out there that one (dish) can't support 100% properly, and you have the other one (Sling) that refuses to acknowledge and support when they know what's going on .... leaves a very bad taste in the mouth...

 

[barrysb]

Thanks for your insight on the connection between Dish and Sling.

Since I posted the original piece, I have had additional conversations with both a Sling CSR and a Dish CSR manager. Neither was able to restore the ability to watch trailers on dish6.sling but were able to shed some light on the situation. First, the Sling product in question is called "SlingGuide". This product was originally sold to Dish and with the sale, Dish assumed all responsibility of servicing the product. Second, the Sling literature touts the ability to watch trailers as one of the features of the product. Third, the Dish CSR manager told me, straight out, this feature was included in the original roll-out of this service to entice viewers to sign-up for a Sling Adapter, but the introduction of the service has now expired. So, I would have to purchase a Sling Adapter to watch trailers on my computer. I told him I not interested in the ability to watch TV programs everywhere and wasn't interested in the adapter. He said "too bad, that's the way it is at the present time". I countered with this was a blatant "bait & switch" tactic and after being a Dish subscriber for 16 years, thought it wasn't a good business practice, especially since Dish never indicated this was just a trial period. He told me to send an email complaint to headquarters, which I did.

End of story, however the CSR did indicate the Sling service was work in progress and things may change in the future.