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In Reply to: DISH Player-DVR 921 or what??? posted by Kenreau on January 11, 2005 at 17:10:22:
I’ve owned a 921 for the last year. On the up side:- It does record HD (~24 hours)
- Since it has two tuners you can watch a show and record anotherOn the down side:
- With every new software release their software quality gets worse (I’m a software engineer and I’d be canned if I produced code like theirs)
- Support is non-existent (standard response for ANY problem is to reboot the box, oh except if it’s really bad, pull the plug)
- They have a “feature” that turns off digital output, huh? I thought that was the point of the box
- Scheduled recording sometimes screw up so you get half or less of the show you intended to record.
- Local channel support is almost non-existent
- ETC. ETC.Because I’m on a hot roll let me relate to you the last “support” problem I had. While rewiring and changing out my HT (replaced my Jolida 801s with Bryston 7B-SSTs and replaced my Sunfire processor with a Lexicon MC-12B) the digital output from the 921 (DVI and Component) stopped only leaving analog.
I contacted support, here’s the drill; make the phone call, choose option 3 for technical support, go through the usual did you reboot the box, did you pull the plug, OK we’ll send you to “advanced technical support”. Transferred to the advanced tech, did you reboot? Did you pull the plug? OK well we have to get you to engineering; the only way we can do that is send them an email and they will get back to you in 24 hours; Me “Ah email isn’t there a number you can call”, them “no”, Me “can I escalate this to a manager”, them “no”. 24 hours passes and nothing, I call and go through the same process (see above) even after I ask them to see the case notes. Advanced Tech, “Oh well they told you 24 hours that’s not right it can be up to 72 hours”. I’m like WTF, tech “oh we’ll credit your bill”, Me who cares.
72 hours later I get a call from the tech (an adventure in its self since they come in through an unlisted number and I have a feature on my Lan line not to accept unlisted numbers. After the “did you reboot etc.” They discover I have a problem with the box and because I have the extended warranty they send another. Overall problem and resolution time almost two weeks.
Would buy the 921 again no. Right now I’m having trouble justifying Dish.
Good luck..
Follow Ups:
Just wondering.....how many times has Dish upgraded their software. I have several customers with Dish 811(HD, No hard-drive) boxes with similiar problems. I sell HT systems to typical non-hobbiest consumers who know very little and always program remotes with macro's for them so they don't have to think! I like the features on the 921 and would like to recommend it, but it sounds like they are still not ready. Didn't Dish stop selling them for a while?? Then they started again just recently, supposedly with the software issues resolved. I am assuming your 921 is a 1st generation and hopefully the new ones are better. But apparently not, since I would assume you would have got a new one by now. Direct has a similiar box from Motorola, not quite as many features, but at least it seems to be working.
One small technical question. I heard that Dish's dual tuner boxes could modulate the second tuner output to a varity of channels in the 30 to 70 range. Will your 921 do this?
I’m aware of at least three upgrades with one just recently adding Diags such as fsck and supposed bug fixes which I haven’t been able to notice.Dish at first did a limited release of the 921, stopped selling them then turned around and started to sell them again. It’s my understanding that Dish wants to go to leasing equipment rather than selling but I’m just relating a rumor I read somewhere (I think AVSFourm). The problem with Dish is if you want the type of functionality that the 921 offers you pretty much have to go with their box unlike Direct that has third party suppliers (Tivo etc.).
You’re assumption about 1st and latter generations is correct since Dish had to replace my 921 I should have received a newer version of the hardware however I’m still having the same problems I had with the older hardware. Prior to the 921 I owned the 721 (non HD) and had to have the box replaced three times for various problems mostly related to the hard drive (this was before they wrote the utility to spin down the hard drive after inactivity).
Not sure about modulating the second tuner output, sorry..
Good luck
Thanks for the info. I appreciate having good info instead of rumors. Dish had better get there act together soon. I am going to contact a local regional rep and find out whats up.
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