942 Mad Scientist First Look! 942 Innards.

[Tom in TX]

Its highly possible that a new version of the 942 with the required IC's have been shipping for the past couple of months, and they will only need a software download to become operational.

I wish! I am expecting a second 942 tomorrow, or Thursday!
Tom in TX

[navychop]

jeslevine

It's been posted before that the 942 was released and shipped before MPEG-4 decoder chips became generally available. Maybe the newer 942s can do MPEG-4, as the big wood posts, but certainly the older ones don't.

Somewhere, some number crunchers like me are wearing out their computers calculating the most cost effective approach- rework or replace the 942s.

[The Big Wood]

I wish! I am expecting a second 942 tomorrow, or Thursday!
Tom in TX

Tear that baby open and lets learn some things!

[rdinkel]

Anyone know what the chip set is on the 811.

I have the 942 running the TV in the kitchen on tv2 and the 811 hooked up to the TV in the living room. The 811 processes the same channel faster where you hear the living room audio first then the echo from the kitchen.

Maybe this will change when the new software hits the 811...

G.

I think the time delay is due to the DVR writing to the hard drive before displaying.

[gdarwin]

I think the time delay is due to the DVR writing to the hard drive before displaying.

Completely forgot about that. Thanks!

G.

[K9SAT]

I should be getting mine in the next couple of days.. dish shipped it 2 day air... so monday.. and tuesday.... brings it in some time tom. My wife will be home but I will not (will be at school) so I should know around two pm or so but wont be able to play untill around 10 pm when i get home from school

[Purogamer]

I'm not sure we'll need to open every 942 to compare them, shouldn't the model numbers reflect a change in the unit? I don't know what the full 942 model number is on the box, but if it was "DISHDVR942" before, and it's "DISHDVR942b" or something on the new one, you would know something is changed. I don't think they can legally make internal changes without documenting it on the labels right?

Maybe everyone should have a look at their box labels and see if anything stands out, especially those who've bought 942's in recent months.

[riffjim4069]

I'm not sure we'll need to open every 942 to compare them, shouldn't the model numbers reflect a change in the unit?

I'm not sure the model number would change, but they would certainly be identified by serial number, serier number, batch number, etc. I have a 942 arriving tomorrow, but I doubt it will support MPEG-4.

[Smith, P.]

A hint - each new production model should pass FCC tests and get own FCC ID.

[The Big Wood]

We have customers that design RF devices that have to pass FCC tests. A new revision does not undergo another FCC test from what I have seen. As long as the same parameters are met and nothing is changed on the RF side of the unit, the other stuff can be changed whenever needed. These same customers make changes to PCB's and Bill of Materials all the time without revving their numbers. In those cases, we are the ones that usually force them to place a revision on the assembly for our own purposes (you don't want to build two different assemblies with the same revision...a nightmare would ensue!). Of course, serial number and MAC addresses are where the real control is handled.

Most companies do place a revision control on their model number, so as previously stated, Dish probably would have some type of difference at the model number level. The difference may be in the serial number, which may make it harder to understand. Worst case would be manufacturing date signalling a design change.