Thread: Are the blue cards finally, completely obsolete?

OK, so I listed some old deactivated receivers in the classifieds. Two of them have the ancient blue cards, a 2700 and a 301. Both were working fine last time I checked them, not more than 6 months or so ago. So I connected them and yep, they still get channel 101 and NASA. So I powered off and both downloaded the latest software: 885P on the 2700 and P394 on the 301.

Now both of them show the smartcard as "S00 0000 0000" instead of the numbers that were there before. Also, they get stuck at the "acquiring satellite signal" message with no progress and although I can press "menu" to check some settings, it never acquires the signal or continues past that point (0 of 5 for example on the 301). I've tried all the standard troubleshooting of reinserting the card, power cord reboot, etc.

I assume it is just the blue cards that are the issue at this point, some code change made recently rendered them obsolete and unable to even boot the receiver at all, and if the blue cards were replaced by valid purple cards assigned by Dish, these receivers would be fine. Does that sound right?

G1 useless
G2 good until end of 2009
G3 Current Version


The blue cards were the first generation of smartcards G1 and they were phased out completly. New software ignores them.

The yellow cards and the second generation G2 and they are in the process of being phased out, and dish plans to do this by the end of 2009.

The puple cards are the third generation G3 these are the latest version.

End of 2009? Or end of 2008?

Would it surprise you if it was 2009? At which time Bell and Globecast will probably have been hacked?