ViP 622 & 722 Running Bug Thread

[budda]

Heat?

How is box and space around it. If to confined it will over heat. Do you hear the fan pick up speed from time to time. Cooling fan may be dead. Other problem could be a failing Hard drive. If heat is the problem, and you can't fix the fan try a laptop cooler cost about ten dollars and works pretty well.

 

[lowdown]

I too have the same problem with my 722.

It has also affected some recordings recorded just last week. They were jerky too.

Could this be an issue with the L627 software update?

lowdown

It is happening again. I have had to reboot the ViP 722 3 times in the last 2 days.

DISH...please fix this.

 

[SouthRider]

722K Freezing & Re-booting

In January the hard drive on my 722 failed. It was replaced by a 722K - Great - more hard drive space - cool remote, can record more HD streams with the OTA module.

I have now had 3 or 4 replacement receivers - the most recent one a brand new unit that failed after 1 week. Another unit was DOA and could never be activated.

The problem is that the video freezes (while the audio continues), and after a few minutes the receiver reboots itself, only to freeze again, and again & again.

Once this begins the receiver is useless within a few days.

DISH has sent technicians out who have replaced (in no certain order) the LNB, the ground blocks, all the cable barrels, and the receiver several times. There is no separator as I have 2 home runs from the dish to the receiver. A separate 622 in my bedroom operating off the same dish has no problems.

The 722K receiver is in a furniture console with a solid back (except cable holes), but the front glass has been removed the whole time. There are no other components in this cabinet. My home is air conditioned 24/7.

I successfully have had a 942, 622, & 722 in the same cabinet over the last 5 years with no problems.

Yesterday after reading this thread I checked the heat readings for the 1st time and the highest temp was 128 (this was immediately after the new receiver had frozen for the 1st time - it is one week old). I shut the receiver off and left for the day resolved to buy a laptop chill pad.

When I returned home last night the receiver was on (all by itself), and frozen. On reboot I found it had gone to a high temp of 138. Placing the mat under it, unplugging the unit until it cooled, and then turning it back on are now no help.

The unit is in a permanent cycle of rebooting.

Dish has now decided to replace it with a 722 (non"K") model, and they are coming tomorrow. I am hoping that this works.

Any thoughts?

 

[Jim5506]

Since the mother board for these receivers covers virtually the whole insides, the laptop cooler is questionable as to its effectiveness.

I use a low speed fan that pulls air from the left side of the unit (where the power supply and HDD are located), you can feel the warm air coming out.

You problem might be heat, but it also could be dirty power. Is the 622 that works on the same branch of the power circuit?

I wish you good luck on solving the problem.

 

[SouthRider]

The crazy thing is that it is so intermittent. The receiver worked fine for hours last night, but this morning after being off & cool it's in an endless cycle of re-booting.

The receiver is plugged into a monster power strip, which is plugged into an APC battery backup unit, so the entire home theater setup is always running on filtered battery power (while the battery is constantly recharged by AC).

I'm really getting the feeling that the 722K just has problems. Is anyone else encountering similar behaviour?

 

[jerryez]

I have a 722 and a 211 and a Yamaha AVR, with a Samsung BluRay all in a cabinet with a back with holes for the plugs and had glass front doors, but I removed the glass to help cool the units. All are plugged into an APC battery backup. I currently have no problems.
You must have something wrong in your setup, since a lot of people have 722ks and have never had a problem.

 

[KKlare]

General rule with receiver fed from a UPS there should be no need for a "Monster" surge protector and it might even interfere with the UPS, don't have any specific but you might try without the extra. For that matter you might try using only the wall socket and a AC distribution strip only. Not for use during a thunderstorm but just trying to eliminate as much as possible--just receiver, TV, and, if needed, power for the switch. If it works for a day, then add things one at a time including phone and/or internet. Might also help to check voltage of cables to chassis before connecting each one. And, of course, a three-prong polarity check ~$3 is essential to be sure you are not hot-neutral reversed or carefully check with your VOM the ground-neutral AC voltage. (Neutral is the broad prong.)
-Ken

 

[SouthRider]

Thanks Ken, I have previously verified all of the above.

Plugging directly into wall socket - no change. Home is 9 yr. new & circuit has been verified.

Dish replaced the receiver AGAIN yesterday morning. They ordered a 722 instead of a 722K, the tech brought a 722K ("that's all they send us"). We figured - let's install it and see if the chill pad helps.

We installed it over the "notebook chill pad". Worked fine all evening.
This morning after unit being off all night and cool (max temp 128 avg 109) the receiver is freezing & re-booting.

When the tech swapped out the OTA module from the old receiver to the new one he noticed it was very hot - WAIT - I said as the lightbulb went on - that's the only common denominator - this is the same OTA module that DISH shipped me in January when we transitioned from the 722. It's been in every receiver that has acted up.

I pulled it out this morning & the reciever instantly stopped acting up. It's been on about 4 hours now with no problems.

We'll see what happens this evening......

 

[DishSatUser]

I'm on my 4th 722. This one is rebooting now and UPS hasn't yet picked up the 3rd.

Is there some kind of bug in the code? The lines all test fine (replaced anyways in the even t it's bad), dishes is peaked good (119/110 on Dish 500, 129 on a seperate Dish) and so on.

The WAF is dropping down to zero so that if we do another replacement, we'll drop the service completely.

And for clearance, I've the receivers on the to (not inside) our entertainment center with completely open sides so air flow is not an issue.

 

[SouthRider]

Try removing the OTA (over the air) unit (if you have one). Mine has been out a few weeks now, and the freezing & re-booting have stopped completely.

DISH has sent me another one to try, and I will install it tonight and see what happens.

 

[Twiztidh0b0]

Hi I'm new to the forum, and I have the same issue. We just picked up the 722K about 2 weeks ago, and for the first couple of days it was working well. Well now TV2 is consistently having the image freeze with audio and menus intact, up until today, at which the system resets itself, and I've had a black screen for the past half hour (I'm running TV2). However, TV1 is operating clearly and has yet to have any problems. I haven't had access to the box to check the temperature yet, so I'm not sure if it's overheating. Has anyone actually found a solution to this problem? I tried contacting tech support, big help that was. All they kept telling me was "check the connections" which didn't make a lick of sense.

 

[DishSatUser]

Sorry Twiztidh0b0,

Sounds like you are in the same situation as me. Since my last post, I've had a complete dish repoint, new cable and connectors plus that warranty exchange I'd posted.

Still happens but appears to be related to when I use the DVR functions, meaning if I leave the show alone and don't try to skip commercials it's then rock solid.

It really appears to be a firmware defect and I'm suprised more have not come out and posted this issue.

But relax along with me and have everyone tell you to check connections, etc. And based on the advice, despite a gut feeling to the contrary, spend the extra dough to have it all redone to the same effect.

The only consolution is that when I switched carriers in the past, I'd jumped into buggy DVR code on their equipment too.

It is generally understood that the VipDVR 722 series is the most stable in the market, so eventually I'll get back to solid results. And perhaps some new features related to the code updates. The revision prior gave me no problems at all and the failures and replacements started with the new code release.

So using logical deduction, what's more likely? A code update occurs and my cables fail and the dish swings out of alignment (even though it's lying and saying the signal is top notch strong)? Or that the code itself added something to the mix?

 

[DishSatUser]

Try removing the OTA (over the air) unit (if you have one). Mine has been out a few weeks now, and the freezing & re-booting have stopped completely.

DISH has sent me another one to try, and I will install it tonight and see what happens.

Wish I could, I have the original 722 and not the K. Each replacement has been a refurb without the ability to remove the OTA section.

I've had the OTA connected and disconnected without change. I suspect some new code related to the OTA could be the cause if you found removing the module resolved your crashes/freezing. This then becomes great advice for other 722k owners. Hope it helps out the other recent poster.

As for us 722 (non K) owners, hope the code change is detected because it's not anything (QED) external to the receiver at this point. And yes that also includes a full power diagnostic to.

 

[ChetK]

Wish I could, I have the original 722 and not the K. Each replacement has been a refurb without the ability to remove the OTA section.

I've had the OTA connected and disconnected without change. I suspect some new code related to the OTA could be the cause if you found removing the module resolved your crashes/freezing. This then becomes great advice for other 722k owners. Hope it helps out the other recent poster.

As for us 722 (non K) owners, hope the code change is detected because it's not anything (QED) external to the receiver at this point. And yes that also includes a full power diagnostic to.

My dad just got the 722K installed. It has the freezing issue. About half way through a movie, it just freezes. No menus, no nothing. It reboots itself. It also does not have a OTA tuner.

I suspect it's either overheating or a software issue. After years of getting my Dad to subscribe, he finally does and it's buggy.

 

[Twiztidh0b0]

Well, update from my last post, I contacted Dish, and after a 2 hour ring around they gave me (first I called dish's tech support, but I had to call the local support, which told me to call dish's tech support, at which the new person was... very very new because nothing I stated got through to them), I am going to receive a new box. Now the issue has expanded from just freezing, to the point that I can't reboot. I will hit the reset button, and neither TV will have any signal for an unknown amount of hours. I hit the button yesterday and still haven't had TV2 show up. Local tech guy is stating it's "bad box" since it overheats. Sounds to me that it had no internal fans whatsoever, but even my old 211K overheated, yet it was clear as can be. I'll just assume it's a firmware issue, though dish won't admit it?

 

[thomasjk]

Unplug the box from the AC power and then replug after 10 seconds. it may clear the problem until you get a new box.

 

[SouthRider]

Newest news on my saga:

I installed the refurb OTA tuner DISH sent me, only to have the receiver almost instantly go into it's endless cycle of freezing video & re-booting. Removed the OTA unit and everything is normal again.

Called & got through to advanced tech support. They suggested installing the OTA unit WITHOUT connecting the cable from my antenna. I did, and no freezing or re-booting.

I am awaiting a call from the advanced tech now to see what the next move is.

I don't know if the insertion of the cable causes this thing to power up or how it works. My antenna feed comes through a typical Winegard inline signal amp. I imagine that next I'll try removing the amp from the line to see if it makes a difference.

I sure hope that Y'all are right, and that it is simply a code issue & one morning this will all be over.

For me it's been going on since January & nobody has any answers.

 

[SouthRider]

Hey - just a thought - how many of you that are having this problem have an external hard disk drive backup unit installed?

I installed one back in December or January in order to back up my collection of Saints games, and have had trouble ever since. Is there any chance of a correlation there? Perhaps the code for it is causing a problem with the code for the OTA?

I may try disconnecting the EDD tonight & plugging my antenna back in.

Just a thought.....

 

[DishSatUser]

No EDD, so my symptoms on both the originals and the latest warranty replacement had nothing to do with an external drive.

 

[wastehl1]

ViP 622 Guide Banner won't disappear

Within the past couple of weeks, all of a sudden when you change a channel or access the guide and select a show, the guide banner at the top of the screen will not disappear automatically after a few seconds, I have to hit cancel now to get rid of it. I can't find any setting in the Menus to fix this, anyone have any ideas?

Thanks!