Dish 721 error smart card not authorized...

I still wonder what the microphone input on the front panel was going to be used for...
I think at one time Dish had a karaoke feature, maybe it was going to be used for that???

Also my 721 has been GREAT for the 1-2 years I have had it. It has been only acting up for the past week or two.
 
I called Dish about my 721 having this problem. The first tech said they had gotten a note about the software problem and are working on a solution. We got disconnected when he put me on hold for something.

Called back. This girl sharply said, "I've never heard of it". I said there is supposed to be a tech note about the software problem and again, she said sharply, "I've never heard of it and my supervisor doesn't know anything about it". Then she said, "Oh, this has to do with the Tivo lawsuit, so we're going to replace your unit - hold on while I get the info..." She was talking so fast, you couldn't get a word in edgewise.

I said, "Wait just a minute - you're going way too fast. What replacement are you talking about?". She said, "We're going to replace it with a 522..." I said, "No, you're not - that's a downgrade and requires a DVR fee. You aren't letting me finish any sentence and you don't even know what problem I'm talking about." (She was constantly and forcefully interrupting me.)

She said (strongly, for some reason), "Then that's all I can do."

I said goodbye.

Meanwhile, my Dish service is almost unusable, since the receiver has gotten worse. It's cutting out more often.

By the way, I've not had the same luck with my 721 that others have had. This is my 4th unit in about 5-6 years. Hard drive failures.
 
Meanwhile, my Dish service is almost unusable, since the receiver has gotten worse. It's cutting out more often.

I recommend that people with this sort of situation with their 721 ask to be transferred to Retention, and then insist that the TiVo lawsuit is not their fault, and that they want (choose one):

- Permanent waiving of DVR Fee

OR

- 622 rather than 522

(I would go for the second one myself.)
 
What will they do as far as a customer owned 721 will the replacement be owned ?
 
you won't be able to keep your 721's much longer.....Dish is killing them off slowly but surely and any receiver you get, will be leased. Don't expect them to waive the DVR fee with a new receiver either
 
I called Dish about my 721 having this problem. The first tech said they had gotten a note about the software problem and are working on a solution. We got disconnected when he put me on hold for something.

Called back. This girl sharply said, "I've never heard of it". I said there is supposed to be a tech note about the software problem and again, she said sharply, "I've never heard of it and my supervisor doesn't know anything about it". Then she said, "Oh, this has to do with the Tivo lawsuit, so we're going to replace your unit - hold on while I get the info..." She was talking so fast, you couldn't get a word in edgewise.

I said, "Wait just a minute - you're going way too fast. What replacement are you talking about?". She said, "We're going to replace it with a 522..." I said, "No, you're not - that's a downgrade and requires a DVR fee. You aren't letting me finish any sentence and you don't even know what problem I'm talking about." (She was constantly and forcefully interrupting me.)

She said (strongly, for some reason), "Then that's all I can do."

I said goodbye.

Meanwhile, my Dish service is almost unusable, since the receiver has gotten worse. It's cutting out more often.

By the way, I've not had the same luck with my 721 that others have had. This is my 4th unit in about 5-6 years. Hard drive failures.


Dish customer service hasn't changed much it seems:rolleyes:

I gotta believe its a software problem - hopefully not something requiring replacement of my 721. I've been monitoring it a bit closer today. Haven't noticed any problems during the day, but went to PiP mode this evening and had it occur twice already. Its not a showstopper yet in using the reciever. Usually I can get the reciever to recover by using fast rewind then stop. But not always.
 
Not true. (unless something has changed in the last few weeks)

I had tuner 1 go out on my original 721 last month. Dish promptly replaced my 721 with a refurbished unit. There was no problem with activation at all.

Side note: I still love my 721. My original unit lasted something like 8 years with no problems. I think the 721 is one of the finest units that Dish has ever made.

I still wonder what the microphone input on the front panel was going to be used for...

It did change. A couple of weeks ago, when the Tivo injunction was re-instated, we received a memo at our morning meeting at work that no new 921, 721, 942, or 1022 receivers will be activated. Any bad units will be replaced with a different model. Those still operating will be allowed to continue. Dish will not be sending out any 721, 921, 942 or 1022 receivers.
 
Well am I the only one not really having a problem with their 721?? Tonight it only happen twice while watching the baseball game. (Seems like it only happens on ESPN.) I was browsing ESPN a few nights ago at 3am and it happened then too. I DVR a lot and so far do not see any interruptions in my shows.
 
It did change. A couple of weeks ago, when the Tivo injunction was re-instated, we received a memo at our morning meeting at work that no new 921, 721, 942, or 1022 receivers will be activated. Any bad units will be replaced with a different model. Those still operating will be allowed to continue. Dish will not be sending out any 721, 921, 942 or 1022 receivers.

And yet CSRs keep trying to activate them and then ask why they can't when it won't authorize... Ladies and gentlemen, I give you $10.50/hr.
 
And yet CSRs keep trying to activate them and then ask why they can't when it won't authorize... Ladies and gentlemen, I give you $10.50/hr.

100% agreement. The turnover rate doesn't help either. I've gone to two jobs since this came down where I had to replace a customer's beloved 721 with a 625. Talk about unhappy campers.
 
I called Dish. I was offered the 622, but with they said I would have to have these additional fees:

$6/mo DVR fee (currently not paying this fee on my 721)

$7/mo second outlet fee (it's currently around $6/mo, now)

I don't know why it's a higher second outlet fee for the 622, than the 721.

I don't know. That's an additional $96 a year. And just to get my receiver to work.

I forgot to ask - does it take anyone else's 721 longer to start up, since the problems began?
 
I'd be pissed if they tried to charge me those additional fees (as I have a 721 as well) even if they offered me a better receiver. I do have two 522 receivers so the 622 would end up replacing my 721 and 522 since it does have more capacity plus an external hard drive would be a nice addition.

I have seen this smart card error on my screen as well and I turned it off then back on.
 
Well, I have had to just turn off my 721. It's so bad now, it's unusable. I was having to constantly switch the channels back and forth to regain sound. As slow as it is switching channels, anyway, it just wasn't worth the effort, any more.

I just don't want to add more fees to my monthly bill. I already feel like Dish has nickeled and dimed me with a host of fees, as it is. My 722 maintains a healthy list of fees, with the DVR fee, "non-HD programming fee" (don't remember what it's called), lease fee, etc. Paying a fee for not having HD programming really gets me. Then to tell me the additional outlet fee is HIGHER on the 622, just left me feeling aggravated. Even if it's a hair more than a dollar, that's how it always is - "This is just a dollar more... this is just $5 more per month... this is just $6 more per month..."

All those "this is just $X more per month" fees seem to end up adding 20-30% more to your bill.

Meanwhile, my 721 doesn't work and I can't watch TV in that room.
 
you won't be able to keep your 721's much longer.....Dish is killing them off slowly but surely and any receiver you get, will be leased. Don't expect them to waive the DVR fee with a new receiver either

I fully expect that when my 721 goes bad , not my fault they got caught , I shouldn't have to pay there DVR or No landline fee on a 522 , they SHould!
 
Well, I'm glad to see it's NOT my receiver dying!! Yes, I too have been experiencing the same issue with my 721. And, yes, a quick channel change brings back pic and sound...

But, my REAL CONCERN is whether this is going to affect DVR events. If it happens during a recording, I'll lose the remainder of the show.

It's dish telling you to update your crap outdated recvr..lol
I think there is more truth to that statement than we realize. Anyone else notice that with every software "update" the 721 gets just a little more quirky or loses some function or feature? Since I own my 721, shouldn't I have the legal right to keep them the heck outta' my firmware? :cool:

not everyone in the world can afford HDTV's and expensive programming.
DITTO. Believe me, I WANT a nice, big hi-def and HD programming. Ain't gonna happen for a while. In fact, quite the contrary... I just had to DOWNGRADE my SD programming package, just to keep Dish in my failing budget. :(

What will they do as far as a customer owned 721 will the replacement be owned ?
Same question here. I own mine. Does that mean we're screwed for any help? Or will they still send replacements to non-lease customers? And shouldn't we be legally entitled to a replacement of equal or greater value... NOT a downgrade?

I'm still glad it's not my receiver failing... but I'm still getting angry over the whole scenario. I'm headed over to read that Tivo injunction.
 
One thing that I have figured out. Is if it happens when you are not watching with PIP active, you can rewind then go forward on the tuner that has turned blank to get the picture back, then open the PIP stopping when you have them the same size side-by-side. This has brought back the audio for me.

I can then just close the PIP and continue watching what I was.

I hope this helps others. I am not giving up my 721 to have to pay a DVR fee for the same thing I have now, less the inconvenience they introduce to try to make me get rid of it.
 
Having to get another receiver and pay a DVR fee AND a higher outlet fee just doesn't sit well with me. Dish broke my 721 - I shouldn't have to pay for that.

And then after their announcement that the PPV movies will now delete themselves after 24 hours - how far will they go?

I'm not real happy with Dish at the moment.
 

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