722K Screen Shots and Initial Setup Thoughts

[Scott Greczkowski]

I am assuming that the OTA issues I have reported here and in the other thread are known issues, as no one from Dish has tried contacting me to help fix the issues.

Kind of sad actually. I want this to be a good product. The main selling feature is that it can record 2 OTA channels at the same time. Seems kind of useless if it keeps locking up and has a poor tuner.

If I get a chance tonight (or over the weekend) I am going to hookup the 622 again and do screen shots of the OTA signal meters then hook up the 722K and post its signals as well.

 

[gadgtfreek]

Thanks Scott.

 

[Laddyboy]

Yepp. The HR22's work very good until you couple them with an OTA tuner, then it becomes a slug. Thought Dish was better than that.

Trying to pick up a few more bucks gross profit figuring most subs won't want OTA is the only thing I can think of. Maybe they're right. I'm using HTPCs to record OTA to get the full monty as God intended so I'm not affected but I think there has to be a sizeable number of subs that not only want OTA reception and recording, but demand it and will be very disappointed if the problem is not fixed pronto.

 

[gadgtfreek]

I can understand leaving the capability out to save dough, because most subs dont use it. The idea that they offer the capability as an addon (thats costs) to us that need it, but it cripples the box, is ridiculous.

 

[Scott Greczkowski]

If Dish contacts me I will work with them to help them fix the issue for everyone.

This could be an amazing receiver, we just got to get the OTA fuctionality to work correctly.

 

[Smith P.]

So, you got half functioning DVR - sat part is works, but OTA is not.
Should you give a discount - half price repaid back ?

As a thought - looks like Dish hired same developers in UK who are doing coding and QA in ideal lab environment using perfect working 8VSB modulators - no multi-path, no weak signals, no interference from weather/airport radars, etc.

 

[sethwell]

i'm wondering if the 222k has the same trouble with the module? anyone with one of those experiencing what Scott is having with his 722k?

 

[sonic2000]

Well I woke up this morning and so far not so good.

I program my TV to turn on automatically each morning so I have the local news on that I can listen to before my Alarm clock goes off.

This morning the TV came on as normal and the 722K tuned to the correct channel, however the audio coming from the TV was all garbeled like the news reports were under water. The channel I tuned to was WVIT 030-01. I changed it to the Dish HD feed of the same channel (030-00) and the audio was fine.

I then flipped through the locals channels and got to WFSB (003-04) and the receiver locked up solid and needed another red button reset.

I am not impressed at this point.

Scott, I'm scheduled for a 722k install on Monday. Would it be smart to wait or just go for it. I am going to move my current 622 to the bedroom and send back my 522.

 

[Smith P.]

Just use it WITHOUT OTA. For while.

 

[uptownvideo]

I have the 722K as well and I like it a lot. Do you know if the old remote from the 522 will work with the 722K? I am having trouble getting the number 2 remote to control it. The remote is the 6.0 uhf pro.

 

[Scott Greczkowski]

Scott, I'm scheduled for a 722k install on Monday. Would it be smart to wait or just go for it. I am going to move my current 622 to the bedroom and send back my 522.

Go for it. The 2 channels I can't get that I could get on the 622 are really far away stations. Its just the fact that that the 622 could get them and this next generation product could not concerns me.

And I think the reason for it is because the off air signal is split inside the tuner cartridge causing some signal loss.

I am not sure if there is some kind of Pre Amp I can put in line just before the 722K to boost the signal enough so that the split in the cartridge does not drop the signal down as much. I am sure someone can chime in who knows.

 

[ralfyguy]

The DTVPal DVR has dual OTA tuners and manages to outperform the 622/722 in reception. No excuse for me. I don't wanna talk bad about the 722K either, but this doesn't make any sense to me.

 

[bigcarr]

I have a 722k on the way, I will compare the OTA signal before and after also. Maybe Scott just got a bad OTA module? Time will tell. My 722 has been great, I hope this is not a mistake!

 

[OV_HDFan]

I know it is hard to remember back that far, but the problems with the OTA reception is what caused the numerous lockups and reboots of the 622 when it was first released. I was one of the few that kept my original 622 I ordered the day it was released until about 6 months ago when it had hard drive errors. But they did get it fixed eventually with SW updates..

 

[HailScroob]

I have a 722k on the way, I will compare the OTA signal before and after also. Maybe Scott just got a bad OTA module? Time will tell. My 722 has been great, I hope this is not a mistake!

I'm in the same situation.

I'll give it a try, but I'm not going to screw around with another God-forsaken 921 debacle: waiting in vain for fixes that never come.

My 942 was good, but it had problems with adjacent channel interference on our low power HD stations, while OTA on the 722 has been rock solid. The ABC affiliate hovers around 68% signal strength and it never (never, ever) has any reception problems. The CW was unwatchable because of a Chicago station using the same "real" channel (the joys of Low Power HD) and the 942 couldn't lock on, but the 722 has never once had a problem with it.

I thought I was safe staying with a "722" but it sounds like maybe Dish just slapped that moniker on some completely new and unproven box. I sure hope that's not the case.

 

[MikeD-C05]

I noticed yesterday that my 722k had lower ota strength at first, but I have seen these same channels return to their regular strength except CBS. This channel had always been the strongest at 92-95 strength and now it is about 10 points lower at 82 -85 strength. NO breakups or problems though. I really like this unit. I immediately noticed the picture quality was sharper than before. The sd picture looks more in focus and no compression artifacts in the background as before on some of my most watched sd channels. I also noticed a jump in pq back when I replaced my 622 with a 722. I wonder if this is just a temporary thing because of the newer chip set in these receivers. Maybe once you have them for while they start to fade again and you go back to the same pq as before. For now it looks good. The new remote control was able to control my Sony a/v receiver . The first time. I no longer have to use two remote controls to adjust the surround sound now. NICE. The new group features are nice and I can put all of my wife's decorating shows in one folder ,rather than have them cluttering up my dvr. I noticed when the receiver first rebooted it had a nice DISH screen and a little sign on the right that said starting up... This reminds me of the Directv hr 21 that I had last year. The new red reset button is nice so people won't have to figure out which button to hold down to reboot. I recorded 4 things at a time and NO More conflicts on Mondays or Thursdays nights. The rest of this receiver is just like the 722. I can't use sling guide, as there is no way to add this receiver to the website and I notice there is no menu for the nickname of the receiver or web activation on the 722k menu under broadband. This might be why I can't get the 722k recognized online no matter what I do. But all in all I love this receiver . It is much improved on things I like and really value ; picuture qualilty-for now and 4 recordings at one time-2 ota /2 sat.

 

[gadgtfreek]

Sounds like a great unit, Im just gonna wait a little longer and see how this OTA thing shakes out. Looking for more user comparisons.

 

[Scott Greczkowski]

Ok woke up this morning to find that te Over The Air Audio Glitch has Returned.

I have my 722k set to auto tune to my local NBC station every morning and my TV is set by timer to turn on and wake me up with the morning news.

Each morning since waking up with the new 722K instead of heading the news I hear garbeled audio.

So I grabbed my Flip Mino HD camcorder and grabbed this bug in action.

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TJmqVrNpaZ8]YouTube - 722K OTA Tuner Audio Glitch[/ame]

To me this is one of more annoying bugs, as I said before I can live without the 2 fringe digital signals that the 722K can not pull, but this one could get annoying.

 

[gadgtfreek]

Nice.

 

[digiblur]

I immediately noticed the picture quality was sharper than before. The sd picture looks more in focus and no compression artifacts in the background as before on some of my most watched sd channels. I also noticed a jump in pq back when I replaced my 622 with a 722. I wonder if this is just a temporary thing because of the newer chip set in these receivers. Maybe once you have them for while they start to fade again and you go back to the same pq as before. For now it looks good.

I hope that was a joke and not a serious comment. Or either I'm reading it wrong.