721 Issues

[hometheaterman]

I guess I have the new software update on my 721 as I got home from a trip and went to turn on my TV only to see that it was only getting the local channels in the guide. Well I then decided to type in a channel that I normally watch and see if it would go to it that maybe it just wasn't in the guide. Well it wouldn't go to it either. So it only gets the locals. I though oh I will just reset it so I reset it using the power button on the front and it came back on and does the same thing. Although it used to say no info for what was on the locals in the guide now it shows what is on but still doesn't get any other channels. My side by side pip works but I now no longer get any channels. Any idea's on anything to try? Seems like Dish is messing up all the old receivers. First my 501 with their crappy software now the 721 too. About enough to make me call and cancel. If Direct TV offered a superstations pack chances are I would have already canceled as it seems like everytime I turn around Dish is screwing something up.

 

[Smith P.]

Try cold reboot. A couple times .

 

[hometheaterman]

Whats a cold reboot? I also did a check switch test as it only listed it as getting 121 satellite but it now lists all of them just doesn't get the channels from all of them.

 

[Smith P.]

Unplug power cable for couple minutes.

 

[retiredTech]

9day guide is gone when I power up from overnight, (has 3 day guide),
then will sometimes reload 9day guide later in the day.
Today I noticed some screwy crap in my "all sub" list.
L324 has messed with my 721.
Maybe after the DST change, ... the problem will go away?
What ever. This has to be related to L324 because my 721 was fine before.

 

[hometheaterman]

Yup my 721 was fine before L324 also and I've had several problems since. I finally got it to get all my channels. After doing another check switch test then rebooting while I watched a movie last night. Rebooting by using the front power button again and leaving it over night it gets my channels today for now anyway. It also has the guide info right now but only has it for 3 days which is a big let down as the 9 day guide was one of the things I really liked. I liked it a lot better than the new pip function they added which isn't even really full screen it's two small screens on each side. I may give dish a call and complain and see what happens. Seems like all Dish's latest software updates have messed up their recievers that did work fine before.

 

[boomerang]

I have been very happy with my 721 and don't seem to be experiencing any problems (at least that I know about) that weren't cured by what I call a "pull the plug reset". I'm talking about the same guide problems all of you are mentioning.

What I am unhappy about is the 20 plus minutes it takes to download the program guide afterwards. We experience a lot of power failures here, always have. The kind where it goes off and on three or four times before it stays on for good. It's really a big drag waiting for the download to complete. I don't have to tell you that you can do NOTHING with the receiver until it's completed.

 

[thowe21]

I was in the same boat as you with my 721. It ran great for two years then all of sudden started to freeze 4-5 times a week and reboot. Decided to upgrade to the 622, but I have to wonder if Dish is doing this on purpose to get people to upgrade.

 

[hometheaterman]

Ok all seems to work except for the guide it's only 3 days instead of 9. I gave Dish a call and the CSR told me it's a known issue and should be fixxed in the next software update which should be out within the next few weeks.

 

[hometheaterman]

I have been very happy with my 721 and don't seem to be experiencing any problems (at least that I know about) that weren't cured by what I call a "pull the plug reset". I'm talking about the same guide problems all of you are mentioning.

What I am unhappy about is the 20 plus minutes it takes to download the program guide afterwards. We experience a lot of power failures here, always have. The kind where it goes off and on three or four times before it stays on for good. It's really a big drag waiting for the download to complete. I don't have to tell you that you can do NOTHING with the receiver until it's completed.

I like you am very happy with my 721 well always have been until this software update. I still am it's just it's now had a few problems it didn't have before but I still am fairly happy with it. Mine also takes about 20 to maybe even 30 minutes to reload everything when you restart it. I called Dish onetime and the CSR had me do a reboot and when it was taking that long he kept insisting that it should take 5 minutes but no more and that my reciever was defective. He kept trying to get me to let him send me another one under warrenty for $25 or something. I told him no I'd keep mine as it had taken that long since new and never really had a problem so I assumed it was normal and I still think it is especially since yours does it too. The only real problems I've had with it were for some reason it didn't want to get my locals at first when the new dish was installed but I think this was some Dish issue as my 501 didn't either then the 501 finally got them followed by the 721 after the installer came back out. He didn't know why they all of a sudden worked but had kept trying to tell me my reciever was too old to get them and I needed to upgrade. Once again I refused. After that I didn't have another major problem until this software and it seems like a check switch test and reboot fixxed all but the guide and that isn't a big deal. I love this reciever especially since I don't have to pay a DVR fee. I love having my DVR's but I refuse to pay a monthly fee for it so both of my DVR's are grandfathered receivers. I thought about getting a HD DVR but refuse to do so since I don't want to pay that fee.

 

[navychop]

I have been very happy with my 721 and don't seem to be experiencing any problems (at least that I know about) that weren't cured by what I call a "pull the plug reset". I'm talking about the same guide problems all of you are mentioning.

What I am unhappy about is the 20 plus minutes it takes to download the program guide afterwards. We experience a lot of power failures here, always have. The kind where it goes off and on three or four times before it stays on for good. It's really a big drag waiting for the download to complete. I don't have to tell you that you can do NOTHING with the receiver until it's completed.

Time for a nice, big UPS?

 

[navychop]

I was in the same boat as you with my 721. It ran great for two years then all of sudden started to freeze 4-5 times a week and reboot. Decided to upgrade to the 622, but I have to wonder if Dish is doing this on purpose to get people to upgrade.

NO, NO, NO. Don't be so suspicious and paranoid.

The "get 'em to upgrade" software update for the 721 isn't scheduled until NEXT year! :haha

 

[boomerang]

Time for a nice, big UPS?

Yeah, let's see, the TV, the SS receiver and the 721. Yikes!

I have to correct my earlier post. I thought my guide was working. Nope, I've only got 2 days as of right now.

How do they consistently break things with their updates?

 

[Smith P.]

9 days guide data located on certain transponder (119W,tp 18) - so you'll need to check your switch matrix and tell us about SS on the tp from EACH tuner.

 

[JonUrban]

My 721 has been working fine since the day it came out (I got one of the first ones), however, it's been acting strange lately.

A few times in the past week, it's gotten an hour ahead of itself in the guide. What this does is if I select the guide, I can never go back to viewing TV because it thinks it an hour into the future! The only way out of this is a "remove the smart card reboot". It takes almost 20 minutes to reload the channels, then it works again.

Very weird.

 

[thowe21]

NO, NO, NO. Don't be so suspicious and paranoid.

The "get 'em to upgrade" software update for the 721 isn't scheduled until NEXT year! :haha

LOL!!

Should of held out, but E* had me by the cahones, actually my wife did when her soaps weren't recording.

 

[retiredTech]

I SAY ... There IS a FLAW in L324!!!
And many other 721s are having this problem since L324.

After trying reboots which works somtimes,
my 721 still loses the 9 day guide overnight.

However, to force the guide to reload
(as suggested by kstuart ... with a extra step)

with no timers pending...
DO a "switch check",
after the "switch check" completes,
power off, wait a couple minutes
(listen closely, you can hear the guide being updated)
power up, your 9 day guide should be back... until the next morning.
And then you will have to repeat this process.

E* fix this FLAW in L324!!!

 

[kstuart]

Are you turning off the 721 ?
I never turn off the 721 and haven't had any problems retaining the 9 day guide on L324.
Perhaps pulling the plug, and then doing switch check when it comes back (instead of the reverse order) ?

 

[Smith P.]

Good advise. Always works - listen to CSR, sometimes they have something useful in their scripts .

 

[navychop]

This is so odd. Some machines are losing their 9 day EPGs, some aren't. Mine is fine, my timers are firing, all is right with the world.

Different hardware versions of the 721?