Issues Surrounding CUI Update

PianoPlayer07

SatelliteGuys Family
Original poster
Apr 19, 2012
36
6
Tennnessee
So about a week ago the original Hopper/Joey system in our house was updated to the new CUI (Against my will, I might add. I was going to hold out as long as possible and upgrade kicking and screaming all the way, but someone else in the house decided to accept the upgrade when the message appeared on screen without asking me first.)

Let me be upfront: I was really gunning for positive results. I am always one of the first onboard for new, better stuff, even if it isn't always broken. The old UI was somewhat tired and dated cosmetically, yes, but it certainly was not broken. It had good response time, was streamlined, clean looking, and so dang stable and easy to use. I've been with Dish for many, many years and have swore by their equipment 200%. Their receivers and remotes, in my book, have ALWAYS been the simplest to use and very stable.

I honestly don't know what Dish was thinking with this UI retool. After a little over a week's worth of use, I've noticed so many bugs and dislikes it's not even acceptable. Several steps backward if you ask me. I know the CUI has been around already for the newer generation Hopper, and many of the functional issues I'm getting ready to list may not be happening for those users, but for someone like myself running older equipment that WORKED JUST FINE before, this is almost nauseating.

Functionality Issues:

- Old/deleted recordings randomly being brought back out of trash and appearing as "new" in DVR list.
- When pausing live TV, cannot resume. Nothing works except to either press "Live TV" or sometimes even turning receiver off, then back on, almost like it's frozen.
- Very delayed response from remote commands, if any response at all.
- Sometimes DVR listings inside a folder of the same show do not populate the first few times. I'll often have to exit out of DVR and then try going back in before it will show me the list of recordings.
- When I press "Play" for a DVR event, it often takes a good 10-20 seconds for the program to start playing.
- The overall speed and responsiveness of the system is DRAMITACLLY worse than before. Average of 10 seconds or so for each process it tries to execute. It is literally frustrating trying to do anything with it.
- Browse guide timeout. When I'm using the browse feature to scan through the mini guide at the bottom of the screen, if I let it set for 10 seconds or so, it goes away. I usually will pause, either to watch something that is going on with the current show or another reason, when using browse, and before it has always stayed in the same spot on the screen a good amount of time before going away so that I can pick back up and continue scanning where I left off when I'm ready. Whether intentional or not, this shortened timeout of the browse guide is not a good experience.

Cosmetic and Layout Complaints:

- Poor use of screen area. I know many have griped about the guide, but I just feel with any menu, like the info screen or DVR screen, for instance, has a lot of unused real estate that is causing the main focal points to be smaller or larger than they need to be. I think the main culprit is the info text being on the side instead of on top like it used to be. It causes everything else to have to be shrunk.
- Browse. This is a unique feature I've always loved from Dish because it has allowed me to scan through channels easily while still watching a show. The new browse guide seems so unessecarily bulky and boxy to the point that I feel like it defeats its own purpose.
- RW, FF, Pause, etc. showing at the bottom right instead of top right. Most channels have their logo at the bottom left or right of the screen, and I think it is both cluttered looking and out of place to have these function graphics over the top of the channel logo. I mean, was it even thought about what it would look like when actual programming was playing?
- Overall cluttered feel. In UI past, everything has always seemed like it just had its own place and worked together visually. While I do like the new darker look, I feel like there is no separation between elements being displayed, like it all is just running together.

This is just hitting some of the highlights. I know there is more, but maybe others can use this thread to list your own unique issue(s) or affirm that you are seeing some of the same things. Doesn't seem like there is a thread dedicated to just that as of yet.

I would like to close by saying if you think I'm being critical, I'm not. You know there are legit problems when everyone in the house, most of whom could care less about having the fastest, latest thing, are noticing the step backs of our system and who are now on my toes to do something about it. I see no feasible way of us continuing to use our system the way it is without Dish either (1) revising this software in a major way to fix all these issues and have better backwards compatibility or (2) replace our receivers with newer equipment (which, frankly, is stupid considering they were just fine before the new software. But if that's what it takes to make operation bearable, then so be it).
 
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So about a week ago the original Hopper/Joey system in our house was updated to the new CUI (Against my will, I might add. I was going to hold out as long as possible and upgrade kicking and screaming all the way, but someone else in the house decided to accept the upgrade when the message appeared on screen without asking me first.)

Let me be upfront: I was really gunning for positive results. I am always one of the first onboard for new, better stuff, even if it isn't always broken. The old UI was somewhat tired and dated cosmetically, yes, but it certainly was not broken. It had good response time, was streamlined, clean looking, and so dang stable and easy to use. I've been with Dish for many, many years and have swore by their equipment 200%. Their receivers and remotes, in my book, have ALWAYS been the simplest to use and very stable.

I honestly don't know what Dish was thinking with this UI retool. After a little over a week's worth of use, I've noticed so many bugs and dislikes it's not even acceptable. Several steps backward if you ask me. I know the CUI has been around already for the newer generation Hopper, and many of the functional issues I'm getting ready to list may not be happening for those users, but for someone like myself running older equipment that WORKED JUST FINE before, this is almost nauseating.

Functionality Issues:

- Old/deleted recordings randomly being brought back out of trash and appearing as "new" in DVR list.
- When pausing live TV, cannot resume. Nothing works except to either press "Live TV" or sometimes even turning receiver off, then back on, almost like it's frozen.
- Very delayed response from remote commands, if any response at all.
- Sometimes DVR listings inside a folder of the same show do not populate the first few times. I'll often have to exit out of DVR and then try going back in before it will show me the list of recordings.
- When I press "Play" for a DVR event, it often takes a good 10-20 seconds for the program to start playing.
- The overall speed and responsiveness of the system is DRAMITACLLY worse than before. Average of 10 seconds or so for each process it tries to execute. It is literally frustrating trying to do anything with it.
- Browse guide timeout. When I'm using the browse feature to scan through the mini guide at the bottom of the screen, if I let it set for 10 seconds or so, it goes away. I usually will pause, either to watch something that is going on with the current show or another reason, when using browse, and before it has always stayed in the same spot on the screen a good amount of time before going away so that I can pick back up and continue scanning where I left off when I'm ready. Whether intentional or not, this shortened timeout of the browse guide is not a good experience.

Cosmetic and Layout Complaints:

- Poor use of screen area. I know many have griped about the guide, but I just feel with any menu, like the info screen or DVR screen, for instance, has a lot of unused real estate that is causing the main focal points to be smaller or larger than they need to be. I think the main culprit is the info text being on the side instead of on top like it used to be. It causes everything else to have to be shrunk.
- Browse. This is a unique feature I've always loved from Dish because it has allowed me to scan through channels easily while still watching a show. The new browse guide seems so unessecarily bulky and boxy to the point that I feel like it defeats its own purpose.
- RW, FF, Pause, etc. showing at the bottom right instead of top right. Most channels have their logo at the bottom left or right of the screen, and I think it is both cluttered looking and out of place to have these function graphics over the top of the channel logo. I mean, was it even thought about what it would look like when actual programming was playing?
- Overall cluttered feel. In UI past, everything has always seemed like it just had its own place and worked together visually. While I do like the new darker look, I feel like there is no separation between elements being displayed, like it all is just running together.

This is just hitting some of the highlights. I know there is more, but maybe others can use this thread to list your own unique issue(s) or affirm that you are seeing some of the same things. Doesn't seem like there is a thread dedicated to just that as of yet.

I would like to close by saying if you think I'm being critical, I'm not. You know there are legit problems when everyone in the house, most of whom could care less about having the fastest, latest thing, are noticing the step backs of our system and who are now on my toes to do something about it. I see no feasible way of us continuing to use our system the way it is without Dish either (1) revising this software in a major way to fix all these issues and have better backwards compatibility or (2) replace our receivers with newer equipment (which, frankly, is stupid considering they were just fine before the new software. But if that's what it takes to make operation bearable, then so be it).

Send an email to executivecustomerservice@dish.com and tell them it is unusable after the upgrade and that it no longer responds to ANY remote. Make sure to ask for a free HWS upgrade or heavily discounted H3 upgrade(below $150). That’s what I did and I got a free HWS after previously being sent two H2k replacements by uneducated CSR’s. Good Luck


Sent from my iPhone using the SatelliteGuys app!
 
Not at all looking forward to my H1s being force fed the update on 6/29. From everything I have read it will be so unusable that I'll have little choice but to upgrade to HWS or H3s.
 
Not at all looking forward to my H1s being force fed the update on 6/29. From everything I have read it will be so unusable that I'll have little choice but to upgrade to HWS or H3s.

You'll still have the same problems, just faster.
 
You guys could give up all the fancy bells and whistles and downgrade. My 2 722 boxes work great.:biggrin No dreaded cui updates for them.
 
I feel your pain. I willingly installed the new UI a couple of weeks ago. I'm angry but beaten. I'm having a Hopper 3 with new Joey's installed on Monday. When you can't beat 'em, pay $100 for a Hopper 3 with a new 2-year commitment. Believe me, I tried the angry and disgruntled longtime customer rap with three different reps. They ain't budging on this even though they're rolling out crap to all Hopper 1 users. So many more angry customers by the end of this month. #dishpocalypse
 
Loss of redundancy.

Loss of red recording light (no too big a deal).

Damned CUI- but can't avoid it now.
 
I guess it's a bigger deal to some than others. Never really bothered me all that much, not when I enjoy their equipment as much as I do.
It is for me, I'm struggling with it now. Cox has made huge strides recently in our area and with the bundling and price guarantees, it's not an easy decision for us.....
 
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It is for me, I'm struggling with it now. Cox has made huge strides recently in our area and with the bundling and price guarantees, it's not an easy decision for us.....

I've never been a huge bundling fan and can't stand cable but I'm in an area that only has Mediacom so the choice is easy.
 
Not sure what makes the new CUI that big of an issue.
I think the big issue is that the CUI interface on an older Hopper makes it overall worse than it was before the update. No one wants an update that makes their current receiver operate slower and is missing features that they already have. An "upgrade" is supposed to improve things, but in this case the old interface was more suited to the older Hoppers and ran better than the new CUI.
 
I think the big issue is that the CUI interface on an older Hopper makes it overall worse than it was before the update. No one wants an update that makes their current receiver operate slower and is missing features that they already have. An "upgrade" is supposed to improve things, but in this case the old interface was more suited to the older Hoppers and ran better than the new CUI.

I know why it's an issue on the older receivers but my point is why anyone would not like it on the H3 receiver.
 
Believe me, I tried the angry and disgruntled longtime customer rap with three different reps. They ain't budging on this even though they're rolling out crap to all Hopper 1 users.
They reacted quicker than I thought. Just a few days ago, I advised people to jump on getting H3s for cheap (or for some, almost free) before they put the clamp down on this.
 
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