PVR 522 receiver won't work correctly without EEPG (9 day Guide)
I am able to confirm (after discussing and escalating the issue through the executive offices of Dish Network), that the problem all of you are experiencing is in fact due to the fact that you don't have satellite 110 connected.
As strange as it may sound (at least to somebody with common sense), Dish Network designed the current (April 25, 2005) software of the receiver to ONLY work properly if it is able to receive to receive the EEPG (9 day program guide). The EEPG is ONLY available at the moment on satellite 110 (which is a weaker satellite than 119), and ONLY on transponder 29 (which is one of the weakest transponders on satellite 110).
Transponder 29 on satellite 110 is SO weak that it will NOT be received with a normal dish in Alaska, Hawaii, the Caribean, Puerto Rico etc...and in fact some people in the continental USA (like me) who have trees/buildings near their Dish Network dish will be able to receive 119 without problems but 110 only in 'limited' mode. I for example can receive transponders 1 to 21 (the stronger ones on satellite 110), but NOT transponders 22 onwards. That means that I CANT receive transponder 29 which is the one with the program guide.
The new receivers (I can testify that it works like this on the 522) will ONLY get the 44 program guide when they are NOT connected to the 110 satellite. But if you are connected to the 110 satellite, but you can't get access to transponder 29 (like me), then the receiver will be unable to fetch the 9 day (EEPG) program guide and it will NOT work properly. The current software on the new PVR/DVR receivers (like the 522 in my case) is at the present time so 'dumb' that if they are connected to satellite 110 and 119, but they can't get the EEPG (9 day program guide), they WILL NOT fetch the 44 hour program guide instead.
Without the EEPG (9 day program guide), the recurring events/nbs (name based recording) will ONLY work initially (when the recurring event is first setup), but will NOT setup new recording events as new programming days are downloaded by the receiver. So in essense, a person who can't receive the EEPG will be able to ONLY setup recurring events that span 44 hours; and then that person will have to reprogram the receiver's recurring events to be able to record those shows again. The receiver WILL NOT setup new recording events as days go by...unless it has the EEPG (which is ONLY available on transponder 29 of satellite 110).
Please note that Echostar DOES NOT mention ANYWHERE on the manual that people who buy a 522 receiver need to have access to satellite 110; NOR do they mention that a VERY good signal to satellite 110 is needed (where transponder 29 gets a very strong signal). In fact the manual of the 522 shows MANY different ways of installing the 522 receiver, which include connecting it to other type of dishes that are NOT the 500 series dish. So in short, Echostar has failed to state the requirements for the good funtioning of this (and perhaps other) receiver(s).
A few days ago I spoke to 'Steven Murphy' (Technical Product Support Department of Dish Network). He told me that Dish Network DID NOT view the problems described here as important, because we were not 'statistically significant'. When I asked him what he meant by 'not being statistically significant he told me that we were a small group of customers who were facing this problems, and Echostar wasn't going to chance things for us.
I find 'Steven Murphy' (Technical Product Support Department), statement VERY rude and unprofessional.
First of all I don't know how Mr. 'Steven Murphy' (Technical Product Support Department), arrives at the conclusion that we are not 'statistically significant'. The amount of discussion on this topic on satellite bullentin boards on the internet is quite large (look at this bulletin board for instance); and people who take the time to document their problems on a satellite bulletin board on the internet are a small minotiry of the people affected by the issue. So the number of affected people is larger than that shown on discussion boards on the internet.
Second, even if the number of dish network customers affected were relatively small, compared to the total population of dish customers, I still don't believe that a customer oriented company like Dish Network would simply ignore the problem that were are facing and completely refuse to tackle the problem, simply because we are 'statistically insignificant'.
Third. Dish Networks DID NOT state in the manual OR on its website that having access to the 9 day EEPG was a requirement for the 522 receiver to work. They did not say that the 522 receiver required access to the 110 satellite for it to work, and they also DID NOT state that a 500 antenna was needed. Therefore, Dish Networks has a certain obligation to fix this problem since they did not state it as a requirement. I for once BOUGHT my 522 receiver (I didn't lease it); so I expect the problem to be fixed; otherwise I won't be able to benefit from my purchase and it will have been money wasted!
Fourth. In addition to those of us in the continental USA who are unable to receive transponder 29 of satellite 110 (and therefore can't receive the EEPG), there is all those people in Puerto Rico, Alaska, Hawaii, Caribean...who are ALSO unable to receive transponder 29 of satellite 110, even if they buy a large dish that allows them to get transponder 1 to 21 of satellite 110. I find it completely ridiculous that Echostar would put the EEPG on a satellite that is difficult to reach in some parts of the USA, when they have a satellite (119) that can be easily received everywhere. Even if satellite 119 was full and there was no more space for the EEPG on that satellite, Echostar could put the EEPG on a more powerful transponder on satellite 110 so that people could easily get the 9 day guide. However, instead of this, Echostar has chosen a weaker satellite and as weaker transponder to put a guide that is no longer an 'option' to have it, but a hard SOLID requirement of the new receivers (like the PVR 522) for them to work properly. Without he guide the receivers do not work properly; so Echostar has a customer service obligation to put the guide in a place that can be easily accessed by EVERYBODY no matter where in the USA we live; OR change the programming of the receivers so that the 9 day program guide is not a requirement but rather a 'nice to have' thing.
Since Dish Network consider those of us facing this problem as 'statistically insignificant', I would like to ask all of you affected to show Dish Network that they are underestimating the number of people affected by this issue.
Please write a complaint explaining them clearly that you are facing this same problem (you can cut and paste parts of this message if you want) to the following email addresses
ceo at echostar period com
dishquality at echostar period com
NOTE: The system won't allow me to write the addresses posted above in standard format, since I am new on this bulletin board. Please put the address in standard format before sending your complaint to echostar.
That way, Dish Networks will have more complaints about this issue (relative to others) and will come to realize that we are not so statistically insignifican't.