A note from Echostar on some of the 721 reported bugs.

[Scott Greczkowski]

Just got a note from one of my contacts with a note about a few of the bugs / complaints.

For those of you who are having problem when you pause a show, then to unpause using the pause button and instead of the show resuming it restarts.

The temporary solution is do not unpause using the pause button instead press the play buttong to resume playback.

The 29 min extended recording option is not a bug. They have no plans on correcting this.

To extend your shows longer then 29 minutes here is how you do it.

* Create your Event Timer
* After create a timer for an event display guide - go and select the event (has the timer icon) the timer manager screen is displayed -
* select the top timer (it will be the one you just came from)
* the timer edit screen is displayed - select set time
* modify the end or start time more than 29 mins.

 

[treiher]

The 29 min extended recording option is not a bug. They have no plans on correcting this.

OK. I have to admit I did not think of changing the timer like you described, and I can do that, but . . . why take that capability away from us with no plans to put it back? It was very convenient while watching a program to simply hit the record button, and extend the event from that screen, rather than having to then go back into the PVR events and modify the timer. Is it possible that their efforts to fix the problem with an event not being listed by the appropriate name when timers are set a few minutes before or end after the official end time has something to do with this? I just thought of this, and it would be nice to know that there was a good reason for this decision. The way it seems right now, its more like - we took that away, have no plans to put it back, so deal with it. I am sure that is not the message they want to convey!

 

[treiher]

P.S. The more I think about it, the more that could be it. I was wondering why they chose to limit it to 29 minutes, but since the programming guide's time resolution goes down to 30 minute intervals, anything larger than 29 minutes would fill the next potential time slot and mess with its ability to choose the right name for the event. Does that make any sense?

 

[Stargazer]

I am wondering if they are doing this for legal reasons, or getting ready for name-based recordings in the future doing such things as this. I figure since this was not in the beta version that this 29 min. pad was intentional.

 

[Bill R]

The 29 min extended recording option is not a bug. They have no plans on correcting this.

Thanks for the information Scott but did DISH give you any information on WHY they did that? Why did they make it more difficult to set up a program to record that we know will likely run long by over 30 minutes? It SEEMS like a step in the wrong direction (ease of use of a DVR).

The DISH people REALLY need to get a DirecTV TiVo and see how a REAL DVR works.

 

[Scott Greczkowski]

They did some kind of user test and found that those folks prefered the 29 min setting.

I personally don't like the 29 min pad eaither, but I guess we can still get around it, just seems as though we are going the long way about it.

 

[n0qcu]

They did some kind of user test and found that those folks prefered the 29 min setting.

I personally don't like the 29 min pad eaither, but I guess we can still get around it, just seems as though we are going the long way about it.

They must have tested the same users that want HBO HD in full screen rather than OAR :!:

 

[Bill R]

They must have asked people that never record sports. They sure didn't ask me.

Does DISH really listens to their customers? I don't recall seeing a post by anyone that likes the 29 minute limit and yet you say that they are not considering changing it. I think we should all call DISH and tell them how much we think their decision STINKS.

And Scott, what do you mean "WE (as in ALL of us) can get around it"? I thought that you said that you don't have that limit in your software (od you?). Or for that matter, do you have tthe "pause bug" that a lot of people are compaining about? It seems that your beta software is better than what we got.

 

[Bill D]

They did some kind of user test and found that those folks prefered the 29 min setting.
.

I thought they read this website and others, how many possible 721 users are there? Did they actually have a test with PVR users or just anyone. This is B.S., if they really respect their customers opinions they will switch this back. If that is their only reason because some test users said they like 29 minutes, what the hell does that mean.
So it went something like this..

Excuse me user A of PVR would you prefer to have a maximum 29 minute pad on your timers or a 99 minute pad maximum. HMMM let me think I will take the 29, 99 is way more then I can handle..

Similiar question to user A of new cars, would you prefer a car with 200 Horsepower or one with 225... HMMM I think 225 is not necessary I will stick with 200..

Dish is Freakin NUTS... :evil: :evil: :evil:

 

[Scott Greczkowski]

And Scott, what do you mean "WE (as in ALL of us) can get around it"? I thought that you said that you don't have that limit in your software (od you?). Or for that matter, do you have tthe "pause bug" that a lot of people are compaining about? It seems that your beta software is better than what we got.

Bill take a pill or something, your head is about to explode.

When I mean We I mean we as in we the users. There is away to get around the limit I posted it above.

 

[LarryH]

My 501 receiver can extend recordings by up to 23 hours and 59 minutes. If you really need this feature, I'll gladly trade my 501 for your 721

 

[Randy_B]

They did some kind of user test and found that those folks prefered the 29 min setting.

That excuse is a crock. I cannot imagine that anyone that did NOT use the buffer would care one way or the other. So for E* to say their test users "preferred" is bull and I am calling your contact a liar. I have asked around work of all the 721 owners and NOT ONE had a preference to limit it to 29 minutes (including me). WHY would they have a preference to put in a limit??? E* is quick to make sh*t up to cover stupid decisions. Obviously the folks that use it need to larger number.

The work around takes significantly more steps than the add to the pad. When you create a timer ONLY the pad set is available. Otherwise you create the timer, exit out, go live, go back in to the PVR screen or menu, go to timers, go past the initial set up screen, reset the time, exit that screen and recreate the timer. Then do tis AGIN everytime you need to change the add'l time.

Setting the pad is a 2 step process. Create the timer, adjust the pad. DONE.

While I'm groaning at E*'s stupidity, WHERE is the screen saver. It is not back as was reported by the beta tester. $1 sez the dopes that wrote the code didn't remove the comment out that was put in the last time.

 

[Scott Greczkowski]

I bet you $100 my 721 which is still running the last beta software has a working screen saver.

Don't ask me why its not working in the release though.

 

[Bill R]

Bill take a pill or something, your head is about to explode.

When I mean We I mean we as in we the users.

What kind of crack is that (the pill remark).

Scott, YOU don't have to put up with either of the problems we have been complaining about. You got software that doesn't have those problems. We (and I am not the only one) are upset because we are NOT being treated the way we should as DISH customers (STILL buggy software and DISH is NOT listening to what we want) and we get the run around when we call them about problems.

Scott, you are so "involved" with DISH that you have lost "a real customer's prospective" of what is wrong. It is impossible for you to look at things the way we do and to understand our disappointment with DISH. Step back a little and look at things from a distance and maybe you will be able to understand why people are so upset.

 

[Bill R]

I bet you $100 my 721 which is still running the last beta software has a working screen saver.

Don't ask me why its not working in the release though.

I answered that question on the other forum. The reason is that you did not get the beta software that became the release that we got. Either that or after the beta was "O.K." (by the beta testers) it was modified and only tested "in house" (you never got to test it and didn't see the "problems") and then became the release that we got. I did a lot of beta testing and the company that I did it for pulled the same thing.

 

[treiher]

I was really hoping that the 29 minute Pad limitation was based on some kind of technical reason which we are giving up for some other improvements (as I posted earlier). But this idea that they found that people preferred it to be only 29 minutes is very disappointing! Not only that, they are wrong! This is a silly little thing they are doing that is irritating a lot of people. It just doesn't make any sense!

 

[Scott Greczkowski]

My suggestion is if you don't like the 29 minute pad to let Echostar know. It should be at least 59 minutes.

It does not seem to me that you should have to do all these extra steps in order to extend your recording time.

Using the system should be made easier not harder.

The 721 team is a group of good people let's hope they do the right thing and extend this option.

 

[Randy_B]

I bet you $100 my 721 which is still running the last beta software has a working screen saver.

Don't ask me why its not working in the release though.

Scott, I don't and would never question anything that you relay from first hand experience. I also certainly appreciate the open discussions and your opinion as a user and fan of the technology. I do however question all the info that E* passes through you, because they don't have the integrity to pass it on themselves. There are certainly some granules of interest in that stuff, but for the most part it is placation and lies that are not directly attributable to the company. Culpable deniability.

The 29 minute pad HAS to be the result of technical insufficiency. I have no doubt that the code under the 721 is not sophisticated enough to resolve conflict potentials that resolve from LONG pads. That is the ONLY thing that makes sense when you look at the decision to make the max 29 minutes. Is it a coincidence that new max time is wholly within the next available programming block. WHY would customers "prefer" 29 minutes? Our natural predilection would be for 30 minutes.

The bigger question is why can't E* EVER be honest and upfront. Lying has become a cultural institution at that place. As a company, they completely lack any sense of integrity. Early on in the DP days, Mike Dugan tried the honest approach, he acknowledged some significant bugs in the DP but obviously he got beat for it. He immediately disappeared from the Tech Chats and had a distinct change in his "behavior" (Dan Collins had discussed some of that "change" a few years back). This kind of corporate philosophy can only germinate in the front office. I know Charlie made a lot of money as a gambler, but it is a long way from a "poker face" to a "bald face liar."

 

[dbronstein]

Scott, on another note, did they give you any response about the bugs with the triple-timer conflict screen?

Dennis

 

[Scott Greczkowski]

No word on that, I have worked last night after the ball game to recreate that bug with no success.