Dish/Hopper/Hawaii Major Problems

[Dune]

When is Dish going to fix their Hawaii and I think Alaska problems with the Hopper.

Everyday it seems to be a different problem. Still no Sirus/XM channels. Today ESPN2 is gone. Channels that were mapped down are no longer available as a mapdown. Premium channels that are subscribed show as not available in my area even though I was watching them yesterday.

Come on Dish FIX THESE PROBLEMS. I pay you a lot of money each month this is ridiculous. This has been going on since I had the Hopper installed a month ago. My neighbor has the same problems.

Tech visit and calls to Dish have not done anything except waste everyone's time. They know they have a problem so FIX IT.

We never had these problems on the 622. I don't normally rant but when I pay for a service I expect it to perform as advertised and when it doesn't and the company doesn't seem to care then I get pissed.

 

[jerryez]

Tell them to shove the Hopper where the sun don't shine and get a 722K. Mostly the stablest of Dish's receivers, if any of them are.

 

[Dune]

I really like the system over the 622. They just need to fix the software.

 

[dbs2000]

I really like the system over the 622. They just need to fix the software.

In my 16 years with DISH I have learned that DISH customers are the Beta testers. I used to buy a receiver the minute it came out at premium price and suffered the consequences of system problems of all kinds. When the 922 came out, I looked at it like a poster of a woman in a a bikini. I said let me wait on this one and look at what happens. As time passed and saw all the complaints I said no no no.

Bottom line: Dish receivers need to "mature" just like a child. A few never do.

 

[redsalmon]

We in Alaska have the same problems. Saturday the football game on espn2 suddenly became unauthorized, then disappeared from the schedule. Some of the Starz channels show up with a not authorized symbol, the international no entry sign, on the description of the show going on, but these can be found in 5500 or 9000 series channels. Don't know why they suddenly changed a few weeks ago and don't know why they can't be seen in their normal 350 range. This stuff worked with the hopper since I had it installed, but something DI|SH did a few weeks ago screwed it up bad.

 

[elmafu69]

I think we have a similar problem in PR with the suddenly becoming unauthorized.

 

[rriglesias]

Same problem in Puerto Rico mainly with MLB Network, NBA TV games and Saturday College FB games on ESPN. HD feed dissapears from the guide, need to switch to all channels on the guide and choose the SD feed. I am tired of reporting this to dish and all excuses from CSR. After many calls, chats, 1 Hopper replacement, 1 tech visit and many excuses, the issue is still there.

This in addition of not receiving Palladia although I pay for the BB@H package, and I receive the satellite 119' TP 1 with 89 signal.

Can a Dirt member take a look at this? Thanks, Raymond

 

[redsalmon]

MaryB@Dish, one of the DIRT reps here, handled my last complaints last week. Maybe if you personally e-mail her she can do more checking on it. It is lame, especially the sudden unauthorized to watch messages for sports.

 

[mboron]

I've noticed this too since getting the Hopper. I've had the hopper awhile now and have kinda gotten used to it. My issues don't seem to be as bad as "dune", but like the other Alaska post, I lose espn2 occasionally...it's like the Hopper thinks I'm in a blackout area and can't get the game. After the game, the channel appears again. Also, NFL network...sometimes it's mapped down @ 154 and sometimes I have to go find it @ 5507. HBO W HD is another one. Usually have to go find it in the 55xx channels, doesn't usually work @ 301. I deal with it because I like the Hopper, and am resigned to the fact that this is another pain to living in Alaska just like paying $70 to UPS to ship a $5 part for my stove.

 

[fbbonline]

Have these problems been resolved yet. Just ordered a Hopper for install in January in Hawaii and am now having 2nd thoughts...

 

[frank c.]

Have any of my fellow Hawaii residents ever looked at the package you subscribe to and then gone channel by channel to see if you receive all the channels your paying for? I have and quite a few are missing. Its really bad if you subscribe to bb@home,we dont receive half the channels in that package, at least the disc by mail works well.

 

[ttomni6]

Several months ago I posted a list here at Satellite Guys of the bb@home channels for Hawaii. There are several channels we do not get because DISH does not have them on a spot beam to us (Palladia as one example).

Sorry I don't have the list I compiled handy. I cancelled my bb@home sub and didn't bother to keep the list.

DISH does state that Alaska & Hawaii does not receive all the stations that mainland gets, but overall, the missing stations have not been too bad.

It IS annoying though to not get the HD feeds of some of the stations that show up in our guide as HD but then you get the "complete signal loss" message when you tune in.

I've been a DISH customer for many years in Oregon and almost 11 years here in Hawaii. I've spoken with the loyalty reps on several occasions and politely expressed my concerns. As a result, we have worked out various amicable agreements on the billing side of things. Yes, I'd rather get all the channels and especially PAC12 in HD, but DISH is proving to be better than Directv or Oceanic Time Warner for me.

Sent from my iPhone using SatelliteGuys

 

[frank c.]

I agree, i have been a dish customer for thirteen years and am very happy with the service. I just wish that after all these years,we would get the same programming as the mainlanders do,by the way, timewarner cable sucks.

 

[shemya]

Alaska Problems

We in Alaska have the same problems. Saturday the football game on espn2 suddenly became unauthorized, then disappeared from the schedule. Some of the Starz channels show up with a not authorized symbol, the international no entry sign, on the description of the show going on, but these can be found in 5500 or 9000 series channels. Don't know why they suddenly changed a few weeks ago and don't know why they can't be seen in their normal 350 range. This stuff worked with the hopper since I had it installed, but something DI|SH did a few weeks ago screwed it up bad.

These are the same problems we are having too! I'm out at the end of the Aluetian Chain in Alaska, Dish has us jumping through hoops saying it must be our setup here! I hope they figure it out soon, cause I don't have much hair left!!

 

[Dune]

This is the response I received from Dish and it worked:

Randy,
Here is some information and some steps that should help you resolve this issue.
1. With the latest Hopper software, the user will need to re-run a checkswitch test with the "Alternate" turned "ON" before running the checkswitch test.
2. After running the checkswitch test, users in AK/HI should see yellow check marks next to the 129 satellite. If the checkmarks are NOT yellow then the software does not perform the removal of the 129 conus channels. the reason for this is coudl be either that "Alternate" was not enabled or you may be seeing good signal on 129 conus transponders (using a larger dish)
3. Once you have succesfully completed step 2, the receiver box will start removing the 129 conus channels AFTER the next nightly update. We are going to be changing this in the future software releases so that they remove immediately.
Please try those above steps and let us know if this resolves the issue. Please remember that after doing them, you need to wait until the next day after the nightly update to verify that it worked.

 

[fbbonline]

This is the response I received from Dish and it worked:

Randy,
Here is some information and some steps that should help you resolve this issue.
1. With the latest Hopper software, the user will need to re-run a checkswitch test with the "Alternate" turned "ON" before running the checkswitch test.
2. After running the checkswitch test, users in AK/HI should see yellow check marks next to the 129 satellite. If the checkmarks are NOT yellow then the software does not perform the removal of the 129 conus channels. the reason for this is coudl be either that "Alternate" was not enabled or you may be seeing good signal on 129 conus transponders (using a larger dish)
3. Once you have succesfully completed step 2, the receiver box will start removing the 129 conus channels AFTER the next nightly update. We are going to be changing this in the future software releases so that they remove immediately.
Please try those above steps and let us know if this resolves the issue. Please remember that after doing them, you need to wait until the next day after the nightly update to verify that it worked.

Just to be clear, this solution solves the issue of channels appeaing in the guide that we do not actually receive correct? Or do this address the blackout/ESPN2 issue others are complaining about? This thread has splintered a bit, so I'm not sure which issue you are addressing.

 

[Tampa8]

I am not affected as I live on the mainland, but it could fix the ESPN issue. If the hopper is finding ESPN on a transponder that has a signal but not the correct one for you, perhaps what was posted will help by eliminating that channel and allowing to find the correct one......