Hopper S229 / S230 Feedback!

[cditty]

I guess I'll order the OTA, since I have the infrastructure in place from my 722K days. Another thing I've noticed is that they seem to have slightly minimized the top and bottom of the hour glitch. It's still there, but seems to be quicker.

Scott, I sure do wish you could get a contact to tell you why that is so hard for them to fix...

 

[gizbug]

Thanks again this morning Dish. No software updates so still unable to use the OTA that we waited months for. But they think they can successfully launch and control another satellite when they can't even control the stationary dishes on roof tops around the country. Good luck with that.

No update yet for me here in Chicago =( Still on S222

 

[lucky86]

Maybe they are rolling software out in phases to make sure that there aren't any big issues and giving it a few days between pushes. That would make sense to me so that they don't have a fiasco on their hands. That being said, i know that sw is beta tested first, but that doesn't exactly mean there isnt' a possiblity for something wrong to occur. The Hopper has been out how long without an OTA module? Waiting a few more days for a device that isn't essential for the functionality of the equipment isn't the end of the world, in my opinion.

 

[dangue]

I understand why people are eager to receive the update; but at the same time, I completely understand why Dish rolls it out incrementally. There's a reason why the current update jumped from S222 to S230. There were a bunch of revisions in there that Dish decided were too problematic to push out to Hopper customers. And considering how much complaining there is about current bugs, I can only imagine what would have happened if Dish had rolled out S224 or one of the other ones to the general public. Given that Dish pushed S230 after a limited release of S229 tells me they found something that needed patching right away. If, as some have speculated, they've halted S230's rollout, it's likely they've found something else that needs patching and they will likely continue the rollout with S231 once it's resolved.

Sent from my iPhone using SatelliteGuys

 

[Almighty1]

Greetings all:

I just migrated to DISH from Directv after they dropped Jadeworld when service was installed with a Hopper on November 17, 2012. I have no idea what the initial software version was but when I did check at 8PM PST, it shows S229 and the broadband wasn't working correctly as I have a CAT5 cable going from the hopper to my wireless router and both the Internet and Server connection shows failed while it works fine when it goes directly into my modem. I contacted DISH support via online chat and they told me their supervisor said the problem will fix itself after software updates and sure enough, at 1AM or so, I got the Press Select to watch TV where I pressed Select and it gave me the new features list and the internet started working correctly through the wireless router's ethernet port so it's at S230. I do have a problem though, I have the inactivity timer set to disabled even before I saw the original "Press Select to watch tv" but somehow it seems the next morning at 11AM or so when I try to watch TV, it would display the "Press Select to watch tv" basically the box went to standby even when I have that disabled. Two other questions is are there any advantages of using HIC vs ethernet directly on both a standalone hopper and a hopper with Joey configuration? Also, in the Guide, am I correct that "My Channels" would show all channels that I am subscribed to while "All Channels" will show all channels that DISH provides even though I might not be subscribed to them? Thanks!

 

[lucky86]

My Channels will show what you subscribe to and All Channels will show all available channels based on the dish/orbital configuration in your installation.

The receiver does an automatic upgrade check at 1am each morning and that check involves a reboot. After the reboot the reciever goes back into standby which is why you are seeing the standby screen each morning. (hopefully I understood that correctly )

A direct connection to your Hopper is better than a HIC in my opinion. Adding another device into your installation, like a HIC, is just another possible fail point. I always try to run my equipment hard wired for the best connection possible.

 

[Almighty1]

Thanks lucky86 for confirming what I had thought, I thought My Channels was some kind of favorite listing of channels I selected. Is there a way to get the box to stay on after the reboot instead of standby since sometimes I am late and want to rewind or skipback into the buffer. Also, how long can one go back in the live buffer on the Hopper since I couldn't find the answer to that anywhere. I know with the Directv HD DVR, it was 90 minutes for non-HD channels, not sure what it was for HD channels. Is a HIC only better with a Hopper+Joey configuration? You are right that hard wired is always the best with the lowest latency as well.

 

[lucky86]

The buffer max length is 1 hour. The only way that I'm aware of to accomplish what you are trying to do, is to set an autotune timer for the channel you want the TV to be airing when you get up. That way the receiver will fire the timer and tune to your channel and when you turn on the TV, there it will be and you can rewind up to an hour.

 

[Almighty1]

So the 1 hour buffer max length, is that for HD only or is that for SD as well? How do I go about setting up the autotune timer? I think the reason I thought the HIC was better than wired ethernet was because in this thread, it shows wired ethernet is better than the HIC which should be normal as it's the most direct connection but then it says the HIC is the most reliable?

http://www.satelliteguys.us/showthread.php?t=281771

 

[lucky86]

The 1 hour buffer is the same regardless of SD or HD. You would just go to the channel in the guide for the time you want it to go off. Maybe right before you normally wake up. Find that channel in the guide and that time frame and press Select. Then choose Set UP Series Timer (i believe that verbiage is correct, but you'll see it) then that will load a timer screen. Go up to the frequency option and choose the frequency you want it to fire and then change the timer type from DVR to auto tune.

 

[Almighty1]

I have to figure out the different verbiage of the timers since what's the difference between a autotune and simply just recording a channel for a selected timeframe? Does the system always check the update exactly at 1AM PDT? Since wouldn't the other way basically to do a autotune at the time after it finishes rebooting and then the box will stay on from that point on?

 

[stimpson]

Finally it appears to be fixed!!!! I have only checked one of my 2 Joeys, but it behaves like the Hoppers now during FF RW, and skips.

Fail!!! Back to the screwed up issue again. Sorry folks. Was doing FF on a recording on the same Joey I checked this morning and I hit play and it skipped forward about 10 minutes. Great!!!

 

[cobraman]

Look, I get it. But you have been around long enough to know how Dish rolls out software. Give it time.

I've been around long enough to know they kept us hanging for months waiting for the OTA dongle, then shipped it without the software and now it has been over a week. I could go into a rant of all the other glitches with the Hopper and it's software. I have been in the software and hardware business since the 80's including programming and beta testing so I know the drill. I also would have never treated my customers like this. Well, fortunately I paid for the dongle with the AMEX so since it doesn't work and no one wants to talk about what if anything they are going to do about it, they can buy it back.

 

[gadgtfreek]

Drama.

 

[AKGolf]

I've been around long enough to know they kept us hanging for months waiting for the OTA dongle, then shipped it without the software and now it has been over a week. I could go into a rant of all the other glitches with the Hopper and it's software. I have been in the software and hardware business since the 80's including programming and beta testing so I know the drill. I also would have never treated my customers like this. Well, fortunately I paid for the dongle with the AMEX so since it doesn't work and no one wants to talk about what if anything they are going to do about it, they can buy it back.

Sounds similar to my background although I started in the 70's. That being said, it doesn't bother me to wait. I'm sure they didn't keep us 'hanging' on purpose and don't feel that I've been mistreated.

 

[cobraman]

Sounds similar to my background although I started in the 70's. That being said, it doesn't bother me to wait. I'm sure they didn't keep us 'hanging' on purpose and don't feel that I've been mistreated.

Did you have thousands or tens of thousands of customers asking for an explanation and you ignored them?

 

[gadgtfreek]

Do you really think that many OTA adapters were sold?

 

[AKGolf]

Did you have thousands or tens of thousands of customers asking for an explanation and you ignored them?

AN explanation for what?

 

[lucky86]

Did you have thousands or tens of thousands of customers asking for an explanation and you ignored them?

If you read any of the SATguys forums you would know that in order to use the OTA module you would need S229. No one forced you to buy the OTA prior to your receiver taking the SW download and the SW will problably download to your receiver in the next few days. And i'm sure that they did not sell thousands of OTA modules in the last week. Also, I'm sure they aren't ignoring people but rolling out sw like they always do and testing it prior to the full release to make sure there aren't issues with it.

 

[stimpson]

If you read any of the SATguys forums you would know that in order to use the OTA module you would need S229. No one forced you to buy the OTA prior to your receiver taking the SW download and the SW will problably download to your receiver in the next few days. And i'm sure that they did not sell thousands of OTA modules in the last week. Also, I'm sure they aren't ignoring people but rolling out sw like they always do and testing it prior to the full release to make sure there aren't issues with it.

Well put. You beat me to it.

Sent from my iPad using SatelliteGuys