OK, I apologize. 921 DOES suck!

[wmhjr]

Well, the honeymoon is over. I've had my 921 since Dec 23rd. Initially I thought it was OK. I was working out some issues about OTA reception on my own, so really wasn't using the 921 with OTA - it went directly to my integrated HD tuner for my Toshiba DLP. However, I now have all my antenna stuff ironed out. Connected to the 921, spent some time setting it up, and thought it was pretty cool.

Now the bad stuff. The damn thing is absolutely unreliable with OTA - period. I can't begin to count the number of times I've had the damn unit lock up, usually requiring it to be powered of. Sometimes, nothing other than pulling the power plug solves it. In some cases, when I plug it back in, it's still hosed.

Dish has been absolutely useless with support. I'm on hold *again*. So far, it's 30 minutes on hold (OK, 29min 45sec so far) on Sunday night at 10:45pm. I'm pretty close to sending it back. I'm curious - how many people are actually using this unit for OTA HD recording reliably? I'm wondering if it's just a bad unit, or if the design and software are systemically poor.

For those of you who were complaining previously and who I thought were just unlucky or hadn't set it up right, I've now seen the light. Considering the cost and what appears to be extremely poor quality, I may finally be considering just getting rid of Dishnet once and for all. I don't think that Adelphia Cable has as good PQ, and don't like the interface for their DVR, BUT if I can't use HD DVR Dishnet is absolutely worthless to me.

 

[Paradox-SJ]

Tell us a bit about your OTA setup. What type of antena/cableing are you using and how is it connected to you 921? (direct, diplexed etc) How far away from your tower are you? Are all you stations coming from that single tower or are there other towers broadcasting in your area.

Although I would agree that the 921 SW is poorly written and the hardware is outdated and second rate I have reliable OTA reception and have not had any issue with the 921 is THIS area.

 

[Check]

I've only had mine for a few days and I think the ads should be changed to include the following: "Warning: The 921 is a computer and not an appliance. Do not expect it to work as an applicance. You may experience computer like issues."

 

[Foxbat]

"Warning: The 921 is a computer and not an appliance. Do not expect it to work as an applicance. You may experience computer like issues."

I have no right to post this since I don't own a 921 and only have others' experiences gleened from this and other DBS boards, but here goes: The DVR 921 gives Windows a good name.

 

[iceshark]

I have had mine a week. Have used and recorded HOURS of OTA with no lockups or problems. Could you have a bad receiver?

 

[wmhjr]

Here's my info

My 921 is connected to two sources. It's connected to a DP44 switch, which is in turn connected to a dish on the 110/119 and a dish on the 61.5 sats. The connection to the DP44 switch is using that "splitter" kind of contraption that eliminates the requirement for two separate rg6 feeds from the switch. All of the above seems to work great.

The second source is a direct run (actually, 1 50' rg6 run to my attic, connected by a barrel to another 50' rg6 run to a Channelmaster 4228 on my roof. CBS, NBC, FOX, PBS, WB all come in on azimuths between 14 and 29 degrees, so even though the 4228 is on a rotor, I don't need to change it. ABC is on a 99 deg azimuth, so if I want ABC I need to rotate the mast. All transmissions are approximately 12 miles away, and the geography is rolling hills. I get great signal from everything except FOX and CBS is not perfect. FOX and CBS are more than acceptable, and I'm looking at an amp to potentially correct that. Watching the Packers/Vikings game last night, I'd have brief interruptions every once in a while.

The problem is NOT that I can't get to or see the stations. The problem is that the unit locks up at random. There are, however, more issues yet.

Let's assume that I have ABC SD via E* on channel 4, and OTA ABC Local HD on channel 4-1. Both are listed on my channel guide properly. I can tune to both properly. If there is a show listed for - let's say 11am on 4-1, and I select it via the program guide to record it, everything looks OK until I press the done button on screen. At that time, the channel guide comes back, but the red dot indicating a scheduled recording shows up on channel 4, rather than 4-1. This happens with ALL scheduled OTA recordings.

After 45 minutes waiting on hold last night, I finally got somebody at E* support. I explained what was going on, and initially they said that "they were aware of some issues along these lines and are working on a fix". They asked if I was turning the unit off every night. Well, both of those comments pretty much sent me over the edge. First of all, the 921 was released A YEAR AGO!!!!! I'm in the tech development business. If my company couldn't get a production released product fixed in a year, we would absolutely and without a doubt be out of business. Second, I'm REALLY tired of inexperienced and incompetent support people who can't provide any technical relevant information. I calmly asked if the person was sure that "nothing can get downloaded to the unit as far as any updates, including the channel guide" unless the unit was off, and he kept insisting that was the case. I then dropped the bomb on him - that I have two 508's and a 510. Since none of them had been powered off in the last 12 days, how is it that the program guide is accurate on all of them? Of course, he started stuttering and mumbling. He was clueless about the products he is supposed to support. Remember, I had already been forwarded to the so called "Senior" group which handles the 921.

So, though I'm not completely sure how it will end up - I am calling Adelphia. If I can get similar DVR equipment and reasonably close rates, and can test it briefly with no obligation, I'm getting rid of Dish.

 

[fenwah]

I'm about ready to make the switch to Time Warner Cable as well. They will give me a HD DVR for $5/month. That's much better than paying $550 + $5/month. However, my cable bill will be $20 more a month. So, that kinda offsets in the future.

Still debating. I have a 522 and am happy with it...I just want my HD channels...and am unwilling to part with my DVR.

 

[WorkOutMN]

Fenwah:

Just think, though -- $20/month takes 27 months which is over two YEARS to equal the $550 up-front cost of the now-discontinued 921. And because of the switch to MPEG4, the 921 won't even be useful that long.

I've had the 8300 HD DVR now from Time Warner for 48 hours and am really happy with it so far. I've talked about it in the "Jumping Ship" thread.

http://www.satelliteguys.us/showthread.php?p=275559

It's not perfect -- I've had one reboot -- but then I didn't spend $550-$750 on it either.

 

[Tahoerob]

Well just saw video from CES of the Voom HD DVD......AWESOME!

Come March, look for my 921 on Ebay!

 

[wmhjr]

Voom? You sure?

I'm not that confident that they'll still even be around

 

[jgra]

I ordered the 921 about a week ago I still have not received mine but if mine is not as good as it says it is on there website. I promise I will close my account request every penny back make so much noise and make sure I tell everyone I know about how bad dishnetwork is. Nonetheless I am going to give a shot. I actually moved to dish from directv about I think 6 months ago. Directv with Tivo was so much better very user friendly and the like.

 

[slimoli]

wmhjr:

yes, if you program anything to record on the 4.1 it will show 4 and not 4.1 on the guide. If you look at the scheduled recordings under TIMER, however, it will show the correct channel 4.1. This is a bug but doesn't affect the real recording that will be on the 4.1


Sergio

 

[smroycro]

Do you have two separate rg6 lines hooked up to each satellite in tuner? If you are splitting that signal after the switch, that is what is causing your lock up problems (at least in part).

 

[ocaddict]

I ordered the 921 about a week ago I still have not received mine but if mine is not as good as it says it is on there website. I promise I will close my account request every penny back make so much noise and make sure I tell everyone I know about how bad dishnetwork is. Nonetheless I am going to give a shot. I actually moved to dish from directv about I think 6 months ago. Directv with Tivo was so much better very user friendly and the like.

Why did you move to Dish from DTV if DTV w/Tivo was so much better?

 

[kluken]

Yeah bye bye to my 921 as well

i installed mine Xmas day and on 26th was on phone with them for intermittent audio probelms and locking up. If I am watching OTA HD content and rewind a bit to watch it fromt he beginning about every 2-3 minutes the sound drops for a second. if I rewind back the audio is there so I know it made it to the HDD. Then on occasion the system locks fromt he DVR menu then the DVR and MENU buttons don't do anything, I can power off for 2-5 minutes whcih usually fress it up or pull power and reboot. Who said Linux is faster, this dish takes longer to boot then my old Pentium 90 with 128MB and Windows NT!! I have spent over 5 hours ont he phone with Dish since 12/26 and they sent me a refurb I refused, I wanted brand new, they said Ok (after much debate and escalation) and what do I get, another refurb! So last night I told them 2nd refurb on way back and give me an RMA for my purchse and send me paid shipping for it, I should not have to pay to ship your broken crap back to you! They agree, shipping labels on their way and then 921 will be gone. So now I either go Directv, or try another 921. I may try just getting a 921 from Radio Shack since I can return it locally if it is an issue. Or go back to my 501 until Voom HD DVR is out, but then I might be back with Dish if they buy Voom, yuck!

 

[wmhjr]

Dishnet installed it. They use some new type of splitter - don't know the exact name for it. However, I really have no problems if I don't try to use OTAs, which to me seems to indicate that the splitter mechanism is not related to the problem.

Do you have two separate rg6 lines hooked up to each satellite in tuner? If you are splitting that signal after the switch, that is what is causing your lock up problems (at least in part).

 

[tbeuthin]

I had my 921 installed on Dec. 20 the problems started almost immediately. Ever time I called to report problems about all I was told, was to reboot after waiting a long time. It baffles me that some people have had success with the 921, which makes me wonder if there is a H/W flaw in many units or are some of us just more demanding.

I expereinced many problems but the occasional jittery picture really worried me. I also lost gray bars in 480p overnite every nite or the format function in HD would lock up, so I had to reboot every AM and sometimes more often. Since Dish is dropping DishLinux I was afraid they will never get the bugs out of the 921. The 921 is now discontinued and the 211 software seems are is worse than a Microsoft Beta.

When the 921 was working OK I loved the picture in HD and even the SD looked better on my Sony XBR using component inputs rather than S-video with the 508.

Eventually they flagged me at tech support and said I could only talk to the 921 support team, but the 921 guys must always call you back and its phone tag for days.

I got sick of it and was really concerned about them EVER fixing so many bugs and designs flaws on an obsolete box with an OS they have moved away from. So I RMAed the unit, as they never even offered me a replacment. Its disconnected and waiting for mailing labels to go back.

Supposedly Dish promised to do NBR on this unit last year but have now said no NBR for the 921. Really disappointing.

The HD OTA and HD OTA recording did mostly work, but it puts the red dot on the Sat remapped local rather than the OTA digital and the guide is messed up for subchannels other than the -01. Really in a DVR 'MOSTLY works" does not cut it for me. I live in the LA area and almost all locals are broadcast in digital, so with SAT locals and OTA digital I probably had 50+ locals in the guide. So maybe that's why i saw more problems than some.

There are still things I like about Dish, but now I am back to my single tuner 508 and 501 and no NBR and of course no HD.

I'm thinking of switching to DTV with two new Tivo R10s. I know about the DTV Tivo split and the R10 are SD but they have 2 tuners and Tivo has of course NBR and more.

Time Warner Cable now offers HD DVRS but even with digital cable I hear reports of PQ problems. Cable PQ and support was so bad before I am scared to even try it again.

I felt $549 was a not a bad price for the 921 ($489 even better if you can find one at Costco) , but I have an odd hangup that the unit should work right no matter what the proice or they should commit to fixing it. Right now there are just too many bugs and/or design flaws IMHO. I hope they fix the problems for the people that are hang in there with the 921. It would really be great if the 921 got NBR too. But right now that's does seem to be the case.

 

[wmhjr]

Agree exactly - except....!

I really want HD DVR, so I am dumping Dish period. I currently have both Adelphia SA8300HD and Dish 921 receivers active. So, I can compare them directly against each other. Bye Bye Dish. I also RMAd my unit, and am also waiting on mailing labels for the return.

Other than that, you are exactly on point with respect to how poorly dish has supported us, and the problems with accepting Charlies lame excuses.

I had my 921 installed on Dec. 20 the problems started almost immediately. Ever time I called to report problems about all I was told, was to reboot after waiting a long time. It baffles me that some people have had success with the 921, which makes me wonder if there is a H/W flaw in many units or are some of us just more demanding.

I expereinced many problems but the occasional jittery picture really worried me. I also lost gray bars in 480p overnite every nite or the format function in HD would lock up, so I had to reboot every AM and sometimes more often. Since Dish is dropping DishLinux I was afraid they will never get the bugs out of the 921. The 921 is now discontinued and the 211 software seems are is worse than a Microsoft Beta.

When the 921 was working OK I loved the picture in HD and even the SD looked better on my Sony XBR using component inputs rather than S-video with the 508.

Eventually they flagged me at tech support and said I could only talk to the 921 support team, but the 921 guys must always call you back and its phone tag for days.

I got sick of it and was really concerned about them EVER fixing so many bugs and designs flaws on an obsolete box with an OS they have moved away from. So I RMAed the unit, as they never even offered me a replacment. Its disconnected and waiting for mailing labels to go back.

Supposedly Dish promised to do NBR on this unit last year but have now said no NBR for the 921. Really disappointing.

The HD OTA and HD OTA recording did mostly work, but it puts the red dot on the Sat remapped local rather than the OTA digital and the guide is messed up for subchannels other than the -01. Really in a DVR 'MOSTLY works" does not cut it for me. I live in the LA area and almost all locals are broadcast in digital, so with SAT locals and OTA digital I probably had 50+ locals in the guide. So maybe that's why i saw more problems than some.

There are still things I like about Dish, but now I am back to my single tuner 508 and 501 and no NBR and of course no HD.

I'm thinking of switching to DTV with two new Tivo R10s. I know about the DTV Tivo split and the R10 are SD but they have 2 tuners and Tivo has of course NBR and more.

Time Warner Cable now offers HD DVRS but even with digital cable I hear reports of PQ problems. Cable PQ and support was so bad before I am scared to even try it again.

I felt $549 was a not a bad price for the 921 ($489 even better if you can find one at Costco) , but I have an odd hangup that the unit should work right no matter what the proice or they should commit to fixing it. Right now there are just too many bugs and/or design flaws IMHO. I hope they fix the problems for the people that are hang in there with the 921. It would really be great if the 921 got NBR too. But right now that's does seem to be the case.