Problems with Remote Access on local channels?

[Tony S]

Yesterday, while on a trip, I wanted to record the NBA basketball game. I used the Remote Access feature on Dish's web site to set the timer. When I got home, the game did not record. Does the remote access feature work? (I have a VIP722).

First, I had a very hard time just trying to log in to the dish site. It didn't matter if I used my email address or my user name...It would not let me log on. Finally, I was able to log in by clicking on the 'learn more about the remote access feature' link, and then logging in from there. (I was not able to log on by clicking on 'my account').

Then the grid of channels was displayed, however no local channels were listed, so I could not record the NBA game. I tried again a few minutes later and then some of my local channels were listed, but no abc... so I was still out of luck. After trying again 3 or 4 more times, all of my locals were listed, but some of them were listed on the wrong channels.

Finally, I got abc to show in the grid. I selected it, clicked 'Record This' and it appeared to work. However, when I got home nothing was recorded.

This is the first time I ever used this feature and I could not believe how buggy it was. Does remote access work? Does it work on local channels?

 

[TheKrell]

Works for me, but I have all my DVRs on the net. Is yours on the net, or were you trying to use the satellite-to-receiver programming method?

 

[Tony S]

Works for me, but I have all my DVRs on the net. Is yours on the net, or were you trying to use the satellite-to-receiver programming method?

I was trying to use the satellite-to-receiver method.

Do you have any trouble getting your locals to show up in the grid (as I described in my 1st post)?

Has anyone else been successful using the satellite-to-receiver method with locals?

 

[TheKrell]

Do you have any trouble getting your locals to show up in the grid (as I described in my 1st post)?

As a matter of fact, yes I am. I have two 612's which are showing up as a yellow ball (disconnected) right now, and they do not show locals. My 722 is still green and the locals do show up. Hmmm. Something is amiss right now; usually all 3 boxes are green (connected) and the locals do show up as they still do on the 722.

Results from dish11.sling.com.

 

[oljim]

My listings show my locals in SD, but HD channels are from some other time zone. I tryed to record something on Speed ch 150 HD but it recorded on the 4 dig. channel for speed that I have locked out

 

[Tony S]

I just tried it again and it is still screwed up. Most of my locals are listed, but several of the HD locals are listed on the wrong channels, and some are from different geographical areas as oljim stated above. Too bad...this would be a nice feature if it worked!

Judging by the response to this thread (only two replies), I don't think that many members are using the remote access feature. Later today I'll try recording something and report back.

Thanks Krell and oljim for responding. At least I know that it is not just me (or my equipment) that is having problems.

 

[dreddick]

My HD locals have never been correct...shows Arizona channels instead of Ohio. It has been this way since the early beta days and numerous emails and bug reports have not done any good.

 

[Tony S]

I have tried setting up several Remote Access timers for the past two days, and none of them were recorded. I tried many different channels including locals, and SD/HD mainstream channels. Has anyone seen this feature work using the satellite to receiver method?

Also, the channel listing grid does not list most of the HD channels that I receive and the local HD channels listed are from other DMAs.

EDIT: I just tried it again and 1 out of the 3 timers that I set actually recorded! So in the last two days, out of 15 timers that I set, only 1 was actually recorded!

 

[TheKrell]

FWIW, I continue to have trouble with 2/3 of my receivers all of which are connected all the time via broadband. The receiver selection pulldown menu has green or yellow balls to indicate which receivers are online and which are offline. Normally these are all green for my 3 receivers. But since Tony asked me to check a few days ago, through today, there is only one green ball, and it keeps moving around from one receiver to the next.

Maybe the satellite method of DVR control is only available for SD receivers and that's only available on WA. Do you have WA or EA?

 

[sethwell]

My listings show my locals in SD, but HD channels are from some other time zone.

same thing here for HD locals. i really wish they would fix this problem, it has been well over a year since it has been wrong.

 

[Tony S]

After experimenting a little more with the remote access feature, I think that the reason it does not work is because the channels in the listing grid do not match the channels that my receiver is subscribed to.

After setting up several timers that did not record, I looked in the Timers list on my receiver. Several of the timers that did not record were listed in the Timers list. The interesting part was that the program name field in the Timers list was blank for the ones that did not record. After looking at the timers, I could see that they were set for a channel that my receiver is not subscribed to, or to the wrong channel. In either case the receiver could not find a program name match resulting in the program name field showing up blank.

If Dish could get the online grid listing to match the channels that my receiver is subscribed to, I think that the remote access feature would work. They way it is now it is hit or miss (mostly miss) and is so unreliable that I will not be using it.

 

[Tony S]

The remote access feature appears to be even more unreliable lately, as evidenced by the number of threads started:

http://www.satelliteguys.us/dish-network-forum/217841-remote-access-frustration.html

http://www.satelliteguys.us/dish-network-technical-discussions/217957-dish-remote-access.html

http://www.satelliteguys.us/dish-vip-922-support-discussion-forum/217355-dish-remote-access-not-playing-nice.html

Come on Dish...if you continue to advertise this as a feature, please make it work correctly!!

 

[DustoMan]

same thing here for HD locals. i really wish they would fix this problem, it has been well over a year since it has been wrong.

I tried to tell them over tech support chat that this was an issue. First they told me that OTA channels weren't supported and shouldn't be showing up in remote access. But when I told them that the satellite delivered HD locals were doing it too they were pretty much stumped. I think I even sent a e-mail to them on their remote access feedback link and attached screen shots of what I was seeing and nothing ever became of that either.

 

[cosmo_kramer]

http://www.satelliteguys.us/dish-network-forum/210858-dish-remote-access-not-up-date.html#post2180959

 

[Yes616]

I have used this feature several times with my 722 that is connected to the internet. It works pretty well for me. I even have an OTA antenna hooked to my receiver that picks up channels from a neighboring DMA. Those channels work with this feature as well.

What I don't really care for is how slow moving the online channel guide is. I have used a lap top in motel rooms and a Mac that was in one of the motels so called "Business Center". Same thing.. S-L-O-W.

I also wish you could access your own favorites list that you programmed on your receiver. That would make the online guide a bit smaller and maybe it would work faster.