Questions re: exchanging an "owned" receiver

[bhelms]

After 6+ years the HDD in my 622 that I purchased finally went belly-up. (It was approaching 60K+ hours operation time which is nowhere close to an expected MTBF, but that is - has been - a topic for a different thread.)

Anyway, the tech (a really cool, knowledgeable guy named Tyler in the Colorado center) is shipping a new* (really?) replacement unit. I have DHPP, which I have had since I before I got the 622, so I guess that's being arranged with 2-day delivery at no additional cost to me.

I've been meaning to swap this unit for some time now because the HDMI output also took a dump about 2 years back (second one I've had do that) but I never got around to buying an EHD to save some of what I had recorded so that exchange never happened. Of course, now that's presumably** a non-issue. When I received the replacement for that first purchased unit which was very soon after I had first obtained it (the HDMI port was DOA), there were no questions about me returning the defective one nor who owned the replacement (me).

My question is this: Tyler Tech Support told me that I did not have to return the defective unit! I'm not sure why and failed to ask. Either way I hope to still "own" one fully-functional unit out of this exchange, whatever that takes.

Today I got 2 e-mail messages from Dish. The first said:

"Return Authorization Number: ********
Dear *****. This confirms that we are shipping you a replacement receiver.

Your current receiver information is listed below. Please review the information to determine which receiver(s) to return. Return instructions will be included with your replacement receiver.

Equipment Model* CAID* Ownership Return?
Receiver ViP622 R00******** PURCHASED No "

This is a bit confusing since on one line it seems to indicate that I don't need to return the unit identified as my "current receiver", but on a different line it talks about return instructions and there is a RA number provided (???)

I also received a second e-mail with the following:

"Return Authorization Number: ********
Dear *****, This confirms that your replacement receiver has shipped.

Equipment Model CAID Ownership
Receiver ViP622 R0076733094 PURCHASED "

The RA number receiver information is the same as provided in the first e-mail, i.e., my current, purchased receiver information. Again, this seems to indicate that I need to return the current receiver ??

Can anyone help me sort this out ?? If I don't need to return the current defective unit (which I presume means I still own it) then who owns the replacement unit, Dish or me? I can see arguments both ways. If I indeed return the defective unit, would that mean that I then own the new unit? I ASSumed that having DHPP meant that I would have a free replacement of any defective unit and that I would continue to own it, but I think I'm about to learn otherwise!

I really don't need a 622 with a dysfunctional HDD although it does function as a non-DVR. I suppose I'd have to pony-up the monthly fee for a 622 if I wanted to keep it on my account so why do that if it's not fully functional?

* Tyler mentioned that the unit coming to me is indeed new and not a refurb. That surprises me. Tyler said that the 622 is still "current technology". We never discussed the 722 nor anything subsequent to that model, but he did talk me into a small programming upgrade.

** Tyler seemed to think that if I activated an EHD on the defective unit that I might still be able to move stuff from its internal HDD to the EHD. I was about to call "BS" on that but stranger things have happened. Has anyone reading this ever recovered anything from an internal HDD that was reported as defective? (I don't recall having anything on there that's irreplaceable that really mattered to me. Most of what I do recall is movies that I can replace.) But I might add an EHD now anyway so I thought that some experimentation might be in order as I make the swap...

 

[KAB]

This is definitely a "contact DIRT" situation.

 

[primestar31]

I've been able to transfer stuff off of a failing internal drive in my VIP622 receiver when mine failed. I got all but about 3 shows transferred, and it took me days of trying to do so. But it worked. It depends on what sort of failure you are having. As for sending your failed receiver back, YES, it's an exchange and they will replace the drive and it'll go on the shelf for the next guy.

 

[MattG@DISH]

622 receivers are not obsolete, and do need to be returned. We don't have access to inventory when creating a RA for equipment, so can't guarantee a new receiver will arrive over a leased receiver.

The 622 will work with an EHD, but you must be able to get to My Recordings/menus in order to initiate the transfer

 

[bhelms]

Matt - Tks for the reply. I'll consider this one "official". Since the RA number has been provided I'll send it back in a day or two. I trust the returned unit will find its way into the correct hands.

Please confirm, will I be considered the "owner" of the replacement unit? I don't care whether it's new or a refurb as long as Dish stands behind it. After all, I first purchased the unit a bit over 6 years ago almost when they first became available. Expecting a new, never used unit is a bit unrealistic. In fact, I look favorably on units that have had some "burn in" (assuming they were repaired properly upon return and tested adequately) - that weeds out the "infant mortals" and from that point on the unit should enjoy a long life. (Well, the HDDs are apparently a different matter! I hope the replacement unit I'm getting has a new HDD!) I think you guys solved the dead HDMI output issue some time back. Hopefully this replacement unit will never experience that problem.

I'm not holding out much hope for the HDD in the defective unit. Now every time I turn on that receiver I get the notice about the failed drive. None of the functions that require an HDD work, like pause or skip back; when I press any of those buttons, nothing happens at all. (Amazing how often I push one of those buttons while routinely watching any program. Then I get a "d'uuhhh moment" when it fails to respond. What did we ever do before DVRs ???) If I push the DVR button I get an error message that the function is "currently unavailable" and a long message about trying a reset then if that fails, calling Dish. But I think I'll at least try it before I return the unit - nothing to lose!

NOTE: The e-mail information from Dish that I provided in my first post above is confusing as it appears (which is not how I entered it - formatting changed). There are 5 bits of information in the first "table". The top line is the "question" and the bottom line is the "answer". So this should have been interpreted as: Equipment = Receiver, Model* = ViP622, CAID = (full R number), Ownership = PURCHASED, Return? = No.

 

[navychop]

Yep, you're right. There hasn't been a new ViP622 in years.

 

[MattG@DISH]

I believe there's an error with a (or multiple) browser(s) where the columns don't allign properly, which is why it says "return = no".

The replacement receiver will also be considered "purchased" (just make sure it's activated that way, and let me know if not).

 

[bhelms]

I believe there's an error with a (or multiple) browser(s) where the columns don't allign properly, which is why it says "return = no"...

In the e-mail message it's clear, see this PDF:
View attachment ViP622 Replacement.pdf

...The replacement receiver will also be considered "purchased" (just make sure it's activated that way, and let me know if not).

OK - Tks again.

The replacement receiver arrived yesterday. I ordered a 1TB drive that should be here today. Tonight I'll attempt to connect the drive as an EHD on the defective unit first on the slim chance I'll be able to move stuff over, but I have almost -0- hope of that working. Either way, following that I'll connect and activate the replacement unit then get the old one boxed-up for return NLT early next week...

 

[navychop]

Try multiple times. Some have frozen their units and then tried. As a last resort, tap the side of the drive, with increasing force.

 

[dwarren2]

In the e-mail message it's clear, see this PDF:
View attachment 80391

OK - Tks again.

The replacement receiver arrived yesterday. I ordered a 1TB drive that should be here today. Tonight I'll attempt to connect the drive as an EHD on the defective unit first on the slim chance I'll be able to move stuff over, but I have almost -0- hope of that working. Either way, following that I'll connect and activate the replacement unit then get the old one boxed-up for return NLT early next week...

If you hook up the hd to the old receiver before you take it out and the ehd formats, do not hook it up to the new receiver till it is fully activated. The receiver will not power up if the ehd is connected before it is activated.

 

[bhelms]

Try multiple times. Some have frozen their units and then tried. As a last resort, tap the side of the drive, with increasing force.

Damn - Wish I had seen this before this AM! I did not try anything more than a single "connection" of the EHD which of course produced nothing. The receiver did not recognize that anything was connected to the USB and the DVR functions were still reporting as "not available at this time". The defective 622 is sitting on the loading dock awaiting its ride back to Dish as I write this. FWIW, I did put my ear to the 622 on several occasions through this episode and I could hear the HDD running at what seemed to be a "normal' pitch so I don't think it was a stalled disk.

Tks for the suggestion - I hope I'll never have to try it again, but we never know...!

 

[bhelms]

If you hook up the hd to the old receiver before you take it out and the ehd formats, do not hook it up to the new receiver till it is fully activated. The receiver will not power up if the ehd is connected before it is activated.

Tks dwarren. I'll try to remember that for the "next time". As it turns out, I never made it that far with the old receiver...

 

[bhelms]

Some closure to this thread - Per my above replies I had no success trying to activate an EHD with the failed 622 with the minimal effort I made so I made the swap with the new unit. I was thinking of scrolling through the diagnostics screens on the failed unit first to see what I might learn especially about the HDD temps but it was late and I wanted to get on with it. I opened-up the defective unit to quickly remove the heat dissipating mods I made to it (See the time-honored "...Is yours running hot?" thread for details of that!), then buttoned it up again and boxed it for return. I used the original box for that, and since that box had arrived damaged I made note of that fact. This AM I packed the 622 box in a larger box for more protection. (Frankly, IMHO shipping a receiver in the rather flimsy box that's provided is risky, evidenced by the damaged 622 I received last time and am now just returning - a torn-up box /Styrofoam and minor damage on the case in the left rear corner. But that's a discussion we already had some years ago and nothing changed.)

The replacement 622 was indeed a "Reman" unit. It came with nothing other than a very simple "Setting up..." guide and return label. It appears "like new". The serial numbers on new units (?) end in a letter (the old one was "E") that IIRC indicated a "release" version, the higher letters being more recent. This replacement unit's s/n ends in "SB", whatever that means.

I had to call Dish Tech Service for the activation and also for assistance getting past "Step 4 of 7". We ended-up re-addressing the remotes. But everything went smoothly otherwise and I'm back in full service now. I did not activate the EHD yet, no hurry on that since I now have an empty HDD! It's great...I guess...also having a functional HDMI port again.

Cheers all. Tks for your replies...