U344 - can't record /set up timers
- Thread starter midleman
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whatever was going on yesterday seems to have been resolved overnight - everything (so far as I can tell) is working properly this morning.
It's definitely not AWS related. This has been going on for weeks now. I first reported it a few weeks ago. Seems like a major conflict with their guide content providers or a bug deep within the timer functionality. Bottom line is - they need to implement one of the following:
1. The ability to "roll" back to a previous build if your software build has major bugs in it. It's ridiculous that the software update before this one didn't have this issue and they have no way around it other than saying "wait a few weeks".
2. The ability to "Opt out" of automatic updates. There are some of us (like me) who would like to read up on the release and decide whether or not to download and update it. Not even Apple "forces" you to update to the latest (although usually it's highly advisable).
3. Smaller changes and more of a QA mindset. Their changes seem a little too large and is effecting too many areas. That means it is getting past their QA team.
I don't blame their software engineering team. Software is *going* to have bugs in it. That is just going to happen. However, this shouldn't be getting past their QA teams to where it is this prevalent.
I don't disagree with this statement, however most Dish customers will not be able to deal with this mechanism.
An alternative would be for Dish itself to roll back all receivers when serious bugs like this occur. If the timer issues are related to the guide supplier, then this would apply to going back to the old supplier too.
Again, I don't agree but don't see it happening.
Apple does not force updates unless you choose to do so, but as of Win 10, Microsoft IS forcing OS updates with no way for the end user to control it! I've been bit hard by this. In a mission critical environment, Microsoft triggered an update when the computer was booted and there was nothing I could do about it. I was off the air for over an hour!
Small changes don't necessarily eliminate a bug getting into the field. It also means that there would be more testing to do and if there is as much interaction between subsystems as there appears to be, QA testing scope can't be limited even for a "little" change.
I agree that Dish seems to lack decent QA and significant improvements are needed in this area. It's difficult for a company to consider all possible configurations present in the field but new software needs to spend time on most configurations before being released to the public. That's generally occurs during internal testing followed by beta testing in the field. But when an issue is discovered in the field after release, rolling back to a previous version should be the norm rather than the exception (does it ever happen?).
I think in general, Dish needs a change in attitude that will allow engineers to shift focus to a problem in the field and get a fix in place quickly. Waiting weeks for a fix (or months in the case of the external drive issue) is simply not acceptable.
In addition, we wait far too long for promised features to be rolled into a product. We've been waiting years for Netflix on 4K Joeys for example, but there are many others like the 5.1 audio issue for Netflix on H3.
Focus needs to be on bug fixes, then promised features, then new features but it's pretty apparent that Dish has it completely backwards!
I have had to do a master reset on my hopper to fix the recording issue 3 times. If it happens again the whole mess is going in the front yard and cable or direct is going in its place. Missed the Super Bowl due to it and then missed the Chicago cross over last night due to it.
We missed the crossover also but it was due to ACC basketball commitment on our local NBC affiliate, not the Hopper. It's airing again in the Raleigh DMA tomorrow night.
Still arguing about the updates, when the problem has been reported to be caused by the Guide data???
This is also happening in my Hopper w/sling (Not a H3). I think it is a general problem that Dish has. Each time I try to create a timer i get this message: Timer creation failed 1281. Please try back later.
I'm sad to report that your misery makes me feel better. I thought my grief was all centered around my choice to upgrade my HWS units to a single H3. It is almost useless - I'm working hard to somehow add OTA/DVR features to my very reliable Plex servers, where I control the updates. They even replaced my H3 during the Superbowl (which I obviously missed), thinking a new unit would solve the issues. I work for a multibillion dollar software company, and once upon a time I was on the Escalation side, and we'd have all been fired if we performed like Dish. Not saying we are perfect, but this last round of updates, even some of the core user touchpoints prior to the updates...is bad.
* Note, the above opinion is strictly my personal one, no doubt exacerbated by the frustration being "Dished" out, and does not necessarily represent the views of my employer *
What version software are you running on your Hopper with Sling? I am still using the old interface S544 and have had no problems with my 2 hopper with sling receivers and my Joey 2 receiver.
I am guessing that the problems occur on units that have the newer interface.
Is anyone using the old interface seeing these problems?
EASY for them to do - you call customer service with your problem - they direct you to go to your menu and select to downgrade (like there was for the accessibility features upgrade)
they could even put in a keycode that CS could give you
I don't have a partial factory reset on my menu. I try to do a full factory reset but it doesn't do it. Dish has really screwed us this time. How long do we have to wait?
Their technical support does not help, and they pretend it is an isolated problem! WTF? Can anyone help? Dish can't!!
Their technical support does not help, and they pretend it is an isolated problem! WTF? Can anyone help? Dish can't!!
My "Full Factory Reset" does not work either but it seems like it's been that way on my H3 for a while now. The "setting" is there, but nothing happens when I select it. Fortunately "partial" does work and seems to have given me back most of my timer functionality. But this darn thing seems more-and-more like an experimental or "test" device with us as paying testers.
I had this issue and Dish support was no help at all i did not want to factory reset the reciever. so i used the remote restore process , on the tools screen where you can choose to factory reset, there is also an option to restore settings , before i restored settings i had to manually delete every single timer, if that is possible for some of you, then go to the restore settings and i restored from my remote and no i didn;t have a current back up of all current timers but i do back it up every few weeks so there were only a few timers i had to re-create. if your hopper 3 is working as we speak id advise you to back up your settings to a remote,and if you get this no-recording issue. use this a restore instead of factory resettings. did anyone else try this ? did it work for anyone else?
