U504

[PHXHoward]

It’s a mystery to me why there isn’t a motivation by Dish Network to fix defects. Satellite TV is their main business and satellite receivers/DVR’s are their distinguishing product. They are in a very competitive market yet there is no acknowledgment or drive to fix problems. No official mechanism to report bugs, no acknowledgment of identified defects, no follow up communication, and months go by without fixes to obvious issues that they should be embarrassed about such as editing timers and changing timer priorities. Most current software that I use has an active development cycle where stability is priority one followed by new futures. I couldn’t say for sure if anyone at Dish is aware or fixing any of the bugs reported. We never see patch notes. It’s just bizarre.

 

[HipKat]

It’s a mystery to me why there isn’t a motivation by Dish Network to fix defects. Satellite TV is their main business and satellite receivers/DVR’s are their distinguishing product. They are in a very competitive market yet there is no acknowledgment or drive to fix problems. No official mechanism to report bugs, no acknowledgment of identified defects, no follow up communication, and months go by without fixes to obvious issues that they should be embarrassed about such as editing timers and changing timer priorities. Most current software that I use has an active development cycle where stability is priority one followed by new futures. I couldn’t say for sure if anyone at Dish is aware or fixing any of the bugs reported. We never see patch notes. It’s just bizarre.

If you knew how many bugs there are in Hopper installs lately, You'd have a better grasp of where the "get it fixed" priorities are these days. Every software upgrade leads to a different set of challenges for techs doing installs.

In the last 3 months we've dealt with black screen joeys, WAPS that won't link to WiFi Joeys, Joeys that won't link to Hoppers, remotes that won't work and having to spend an extra hour at each install upgrading the software because the preloaded Hoppers are 3 -5 versions behind. Now the guys doing OTA installs have a whole new set of issues. Not to rant or seem ambivalent but as long as they're trying to get the basics fixed, the other things are probably getting pushed further and further up on the back shelf

 

[Hall]

It’s a mystery to me why there isn’t a motivation by Dish Network to fix defects.

Take a look at how software is handled on set-tops with cable companies. They still distribute boxes that are 5-10 years old (Time Warner, for example, still provides the Scientific Atlanta SA8300HD - I had this box back in 2005 !). Or, even newer boxes that they might distribute can go 1-2 years without any s/w updates.

I know we see a fair number of issues with Dish's hardware/software but overall, we've got it a LOT better than many.

 

[navychop]

Yes. Just not good enough, considering the sizzle Dish sold as steak.

 

[PHXHoward]

Can’t make excuses for them. Many of us used the carbon UI for months prior to release. Don’t think they were listening to our feedback. It was assumed that we had older builds and of course these bugs would be fixed internally before release. They weren’t and still arn’t. This really shouldn’t be acceptable. Some company is going to come along and do it right. Probably Internet TV.

Be agile and innovative or get left behind. Remember Kodak film?

 

[Brussam]

And how many users have no problems? Classic world today, "my problems are every bodies problems."

I am not saying some users are having problems but many try to make it like nothing works. Well it does work.

 

[PHXHoward]

I didn’t say nothing works. I said they don’t fix defects. Why defend that?

 

[MikeD-C05]

If you knew how many bugs there are in Hopper installs lately, You'd have a better grasp of where the "get it fixed" priorities are these days. Every software upgrade leads to a different set of challenges for techs doing installs.

In the last 3 months we've dealt with black screen joeys, WAPS that won't link to WiFi Joeys, Joeys that won't link to Hoppers, remotes that won't work and having to spend an extra hour at each install upgrading the software because the preloaded Hoppers are 3 -5 versions behind. Now the guys doing OTA installs have a whole new set of issues. Not to rant or seem ambivalent but as long as they're trying to get the basics fixed, the other things are probably getting pushed further and further up on the back shelf

Maybe DISH should start using a beta group for ALL software updates and see the effects of those updates before they release it to the general public. Seems like it would behoove them to do this if they want to prevent all the problems you say they are now having with various equipment. I have never understood why DISH uses its own customers to unwillingly beta test it's software, but it's been this way the entire almost 21 years I've had them.

 

[HipKat]

Maybe DISH should start using a beta group for ALL software updates and see the effects of those updates before they release it to the general public. Seems like it would behoove them to do this if they want to prevent all the problems you say they are now having with various equipment. I have never understood why DISH uses its own customers to unwillingly beta test it's software, but it's been this way the entire almost 21 years I've had them.

I agree. I don't understand what the rush is to get software out to the field. It really detracts from their "best in class" philosophy

 

[HipKat]

I think there is a Beta group, thought I remember hearing that there is.

They send new software packages to internal techs first, like the CUI before it was available to everyone. Updates just roll out to the general public, it seems

 

[Hall]

I don't understand what the rush is to get software out to the field. It really detracts from their "best in class" philosophy

Nine out of ten customers don't notice or don't care about what members here consider an issue. Those customers just shrug their shoulders and move on....

 

[Hall]

I have never understood why DISH uses its own customers to unwillingly beta test it's software...

At the rate Dish releases s/w updates and as users, we see nothing changed, it strongly suggests that they're correcting "deep" problems or bugs as their primary focus. Other minor changes may be rolled in too, of course. If they break something, they weigh the importance of these "deep" bugs as more critical.

 

[charlesrshell]

They send new software packages to internal techs first, like the CUI before it was available to everyone. Updates just roll out to the general public, it seems

I still don't have 504. Wonder if DISH is holding it up!

 

[navychop]

Maybe we should count our blessings.

 

[charlesrshell]

Maybe we should count our blessings.

That is what I was thinking. Maybe DISH is holding it up.

 

[pattykay]

Maybe DISH should start using a beta group for ALL software updates and see the effects of those updates before they release it to the general public. Seems like it would behoove them to do this if they want to prevent all the problems you say they are now having with various equipment. I have never understood why DISH uses its own customers to unwillingly beta test it's software, but it's been this way the entire almost 21 years I've had them.

There is an official beta test group for precisely this purpose. Scott has even posted threads with instructions on how to apply to become a beta tester. (They were sticky threads at the time, now they are no longer sticky.)

It’s a mystery to me why there isn’t a motivation by Dish Network to fix defects. Satellite TV is their main business and satellite receivers/DVR’s are their distinguishing product. They are in a very competitive market yet there is no acknowledgment or drive to fix problems. No official mechanism to report bugs, no acknowledgment of identified defects, no follow up communication, and months go by without fixes to obvious issues that they should be embarrassed about such as editing timers and changing timer priorities. Most current software that I use has an active development cycle where stability is priority one followed by new futures. I couldn’t say for sure if anyone at Dish is aware or fixing any of the bugs reported. We never see patch notes. It’s just bizarre.

If you want access to this information, you have to become an official beta tester.

 

[PHXHoward]

There is an official beta test group for precisely this purpose. Scott has even posted threads with instructions on how to apply to become a beta tester. (They were sticky threads at the time, now they are no longer sticky.)


If you want access to this information, you have to become an official beta tester.

How about being a paying customer? That isn’t good enough for a follow up or acknowledgement when I “report” a defect.

I don’t want to be a beta tester, that’s the whole point of my post.

 

[MikeD-C05]

There is an official beta test group for precisely this purpose. Scott has even posted threads with instructions on how to apply to become a beta tester. (They were sticky threads at the time, now they are no longer sticky.)


If you want access to this information, you have to become an official beta tester.

Yet they still release the software with bugs and glitches. The whole point of beta testers is to prevent software disruptions like that for their subs. Why else have the beta testers?

 

[pattykay]

Yet they still release the software with bugs and glitches. The whole point of beta testers is to prevent software disruptions like that for their subs. Why else have the beta testers?

Not to go into too much detail, but you haven't seen some of the major bugs that didn't make it to the public.

 

[Brussam]

When you deal with a distribution base of millions, the ability for software to handle every possible combination of hardware and accessories is impossible. Beta testing if for the broad part of the distribution base. Individual problems have to be handled as economically possible.

Just following threads you see the statement "broke again" a lot. This is one of those unique situations and just maybe the problem isn't with the software but the user.