What's the latest on 811 fixes?

[WeeJavaDude]

Well if someone goes this route, I would love to hear about it. Scotts sources have been wrong before so I would at this point take it with a grain of salt and don't get too worked up over it. Anybody that actually gets confirmation from Dish should report back and let the rest of use know so we can put in our orders. This is what makes site like this great.

Any other independent information should also be posted. If this is a hardware issue, Dish really messed up again. UGH!!! They should stop saying it will be fixed in software if they don't know the root cause. If that is the case ofcourse.

 

[snathanb]

I would like to use the SVideo out (to an rf modulator) to distribute the picture to additional rooms.

 

[keith]

Well if someone goes this route, I would love to hear about it. Scotts sources have been wrong before so I would at this point take it with a grain of salt and don't get too worked up over it.

4 to 5 months 811 ownership and two software updates already tell me this isn't getting fixed. I always believed this was a hardware problem and not a software problem. Scott's comments haven't got me worked up, I am already worked up. I didn't buy a HD receiver to watch dark images that look worse than SD from a 301!

Anyway, it's time to be more proactive and demanding. I will talk to the Dish Advanced Technical Team today and tell them I need them to cross ship, at their expense, an 811 with the dark image hardware fix - not more excuses. Let's see if they try to do a snow job.

Keith.

 

[NightRyder]

Will we have to pay shipping? That would be bs! It's their fault. They should eat the costs.

When they swapped out the 4700s they sent a new unit (less remote) and a return label. I Just unpacked the new receiver, put the old one in the same box, slapped the label on and gave it to UPS.

NightRyder

 

[sprinklerguy]

I guess I am lucky as my 811 works fine....not dark, no reboots...etc.

But then again, I got the JVC model from Sears...not Dish
Maybe that is why?

 

[GaryPen]

Nightryder - When and why did they swap 4700's? I had one on my previous account. It seemed to work fine. (except for the limited duration and slowwww dl of the guide.)

Are you saying they didn't charge you for shipping of the replacement? (I know they include the return label.)

 

[GaryPen]

If they
don't replace it then they should let me out of the commitment to the HD
package.

You might want to try it. I know a strikingly handsome guy that already did that.

Skip the CSR's, and go to the top via email. He did.

 

[NightRyder]

Nightryder - When and why did they swap 4700's? I had one on my previous account. It seemed to work fine. (except for the limited duration and slowwww dl of the guide.)

Are you saying they didn't charge you for shipping of the replacement? (I know they include the return label.)

A batch of 4700's had a defective chip that caused "stair-step edges" on images. This effect was readily visible on the curved red portion of the Dish Logo that display's on currently inactive channels. Someone on Usenet coined the term "Red Jaggies" and it stuck. This was about 4 years ago? Dish never publicly acknowledged the problem but someone posted a special 800 number that 4700 owner's could call and get a replacement receiver. If you called Dish CS they had no clue and would send out a refurbish unit that most likely had the same problem. Someone posted at the time that the special number went directly to Echostar engineering but I don't know if that was true or not.

There was no charge for replacement or shipping either way.

NightRyder

 

[NightRyder]

You have no idea how much my blood pressure shot up just reading the words "red jaggy." It took over a year before I was ever able to straighten out my problem with Dish with that whole fiasco, and then I had to end up settling for a crummy refurbished receiver as a replacement.

If this 811 boondoggle even comes close to that mess, I'll be leaving Dish without ever looking back. I've been more than patient with them (I went back to using my 4700/4900 a couple of months ago), but time is running out.

Even if there is a hardware fix, how are we going to be sure that we get a replacement unit with the non-faulty chip? I'm not looking forward to playing CSR roulette just to have a chance at playing hardware roulette.

Scott

Scott - Sorry about dredging up old nightmares
I received a new 4700 but I didn't go through Dish CS. I used the number that was posted on Usenet and had a new unit in less than a week.

NightRyder

 

[WeeJavaDude]

4 to 5 months 811 ownership and two software updates already tell me this isn't getting fixed. I always believed this was a hardware problem and not a software problem. Scott's comments haven't got me worked up, I am already worked up. I didn't buy a HD receiver to watch dark images that look worse than SD from a 301!

Anyway, it's time to be more proactive and demanding. I will talk to the Dish Advanced Technical Team today and tell them I need them to cross ship, at their expense, an 811 with the dark image hardware fix - not more excuses. Let's see if they try to do a snow job.

Keith.

I have also been through 2 upgrades and since I am using DVI for 99% It is not affecting me as much as someone that would be using the svideo or composite. I understand your frustration, but I am not sure I buy the fact that it is an unfixable hardware issue. Maybe it is, but based on inside info that has not been verified I am not convinced. I am sure you have seen leaked information not be correct before on these sites.

As for the time frame on the issue, well I would not say D* is way out of bounds on fixing it. If it is a software issue, something like this I would expect would take time and a lot of testing. If it is hardware, like everyone else here I want it fixed too.

 

[WeeJavaDude]

Scott - Sorry about dredging up old nightmares
I received a new 4700 but I didn't go through Dish CS. I used the number that was posted on Usenet and had a new unit in less than a week.

NightRyder

Well if this is a hardware issue and someone finds a quick channel, I hope they will post it here so we can all take advantage and get our 811s fixed.

 

[GaryPen]

Scott - Sorry about dredging up old nightmares
I received a new 4700 but I didn't go through Dish CS. I used the number that was posted on Usenet and had a new unit in less than a week.

NightRyder

I wonder if I had a bad one? I don't recall any jaggies. AAMOF, I thought E's PQ was outstanding...back then. That's well before the overcompression due to too many locals, of course.

 

[keith]

I have also been through 2 upgrades and since I am using DVI for 99% It is not affecting me as much as someone that would be using the svideo or composite.

My 811 DVI-D output is as bad or worse than component and s-video. This 811 surely has a hardware bug, but will Dish admit it and replace it?

Keith.

 

[sirlurkalot]

I have to admit that I'm still in the dark (excuse the pun) as to which outputs of the 811 are Dark?

I know that my setup (811 exclusively via DVI to a Sony 34XBR910) the picture output on my 811 is dark on some channels and not others.

Examples - DiscoveryHD and HDNet are crystal clear and bright. - wow in fact!
TNT and locals showing (for, a very good example) Law and Order is REALLY dark. You cannot distinguish backgrounds easily and it's hard to watch.
While I know that the show is actually "dark" anyway, it's very dissapointing that the 811 makes it worse.

I can't say that I've tried Component or S-Video or composite out (why would I? - I want the best connection possible, DVI!).

I'm keen to see what Dish has to say (and what they'll do about it!).

 

[NightRyder]

I wonder if I had a bad one? I don't recall any jaggies. AAMOF, I thought E's PQ was outstanding...back then. That's well before the overcompression due to too many locals, of course.

It wasn't really obvious on normal programming on a standard size display, but once you knew what to look for the effect was visible. That problem was minor compared to the 811's dark video bug. IMHO.

NightRyder

 

[markusian]

My 811 DVI-D output is as bad or worse than component and s-video. This 811 surely has a hardware bug, but will Dish admit it and replace it?

Keith.

Me too. I have dark output on DVI.

-Mark

 

[GaryPen]

Examples - DiscoveryHD and HDNet are crystal clear and bright. - wow in fact!
TNT and locals showing (for, a very good example) Law and Order is REALLY dark. You cannot distinguish backgrounds easily and it's hard to watch.
While I know that the show is actually "dark" anyway, it's very dissapointing that the 811 makes it worse.

Discovery often shows outdoor documentaries. Outdoor, brightly lit stuff looks great. HDNet's sports and well-lit stuff also looks great. But, their standard indoor stuff has a loss of detail in the dark areas, as does HBO-HD.

SD programming through DVI is especially noticable, except on extrememly well-lit material.

 

[Pb ft.]

No that sneaky feeling tells me that there will be no more acknowledgement of the problem from Dish.

Is anyone getting used to this crap from E* yet! The 921 fiasco last week and now the 811.

Scott, thanks for the info. I hope you're wrong but suspect you're not.

Sheeez!

Matt, if you read this, what's the status of that rumor you talked about in the 921 firewire thread?

 

[GaryPen]

A lot of people are not only used to it, they seem to enjoy it. Take a stroll over to dbstalk.com. You should see to what extent some Dish-kissers will defend Dish's bs.

 

[stlouisrod]

Just a quick weigh-in on my recently installed 811. The picture is definitely dark on both the component and composite outs (haven't tried the S-video yet). I have to bump my brightness up around 30-40% most of the time.... regardless of HD or SD content. And my HD TV was calibrated with the AVIA DVD, so I know my settings are perfect at center. So there's no excuse for having to bump brightness up to 75% or more! It ends up de-saturating the image. I too feel this is a hardware level problem.

If it were software related, then is it possible there is a "hidden service screen" we can access to correct the brightness value?