501 Channel changing extreeeemly slow

[renardg]

I know I have seen this discussed here before, but I think my situation is different. I am not talking about 3-5 seconds. I am talking about 7-10 seconds!!!

This all happened about the time that I was given free HBO and AT150 preview, and coincidentally about the time my daughter knocked the receiver off the TV to the floor while it was powered up.

My 501 will take a loooooong time to display a picture. If I change a channel, the screen will be blank for a while, then the banner finally appears, then the banner disappears, and I still don't have a picture, then about a second later the sound comes on, and then about 2 seconds later the picture finally comes on.

Is anyone else having this problem?

I really need to sign up for the extended warranty so I can send this sucker in if it is defective.

Please help me. It has never been like this.

[DarrellP]

Is it out of warranty? If so, don't call Dish about the problem. Sign up for the warranty, you will have to wait 30 days to make a claim. I would wait more like 40 so it's not so obvious. Good luck.

[renardg]

Originally posted by DarrellP
Is it out of warranty? If so, don't call Dish about the problem. Sign up for the warranty, you will have to wait 30 days to make a claim. I would wait more like 40 so it's not so obvious. Good luck.

Yea, that was my plan. Man this thing has been rock solid though so I hate to have to give it up. Oh well, I can live with it for a while till I make a claim. I'm signing up for the extended warranty tomorrow.

Anybody else ever see this problem, or have any theories what the heck is happening? It still performs everything else perfectly, just takes a long time to get the video going.

[Tony S]

The same thing happened to my 501 a couple of months ago. Resetting the 501 took care of the problem for me. Have you tried a reset?

[Allen Noland]

I would try the re-init code. You'll loose all your recorded stuff, but it might solve the problem.

[P Smith]

"I would try the re-init code" - what is it ?

[Tony S]

When I had this problem, a simple front panel reset fixed it. I did not need to use any re-init code.

I think that the re-init procedure goes something like this:

Press: Menu, 6, 3 to get to the diagnostics screen.
Press: Info, Browse, Theme to get to the memory dump screen.
Press: Stop, then do a simple reset. (hold down the power button on the front panel for 5 seconds 'til the LEDs on the front panel come on).

WARNING: The re-init procedure described above used to work on older versions of the software, but as far as I know, it no longer erases the hard drive. (Actually, I am not sure if it does anything at all anymore). I have never done this type of reset (I have had my 501 for about a year and a half).