As of this posting, the EPG on our DP301 is horribly, horribly broken.

[UnnDunn]

Here's the problem: hitting 'guide' brings up the EPG as normal, except the currently tuned channel is duplicated 4 times with the video guide (and I assume 6 times with the non-video guide, though I haven't checked yet).

For example, if I'm tuned to FX (137), and I hit guide, I'll see this:

137 Ally McBeal
FX

137 Ally McBeal
FX

137 Ally McBeal
FX

137 Ally McBeal
FX

Moving up and down in the guide moves the cursor and nothing else. The channels remain the same.

I can channel up and down by exiting the guide first, but the same thing happens no matter what channel I am tuned to.

Wierd.

More info:

Software version: P182DACD-N
Boot Strap Version: 12ABDACD
Dish500 Card Ready: DNASP010 Rev A21

[Mike Phillips]

My grandmother's 301 did this with channel 101 about a month ago(& it was 6 times on the full grid).I pulled the smart card and it was fine after that.Thanks,Mike

[UnnDunn]

Even more info:

Entering a channel number while viewing the guide doesn't work. It goes back to the channel you were viewing, as if your selected channel didn't exist.

The browse banner works normally though.

[UnnDunn]

My grandmother's 301 did this with channel 101 about a month ago(& it was 6 times on the full grid).I pulled the smart card and it was fine after that.Thanks,Mike
Thanks a bunch... I did as you suggested and everything's fine now.

Any idea what causes that?

[gcutler]

Thanks a bunch... I did as you suggested and everything's fine now.

Any idea what causes that?

Just a hiccup on a guide that is overstressed, the size of the guide originally designed when the 301 was developed was alot smaller. Just be thankful you don't have an old "Memory Limited" model 1000/2000/3000/4000/5000 reciever. Those things started to freak out when they added a 3rd satellite (and only had 13 sets of locals with no must carry) the only way around it right now is the PVR units (501/508/721/DP) where the guide is cached to the hard drive. Talk of replacement of 301 (the 311) to handle it better???

I already had a TiVO with a 4900, but upgraded my 301 to a 508 just to get instant PIP on the Guide and the cached guide because I got tired of the problems you listed, ended up using the PVR function just as much anyway.

[Jacob S]

This guide bug, loss of sound, etc. is fixed by pulling smart card, unplugging receiver, waiting 30 seconds, plugging receiver back in, then when the message comes up on the receiver states to put the smart card back in do so and that fixes most of the bugs that do occur.

[music_beans]

Another thing, when it happened to mine, I just left it on a channel and did nothing, and about an hour later, EPG was back to normal without resetting.

[JohnH]

On the 301, just hold the power button on the receiver for about 5 seconds and it will reboot. No need to exercise the smart card.

Problem is caused by something in the EPG stream. Saturday evening, I could go 12 hours or 30 hours forward with no problem, but as soon as I tried 18 hours forward it would hang up about 3/4 way through the download and had to reboot to get it to work again.

Sent email to DISHQuality and they replied, we don't do that. :)

[Mike Phillips]

Thanks for that info,John.Mike

[HTguy]

On the 301, just hold the power button on the receiver for about 5 seconds and it will reboot. No need to exercise the smart card...
This is the power reset function on a DISH PVR. If the 301 can now be rebooted this way it's news to me.

Can you verify you have reset a Model 301 in this manner?

[JohnH]

Yeah, as I explained my 301 has the same problem as others have seen and although I did not make it crystal clear, that is the method I used to correct the problem.

[gcutler]

This is the power reset function on a DISH PVR. If the 301 can now be rebooted this way it's news to me.

Can you verify you have reset a Model 301 in this manner?

Always could do that on the 301 from day one (until I replaced it with a 508) :D

[HTguy]

:scratch:

Well, this just goes to show that even an "expert" can learn something new here. I have never personally used a Model 301 but I still thought I knew everything about it. The power button reset function was announced with a software upgrade to the PVR 501 but I have never, ever, heard that it worked on the 301 also. As a matter of fact, in a tech blast we were told this was a way to reset a PVR with minimal risk to the hard drive.

It's never been mentioned on any forum before that I have seen, including our private retailer forum, nor has it been mentioned on any chat.

So why hasn't the word gotten around, I wonder. Why does everyone still think it's necessary to pull the card or the AC cord?

[31Media]

Hold on, I'll try it on this 301....

Confirmed...Works on My 301 too..