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View Full Version : RMA'ing my 3rd 622


tcooper185
03-26-10, 09:21 AM
I came home yesterday and my wife said the Dish box was dead again. Sure enough, it was...the fan was running inside, but there wasn't any hard-drive reading sound, and no video coming out of the back.

I've had to send 2 boxes back (Hard Drive died on one, Power Supply died on another), so I know all the troubleshooting steps: unplug/replug HDMI, switch to component, hard-reset the box with the power button, unplug the power and coax cables from the box for 5 minutes, etc. I did all of those, 3 times. No luck.

So, I call Tech Support. Got a nice guy in Houston who had me do the same things as above. Well, while we're just talking on the phone, the Acquiring Satellites screen comes on my TV. It's slow, but it acquires sats, and tunes a channel.

Well, that worked for about 10 minutes. Screen went black, lights on the front of the box went off, fan stays on. A few minutes later, green light comes on the box, then off, then on again. I call Dish, get sent to the Philippines. While I'm on the phone with him, it comes back on again, then off again. I get sent to Advanced Tech Support, and of course, it stays on the whole conversation. He ends up noting in my account to RMA the box if I call back again. And, naturally, 45 minutes later, it goes out.

During the questions, I'm asked if the box is plugged directly into the wall, or in a surge protector. I answer the wall, but I'm curious why that might be a problem. I can understand if they have concerns about the box being hard-powered off and on regularly, but could other issues come from being connected to a power strip (not surge protector, but power strip). If a user's HDTV, DVD player, Dish Box, HTPC, and stereo receiver were all plugged into the same power strip, and none of the other devices had issues, why would the Dish box have issues?

Hypothetically-speaking, would plugging the box into a power strip (that is never turned off and isn't a surge protector) be causing the early death of these boxes?

harsh
03-26-10, 09:47 AM
The main cause of early death of DVRs is heat. Are you placing your ViP622s in some sort situation where they get help in staying warm?

The amount of abuse some people rationalize a piece of equipment should be able to endure is often not supported by the design of that particular piece of equipment.

tcooper185
03-26-10, 09:51 AM
Mine has a good amount of clearance around it in all directions, and sits on top of a USB-powered laptop fan, so there is a good amount of air moving. No closed doors encasing it, either.

Kent Taylor
03-26-10, 09:53 AM
I've always used a UPS on my DVR's and have never had the kinds of issues I see posted here.

harsh
03-26-10, 10:13 AM
Mine has a good amount of clearance around it in all directions, and sits on top of a USB-powered laptop fan, so there is a good amount of air moving. No closed doors encasing it, either.I wonder if the laptop cooler is too much for the power supply.

tcooper185
03-26-10, 10:16 AM
Could be, but I've actually had it unplugged for the last few months...just making too much noise. It's still sitting under the 622, though, so there is more airflow underneath.

Maybe I'm just unlucky...
Chances that I'll see a 722 delivered next week instead of a 622?

BattleZone
03-26-10, 10:42 AM
622s are old and worn out and due to running hot, tended to die faster than average. The supply of reman 622s is getting lower every day, but I'm sure there are still some. Hopefully you get a 722 this time...

SaltiDawg
03-26-10, 11:39 AM
I've always used a UPS on my DVR's and have never had the kinds of issues I see posted here.
+1

tcooper185
03-26-10, 11:43 AM
I did with my first one, and when the hard drive died, Dish suggested I stop using it.

dlynch
03-28-10, 06:56 PM
On the surge thing. Today (for the second time) my 722 failed. I got bounced around on the phone and finally endind up talking to a guy here in the US. He was nice and is sending me another receiver (again) but he did say that they have been told NOT to put the receivers on a surge protector he said that none of them (except the one they sell) have a good ground on them and that is what knocks out the receivers. We all know that is just a line that he was telling people. I bet if I had said there was not a surge protector on it he would have said I really need to have one and that would have prevented the failure I had today.
I am really starting to think about going back to Direct. I do not like losing all my recordings.

dlynch

Kent Taylor
03-28-10, 08:06 PM
...he said that none of them (except the one they sell) have a good ground on them...

Imagine that. :rolleyes:

BattleZone
03-29-10, 09:30 AM
Both Dish and DirecTV recommend against "surge protectors" and "power strips" for the same reasons (and one extra reason for Dish):

- The sat companies have no control over the quality of the product, and some of those power strips are junk.

- Some folks will break off the ground or will daisy-chain multiple surge protectors, both of which can cause problems.

- Some folks will routinely "power down" the whole strip by flipping the switch, which is bad for the equipment, especially DVRs.

- For Dish, the filters in many power strips/protectors interferes with Home Plug/DishCOMM.

But for folks who know what they're doing, a high quality protector or UPS is certainly not going to hurt anything.

tcooper185
03-29-10, 12:47 PM
So it seems like the consensus is just bad luck/typical 622's...good to know. Not that reassuring, but at least good to know that I'm not doing anything wrong! My new box arrived today at noon (not bad, I guess...customer service call on a Thursday evening, new box arrives Monday before noon) so I'll get it setup again tonight!