Does the 721 upgrade offer have any implications for legacy 7200 owners?

[pjmrt]

I have a 721, a 7200 dishplayer and a 301. I've been considering replacing the 301 with the 721 upgrade offer currently out there. But I really don't "need" another dvr so I've resisted so far.

One thing I wonder though. Is Dish planning to dump support for the 7200? Also I am still getting the free dvr (no fee) since I took advantage of that when offered a few years ago (must have been 4 or 5 years ago now, wow) and a call from ceo@echostar when they wanted to start charging a fee for it, but were willing to continue it as is (free). Has anyone heard any changes coming in the rumor mill?

[Bill R]

I have been trying to find out something about the future of the DishPlayers (7100 and 7200) but I have not been able to. Since the class-action suit (even before) EVERYONE at DISH is being very tight-lipped about its future.

[stonecold]

Well the person who called me back from CEO@dishnetwork.com stated they continue to support the reciever but not for things like superdish.

[TNGTony]

Right. There is a new software patch coming for 7100/7200 units (it started limited release today -- 124). But they will not (or the unit is not capable) of being upgraded to keep up with some of the newer developments. It IS a 4-6 year-old model. :)

See ya
Tony

[Bill R]

Receiver software version 124 is suppose to fix the titles on the Sirius channels. I haven't got it yet so I don't know if it does. Has anyone got it and can they tell us if it fixed them?

[stonecold]

TNGTONY

Even so it is a 4-6 year old model so is the 2700 but it has superdish support. I think the biggest issue is that they never quite got it to handle 3 satellite totatally correctly. From what i can see the unit is capable it a matter of massive code rewrite to support things like super dish and they way everything has to go through microsoft first and microsoft long drawn out schedule for releasing updates I think that Dish has just said screw it as far as superdish support. But are continued to supporting the model just like the still support the orginal model 1000s.

[Nick]

Just yesterday, I reactivated my #2 Dishplayer that has been in the closet since the first of the year. I just checked and it still has v122, having missed 123 while napping, I suppose. So, will jumping from 122 to 124 cause a problem, or is each patch cumulative, that is, containing the code from earlier versions?

7/19/04 Update: I received the earlier v123 software update overnight. Maybe I'll get v124 soon. The EPG has a lot of "no info" entries, but that may be due to an intermittant switch problem I'm currently experiencing.

[stonecold]

It is cumulative... After fighting with a friends box that moved from his one place and back into a house that did not have a big apartment complex blocking his southern exposure. He went from 118 to 123 after some fighting with the box. But mainly it was do to the fact that there were some web tv updates he had to do first. But Nick you should not have a problem with your update... Just wondering why i have not gotten my update yet.

[jwhite]

Bill R Wrote "Has anyone got it and can they tell us if it fixed them?"

Yes, the Sirius text is fixed.

I am testing the locals/guide size problem to see if there is any improvement. (I know it probably isn't in this fix but it doesn't hurt to hope) I will post tomorrow one way or another (need a 3am update).

Jay

[stonecold]

I still find it funny how this locals bug all of a sudden appear. Possiblity do to sirrus... As hackers know that on the DP you can not got full tilt with the programing as too many channels seem to mess with the DP head and it runs out of memory and starts mirroring channels.

[Bill R]

For some of us the "locals bug" has been occurring (off and on) for several years. It started for many of us when DISH started adding the locals AND the subscriber had a three slot setup. I spent many hours on the phone (with tech support and management) complaining about the problem and trying to get an answer. The "best" answer I got is that it was a problem on how the DishPlayer kept track of the channels it was able to get (not see, but actually able to tune to) and that the problem was in the CLIENT software and would require a major rewrite (by MSN) to be fixed. The reason that a lot of people started seeing it when the Sirius channels went up is because the way the DishPlayer stores its available channels (from low to high). As STONECOLD said, too many channels seem to mess up the memory. The strange thing that I find about this problem is that it does (still) seem to come and go. NO ONE at DISH has been able to tell me when (or even IF) the problem will be fixed.

I do know that if you complain LOUD and LONG enough about this problem they will offer you a different receiver.

[jwhite]

My problem with the locals at least lately has been reproducable. With your help BillR, I narrowed it down to the addition of the Sirius channels that threw mine "over the top". I got it not to recur by removing the 61.5 side sat from my setup and then ok again.

For what it is worth, I went back to 3 sats last night with the new 124 software and my locals are still fine. Only long term will tell if it comes back for me. Like lots of problems, everyone's setup produces different results. At least it is working for me now :-)

I really don't WANT a different receiver. The easily upgradeable hard disk feature is well worth keeping it. If dish had ever enabled the external hard disk port on the 501/508 I would switch. I really like the slow motion and frame step on the 501/508.

Jay