new 522 please help

[baskin3]

my picture is really bad and when i go to the install screen it shows no lock at first then it locks in. i can leave that screen i go back into it and it does the same thing.the colors on my picture kind of flicker too. any help would be great.

[boba]

If you are smart you will go back to Directv and get a TiVo. Otherwise call 1-800-333-3474 and connect to tech support and get a refurbished 522 as a replacement from DISH.

[Bill R]

It sounds like a bad install. Baskin3, did you install it your self or have DISH install it? If you had DISH install it call them and tell them your problem. If you installed it yourself you need to re-aim the dish (make sure that you get a lock on the 119 AND 110 satellite).

[dnsc_installer]

if the thing is not locking onto the satellite, then you won't have a picture other than the menus. if you have the menus up and that picture looks really bad, then check all your connections from the receiver to the tv, try taking anything out of the loop that might be between the tv and receiver.

[baskin3]

dish will be out tomorrow to replace the receiver, and what i mean by bad picture is everyones face looks really digitalized(if thats a word) and if your watching a football game the field looks really bad.

[baskin3]

dish came out tonight my receiver is fine and the lnbs are fine so what could be the problem. i had direct and had a great picture. is dish really that bad or is their something else, i am shooting over the top of another house could that be it.

[1A12]

I don't know what the installer did or didn't do but I think what you are trying to describe is pixalation of the picture. I had this problem with a 301 after Dish did a software update. You may try unplugging the power cord for a few min.(hard reboot) or pulling the smart card out. Holding down the power button until the receiver turns off(soft reboot) may help as well. If none of this works I would ask Dish to replace the receiver.

[baskin3]

thats is exactly what it is and i tried all that he even brought another 522 with him activated it and the picture looked the same so its not the receiver he changed out the lnbs could the dish just need tweaking or is it just compression please dont say compression cause i signed the 2 year agreement. :( :( :(

[1A12]

Well no I don't think that it's compression. I have two 510's and a 301 and the picture quality is fine. What type of tv do you have. I've heard that large wide screen high definition tv's when receiving standard definition signals and the picture is stretched to fit the full screen looks bad no matter what satellite provider you have. In reference to realigning the dish hit minue 6-1-1 and check your signal strength on 119&110 on transponders 11 and 12. If you have strong signals thats not the problem.

[baskin3]

i have a good signal and i have a 27 inch standard sony had a very clear picture with direct tv.

[1A12]

Oh by the way that 301 that I had that started pixelating I finally had to replace it . Problem solved. You could have been just unlucky and two bad 522's found there way to your house. I would call Dish and ask them to send you another.

[1A12]

One other thing I just thought of. There are different ways to hook up your receiver to your tv. s-video with the yellow and red rca audio plugs, using all three rca plugs(red yellow and white) or using a coax connection which is the least desireable. This is about all I can tell you that you can do yourself. If none of this works go for another 522. I have read threads that some people have gone through 3 and 4 boxes before they finally got a good one. There is a guy that knows alot more than I do about dbs. His name is SimpleSimon. You might want to seek him out. I have my dbl e deg. but my knowledge about dbs is rather limited. Anyway good luck and take care.

[dnsc_installer]

ive seen tuners in tv's themselves go out, not often but it does happen......cst has a good picture when I arrive, i unhook their old cable that has been on there forever (rf cable that is) and put mine on and get a crappy picture. at that point i hope they have a/v inputs cause then i just use that, if you are using s-video, make sure the yellow a/v input is not plugged into the recveiver or the tv. do you have a vcr? if so try taking the vcr out of the loop and running straight to your tv. if none of that does it, bring in another tv and try it there at that location. How is the picture on tv 2 side? if it is the same, then yes it is 99.9% probably the receiver, if it is good, there is about a 70% chance it is just a connection between the receiver and the tv somewhere. thats the order i would go about things if it was me coming out to do the repairs. Hope something I said helps, or you can get it taken care of.




edited part:

you aren't but about 2 hours from me, don't know if it would help, but you if you want to pay my gas down there and back, plus a 35.00 service call fee (service call fee only payable if I can fix it or tell you 100% what the problem is) I would be willing to drive down, i drive on average 75-100 miles out usuall anyway for the retailer I work for.

[Smoke24]

I do Dish installs and can tell you that the 522's are usually a real pain to get signals peaked for. I usually have problems with about 80% of them when installing. They usually cost me an extra hour or so on the job to tweak the dish for them. Most of the other receivers we use seem to be much easier to set up, even the 322 dual. The old 301's can be problems too but they usually just won't work at all if bad. I think there is a flaw in the 522, maybe something to do with the hard drive or interference between the receivers, but don't think Dish knows how to fix it or maybe don't know it or care. Somtimes it causes more trouble if feeding the receiver output through a VCR or DVD and do not use the slide on cables that come with those players as they usually don't fit tight and may not be shielded good enough.
You didn't say which Dish you have, Super, Dish 500, 300 or what? I think the 522 is a bit easier to set up with the Dish 500.

[baskin3]

i have the dish 500 i dont have vcrs or anything like that in the loop and am using s video on tuner 1 and rcas on tuner 2 ive tried everything and its not the tv i put in a dvd for the installer to show him how good my picture is,he said that is what i should see with dish (ha ha)what a joke, i dont expect that but i do expect better than what im getting i should expect at least the same quality as direct tv.

[naqbrules]

Do you get any discoloration or distortion in the menus?

[baskin3]

no

[Smoke24]

Actually you should get a better picture than many of Direct's channels. I think they still have some of theirs analog. Dish's digital signals should be perfectly clear if you get them at all. The problem may be in some of the cables. Did you use any old existing cables? If so some of it may be RG-59 or have some shielding problems or connectors improperly installed or crimped. Try to use RG-6 with good connectors properly crimped. Also are there any switches in the lines? They could be not needed or be bad.

[Bill R]

Actually you should get a better picture than many of Direct's channels. I think they still have some of theirs analog.


All DBS channels (DISH, DirecTV, Voom and Sky Angel) are digital. Some of them start out as analog channels but they are converted to digital before they are transmited.

[dnsc_installer]

All DBS channels (DISH, DirecTV, Voom and Sky Angel) are digital. Some of them start out as analog channels but they are converted to digital before they are transmited.


And technically, not sure about the 7XX or 9XX series from E*, not 100% on the 811 either, but all the other receivers down-convert from digital to analog so it displays on your television correctly due to the fact not many by comparison have digital ready televisions yet in their homes.

If I am wrong someone correct me, because that is what i was taught.

[SimpleSimon]

Up/down conversion is a separate issue from analog/digital.

However, yes, most E* customers are using analog video connections. The only exceptions are part of the HD customer base.