921 not recognizing Smart Card

[FourLizards]

I just received my 921 yesterday and it keeps giving errors that the Smart Card is either not valid for use with the receiver or that it is inserted correctly. The first tech I talked to helped me in getting it to update the software to L188. He assumed the card error would go away after that, but it didn't. The next tech I talked to eventually gave up and said that a 921 specialist would call me in the next 48 hours. There are apparently only six people on this team. So I'm still waiting for the call. The system info screen says "NO CARD FOUND". However, I was able to get it to scan for local digitals and I can view them just fine.

While I'm waiting for the call back, I thought I'd ask if anyone here has had this problem or knows of a solution. So far, Dish has had me remove and reinsert the card several times and to disconnect the power to the unit several times.

Thanks.

[Pils]

Sounds like it is a card problem and hopefully so b/c I wouldn't want a refurb unit, but are these units cardless? If they have a card, call to see about a replacement card first. But as for the call back in 48 hrs, that usually is bull. I had the same call back thing from the 811 special department and had to keep calling upper level to finally get a call back. Good luck and remember who you talked to and write the phone # down because you won't get it after hanging up. They say they have an ID # of who you talked with but have no way of getting their phone #. Good Luck.

[John Walsh]

I am on my fourth 921 and I believe my 2nd one had the same error you have right out of the box. I ended up getting a new one right away.

[FourLizards]

I assumed as much about the 48 hours too, Pils. I will wait until tomorrow morning before calling back. The last tech I spoke to said that only the 921 "team" can authorize an exchange.

[AVJohnnie]

While I'm waiting for the call back,

Best of luck on getting that call back -- I'm at a one week and still waiting to hear back from them. My guess is that they are so swamped with dead and defective 921's that it will be December before I hear anything from the "Super-Secret 921 A-Team"...

[FourLizards]

I did finally get a call from one of the 921 specialists last Thursday. He sent me a new receiver via UPS Two Day Air. I just got it today and it is defective also. This unit ignores the remote control. I have two good working remotes and neither works with the new 921. The replacement 921 smells like cigaratte smoke. Must be a refurb. After talking to a tech for about an hour, I'm now waiting for another call back. What fun!

[AVJohnnie]

I did finally get a call from one of the 921 specialists last Thursday. He sent me a new receiver via UPS Two Day Air. I just got it today and it is defective also. This unit ignores the remote control. I have two good working remotes and neither works with the new 921. The replacement 921 smells like cigaratte smoke. Must be a refurb. After talking to a tech for about an hour, I'm now waiting for another call back. What fun!

Very interesting – My "new" :confused: replacement has issues too and it also smells of cigarette smoke. Hummm... :eek2:

Its day 2 and I’m still waiting for that call back from the Dish “921 super techs”.

[FourLizards]

I swapped out the remote RF module from the first defective 921 and now it works. However, I missed the call from the 921 specialist and in the message he left me said that he was sorry that I received another defective unit and that he was overnighting me a third unit. Maybe this one will smell better. :lol:

I think that the second unit may have problems anyway. I found that if I pause playback and press fast forward to go to 1/15 slow motion, it will jump several frames forward before starting slow motion. This makes it almost impossible to stop on any specific frame. Also, after resuming playback after pausing, there is no audio for 3 to 4 seconds. Does anyone else have this problem? I can only say that it doesn't happen on my 510 receiver.

[David_Levin]

FourLiz:

You're last paragraph describes some known features of the 921.

[FourLizards]

Thanks for letting me know that that is normal behavior, David. Guess I'll just keep the better smelling 921. :)

[satdish]

what you can do when you have that smart card problem, is pull the card and reinsert it with a business card on top of it. that will help seat the card onto the reader and should stop the reader problem, it worked for me when me system refused to read the card.