Detailed Instructions for many new L1.07 features!

[Scott Greczkowski]

The new Dish Network PVR-721 is shaping up to be a world class PVR! With the recent software upgrade to your PVR a lot of new features options and games have been added to your 721!

In order to make your 721 experience the best it can be, DBSTalk.COM has made this list of new features and instructions on how to use them. You may consider printing them out for future reference.

As always if you have any questions or need help with your 721 we here at DBSTalk.COM are here to help you out!

Now here we go!

The new Dish PVR 721 software brings you 4 new games! These games are as follows Xhyperoid, Solitaire, Invaders, and Awele.

For instructions on how to play these games select the game you wish to play, press SELECT on your remote to load the game, and then press INFO for instructions how to play. These games are free for all 721 owners. There is no monthly fee to play these games.

One of the major new features in the software is the addition of multi speed Slow Motion and Frame-by-Frame advance!

Using the Slow Motion and Frame by Frame Advance feature is simple, however just incase you need a little extra help DBSTalk.COM has prepared a special pocket guide on how to use the Slow Motion and Frame by Frame features. to download this pocket guide CLICK HERE

To Use SLOW MOTION press the pause button on your remote remote.
The pause icon and pause banner will now be displayed on your screen.
If you press the "FWD" key on the remote AV will now advance at 1/15 speed (super slow motion), if you press the "FWD" key again on the remote AV will now advance at 1/4 speed (slow motion), if you press the "FWD" key again (a third time) on the remote the playback will play to regular speed. (You can also go in reverse slow motion by pressing the “Back” button on your remote!)

Frame by Frame Advance
Press the pause button on your remote
To Frame by Frame Advance press the SKIP FORWARD key on the remote, to advance to the next frame press the SKIP FORWARD key on your remote again. The "frame advance" icon should be displayed in the upper left hand corner of the screen. If your not quite sure what the Skip Ahead Button is on your remote check our the DBSTalk.COM Pocket guide (url here) for a picture of this button. And just like the Slow Motion Feature you can also go in reverse frame by frame. To go reverse use the SKIP BACK button on your remote (A Picture of the SKIP BACK button is also on the DBSTalk Pocket Guide )

Another new feature on your 721 is the ability to hook up an external A/V Device such as a DVD Player, Video Game System or VCR to your 721 through the front A/V Inputs on your 721! To watch the A/V Device hooked up to your 721 just tune to Channel 0 on your 721! (Note that you can not record or pause the video on Channel 0) Also note that if you tune your 721 to channel 0 and then turn on your A/V equipment the picture on your 721 might be in black and white. To fix this problem change to another channel on your 721 then tune back to channel 0, your picture will not be in color.

Another new feature is that you can jump to any point in the guide, lets say you want to jump 120 hours ahead in the guide. To do this press GUIDE to bring up the guide, then on your keypad type the number of hours in the future you want to jump (In our case 120) then press the BLUE RIGHT ARROW (Marked BROWSE), the guide has now jumped 120 hours into the future! (The instructions for this are also included on our Pocket Guide )

The new 721 software improves the search function and gives you a few new keyboards to use!

You can “type” in the search box by using your remotes numeric keypad to enter letters just like your do on your Cell Phone! . For example pressing the number "2" key on the remote will display the letter A, press it again quickly and the letter is displayed, press it again and the letter C is displayed and press it again and the number 2 is displayed.

There is also a new virtual keyboard available! To access this keyboard go into PREFRENCES Then select "View Preferences" from the preferences sub-menu Use the cursor/ remote to select the new option "Dish" under "Keyboard type. This will change the style of the "virtual keyboard" being displayed in search and favorites screens.

You can now search for other shows you are watching or see listed in the guide! To do this press the "#" button on the remote. This will display the new "SEARCH" screen. The title of the event last seen will be displayed in the search text entry box. (This can also be from the guide).
You will also notice a new "Clear Entry" button on the screen. Use this button to clear all text from the "Enter in Search Criteria:" box.
You will also notice a new "Open Keyboard" button under the "Enter in Search Criteria" box. Use the button to display the "virtual on screen keyboard"

The new software also features a new Transparent Guide to turn it on press GUIDE then SWAP on your remote, you will now see the Transparent guide on your screen.

Hints for new transparent guide:
The grid is displayed over the video. If you have a current event highlighted (green event), press the left arrow key, the grid will disappear except for current events. Pressing the left arrow again, moves the highlight to the list of services. Pressing select will change the video displayed.

The new 721 software also features improved sorting! You can now sort PVR recorded events by date or name, plus the PVR 721 can now sort Timers.

Timers can be sorted as follows.

If you select the "sort" option the new "TIMER SORT OPTIONS" screen will be displayed
The new screen will allow you to view your created timers in various orders:
Selecting the "Alpha Numeric" option displays all timers in order of the named event to be recorded
Selecting the "Timer Frequency" option displays all timers in grouped by number of times events will be recorded
Selecting the "Timer Type" option displays all timers grouped/ ordered by types of timers and ordered by when the timer was created
Selecting the "Action Order" option displays all timers ordered in start chronological order.

You can adjust the graphics on screen (on some TV's the graphics were cut off) To do this go to "Preferences" from the main menu
Then select "View Preferences" from the preferences sub-menu Then select the new "More" option in the "VIEW PREFERENCES" screen
In the new "VIEW PREFERENCES" screen you will see the option "Screen Position"
If you use the cursor/ remote to select any of the arrows below the "Screen Position" option then press and hold the select button the on screen graphics will move in the direction of the arrow selected.
Use this option to move your guide or other graphics for better viewing.
Selecting the "Reset" option will set all graphics back to the default position.

There are also many bugs fixed in L1.07 include the following
- Kick to Live Bug is gone (No more being thrown to Live Mode when watching a delayed show)
- Automatic Switch to unused Tuner (instead of going to PIP then SWAP to get to the second tuner)
- Many Timer Bugs Squashed
- Black Out Error on Adult Channels fixed
- Time left on view banner is now accurate instead of displaying 0:00
- Text on view banner is easier to read and larger (Especially the Channel number)

There are other changes on the 721, the guide is easier to read, the channel number is bigger in the banner display, plus there are other options that were not discussed here. Chances are you will find them. If not check back here at DBSTalk.COM in a day or so because chances are people are going to find items that I have not covered.

We thank Echostar and the 721 team for giving us the first look at the new software and for their help in writing this documentation. Again if you have any questions please post them here at DBSTalk.COM however if you are in a bind you can always call Dish Network at (800) 333-DISH.

We hope you enjoy your 721!

[MikeW]

Originally posted by Scott Greczkowski
Also note that if you tune your 721 to channel 0 and then turn on your A/V equipment the picture on your 721 might be in black and white. To fix this problem change to another channel on your 721 then tune back to channel 0, your picture will not be in color.

That doesn't sound like a good fix.

[KEEFP]

Scott, Great job on documenting the new features of 107. I received the update today, but if I did not monitor your site I would have no clue about the new features and bug fixes in the upgrade. I would have expected Dish to provide a readme or some kind of documentation detailing the upgrade. Are they planning on providing anything?

Again, Great job Scott, but Dish continue to ignore the finer details.

Keith

[Scott Greczkowski]

We can hope that if a customer calls looking for detailed 721 information that Dish points them here.

We don't mind offering free support. After all that what we are here for we are people helping people get the most out of their satellite systems.

[SParker]

I notice a very minor bug. When skipping ahead 30 seconds on a recording sometimes the sound lag for a sec or two.

[Chaos]

Funny, but this is the first version of the software that I haven't seen the sound lag problem with.

[DmitriA]

The problem with the games is that they don't mute the programming that is showing in the background behind the game screen and so you are getting the sounds from the game and the program interfering with each other.
Not a big thing, since I doubt that many people will actually play games on their TV, but if they do, they'll find it pretty annoying

[factory]

Scott - Dish should pay you to rewrite the entire 721 manual!

It's certainly outdated now. I think Dish needs to post revised versions of the manual (PDF format would be great) when a new release is implemented.

Jason

[dbronstein]

I'm just wondering how people who don't come to this site are supposed to know about all these upgrades.

Thanks for the details Scott.

Dennis

[MAllen]

Amen.

[Scott Greczkowski]

I would actually like to rewrite the instructions above. It took me about 3 hours to type them up today but I would like to make it easier to follow.

I do like the little pocket guide I made though.

[LarryH]

Great info Scott! Great software upgrade Dish! Here's a couple of more features/fixes that I found in 107:

Can now rewind back into a PVR event (like the 501)
In search results, unsubscribed channels are marked with an "X"
In search results, there are new "next day" & "prev day" buttons
Deleting a protected PVR file now prompts for password (if set)
"Record Time Left" now updates every time you delete an event (not just when you enter the PVR routine)
Menus are much faster!
Can sort PVR recordings by theme
New menu options when you press the record button

The 721 just took a huge leap forward! Please keep the features coming! (OpenTV, IR keyboard, Internet support, name-based timers)

[Jacob S]

I think that Dish should give you something for your support you have given on here. I also think that Dish should give those 721 customers something in the mail of the new features they are getting for added instructions to their booklet, just as they did when webtv customers got their pvr functions with new remote, I believe thats what they did with dishplayer customers.

[Karl Foster]

Originally posted by Scott Greczkowski
The new Dish Network PVR-721 is shaping up to be a world class PVR!

While it appears that the 721 is becoming a great piece of DBS equipment, without the ability to continually search for and record shows by title rather than time and station, I don't know if I'd call it world-class.

For day-to-day recording, time-based recording is fine, but when shows change start times, end times, or are extended, or even canceled, time-based recording just doesn't cut it. An example is changes in the Amazing Race for the past couple of weeks. A time-based PVR will only record the first hour, unless the user manually resets the timer to record the entire show. A title-based PVR will automatically extend that extra hour. The ability to automatically search for titles, actors, etc, is another side benefit of this type of recording. An auto-record set to record Friends will find it on all stations and all times it is on and automatically record all episodes if that is what is wanted. To me title-based recording is the most valuable feature of a PVR. Otherwise it is a VCR with a hard drive. YMMV.

It is good to hear, though, that things are improving on the Dish PVR front. Many of the new features seem really great. I hope you all enjoy them.

[Jacob S]

I think the Tivo-like ability for this feature is the most wanted feature, to be able to record a program by not its time slot, but for program name and know the length that it will be on and adjust accordingly all on its own, title based recordings.

[jerryyyyy]

Update great, but is it my old eyes or are the fonts a tad blurry?????

[Noonch]

Originally posted by Scott Greczkowski
[
Another new feature is that you can jump to any point in the guide, lets say you want to jump 120 hours ahead in the guide. To do this press GUIDE to bring up the guide, then on your keypad type the number of hours in the future you want to jump (In our case 120) then press the BLUE RIGHT ARROW (Marked BROWSE), the guide has now jumped 120 hours into the future![/b]

This is not a new feature, I have been able to do this ever since I got my 721. Am I missing something?

[sampatterson]

My favorite new feature is there are 2 delay buffers now in PIP mode. So you have a delay buffer for both the main and the PIP channel. Cool

[Bob Haller]

I just got it, looks good. Glad the bug is gone that knocks you out of watching a recording. Anyone notice how little VCRs are being used when you have PVR?

[Scott Greczkowski]

What's a VCR???

[SParker]

VCR = Very Crappy Recorder

Originally posted by Scott Greczkowski
What's a VCR???

[Jacob S]

I thought the PIP had 2 hours of buffer as well as the jumping xx numbers ahead in the guide with the right arrow.

[larrydj]

Originally posted by Scott Greczkowski
Another new feature on your 721 is the ability to hook up an external A/V Device such as a DVD Player, Video Game System or VCR to your 721 through the front A/V Inputs on your 721! To watch the A/V Device hooked up to your 721 just tune to Channel 0 on your 721!

Hmmmm....Does this do PIP as well? I could run the AV from my old non-PVR satellite tuner into this input. Then, even if one 721 tuner is recording, I could swap PIP between the other 721 tuner and the external sat rcvr to watch live shows. I'm just thinking of some clever uses for this front panel feature...

[larrydj]

Originally posted by larrydj


I'm just thinking of some clever uses for this front panel feature...

Great, now I'm responding to my own posts.... Actually, I'm wondering if when both 721 tuners are recording, whether you are allowed to tune to Channel 0 to access the front jacks, or whether this is considered a conflict, even thought the tuner isn't used to access channel 0. If it is not considered a conflict, I should be able to run my external non-pvr receiver into these jacks, and use them when both tuners are occupied recording. If you have extra jacks on your AV receiver or TV, this isn't critical, but I'm running out.

[SParker]

Larry,

I just manually recorded 2 shows at the same time and then tuned to channel 0 and it let me.