921 - L2.70 Software Release Notes and Discussion

**Jason Nipp** · 09-15-05, 02:23 PM

Software Version L2.70 for DP921:

low-level system changes
fix for 4x FF trick modes acting like skip ahead
Blacked-out event pop-up message changes (text and navigation)

David_Levin · 09-15-05, 02:36 PM

Thanks Jason. I guess "low-level system changes" could mean about anything.

Hopefully the last one is the pop up banner when a timer fires.

No timer or aspect improvments mentioned, but I suppose #1 leaves it open

jergenf · 09-15-05, 03:25 PM

Why did the version number jump so high?
Did it really undergo 51 changes during beta testing?

Update:
Never mind just found out from Mark that it was only 4 revisions since.
Still does explain why the revision is so high.

BobMurdoch · 09-15-05, 04:41 PM

.... nor if there were 4 changes, why did they only change three little things only, when so many other issues are screaming for attention......

Did the overscan aspect ratio bug get fixed (where ESPN/CNN etc. banners get chopped )? Someone mentioned that they look better, but I haven't heard any official mention of it yet (does that count as low level?.... actually, what DOES count as low level changes?)

Skates · 09-15-05, 05:28 PM

Bob - I'm one of the "unofficial" people who sees a big improvement on overscan.

As mentioned in the other thread, my crawls for all the news channels and ESPN were basically cut in half (meaning that if I made no adjustments from default, the top half was visible but the bottom half was not).

Now, all crawls are 100% visible.

Also, my 921 has been a republican for a few revisions (the screen leaned to the right)

. Now it is properly centered.

Just my observations...

**Ron Barry** · 09-15-05, 07:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jergenf

Why did the version number jump so high?
Did it really undergo 51 changes during beta testing?

Update:
Never mind just found out from Mark that it was only 4 revisions since.
Still does explain why the revision is so high.

Dish does not overlap version numbers across receivers. That is reason for the big jump. The 811 had a similar big jump on their last realease.

mwgiii · 09-15-05, 07:29 PM

Thanks Jason.

**Jason Nipp** · 09-15-05, 09:35 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by David_Levin

Thanks Jason. I guess "low-level system changes" could mean about anything.

I know, I will inquire if any more info is available, but I am not as in with the 921 group as Mark or Allen, so maybe they would be better to ask what this means.

joebird · 09-16-05, 01:10 AM

My trick play operation is now messed up. I was trying a frame advance during the football game. I used to be able to pause, then hit the 'forward skip' arrow to advance one frame. This mostly worked before. Now, each time I hit the button, it seems to be advancing 4 frames (my guess).

I was not aware of a problem where 4x FF mode acted like skip ahead, but now the single-frame advance trick play operation is more like 4x frame advance.

My box is also now very sluggish, even after a soft reset.

ebaltz · 09-16-05, 02:49 AM

Yep I noticed the same problem, step forward 1 frame no longer works, it seems like all the trick play functions are kind of buggy now. Never had any issues with my 510 or 501, but the 921 used to work, but now it is all screwed up.

boylehome · 09-16-05, 07:22 AM

I created a daily timer to Auto-Tune and have discovered that it still prevents the 921 from doing the daily auto-reboot.

"BTW what are the, "low-level system changes"?

mwgiii · 09-16-05, 08:48 AM

How in the HE** did they mess up the frame advance?

It was bad enough that they haven't fixed the one second jump (when you are paused and then hit frame advance the video jumps about a second forward), but they broke one of the cool things that worked.

Mike123abc · 09-16-05, 09:34 AM

It looks like the frame advance is now like the frame reverse. It looks like it jumps to the next I-Frame which is every 1/2 second or so. One could understand it jumping I-Frame to I-Frame in reverse since it would actually take a bit of effort to get frame by frame working in reverse, but it should be easy in the forward direction, and it used to work.

Also, after it downloaded, none of my timers fired. I did a reboot on it by pressing the power button 10 seconds, and after that the timers started to fire again.

Bradtothebone · 09-16-05, 09:51 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by joebird

My trick play operation is now messed up. I was trying a frame advance during the football game. I used to be able to pause, then hit the 'forward skip' arrow to advance one frame. This mostly worked before. Now, each time I hit the button, it seems to be advancing 4 frames (my guess).

I was not aware of a problem where 4x FF mode acted like skip ahead, but now the single-frame advance trick play operation is more like 4x frame advance.

My box is also now very sluggish, even after a soft reset.

I'm seeing the same thing on the "forward skip" AND "backward skip" after a pause. I also had a total freezeup during the viewing of an "old" recording last night. I pressed the skip buttons to try to unlock it, and it sent me back to the beginning of the show. After I fast-forwarded past the lockup point, it played fine.

Brad

Mark Lamutt · 09-16-05, 01:43 PM

I don't know exactly what "low level system changes" means in this instance, but usually it indicates a system level change affecting security, a driver change, a possibly a system level guide data change.

mwgiii · 09-16-05, 02:15 PM

Thanks Mark.

ebaltz · 09-16-05, 02:44 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mark Lamutt

I don't know exactly what "low level system changes" means in this instance, but usually it indicates a system level change affecting security, a driver change, a possibly a system level guide data change.

Looks like whatever it means it translates to screwed up trick play.

klaatu · 09-16-05, 02:46 PM

Right now, the only option I have is wait for the 921 to mess up, freeze up or fail - then I am forced to load whatever version E* wants to punish me with.

After many updates to this dissappointing beast, I would like the same option I have on my 5xx series. That's NOT TO ACCEPT a DOWNLOAD of a NEW VERSION!

Jim Kosinsky · 09-16-05, 03:48 PM

Well, for me so far this has been a good update. Overscan has been fixed, AR issues have yet to re-appear and so far, no crashes. We'll see if its still misfiring timers over the wknd where many of my recordings have recently launched on the wrong date/channel.

E* fixing the compression rates on the HD channels is a big issue for me now (HD Theater is very poor compared to what it used to be), but that of course is an issue for another thread

Geoff Goodfellow · 09-16-05, 10:29 PM

if the

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jason Nipp

Software Version L2.70 for DP921:

low-level system changes

where suppose to do anything to help the Freezing picture, pixelation and audio dropouts, they did not.

(i'm recording an HD and SD at the same time while watching the HD i'm recording and getting the Freezing picture, pixelation and audio dropouts)

boylehome · 09-17-05, 07:50 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mark Lamutt

I don't know exactly what "low level system changes" means in this instance, but usually it indicates a system level change affecting security, a driver change, a possibly a system level guide data change.

Both of my 921's take about 10 seconds for audio/video to work after the any type of reboot, so the delay is a good indicator that the auto reboot actually occurred.

Mark, thanks for some insight about the low-level system change definition. Do you know if this was the, "second release fix" for the ZSR problem?

James_Bruce · 09-18-05, 08:41 PM

I have something new on my 921 (the one that is working) If two programs are recording and I go to switch to another program and don't realize I am recording two things, it tells me that the program is blacked out in my area, not the usual both tuners are in use, please stop one message..
I stop one program from the dvr and it switches fine.

Eppsk · 09-19-05, 12:29 AM

I now have a horizontal line of distortion about 1/3 of the way up from the bottom of the screen that has reappeared after being fixed about 3 updates ago. I also have the trick play problem and one of my local HD channels now has pixelation and audio dropouts that I've never had before. As for the positive, overscan is better and I have programming info for all the local subchannels that had been lost with the last update.

Damiang · 09-19-05, 06:53 AM

I am pleased to report that 270 has greatly improved my overscan issues where 4:3 material side bars are equal on both sides. One Guide data channel was fixed 004-01. Thanks to those that were instrumental to getting the above re-implemented.

Now all I have remaining to be fixed is the below guide data...

Station - Call Letters - Guide Data received...

002-01 wgrz No (Please can we fix this one, dish I beg you please fix this one; I had it before so I know you can do it )

004-01 wivb YES (fixed)
007-01 wkbw Yes
023-01 wnlo Yes
029-01 wutv Yes
049-01 wnyo No
043-1 wned No
043-2 wned Yes

BobMurdoch · 09-19-05, 08:56 AM

It missed my NFL Prime Time timer last night on ESPN HD. I noticed the record light wasn't on at about 7:40. Tried to manually record and it wouldn't let me. Sigh. Hard Reboot. 7 Minute wait (Did they make it LONGER???????). Plus, now after the reboot, we get the silver coin logo, then the downloading data screen, and then....... a black screen for ANOTHER 3 minutes. Did it crash? Is it still downloading? Wait, the menu button works, and I can get to a few menus, but no picture and I can't change channels. THENthe picture shows up. Still no timer fire. So I delete the old timer. And make a new one. Hey the red light comes on! (polite applause).

HOW'S THAT MPEG4 TRANSITION COMIN, CHARLIE?

We've now passed the original Dishplayer on the frustration scale. Bravo.