[SParker]

When I hit guide a lot of the time the little PIP screen says "retreiving satellite information" and not a picture of video. It usually takes a minute or so to get working. Is that normal for the 301?
Thanks

 

[DishDude1]

yes

 

[Mark Lamutt]

The 501, and soon to be 721 are the only receivers that will instantaneously show the video in the guide window because the guide is stored locally on the hard drive. The other receivers have to momentarily switch transponders on the satellite to retrieve the guide data. If you were watching a channel that is on the same transponder as the guide data, I believe that the video should show up immediately.

 

[RJS1111111]

Apparently the 301 and all older receivers cannot hold more than a small portion of the two-day guide at any given time. In order to search the guide, you have to position to the channel and time slot of interest, then wait for that specific portion of the guide to come down again. This can and has taken longer than the timeout period, so you may have to hit channel up/down, and/or shuffle left/right in the guide, in order to ever get this portion filled in. The guide can also get stubbornly stuck on "Info not available" for the portion of interest. In this case, the only thing you can do is cancel the guide and try again.

This is a major pain. It seems to me that the guide software needs revamping, and that $49 worth of flash RAM (or less) in each receiver (along with decent software design) could have prevented this problem entirely. It has given a bad reputation to DISH receivers that endures to this day.

 

[HTguy]

If you get in the habit of turning the unit "off" overnight and/or for extended periods of non-use you will give it the opportunity to download and store more EPG info.

If you need an update while in use, it should go faster if you switch to ch 101 or 120.

If you want instant INFO and complete EPG (up to 7 1/2 days) upgrade or add a PVR. I value those features as much or more than the recording, UHF RC and DD sound.

 

[RJS1111111]

Originally posted by HTguy
If you get in the habit of turning the unit "off" overnight and/or for extended periods of non-use you will give it the opportunity to download and store more EPG info.

But obviously not much more.

If you need an update while in use, it should go faster if you switch to ch 101 or 120.

All right, I will give that a try then.

If you want instant INFO and complete EPG (up to 7 1/2 days) upgrade or add a PVR. I value those features as much or more than the recording, UHF RC and DD sound. [/B]

Well obviously I don't want these things enough yet to fork over the cash. Right after the fence is built, the wedding is over, the relatives go home, etc., maybe we'll have something to spend on a new receiver.

I think a basic receiver shouldn't perform so abysmally, that's all.