# 942 vs. 622 software



## brettbolt (Feb 22, 2006)

I have been using a Vip622 for nearly a year now. It still has many problems with basic functionality items like pause, fast forward, rewind, single frame reverse, and OTA dropouts. 

I am wondering if the 942 software works better than the 622? For example, on my Vip622, fast forward and rewind are very jerky. And if you pause/unpause it will not resume in exactlly the same place. Another problem is while receiving KCRA Channel 3 HD (Sacramento), there are frequent skips (1 or 2 per minute) of both audio and video.

Does the 942 have these same issues? I am thinking about getting one when my 622 lease is up (or maybe even before!). I realize that I will not receive satellite HD but I don't care -- I watch mostly OTA HD.


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## CABill (Mar 20, 2005)

I'll record Raines tonight at 9PM on 3-01 on a 942 and if you do the same, we'd at least have the same thing to compare. It is skipping L & O as it is a rerun.

Did you get the 4.01 and 4.03 firmware downloads on your 622? I don't pay real close attention since I don't have a 622, but I thought it had improvements for pause and skip stuff.


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## brettbolt (Feb 22, 2006)

CABill said:


> I'll record Raines tonight at 9PM on 3-01 on a 942 and if you do the same, we'd at least have the same thing to compare. It is skipping L & O as it is a rerun.
> 
> Did you get the 4.01 and 4.03 firmware downloads on your 622? I don't pay real close attention since I don't have a 622, but I thought it had improvements for pause and skip stuff.


Great idea, I have Raines set to record on 3-01 (OTA). I'll report my observations here. The problem I'm referring to is frequent 1-3 second skips (lost content) during playback. But if you go back and watch again, you can see what you missed.

Yes, I got the 4.01 and 4.03 firmware downloads. I was hoping they would improve functionality, but there are still several problems. I still can't do single frame backwards like before. And pause/unpause is inconsistent on where you resume watching. And now with 4.03, pause/unpause sometimes causes it to get stuck at the same spot (can't play, go forward, or backward). But if you change the channel you will get video again. At least I don't have to re-boot when it happens.

Bill, I remember you from when we worked as Systems Programmers at SII. As we are both very experienced programmers, I'll bet we could fix these receiver problems.


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## CABill (Mar 20, 2005)

Wow, it would take a real "case" to tag me as ex-SII from "CABill"!! I do still do occasional work for Lennane @ JC Produce. Some other SII names that work there include Tedesco, Herr, Swann, O'Flaherty, Resisenweber, Francis, ... But I do more work at Active.com (w/ Serences). Seems incestuous!

It has been 20 years since I did any microcode or embedded systems though.

I haven't noticed skips on the OTA channels, but KCRA and KVIE drop the strength all the way down to 95. 10-01, 13-01, 40-01, & 58-01 are all 99-100. 31-01 is about 90, but I don't think I record/watch anything on it.

<UnsubstantiatedSpeculation>
Dropouts that you can skip back and replay correctly could be processor bandwidth overload. Like it isn't the channel you recorded from, but the channel(s) the tuners are on WHILE you watch the recording. You could take hits during the recording as well, but I'd suggest testing what you get for skips on a recorded program when both sat tuners are on low bandwidth 480i (say 101 and 107) and the OTA tuner is on the static screen of 6-02. Compare that "skip frequency" to when TV1 is recording an MPEG4 channel and the OTA tuner is set to 03-01 while you watch the recording. My guess is the skips increase. But I can't get any MPEG4 stuff with my 942.


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## brettbolt (Feb 22, 2006)

CABill said:


> Wow, it would take a real "case" to tag me as ex-SII from "CABill"!!


Actually I figured it out a couple of years ago, in some posts where you used your full name. Say hi to Bridget and Swann (the Canadian) for me.



CABill said:


> <UnsubstantiatedSpeculation>
> Dropouts that you can skip back and replay correctly could be processor bandwidth overload. Like it isn't the channel you recorded from, but the channel(s) the tuners are on WHILE you watch the recording. You could take hits during the recording as well, but I'd suggest testing what you get for skips on a recorded program when both sat tuners are on low bandwidth 480i (say 101 and 107) and the OTA tuner is on the static screen of 6-02. Compare that "skip frequency" to when TV1 is recording an MPEG4 channel and the OTA tuner is set to 03-01 while you watch the recording. My guess is the skips increase. But I can't get any MPEG4 stuff with my 942.


I agree, processor overload is a very likely cause of the dropouts. They seemed to happen mostly when watching KCRA3 HD time delayed (trick play). The 622 is still recording the end of the show while playing back from the beginning. Lots of HD to shovel through the system and maybe to keep up it has to drop bunches of frames here and there.

Tonight I did not see any dropouts on 'Raines', but I did see one on Jay Leno (same OTA station). The situation seems to be improved now that I have 4.03.

But when I rewind at 1/4 speed, it looks like a slide show rather than a rewind. 1/4 speed forward works as expected. I watch lots of sports and single frame and slo-mo are important to me. Does the 942 have these same problems?


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## CABill (Mar 20, 2005)

Working on fault tolerant systems is much different from systems with fault tolerant users. 

No issues with Raines, but we are more likely to watch shows the day after they record, not catchup with live.

The absence of complaints in the 942 forum shouldn't be construed as it working better for backing up frames though. I recall a time when you could do that but it is a distant memory. Paused back-up or slo-mo rewind do jump back to complete I-frames. If they transmit a full I-frame, then a dozen frames with just changes to that image, it is easy to do next frame forward. To do previous frame, you have to backup to the prior I-frame and apply all but the last change (or cache all the frame change results). If it isn't OTA, DISH can control the time between I-frames and gets more content in the same data bandwidth the more it stretches the time between them. KCRA-DT controlls its own transmission and its full 1080i is probably more demanding than the MPEG4 compressed version DISH provides - even with 3-02's 480i content lowering 3-01's bandwidth.

What the 622's sat tuners are "watching" may be important to the skips too. When they need real time processor, it is more important than end user viewing. You can afterall skip back 10 seconds and watch the missed content. I'd guess that when it loses track of "changes since last I-frame", it just blanks audio and video until the next I-frame. I do see that occasionally, but they are pretty rare for me.


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## RichardMorris (Apr 15, 2007)

I have both a 942 and a 622. Other than the 622 getting more HD channels, I would say that the quality of picture is the same. Both behave the same in the control functions. I like the 622 better.


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## Tulsa1 (Oct 15, 2003)

RichardMorris said:


> I have both a 942 and a 622. Other than the 622 getting more HD channels, I would say that the quality of picture is the same. Both behave the same in the control functions. I like the 622 better.


I am about to move from my 942 to 622. 
My 942 has been a very good DVR for me but I need to prepare for MPEG4
I guess I'm hoping for a good experience in doing this.
What do you like better in the 622?


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## Jon Spackman (Feb 7, 2005)

I have both and they are the same except the 622 gets more channels. I use them both equally and enjoy the heck out of both.


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## Tulsa1 (Oct 15, 2003)

Jon Spackman said:


> I have both and they are the same except the 622 gets more channels. I use them both equally and enjoy the heck out of both.


Thanks Jon
I still have the old dish configuration of two small dishes pointing two
different directions. Will these be used for the 622 also?


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## Jon Spackman (Feb 7, 2005)

Sorta, you will need 61.5 or 129 for the extra channels. do you have 61.5 now?


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## Tulsa1 (Oct 15, 2003)

Jon Spackman said:


> Sorta, you will need 61.5 or 129 for the extra channels. do you have 61.5 now?


Yes, 61.5 is one of my dishes now


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