# 721 L325 new update



## retiredTech

Finally L325 is here, hopfully it will fix L324's bugs.
(so far seems so, but time will be the judge)


----------



## P Smith

Check the thread on regular basis .

The SW begin spooling yesterday 5:30pm PDT.


----------



## fparkin

I Hope So To On Bug Fix But We Will Wait And See


----------



## merrilea

I have lost everything on my 721. After several reboots I now have the program guide but still no programming.
Anyone else having problems?

Unit will be replaced by Dish


----------



## BNUMM

Well the 9 day guide is back without switching from Dish 300 to Dish 500. My receiver stills locks up and then reboots when I try to access Instant Weather.


----------



## retiredTech

I've been having ocassional playback errors since L325.
ie : slowing/jumping video/audio while playing back a dvr event at normal speed.
Never had them before 325 , I hope this isn't going to continue.
Is anyone else seeing this problem on your 721?


----------



## flatus

retiredTech said:


> I've been having ocassional playback errors since L325.
> ie : slowing/jumping video/audio while playing back a dvr event at normal speed.
> Never had them before 325 , I hope this isn't going to continue.
> Is anyone else seeing this problem on your 721?


yes. funny thing is i was immune to all of the problems listed for the previous software versions. Makes me wonder if there is two dissimilar versions of the 721.


----------



## guywall

For the past two weeks or so, my 721 has been having "issues". 

It has happenend before (several months ago) but then went away and now it is back. Many channels like the ESPN channels and Disney West are not coming in. When I select the channel, the screen is black and says "Lost Signal, Cannot lock channel 140. Please arrow up or down, or please wait." It lists my receiver ID and card ID numbers.

If I wait, nothing ever comes up. It appears to be the 119 sat. 

Several months ago, this would happen in the morning, but in the evening, the channels would come in fine, only to be gone again in the morning anc back again the next night. And so on. 

Now, the channels are not coming in at all. I only have about a 2 day guide and the channels are showing as "Cannot lock". 

I'm waiting for them to come back (hopefully) like they did last time, but I'm getting tired of not being able to see sports highlights at night after the family is in bed! 

I've unplugged the receiver for 15 minutes. I've done a switch test, which shows everything is good. I've held the power button down. Last night I tried the PIP swap, but could not find where I needed to go to see if it was showing as 300 or 500. 

On top of it all, the picture has had some bad flickers in the last week. (it is not my TV)

Any ideas?


----------



## mattcav1

guywall said:


> For the past two weeks or so, my 721 has been having "issues".
> 
> It has happenend before (several months ago) but then went away and now it is back. Many channels like the ESPN channels and Disney West are not coming in. When I select the channel, the screen is black and says "Lost Signal, Cannot lock channel 140. Please arrow up or down, or please wait." It lists my receiver ID and card ID numbers.
> 
> If I wait, nothing ever comes up. It appears to be the 119 sat.
> 
> Several months ago, this would happen in the morning, but in the evening, the channels would come in fine, only to be gone again in the morning anc back again the next night. And so on.
> 
> Now, the channels are not coming in at all. I only have about a 2 day guide and the channels are showing as "Cannot lock".
> 
> I'm waiting for them to come back (hopefully) like they did last time, but I'm getting tired of not being able to see sports highlights at night after the family is in bed!
> 
> I've unplugged the receiver for 15 minutes. I've done a switch test, which shows everything is good. I've held the power button down. Last night I tried the PIP swap, but could not find where I needed to go to see if it was showing as 300 or 500.
> 
> On top of it all, the picture has had some bad flickers in the last week. (it is not my TV)
> 
> Any ideas?


I have the same problem but mine is the locals in the eve and it happened a few months ago but just started again a few days ago. Of course after i explain to the dish techs on the 800 number what the 721 is the never have a clue and want me to replace it.


----------



## mkovacs

retiredTech said:


> I've been having ocassional playback errors since L325.
> ie : slowing/jumping video/audio while playing back a dvr event at normal speed.
> Never had them before 325 , I hope this isn't going to continue.
> Is anyone else seeing this problem on your 721?


I have seen/heard the same thing. I could hear hard drive activity when this happens.
If I go back and replay the section audio, video is ok so I suspect the disc
activity is causing the problem. Overall this update seems to have made the 721 more stable. Will have to wait and see if I still need to do hard (power off) reboot once per week.

Marty


----------



## retiredTech

My 721 lost the 9day guide every morning after L324...

since L325 it does get the 9day guide in morning properly...

BUT since L325 it reverts back to a 3day guide "sometimes" during the day...

AND "nothing"... BUT a reboot has brought the 9day guide on those days. 

The 9day returns the next morning... but may revert again to the 3day during the day.
So E* didn't fix this guide issue completely!


----------



## retiredTech

This morning I had only a 3day guide, so I had to reboot to get the 9day guide.


----------



## retiredTech

well, L325 is NOW worse than L324!
Every morning I have only a 3day guide and only way to get the 9day guide is to reboot.
PLUS sometimes the reboot doesn't bring it back the 9day guide.
At least with L324 I could just change pip channels and trigger the proper 9 day guide download without a reboot.
All this makes me suspect E* is screwing with the guide stream, because L325 worked for a while, but has NOT worked properly for about a week.
Whatever is causing it, E* if you are listening...
FIX IT!


----------



## everette

I'm having the same problem - 9 day guide after I reload (have been daily) - then back to about 30 hours forward when I get home from work.


----------



## rcwilcox

everette said:


> I'm having the same problem - 9 day guide after I reload (have been daily) - then back to about 30 hours forward when I get home from work.


me too very frustrating. sometimes te guide is down to as little as 6 hours come on Dish fix this thing


----------



## FLY5

I'm having a slightly different problem. When I reboot, I get the 9-day EPG. But after that the EPG does NOT get updated again until I reboot (I do shut off the receiver at night). I never used to have this problem before L324/L325.

I just reported this problem to DISH Technical Support via e-mail and referenced the URL for this thread to show that other people were having problems with the EPG as well. 

Have others with the EPG problems reported them to DISH and gotten any response? I don't know how they are about fixing reported problems, but I suspect if we don't report it, there'll be no chance of it getting fixed. So if you haven't reported it, please do.


----------



## guywall

I'm still not getting some of my channels, no 9 or 5 day guide - only a 2 day guide. Even when I reboot, it is not corrected. 

I'm to the point I'm looking at a local provider. I'd hate to give up on the 721 though. After several years of no problems at all, this is not working. I'm going to get a tech to come up soon. We'll see if that works...


----------



## BNUMM

guywall said:


> I'm still not getting some of my channels, no 9 or 5 day guide - only a 2 day guide. Even when I reboot, it is not corrected.
> 
> I'm to the point I'm looking at a local provider. I'd hate to give up on the 721 though. After several years of no problems at all, this is not working. I'm going to get a tech to come up soon. We'll see if that works...


Getting a tech out will not fix your problem. I am an installer and mine is doing the same thing. If this many people are having problems a tech cannot fix it.


----------



## retiredTech

EVERY MORNING : NO 9day guide!
The only way to get it back is ...
do a "switch check" ... then "reboot".
If I just "reboot"... it doesn't work.
OR if I just do a "switch check"... it doesn't work.
HELLO! E* software department! WAKE UP! FIX THIS!
THIS IS YOUR FAULT! 
Our 721s WERE working well ....BEFORE L324 AND L325!
E* this IS your mistake! 
Step up to the task and DO YOUR JOB!
YOU ARE ACTING LIKE THE CABLE COMPANIES! (big and stupid)
FIX THIS and get our respect back!


----------



## everette

I had the same problem. Was having to reset every day until Friday.

I was resetting by pulling the access card and re-inserting it.

Since Friday I have had a full 9 day guide and have not had to reset.

Hope it lasts.


----------



## Grandude

I just checked mine and it only had the 2-day guide.
Went into the menu and looked at the switch. It was messed up so did a check switch and that screen now looks good.
Still just a 2-day guide so am now rebooting the machine.

QUESTION: Why does the 721 take so darn long to boot? The 622 and 921 only take about 5 minutes but the 721 takes more than 15 minutes.


----------



## Grandude

Yesterday after rebooting with the power switch it sat there for two hours in the please wait state so gave up and pulled the plug for 10/15 seconds and then plugged it back in. This time it did boot up all the way and still only 2 day guide. Left it off over night and today still only the 2 day guide. 
Note: This is not a serious issue for me (currently), just reporting my experiences.


----------



## guywall

Still not getting all channels all the time. TNT is out in the evening (when the basketball games are on) but then in later in the evening and some mornings. ESPN does not come in at all. Screen still says it lost lock. 
I do a switch test and reboot (press power button down), still same problems. 

When is the next update? I've got the pricing and channel line up for my local cable provider and since the price is slighlty better and I'd get more channels, I'm tempted. I'm so used to the 721 DVR, I hate having to learn a new DVR all over. SO, FIX THIS!


----------



## P Smith

They are do beta testing new SW [BPAT] on 32 PVR721s from Fri May 04 2007 15:39:07.


----------



## keiths2112

guywall said:


> I'm still not getting some of my channels, no 9 or 5 day guide - only a 2 day guide. Even when I reboot, it is not corrected.
> 
> I'm to the point I'm looking at a local provider. I'd hate to give up on the 721 though. After several years of no problems at all, this is not working. I'm going to get a tech to come up soon. We'll see if that works...


I'm seeing the same thing, after several years without a problem now all I get
is a two day guide. I called tech support, they were no help and are sending
me another unit. They would not tell me what unit they are sending me, if it
is not a 721 I'm going to send it right back to them.

Very disappointed.


----------



## FLY5

I reported the problem to DISH via e-mail on 5/12 and got this reply on 5/13:

We are aware of the issue with this receiver. Our engineers are working on the problem. It will be corrected in a software update. 

They asked for my receiver information and I sent it back to them. I got this reply on 5/14:

Thank you for providing the information for our engineering department. They will try to resolve this issue as soon as possible. Unfortunately, there is not a way for us to know the status of their work; these issues are usually fixed in a software update. Please remember to turn off your receiver when you are not watching TV, so that it can receive the update when it becomes available.

Hmm ... "not a way for them to know the status of their work". I thought phonecalls and e-mails were pretty good for that kind of thing.  

At least they acknowledge that there actually is a problem with the software. That's better than they did on the phone when I called and they told me to reboot a certain way that didn't help and that they would send me another unit if the problem persisted (I don't want another unit - mine worked fine until these latest software changes. What are the chances another one will work better? I want the software fixed!).


----------



## rcwilcox

Thanks for the update. I hope someone from E* reads this forum. MY 721 worked pretty good for a long time (some quirks but if left alone was very satisfactory) but lately it has me thhinking (shiver) cable.


----------



## guywall

After the rest of the family was asleep tonight, I called to see if I could make progress.
I told them:
- not getting some channels (ESPN, TNT, DISNE, to name a few). Screen says Channel 140, lost lock. Please move up/down. Then it lists my Receiver & Smart card numbers and the Sat/Trans/input. 
- only getting a two-day guide. When I checked tonight, I was only getting about a 14 hour guide!

I told them I had checked the switch and had rebooted and unplugged. The CS person sent me to channels 9904 & 9900 (I think) and we waited 2 miuntes. Still nothing.
So, she said she could send a new unit or have a tech come out. I said yes to the tech but after reading FLY5's post, I will probably cancel it. 

Sure hope the mentioned update comes soon.


----------



## finniganps

guywall said:


> After the rest of the family was asleep tonight, I called to see if I could make progress.
> I told them:
> - not getting some channels (ESPN, TNT, DISNE, to name a few). Screen says Channel 140, lost lock. Please move up/down. Then it lists my Receiver & Smart card numbers and the Sat/Trans/input.
> - only getting a two-day guide. When I checked tonight, I was only getting about a 14 hour guide!
> 
> So, she said she could send a new unit or have a tech come out. I said yes to the tech but after reading FLY5's post, I will probably cancel it.
> 
> Sure hope the mentioned update comes soon.


I ALSO lost my ESPN channels and had the two day problem for a while. They offered teh same thing. Then the tech said I probably needed to change the cable from the dish to the swutch on Sat 119 - the one that fed those channels.

This was 3 weeks ago. The channel comes and goes (mostly stays). If the cable was bad I'm not so sure it would come and go, so I will wait until the next software upgrade to change the cable unless it STAYS out. I would have been charged to have the tech look at the problem and I don't want a new unit - my DVR is pretty full right now.


----------



## guywall

finniganps said:


> I ALSO lost my ESPN channels and had the two day problem for a while. They offered teh same thing. Then the tech said I probably needed to change the cable from the dish to the swutch on Sat 119 - the one that fed those channels.
> 
> This was 3 weeks ago. The channel comes and goes (mostly stays). If the cable was bad I'm not so sure it would come and go, so I will wait until the next software upgrade to change the cable unless it STAYS out. I would have been charged to have the tech look at the problem and I don't want a new unit - my DVR is pretty full right now.


Finniganps, we're both in Walntu Creek! Nice to know another Dish/DBStalker in the area. I've been considering Astound with all of these 721 problems. Prices and channel line up looks pretty good. I just hate the idea of learning a new DVR that I have never seen in action. 
Have you had them before or seen their DVR?


----------



## finniganps

guywall said:


> Finniganps, we're both in Walntu Creek! Nice to know another Dish/DBStalker in the area. I've been considering Astound with all of these 721 problems. Prices and channel line up looks pretty good. I just hate the idea of learning a new DVR that I have never seen in action.
> Have you had them before or seen their DVR?


I called Astound last year and found that Astound was sorely inferior. The DVR cost was $10/month extra. The biggest issue for me was that over 20 channels were analog instead of digital. This included the network stations. I refuse to go back to analog especially for channels I watch a lot - the networks. I also asked for very specific information on pricing to get the same thing I have now and found Astound to be significantly more. I currently have a 508 (single tuner DVR and the 721). To get something similar was more then $30 per month more. I do not know how well the Astound DVR's work. If you go that route let me know how you like it.

BTW: I do subscribe to Astound for internet and phone and am very satisfied with those.

You might have better luck switching to Direct since they are also all digital.


----------



## Grandude

As of today I have now lost the 2 day guide data. Now have no data. shucks, I didn't think it could get worse, but it did. 

I don't want another 721, I want software for this one that works. Now I don't record anything on it for fear that I will have to send it back, again, for a 'new' one.

My old original 721 was a real gem, until they started updating the software. Maybe Dish will give me a 622 to replace this 721 and not charge me a DVR fee.
HaH!


----------



## keiths2112

Well, my replacement 721 arrived today, I'm not doing anything until after the
LOST finale. I hope I can just drop in the new 721 and see if it has the same
problem. I assume it should as it will update to L325 and should show the
same guide errors. I can then just swap my old one back in and send the
"new" (its refurbished) back.


----------



## flatus

At the end of last week I had no guide at all, except for the currently broadcasting shows. Then over this weekend, my guide is back to normal-- all 9 days. I still have the 325 software and I didn;t do any sort of resets.
I dunno whats going on. Where is Lenord Nemoy when you need him????


----------



## kwd57

flatus said:


> At the end of last week I had no guide at all, except for the currently broadcasting shows. Then over this weekend, my guide is back to normal-- all 9 days. I still have the 325 software and I didn;t do any sort of resets.
> I dunno whats going on. Where is Lenord Nemoy when you need him????


My 9 day guide came back sometime over the weekend too, but it only lasted for one day, and is now back to the 2 day guide.


----------



## Grandude

I got the bugfix software this afternoon and looks good. First time with a 9 day guide in many moons. (A little Indian lingo)


----------



## kwd57

Grandude said:


> I got the bugfix software this afternoon and looks good. First time with a 9 day guide in many moons. (A little Indian lingo)


what software?


----------



## Grandude

kwd57 said:


> what software?


See Testers needed thread.:grin:


----------



## P Smith

The two models 721 and 921 will always suffer from that super-pooper Dish idea to encrypt/decrypt on-the-fly recordings on disk. 
A lot of processing - a lot of system resources, a lot of conflicts for memory, semaphores, etc.
Who writing embedded software they knows what I'm talking about.


----------



## Grandude

L3.26 downloaded to my 721 today and the 9 day guide is working properly. 
I think that was all that was fixed in this release but don't hold me to that. I wasn't having any other problems anyway.


----------



## Charise

I checked last night and this morning--I still have 325. No update for me, and though I rebooted last night and had the 9-day guide, this morning I had a *3-HR *guide, with no info showing after 10:00 a.m. this morning. :nono2:


----------



## flatus

I got 326 sometime last night. I have a 9 day guide (so far).


----------



## Charise

I'll reboot again after I get home. I want it too!


----------



## retiredTech

Got L326. Seems like its going to work. So far so good.


----------



## kwd57

I got 326 on tuesday and guide is back. Also the progress bar for downloading the guide works now, which never worked before.


----------

