# 508 w/1.98 dead? Anyone else?



## psycaz (Oct 4, 2002)

My 508 upgraded last night to P1.98 from 1.96
When I turned on the receiver this morning all I get is an " acquiring satellite" screen with a very fast flashing "smart card is not correctly inserted" error message.
The smart card error flashes about once a minute for less that 2 sec. ( Took me almost 8 times before I could figure out what the error said.)
Called support and after trying reseating the smart card, soft reboot, and hard reboot, nothing has changed. 
They said they would report it back to the engineers and see if they get more calls. If not corrected by tomorrow morning, I would probably have to rma the unit.

Is anyone else seeing anything close to this?


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## Nolzman (Aug 29, 2003)

psycaz said:


> My 508 upgraded last night to P1.98 from 1.96
> When I turned on the receiver this morning all I get is an " acquiring satellite" screen with a very fast flashing "smart card is not correctly inserted" error message.
> The smart card error flashes about once a minute for less that 2 sec. ( Took me almost 8 times before I could figure out what the error said.)
> Called support and after trying reseating the smart card, soft reboot, and hard reboot, nothing has changed.
> ...


I recently had a similar problem with my 508. Was acting very flakey. I called Dish and they sent a replacement for free. In the meantime, I simply unplugged the unit from the wall for about 30 seconds. This fixed the main problems I was having. I suspect there was a build up static electricity in the circuits that could only be eliminated by cutting all power. Hope this helps.


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## psycaz (Oct 4, 2002)

Actually I also did try unplugging it. Left it unplugged for about 30 minutes. Same thing when I started it back up....


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## DJ Rob (Jul 24, 2003)

Mine died too last night right after the update. It went from the updating screen just to black. I left it overnight and it just has a black screen. I cycled the power and still just a black screen. I called and since I purchased it last August it is no longer under warranty. They want $199 from me to replace it. I even called back and was only offered the $199 'DEAL'. I may look at deals from Direct TV this weekend instead.


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## Scott Greczkowski (Mar 21, 2002)

DJ Rob send an email to [email protected] and let them know what happened, they will ship you another one for $14.95.


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## DJ Rob (Jul 24, 2003)

Scott Greczkowski said:


> DJ Rob send an email to [email protected] and let them know what happened, they will ship you another one for $14.95.


I will do that.


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## psycaz (Oct 4, 2002)

Just a qucik update - unit still non-functional, so it is being rma'd. Support hasn't heard of any other issues of smart card issues with latest software update. So glad I have the $1.99 warranty...Takes any issues out of the loop.


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## Mark Lamutt (Mar 24, 2002)

Both of my 508s are at p198 now, and I'm having no problems with either one of them.


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## psycaz (Oct 4, 2002)

Support didn't think it had anything to do with the update either when I first called, but he wasn't sure since it happened as soon as I turned on the box after the overnight update.
Should have known it would pick now to die as their was about 16 hrs worth of things I wanted to record this weekend...


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## Jacob S (Apr 14, 2002)

This is one reason why they should have a choice on the 721 to take new software updates or not. Does the 501/508 not have that option either?


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## DJ Rob (Jul 24, 2003)

Jacob S said:


> This is one reason why they should have a choice on the 721 to take new software updates or not. Does the 501/508 not have that option either?


My 508 has (I mean had) the option to not update until you give permission but they sometimes force the updates anyway...


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## Guest (Sep 1, 2003)

*Enough with the personal vendetta. Post deleted.

Mark Lamutt
DBSTalk Administrator
*


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## Guest (Sep 1, 2003)

There is no personal vendetta, However I do find it amusing as hell when someone claims be selling an item as a retailer that doesn't know their product at all. The dealers that I choose to deal with, and that I do deal with know their products inside and out and can thoroughly explain how to use their products.


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## Jacob S (Apr 14, 2002)

Excuse me Dealers nemesis but I have not dealt with a 501/508 for a good while, probably over a year. I asked this question because I seen where the 721 did not have this feature so I was curious if the 501/508 had this feature by now or not since I had dealt with them. Every single time I see your posts following mine ends up being something against me personally. I do not think there is anything wrong with me or my doings, but I think there is obviously something wrong with you seeing how you always try to find faults with me and only me. I do not come on the board to post against anyone because that is not my intention. I come on here to learn and chat just as most do, not to hear rants from you and to post negatively of others constantly as you do. Give it a rest. Why do you attack me and my posts and not anyone else's? Just because I am a retailer I should not be attacked as a result. I am a human being just like everyone else on here and expect to be treated the same. 

I had a feeling that when I posted that you would post some type of comment. I wish that I could post things without you having rude comments. It gets pretty bad when it gets to the point that I cannot learn on here along with chat and post a question without someone making it out like I am an idiot or something. 

Dont you even dare tell me that there is no personal vendetta against me when you seem to attack me and my posts. So you assume that I do not know my products and cannot explain how to use them? I have helped a number of people on this board and a lot of people have helped me. I find it rather stupid to tell me and others on the board how I know nothing about a product because I ask a question about a product. Get real! You are turning everything around when I post something turning a post into something against me. That is personal attack telling me I know nothing about a product when I ask a question about something. Enough is enough, I am tired of you and your personal attacks.

When someone asks me a question whether they are a retailer or a new subscriber I dont judge them as you do me. That is WRONG! I instead try to help them out, be kind, courteous, and polite. You do not have much character coming on here accusing me of things and judging me everytime I post questions. I am not here to hear your crap and to be criticized when I post. I am here to work together with others to learn more about satellite and to discuss satellite. If you do not have anything good to say and anything positive to say at all then say nothing at all. Its like you love to start things on here or something. It seems like you do more of that than anything else when you post.


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## Guest (Sep 2, 2003)

ROFFLMFAO!
Take a look at the last post by me that was deleted by Mark Lamutt. I don't think that the post was all that bad. I stated that IIRC you just got two 508 receivers YOU DID DIDN'T YOU! assuming that you installed these in your own home. obviously you didn't do this. If you had you would have or should have known that this feature is available. I do not see the comment saying that as a dealer you should have known this to be THAT upsetting to you or Mark. The only other posts was started over a year ago about dealers taking remote controls out of the box and not giving them to the customers. That practice was wrong of the dealers, ( All DEALERS) doing this practice. You tried to defend this practice. To this day I still think that the practice is wrong and I'll stand by my remarks on that. It is wrong. Many other dealers also felt that this practice is wrong AND THEY STATED SO! DISH as a company said that this practice was wrong and should not take place..... 
So TAKE A DEEP CLEANSING BREATH, GET A THICKER SKIN, AND GET OVER IT!


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## Guest (Sep 2, 2003)

Geez Dealers nemesis, It looks like you found someone who is extra sensitive or something. It took me quite a while but I went back and found a thread where the remote deal started. In fact I read the comments you made which were deleted by Mark Lamutt Administrator. I didn't see anything wrong with what you said. I have to say ol buddy, I have to agree with you whole heartedly on this. I know I would be pissed as hell if something like that happened to me and I agree that if you bought it and it came in the box it should stay with you. It belongs to you! I don't understand how anyone can try to justify that either. I have been lurking here for only a short while, trying to learn all that I can. I don't have satellite TV yet, and I'm not so sure I will ever get it. For now anyway. It is comforting to me to know that there are some people out there, who still have morals and a conscience.


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## Bill R (Dec 20, 2002)

I, too, have been critical of dealers (both DISH and DirecTV) that do not know about their or the other vendor's product line. That is suppose to be their job, isn't it?

I read the post that was deleated. While I didn't agree with the personal attack, I DO believe that the administrators SHOULD have left the valid points that "Dealers nemesis" made.


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## Mark Lamutt (Mar 24, 2002)

Bill - that's why DN's other posts are still there. The one post that I deleted was purely a personal attack. I have no problem with posts attacking Dish Network, or even dealers in general, but when the attacks become personal, and frequent (ie EVERY SINGLE POST LEFT BY A USER), it goes too far and I have to put the admin hat on and step in.


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## Guest (Sep 2, 2003)

Mark, I guess thats why they pay you the big bucks. ha ha
I have read and again re-read that same exact thread where it started and where it ended. or where you ended it by deleting the post by DN. I still do not see how it is a personal attack on the dealer in question (or the questionable dealer). Unless the word Jeezus was un-nerving or rattling to you. 
Even going back a year ago when the one thread that I feel that Jacob is referring to. I do not see it as a personal attack.
Rather a defense of consumer rights by not allowing any dealer to justify theft. I feel that DN was in the right by not allowing someone to try to justify it to him......In my own case I had a cable installer come into my home and take something, he didn't realize that he was seen and before he left the local police department was at my door. Needless to say the cable boy was booked and prosecuted, along with losing his job. Same situation would apply if it were a Sat Tv installer.
So if you seen something else in this particular thread, I would really like to see it, just for curiosity sakes. As I don't think you can show justification in this thread. 
I only responded to this thread because it did seem appropriate and I personally feel strong about this . But I guess you don't want to hear that either. I guess to each his own, Enough said, I'll butt out and not become involved in your Forums.


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## jcase (Mar 25, 2002)

BTW for the record I emailed the person playing Dealers Nemisis and told him to knock it off, guess next I will have to post who Dealers Nemisis is. 

Let's hope I don't need to.


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## Jacob S (Apr 14, 2002)

For your information Dealers Nemesis I still have the two 508's unopened in two boxes so thats why I did not know if it did have that screen. I assumed that it did but seeing how the 721 did not I could not remember from over a year ago when I had the 501 if it had that feature or not. I did not see how that makes one not know their product at all. 

Also I did not say it was right to steal someone's second remote so dont go and say that I was trying to defend those that did!

Its one thing to post your points but another to post towards one person in particular and start slandering like I know nothing about Dish Network products. You can make your points valid without making them towards one particular person and putting them down. I sell very few DVR products and its been a good while since I messed with the 501. These two 508's that I have received is the first I have ever received of those. The 301 is the mainstream receiver I deal with.

Thanks Scott for trying to help with the matter. It is appreciated.


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## Ron Barry (Dec 10, 2002)

i find it very interesting that DM and "Thinking about...." are both guest posts. Makes one wonder if they are one in the same person? This is very commonly done in these situations. I did not see the attacks personally, but ever time I see a post with "GET A THICKER SKIN" my skin crawls. (Pun Fully intended) 

If the attack warranted a moderator removing the post, my guess is that getting a thicker skin is not the solution to the problem. Civil posting is. If you can't meet the civility rules on Dbstalk, there are plenty of other forums that are more liberly in their posting. People that run this board set the rules and from what I can tell they try to be fair. Forums like these are not democracies and the great thing about the net is that you can always great your own if you don't like what is out there.

On a final note, the same rational for the D* for E*switch argument can be used with DBSTalk. If you don't like the rules or the way DBSTalk is being run, you can always go someplace else to rant. For me, I personally like ranting here.


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## Mark Lamutt (Mar 24, 2002)

WeeJavaDude said:


> i find it very interesting that DM and "Thinking about...." are both guest posts. Makes one wonder if they are one in the same person?


hmmmm....ding ding ding...


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## Guest (Sep 5, 2003)

Hmmmm, ding ding ding, Negative. wrong. The Mutt was wrong. It appears to me that DN has satellite in one form or another. on the other hand I do not have sat tv and I won't be getting it anytime soon. I get by well enough with my roof top antenna. I only found DBS Talk about 4 - 5 weeks ago and this is only my second post. Oh and by the way, I know it was not remote controls, it was in the remote control thread. It was SW21's, whatever the hell that is.


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## Guest (Sep 5, 2003)

jcase said:


> BTW for the record I emailed the person playing Dealers Nemisis and told him to knock it off, guess next I will have to post who Dealers Nemisis is.
> 
> Let's hope I don't need to.


For the record:
Well I don't know who you sent the e-mail to but, I haven't seen anything from you or Scott Greckowski concerning anything. Have you seen anything Thinking about.


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## DJ Rob (Jul 24, 2003)

DJ Rob said:


> Mine died too last night right after the update. It went from the updating screen just to black. I left it overnight and it just has a black screen. I cycled the power and still just a black screen. I called and since I purchased it last August it is no longer under warranty. They want $199 from me to replace it. I even called back and was only offered the $199 'DEAL'. I may look at deals from Direct TV this weekend instead.


I got my replacement 508 via UPS - it ended up being a 510.
When I tried to activate it, I was told that I would have to pay the DVR fee. What a pain! I said no.
I talked to a supervisor; they're "gonna try to send" me a refurb 508 instead.
In the meantime, I've been without TV for almost 3 weeks and I will have to wait until the refurb 508 shows up; if it does...


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## Ron Barry (Dec 10, 2002)

Very Intersting Rob, I was worried that they would not be properly set up to handle this situation. It will be interesting if they get you a 508 out in a timely manner.



DJ Rob said:


> I got my replacement 508 via UPS - it ended up being a 510.
> When I tried to activate it, I was told that I would have to pay the DVR fee. What a pain! I said no.
> I talked to a supervisor; they're "gonna try to send" me a refurb 508 instead.
> In the meantime, I've been without TV for almost 3 weeks and I will have to wait until the refurb 508 shows up; if it does...


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## Mike D-CO5 (Mar 12, 2003)

WeeJavaDude said:


> Very Intersting Rob, I was worried that they would not be properly set up to handle this situation. It will be interesting if they get you a 508 out in a timely manner.


 Make sure Dish credits you for every day that you are without sat service in your home. My dad's 301 receiver went out after the latest software update and they are sending a replacement and crediting my dad the 4 days he will be without his receiver. Of course he has only one receiver.

I wondered how they would handle the replacements on the 508s . It looks like everyone will be getting a dvr with a fee before long. So much for grandfathered dvrs. Maybe there is some truth to the rumor that the 721 is out of production.


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## Mike Richardson (Jun 12, 2003)

Getting a 510 really sucks. I say that if they keep giving you 510s tell them that you'll take the 510 but only if it has no fees.


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## Ron Barry (Dec 10, 2002)

Well this is the usecase I was concerned about

1) User A has a 508 and an extended contract.
2) User's A 508 goes out. 
3) User A asked for a replacement and there are no refurbished 508 available. 

I hope Dish does not expect user A to start paying a DVR fee and waiting 2 weeks to refurbish their current unit is not an acceptable solution as I see it. Would be interesting to see what Dish things about this use case? Wonder if they have a policy on it.


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## psycaz (Oct 4, 2002)

I wonder if once the 522's start coming out if they would give you the option to upgrade at an extremely cheap price if they are out of 508's and you don't want a 510?


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## Jacob S (Apr 14, 2002)

Or upgrade for free seeing that you have to pay the DVR fee. Its not the customer's fault that Dish ran out of replacement receivers and also not the customer's fault that the receivers are going bad like this.


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## Ron Barry (Dec 10, 2002)

Well I for one will not take a fee based replacement for my 508. Dish is going to have to address this condition because eventually it may be an issue they will have to deal with


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## Mike D-CO5 (Mar 12, 2003)

Well Dish can give you what it deems the old receiver is worth $$ wise. 

They don't have to give you another dvr receiver if they are all out of the 508s. They give you what they think it is worth based on trade in salvage value minus devaluation for the amount of time you had it . I imagine they will be doing this or offering you that money as a downpayment on another receiver. 

When I wanted out of the problems with the dishplayer I asked for another box and they gave me a 301 receiver. So the original price of $199.00 for the receiver for a year and it went down by $100.00 , considering the 301 is worth about $99.00 new.


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## psycaz (Oct 4, 2002)

I would hope they do not make buying someone out the defacto answer. Talk about an uproar - or maybe not. I know for myself that it would just make it too easy to switch.

They have to be working on some kind of plan to handle this. There bigest problem is that their stock of 508 will always vary greatly as they take in and repair units.
Say they institute a plan too early and make it good, then too many folks may take them up on it and they get stuck with 501/508's. Too slow or not good enough, and people may just leave.

They should know what their failure rate is on the units and plan accordingly.


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## DJ Rob (Jul 24, 2003)

I got a call back from a CSR and he said that the original CSR re-entered my 508's serial number wrong (while trying to revive it), so it showed up as a 510 in their system. That's is why I got a 510 repleacement. It sounds like they know just by the serial number what model the receivers are.


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