# I think my VIP222 is dead



## faiello (Mar 17, 2003)

Two nights ago I got a message that could not aquire satellite signal, called CSR and we did a check switch and found out it was looking for the wrong satellite. they said they would send a tech out on Weds. morning. Late night I tried to turn the receiver on to see if it was still doing the same and I coldn't even power it on. Should I call CSR again and tell them to bring me a new VIP222?


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## puckwithahalo (Sep 3, 2007)

try unplugging it and plugging it back in. if that doesn't work, try another outlet. still no go, call tech support


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## faiello (Mar 17, 2003)

puckwithahalo said:


> try unplugging it and plugging it back in. if that doesn't work, try another outlet. still no go, call tech support


I did unplug it and it started to work again. Came back a few hours later and the same thing stated to happen. I have a tech coming out tomorrow, its still under warranty so I will let him decide what to do, fix it or replace the receiver.


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## puckwithahalo (Sep 3, 2007)

if it's in a surge protector, try plugging it directly into a wall outlet


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## Jason Nipp (Jun 10, 2004)

I encountered a bug like your describing in an early version of the firmware were the 222 would get stuck.

Here is a work around I found to get out of the Acquisition or Stuck SS screen...
Unplug it for about 30 seconds...... Then plug it back in.....and as soon as you see a quick flash (When the video encoders have loaded) press system power on the front panel rapidly until you can see it flash between the Aq screen and the Screen Saver. Then power on one last time and let it go through a complete Acquisition. If it boots up you should be fine.... But if not something else is wrong.

I'd love to help a bit more, but a little more info would hurt.


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## faiello (Mar 17, 2003)

Figures, worked fine when the tech showed up, nothing was done I just have to wait for it to happen again and call.


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## Cap'n Preshoot (Jul 16, 2006)

Sorry this is long, but it needs some explaining - bear with me here)

I believe that all of my many-many repeat problems with my 222 requiring frequent reboots every few days may somehow be signal related. (Rain Fade)

I've had E* service for 9 months now (1000.2 dish) and am on my 3rd 222, though nothing has improved - always the same problems; frequent lockups always requiring a reboot. (yes, I've been through the check switch process several times too)

However, for the past month we've had only occasional light rain & so not had any recent rain-associated signal outages. Coincidentally for that same identical period of time I have also had zero problems with my 222.

Throughout 9 months of ownership, the 722 has been very reliable, but the 222 has given me endless fits.

What I now believe is happening (I can even dupe this): If the signal fade is deep and uninterrupted (ie the signal is completely lost and remains out until the storm cell blows over), then the 222 seems able to recover OK.

However, if the signal loss is intermittent, where it drops completely out for a minute or so, then comes back for a minute or so (222 starts to recover some transponders) but the signal is then lost again (before the 222 fully recovered) and the signal does this (drops in and out) a few times, the 222 eventually locks up and quits trying.

The "lockup" manifests itself in various ways. Most often you simply cannot turn it on. The TV comes on and you get the E* logo screen advising you to press "Select" but you press "Select" and nothing happens. The front of the 222 is dark (no lights).

Other times it will turn on, but it will be in an endless loop, continuously going through the process of acquiring the transponders, switching birds, looking for transponders, switching birds again, etc., etc., over and over but never progressing. One time it said it was performing step 1 of 50.

If it does ever progress to the point of downloading the guide, then it will come back.

We've got decent signals. We're on our 3rd 222 and all three have behaved identically. By contrast we've had no similar issue with our 722.

To the credit of the last tech, he actually swapped the drops.

As I stated above, I can dupe this fairly consistently by disconnecting the drop behind the 222 & then briefly reconnecting it and disconnecting it 3 or so times in succession about a minute or so apart (I didn't time it). By comparison, if I disconnect the drop for a couple minutes then reconnect it and and leave it reconnected, the 222 always recovers.

Does any of this make any sense?


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## equinoxman (Apr 19, 2008)

Cap'n Preshoot;1780467 said:


> Sorry this is long, but it needs some explaining - bear with me here)
> 
> I believe that all of my many-many repeat problems with my 222 requiring frequent reboots every few days may somehow be signal related. (Rain Fade)
> 
> ...


I am having the same problem with my 222. I've had techs here to check signal and connections and i'm told all is well. I also have a lip sync problem on 61.5 bird. i was told this is a software issue.
You say your 722 is problem free, do you still get the rainfade as much as the 222? Let us know if you resolve any of your issues.


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## faiello (Mar 17, 2003)

Last night we had some heavy rain and I lost signal on 61.5 on my 222 but not my 722, also the 222 was changing channels on its own. Is this part of the software bug you are talking about.


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## Cap'n Preshoot (Jul 16, 2006)

equinoxman said:


> I am having the same problem with my 222. I've had techs here to check signal and connections and i'm told all is well. I also have a lip sync problem on 61.5 bird. i was told this is a software issue.
> You say your 722 is problem free, do you still get the rainfade as much as the 222? Let us know if you resolve any of your issues.


We do not use the 61.5 bird here, only 110, 119, 129
my 722 is reasonably problem free (compared to the 222) but we still have at least 3 times as much rain fade with DISH as we ever had with DIRECT. Of course to be fair, when I had DIRECT we had individual discreet dishes for each bird and a big 40" dish for the 101 sat.

9 more months till my contract is up & we'll be saying adios to DISH.

Lip synch problems seem to vary between Live broadcast and tape, tho movies seem to be right on. OTA reception of local origination (ie, local news in HD) is usually right on or at least close enough as to not be very noticeable.


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## faiello (Mar 17, 2003)

Talked with tech support this morning they are sending me a new VIP222


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## faiello (Mar 17, 2003)

I got my new receiver today and hooked it up tonight. When I went to activate the receiver with a CSR she got confused with an error message I was getting and transfered me to Tech support. I was on the phone for over an hour with tech support before she gave up and told me that they would send out a service tech in a few days. I got mad and said no I already had a service tech here and they just said everything was fine and left. I started telling them that I have read that this is a common problem with the 211 and 222 and if Dish did not have a solution then I was going to just return this receiver and go without, I have had Dish installed since 8/20 and I have not been able to watch TV with this receiver 2 days in a row. She had her superviser get on the phone we got the receiver working and it is still working fine, she also gave me a $49.99 credit for my troubles. I will let you know how things go with the new receiver I have it connected with a HDMI and component cables to see if either one gives me any trouble.


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## faiello (Mar 17, 2003)

I have had the new receiver since Wednesday and watching with the HDMI cable last night it kept blacking out then coming back on so today I am using component cable lets see how long before it starts acting up too.


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## faiello (Mar 17, 2003)

faiello said:


> I have had the new receiver since Wednesday and watching with the HDMI cable last night it kept blacking out then coming back on so today I am using component cable lets see how long before it starts acting up too.


So I called tech support last night and told them I was having a problem with the HDMI connection and they admitted that they know of this problem and are working on it. They told me to hook up the receiver with component cables until it's fixed and I told them it will cost me $60 to go out and buy the cables, so they gave me a credit of $60 towards my account.


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## Jason Nipp (Jun 10, 2004)

faiello said:


> So I called tech support last night and told them I was having a problem with the HDMI connection and they admitted that they know of this problem and are working on it. They told me to hook up the receiver with component cables until it's fixed and I told them it will cost me $60 to go out and buy the cables, so they gave me a credit of $60 towards my account.


I have had my 222 since the beginning, and have never really heard of anyone having an HDMI problem with this receiver. It's the 211 I hear people complaining about. If the receiver has the same software revision as the one it replaced, and HDMI worked on that receiver, I would venture a guess that you have a hardware issue with the replacement unit.


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## Cap'n Preshoot (Jul 16, 2006)

Going on past experience I could have predicted this latest hard lockup of our 222 requiring yet another reboot to recover.

After Hurricane Ike blew through here last Saturday, everything recovered quite nicely - that is, with the now predictable exception of the 222.

Failure symptoms on this occasion was the reacquiring transponders function was in an endless loop (as I've previously reported). I left it alone for about 30 minutes, but when I went back it was still looking for transponders and still sitting on 0 of 5 on the progress indicator.

After a forced reboot the 222 successfully found the birds, re-downloaded the guide (grr...) and has been working fine ever since.

Throughout it all our 722 worked fine, reacquiring the birds as it should.
.


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