# Next software update



## nextime (Jan 28, 2004)

I'll cut to the chase: Approx. when will the next software update be? Also will there be any software upgrades such as name based recording?


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## Mark Lamutt (Mar 24, 2002)

NBR is not in the next update.


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## mfrodsha (Sep 15, 2004)

And, will it FINALLY have OTA guide data?


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## Mark Lamutt (Mar 24, 2002)

I've answered that one several times. I don't believe that it will be in the next version. But, I do have an idea when it will come. And, no, I'm not going to tell you when that is, because something has to happen first. When that happens (potentially next week), I'll say when I think we'll have the guide data.


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## mfrodsha (Sep 15, 2004)

Mark Lamutt said:


> I've answered that one several times. I don't believe that it will be in the next version. But, I do have an idea when it will come. And, no, I'm not going to tell you when that is, because something has to happen first. When that happens (potentially next week), I'll say when I think we'll have the guide data.


I apologize if you have answered this before, but this has sort of been the holy grail of updates, and to hear that OTA guide data will not be included is quite discouraging to say the least. That it will be pushed back yet again, is still further discouraging. I find it odd that Samsung HDTV tuners can read OTA guide data just fine, but Dish is absolutely incapable of displaying anything that way (saying they can't read it, IIRC), and, as far as I have read, blames it on the local broadcasters. This I don't get.

But, I appreciate your hints at further updates. As a side note, why is there so much secrecy about when this should happen, and what event, exactly, is supposed to happen before we hear about this update?

Thanks.


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## srrobinson2 (Sep 16, 2003)

mfrodsha said:


> And, will it FINALLY have OTA guide data?


You must be a newbie! You have to be very patient. It may take years of beta testing before they actually deliver the $1000 worth of functionality. You paid your hard earned money to have the privilege of finding all of the bugs and enduring them until something freezes over.

I'm being a bit harsh--they have fixed a bunch of things, but OTA guides, blue lines, and don't get me started on the firewire...

:nono2:


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## mfrodsha (Sep 15, 2004)

I hear ya, but actually I've had this thing since early February. Don't get me wrong, I have by and large loved the unit, despite it's many foibles. Nevertheless, my wife is still not convinced, and I have to hear the griping once every other week about how she won't watch the superior HD ota channels because they contain no guide data. 

I could almost live with all the other problems if only for the guide data.


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## Rodney (Aug 22, 2003)

mfrodsha said:


> I apologize if you have answered this before, but this has sort of been the holy grail of updates, and to hear that OTA guide data will not be included is quite discouraging to say the least. That it will be pushed back yet again, is still further discouraging. I find it odd that Samsung HDTV tuners can read OTA guide data just fine, but Dish is absolutely incapable of displaying anything that way (saying they can't read it, IIRC), and, as far as I have read, blames it on the local broadcasters. This I don't get.
> 
> But, I appreciate your hints at further updates. As a side note, why is there so much secrecy about when this should happen, and what event, exactly, is supposed to happen before we hear about this update?
> 
> Thanks.


You are totally correct concerning the secrecy. Mark is our conduit to inside information but he is under a NDA which restricts what he can make public. By contrast I have found, even though their projected dates are rather flaky, discussions on the Tech Chats to be rather free flowing with information. Unfortunately the frequency and the amount of time, I wish they would can the guests, allocated to this forum is not sufficient. If someone from Dish could participate in this forum with the same level of openness as displayed on the Tech Chats many of our concerns could be put to rest with out the speculation and ill will many have toward Dish. I understand there may be questions that cannot be answered due to competitive reasons. And I also recognize we might not like the answers to certain questions but at least we will be informed.


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## 4HiMarks (Jan 21, 2004)

Mark, I have a technical question about how this all works. Of course you don't have to answer if it would violate the NDA. 

We all know you are a beta tester. I assume that means you get new software in advance of the rest of us. So, you are running a different version. However, I have also seen you post replies to the effect of "I've never seen that, but I will check it and let you know." That would imply you are running the same version we are. How does this seeming contradiction resolve? Do you have two 921's, or is yours dual-boot, or what?

-Chris


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## Scott Greczkowski (Mar 21, 2002)

As someone who is a beta tester and not under NDA I believe I can answer the question.

While Mark is not running the same version number as you are at home, usually the software is the same, Mark would be running the last build which was renamed for the release for the general public. 

He runs that software for awhile until he gets a new beta. 

And while I don't know for sure when he says "I've never seen that, but I will check in and let you know" probably means that he will eaither check into it on his machine, or will report it to the guys at ELDON to see if they can recreate the problem.


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## Mark Lamutt (Mar 24, 2002)

"I'll check and let you know" can mean a couple of different things depending on what the problem is. It can mean that I'm going to go test the problem that you're having on my 921 which, except for a day or two after the public release, is at least one version ahead of you guys. Sometimes more than one. If my 921 exhibits the same problem, then I report the bug through the beta channels. If my 921 does not exhibit the same problem, then it gets a little harder to deal with because it may mean that it was fixed in the version that I'm running, or it may just mean that the bug is caused by something in your environment that isn't in mine. That's happened more times than I care to think about over the last 9 months - some of the stuff you guys come up with version after version is stuff that I try to make my 921 do, and it doesn't. After that, I then will talk to someone at Eldon or at Dish, depending on what the problem is. Once I have a better idea from them, then I either get back to you guys here about it, or I don't, depending on a number of factors, one of them being the NDA. 

Other than that, pretty much what Scott said. The processes are a little different for the 921 than they are for the 721, but there are more similarities than differences.


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## 4HiMarks (Jan 21, 2004)

Thanks. That answered my question. 

-Chris


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## boylehome (Jul 16, 2004)

mfrodsha said:


> I hear ya, but actually I've had this thing since early February. Don't get me wrong, I have by and large loved the unit, despite it's many foibles. Nevertheless, my wife is still not convinced, and I have to hear the griping once every other week about how she won't watch the superior HD ota channels because they contain no guide data.
> 
> I could almost live with all the other problems if only for the guide data.


I love it but I hate it too. Only if the OTA's features worked properly. I'm at the point that I would like a refund so I could go with D* 10-250.


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## sgt940 (Jan 9, 2004)

I think what Mark said was it would not contain Name Based Recording, does that neccessarily mean that it will not have OTA guide data, they are different.


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