# ViP612 L4.73 Software Experiences/Bugs Discussion



## Ron Barry (Dec 10, 2002)

L4.73 is now in the wild. Please use this thread for documenting your experiences and/or bugs found.


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## Hutch123 (Aug 21, 2007)

I received 473 Friday night and everything seems to be fixed. I spent about 10 minutes yesterday changing channels & scrolling thru the guide with no problems. So far today there have been no problems.


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## SpikedRocker (Mar 5, 2008)

Recieved update friday, had one freeze up on Sunday. Still no fix to HDMI audio.


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## bfmooz (Mar 10, 2008)

I just upgraded to the HD package this weekend and my VIP612 has had nothing but problems. I'm at L4.73, but I get freezeup after freezeup. It seems to be the same problem others have reported in previous versions. It seems to happen if I am navigating the guide a lot or changing between channels. The audio will suddenly disappear but the picture remains. The remote becomes completely unresponsive and the only solution is resetting the unit. Is this consistent with the problems that were occurring in previous software versions?


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## langlin (Apr 8, 2005)

After using 473 for a few days I am convinced it has solved all my problems, I have no lock-ups and the response time is as good or better than my 622. My 612 is now very stable and quick. It still does not have the interactive features from CNN or the Weather Channel, I assume that will be added later. I have not tried to use the HDMI.


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## kappa22 (Mar 11, 2008)

I have had two techs out to try and fix my freeze ups with the 612. One redid the point dish for the 129 sat, but still I am getting a 37-40 stregth. The second tech replaced the spitter and still I had 4 freeze ups today with L473 software. I am going to call tomorrow to have another receiver installed. Does anyone in the same situation think this will help?


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## bfmooz (Mar 10, 2008)

I had several more freezes today with the 4.73 software. After several conversations and being transferred to three different people at Dish Network, I managed to talk them into coming out and swapping out the 612 for the 722 to see if the performance improves.

On a side note, the technician I spoke with insisted that a fix should be pushed out in the next week or two that will fix this problem. When I mentioned that this was also promised with 4.73, they told me that the fix was never included in that patch.


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## Polardog (Mar 5, 2008)

Hello....New guy here.
Interesting reading about the problems associated with the VIP612.
I upgraded to Dishnetwork HD programming a month ago. They installed a VIP612 DVR in my home. I might add here that on the day of install, the tech laid the carton containing the reciever down on an icey deck rail. The box slid off the rail while he was checking out location options for the dish and hit the deck hard. When I suggested to him that the fall was not good, he assured me that the reciever was well protected from the shock. 
After install and within an hour the reciever started freezing up when changing channels or trying to set up my preferences.
I can easily say that I have had to reboot the reciever 2-8 times daily since install. I'm disabled and at home all day so I watch alot of TV.
I'm running L4.73.
Since the initial installation I have had 2 service calls. Having let Dishnetwork know of the fall I requested a new reciever. On both service calls there was no new reciever. Instead, the tech each time checked signal strength (65-70%).
Dish finally sent me a "new" (aka: used/refurbished) 612 via UPS which arrived 03/05. It was never installed by me as it arrived damaged (card slot door was broken off).
I am awaiting another replacement.
The freeze issue on my 612 is so bad that overnight updates (3am) have failed twice. When I turned on the reciever in the morning each of these 2 times I had to reboot as the reciever had froze up half way through the update.
On all my calls to Dish tech support, no mention was made concerning any issues with the VIP612.
When I talked to customer retention I was given an apology.


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## kappa22 (Mar 11, 2008)

Had new 612 installed this morning and tech had a little better signal on the 129 sat. I am hoping the new receiver stops the freezing up. He also said a big software upgrade will be happening on march 14th which is supposed to help solve the 612 problems. Guess we will have to wait and see.


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## new612user (Mar 2, 2008)

With the 4.73 downloaded the freezes have lessened, although not gone away. I have maybe 1 every day or less. What does happen is that if you let the freeze stay without rebooting, the 612 reboots itself without being touched. If this rumored March 14 download does indeed happen, and if it improves things any at all, we may be able to live with ours until the 612 is finally a reliable product.


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## emt1638 (Mar 14, 2008)

Alas, I will just add to your woes.  

My brand new DVR ViP612 was installed a week ago (it's on L4.73). Day one, I thought I did not know how to use the remote, although I am a guy, so I quickly ruled that one out. :hurah: 

It's only gotten worse. When I turn it on, sometimes I have no picture (I am using HDMI), then sometimes I have no sound. Turning it off/back on usually fixes this. :eek2: 

Then, I watch a show, then want to hit the guide. Remote does not work, nor does the front panel! But, I now know that if I wait about 3 minutes, the damn thing resets itself! Wait 5 minutes to watch more TV.  

It resets itself randomly too, whether on or not, or, maybe it's just at 3:00 AM when my program updates take place - I have not looked at my clock when the damn thing wakes me up.  

Please, oh please let this rumor be true? An update that might fix these issues?? Can it really be true! :sure: 

If not, I'm gonna d what someone above did.. call, complain a lot, reference this site as proof, then have a DVR 722 delivered.


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## Polardog (Mar 5, 2008)

*UPDATE:*

I finally recieved an intact 612 from Dish yesterday (03/13) via UPS to replace malfunctioning 612 installed over a month ago.
During install I was on the phone with tech support. While conversing with her I asked if there were updates to L473 in the pipeline. She said there were none at this time. Does anyone know differently ?.
My "new" (AKA used / refurbished) 612 has been on for about 3 hours with no problems so far.
When I spoke to Dish customer service on Wed 03/12, I complained about this month long headache with the 612. I finally recieved a $50.00 credit for 2 months for my hassle. With customer service I discussed my displeasure with having recieved a used or refurbished reciever as replacements for the new 612 delivered on initial install.
Keeping my fingers crossed that I can view uninterupted HDTV for at least one day without a freeze, no sound or reset.


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## emt1638 (Mar 14, 2008)

Well, it's the 14th and no update. As the post above me says -- he spoke to Dish and no updates are coming that they know of...

Guess I'll just have to get used to pushing the reset all the time...


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## Polardog (Mar 5, 2008)

*UPDATE 2:*

My replacement 612 worked trouble free until about 11 PM last night. At that time while changing channels the reciever froze up.

Details of this one incident are as follows:
I was changing channels a bit too fast. Changing channels too fast seems to be connected to quite a few of my freeze up's over the past month, although not all.
In the one freeze up last night the info banner remained on screen, there was moving video but no sound. I had to do a power button reset.
I have noticed that sometimes while changing channels there seems to be a freeze but if you wait 15-30 seconds all is OK.
I was hoping that I had a damaged 612 because of the original installation tech dropping the unit (see posts by me *(POLARDOG)* above. I guess not.
I am curious. Are there any Vip 612 users that have no problems with their unit ? Or has Dish installed thousands of 612's that constantly malfunction ?


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## langlin (Apr 8, 2005)

My 612 works great, no problems.


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## Polardog (Mar 5, 2008)

*UPDATE 3:*

My replacement Vip612 is certainly working better than the original one put in over a month ago. I've only had about 5 freeze-up's sice I installed it on 03/15.
This replacement is also running L4.73.
It often "searches for sat signal" a second or 2 when changing channels. Signal strength is great all around.
Sometime the response to remote commands is way slow. I'm using the RF antenna and the reciever is set for RF use. The antenna is not blocked or in any way comprimised.
I've gotten used to changing channels very s l o w l y because of the freeze issue. It seems that the reciever wants to hang up often if I want to surf too fast. If I wait when there seems there is about to be a hang up most of the time the channel will appear although it may take from 15-45 seconds.
I have yet to go into "preferences" to set up my "fav channel list" because with the original 612 that took 2 days and alot of frustration as there were multiple freezes & reboots to get where I wanted to be.
I've yet to call Dish to report the issue as I'm doing all I can to remain calm and to be thankful that I'm privledged to pay my bill each month for nearly 2 months of malfunctioning equipment.


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## avidday (Jan 20, 2008)

I also have the 612 with L473 software version. Today I had the box lock so bad that the rebooting via holding the front button for 10 seconds brought up an error every time (004?) and the box was unusable. After a 30-second uplug-the-box reboot, it now works again. I get at least 1 lockup per day and total picture loss for a few seconds if I scroll through through the channels too fast.

I cannot see any difference between L473 and L470 the box originally came with. 3 software updates and the box is still junk.


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## Chilli_Dog (Dec 26, 2005)

For those of you having issues, how is your 612 connected to your TV? My in-laws had lots of problems when connected via HDMI (lockups, reboots, etc). However, since switching them to component, they rarely have issues. Just wondering if HDMI is causing most of the problems.


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## avidday (Jan 20, 2008)

Chilli_Dog said:


> For those of you having issues, how is your 612 connected to your TV? My in-laws had lots of problems when connected via HDMI (lockups, reboots, etc). However, since switching them to component, they rarely have issues. Just wondering if HDMI is causing most of the problems.


Frequent lockups and HDMI here. Since I buried an HDMI cable in the wall when building my house, I have no option to use anything else.

*EDIT:* This thing is a piece of *JUNK *and I will be demanding Dish send me either a 622 or 722 for free when I call them tomorrow or they can kiss this 7-year customer goodbye! Losing at least 10 minutes of the beginning of every show I try to watch due to 3-5 reboots is just rediculous!


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## jkinzel (Apr 5, 2008)

We had Dish 500 and just updated to HD. I live in the Northwest and was not told until the installer showed up to install the new equipment that I needed a second dish (a 24” along with the existing 20”) to get the HD channels. The new dish points 10 degrees west of the existing dish. I really wanted to keep the trash factor down, but reluctantly agreed. 

The next hurdle was to replace all the cables with 3000 MHz cable from the dish’s to the Vip612 receiver.

That done we finally had a good signal and a great picture.

Now that we have had this up and running for 2 days I can tell you what I have found good and bad about this set up.

The Good: Great picture, amazing. Using HDMI

The Bad: At random times we get a one second freeze or glitch as I call it and then the show goes on, but I might miss two or three words in a sentence. This might happen once every two to four hours or as much as three times during an hour long program.

The cooling fan in the Vip612 is noisy. At listening volumes when watching TV you can hear the faint hum of the cooling fan over the TV audio. When the Vip612 has been off all night the fan continues to run and is quite audible. I find this extremely annoying and my wife is really, well to put it kindly, upset. She has threatened to have them come and take it out.

Does anyone have this problem with the cooling fan? Even my computer does not make that much noise when it’s running.

John


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## jkinzel (Apr 5, 2008)

The replacement VIP612 arrived Wed and was installed and the noisy fan problem is gone. One can not hear a sound unless you put your ear next to it.


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