# 522 Guide - Browse by Date/Time?



## Swampthing (Apr 24, 2002)

I just upgraded to a 522 as an additional receiver, and so I'm trying to figure everything out. One of the features I love on my Dishplayer 7100/7200s is the ability to browse the guide by future date and time by selecting it onscreen. For example, if I want to see what is on next Wednesday evening. Right now, it looks like the only way I can see several days ahead is to hold down the scroll button and wait forever for it to get there. Isn't there a much more efficient way to do this with a 522?


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## airpolgas (Aug 13, 2002)

I don't have a 522, but most of the Dish PVRs, if not all, have shortcuts.

Pressing the Skip Ahead will put you 24 hours forward in the guide.
Pressing the Skip Back will put you 24 hours backwards.
Typing a number, say 16 and then hitting the right arrow will push the guide 16 hours forward. Hitting the left arrow will take you backwards by the same amount of hours, unless your number goes to the "past."

I hope 522 does this, too.


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## Bill R (Dec 20, 2002)

airpolgas said:


> I hope 522 does this, too.


It does.


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## Swampthing (Apr 24, 2002)

Great. So I have to calculate the number of hours ahead in order to make this work. Let's see, seven days... I need to punch in 168 hours ahead... and if I want to get to 3pm, I have to subtract several hours from that... oh Lord. Dishplayer did it SO much better.


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## BobaBird (Mar 31, 2002)

Swampthing said:


> oh Lord. Dishplayer did it SO much better.


But this way you don't get callouses on your fingers from wading through so many menus, though I can see how not wading could be unnatural for you  .


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## n0qcu (Mar 23, 2002)

If you want to go 7 days just hit the skip ahead button 7 times.


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## Swampthing (Apr 24, 2002)

BobaBird said:


> But this way you don't get callouses on your fingers from wading through so many menus, though I can see how not wading could be unnatural for you  .


Let's see - Dishplayer:

Home > TV Listings > By Day and Time > Day > Time

522:

Guide > Get out a calculator or scrap of paper to manually figure out how many friggin hours it is between now and then > punch it in

or

Guide > Scroll > Scroll > Scroll > Scroll > Scroll > Scroll > Scroll........etc.

Now seriously, which method requires the least effort here and gives you less callouses? Dishplayer DID do it better.


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## JohnL (Apr 1, 2002)

Swampthing said:


> Let's see - Dishplayer:
> 
> Home > TV Listings > By Day and Time > Day > Time
> 
> ...


Or Guide > 30sec skip button X 7's , each press of the 30 sec skip button jumps you forward 24 hours. I agree using scroll takes quite a while, though the Hour skip is easy for me as well.

John


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## Pils (Sep 20, 2004)

Swampthing said:


> Let's see - Dishplayer:
> 
> Home > TV Listings > By Day and Time > Day > Time
> 
> ...


c'mon, how hard is it to hit a button 7 quick times. I would rather do this then go throught the slow menu of a 7200.


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## Swampthing (Apr 24, 2002)

Pils said:


> c'mon, how hard is it to hit a button 7 quick times. I would rather do this then go throught the slow menu of a 7200.


Slow? Maybe it was your receiver or you didn't stick around for the most recent software updates. My 7200 goes through menus very, very fast. It makes a difference when you own both models, you can see that the 522 is visibly slower.

Also remember, it's not just seven quick times. You also need to hit the button X number of times to go to the exact hour you wish to view.

I also miss the pause feature of Dishplayer 7100/7200. I can hit the pause, go to work, come back at the end of the day, and it will still be paused. The 522 pause feature is limited to just two little hours.

I know people love to rag on the Dishplayer, but let's face it, there are some elements to the software that work much better than the other Dish receivers out there.


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## SimpleSimon (Jan 15, 2004)

I've had several different models of E* DVR - including a 7200, and I have no sympathy for you. The 7200 menu system is clunky.

I'm sorry that you seem to be incapable of doing a little 3rd-grade math in your head to figure out how many button presses you need. :nono2:

I don't have to think about it ONE IOTA - my eyes see the guide day after a button press, and my fingers hit more buttons until I get there. Takes the IQ of a rock, and is much faster than running menus.


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## BobaBird (Mar 31, 2002)

Swampthing said:


> Let's see - Dishplayer:
> 
> Home > TV Listings > By Day and Time > Day > Time


You left out all the cursor movements followed by Select required to get to Listings, then to Day and Time, then to the day, then to the column the time is in, then down to the time. Since the DP's menu options are not numbered, you have to move to them, then hit Select. On Dish receivers, you press Menu, 7 (or whatever) and you're there. Then there was the design decision to make everthing a list rather than validating data entry from the remote. I would just as often reach for the keyboard and hit Cmd-RtArrow a few times as go through all that.

DISHPlayer does do a lot of things very well, but menu navigation isn't one of them.


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## BobaBird (Mar 31, 2002)

Speaking of the DISHPlayer and Browse...

The 522 has one of my old DP wish list features that I call "Browse Plus." The DP didn't have browse at all (functional equivalent is PIP on the EPG). Dish receivers all have Browse, but only for the current and next show, and until the 501 couldn't retain much guide data. Browse Plus is line at a time viewing of the entire EPG at the bottom of a full-screen picture. The 522 has this.


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## airpolgas (Aug 13, 2002)

I'm sorry. I thought you were initially asking for a solution to your problem. It seems clear that no matter how much help members give your way, you won't get sold to the idea that your 522 is actually a good receiver. I suggest you return the unit because it seems to be giving you more trouble than what it's worth.

I visit a lot of forums for different stuff, and this one, by far, has the most helpful members.


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## Swampthing (Apr 24, 2002)

airpolgas said:


> I'm sorry. I thought you were initially asking for a solution to your problem. It seems clear that no matter how much help members give your way, you won't get sold to the idea that your 522 is actually a good receiver. I suggest you return the unit because it seems to be giving you more trouble than what it's worth.
> 
> I visit a lot of forums for different stuff, and this one, by far, has the most helpful members.


Okay, then how about going back to your other forums where perhaps someone will find posts like this one useful. Same with Mr. Mathematics up above. 

I started this thread to see if there is an easier way to navigate the 522 Guide in the same manner as the 7200. Neither sitting there calculating out that I need to make 36 button presses to get where I want nor pressing the scroll button forever is as plain and simple as just a few menu clicks on the 7200. Perhaps someday people will understand that there are some things Dishplayer might actually be better at than current units. :bang: Personally I can't understand where all this venom comes from. They are great units.

Overall, the 522 seems to be great unit as well. I'm still impressed with the TV 1 and TV 2 capabilities, shared hard drive, and the Browse feature Bobabird mentioned above. But God forbid I criticize anything about the unit in this forum... Judging by the last few comments, you'd think I said your mother wears Army boots. RELAX! :lol:


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## JohnL (Apr 1, 2002)

Swampthing said:


> Okay, then how about going back to your other forums where perhaps someone will find posts like this one useful. Same with Mr. Mathematics up above.
> 
> I started this thread to see if there is an easier way to navigate the 522 Guide in the same manner as the 7200. Neither sitting there calculating out that I need to make 36 button presses to get where I want nor pressing the scroll button forever is as plain and simple as just a few menu clicks on the 7200. Perhaps someday people will understand that there are some things Dishplayer might actually be better at than current units. :bang: Personally I can't understand where all this venom comes from. They are great units.
> 
> Overall, the 522 seems to be great unit as well. I'm still impressed with the TV 1 and TV 2 capabilities, shared hard drive, and the Browse feature Bobabird mentioned above. But God forbid I criticize anything about the unit in this forum... Judging by the last few comments, you'd think I said your mother wears Army boots. RELAX! :lol:


Where in the world do you get 36 key presses to move ahead in the guide 7 days, it requires 8 key presses, one to pull up the guide and 7 more to move ahead 7 days, period.

If you don't have a 522 or other Non 7100/7200, then you can't equate the methods to navigate the guide as they are different. Bottomline the 5xx series, 721 and 921 series software offers better shortcuts to navigate the guide instead of using the 7100/7200 Menu's to navigate the guide. Why would I want to wade through a series of menus to get to the place you want in the Guide instead of using a VERY easy shortcut or two directly.

Didn't your School Teachers tell you that mathmatics would come in handy later in life;>) If you don't want to use the Hour shortcut then use the 24 hour skip ahead button multiple times that is the easiest way to jump forward days at a time and a more direct route to navigate the guide.

John


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## SimpleSimon (Jan 15, 2004)

What JohnL said. 

The MAXIMUM number of button presses it can possibly take to navigate the 522 guide is 1 (Guide) + 7 (7 days forward) + 47 (navigate within the day at 30 minutes intervals) = 55, not 36. Guess my comment about 3rd-grade math applies.

Of course, many people's maximum will be 11: 1 + 7 + 3 (2-digit # hours, then left/right). That happens to be the method I use most often.

Many other people's maximum will be 5. I'll leave that formula for the student.


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## Swampthing (Apr 24, 2002)

All these whiz bang math geniuses in here and yet John L is so busy complaining about schooling yet he can't even spell mathematics while SimpleSimon has smoke pouring out of his ears trying to figure out why 55 clicks or even 11 click on the 522 STILL comes out more than 4 needed on Dishplayer. Guys, use scrap paper, okay... you're even giving me a headache!

Gotta love the new math they're teaching you kids. Get back to me after you study algebra.


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## SimpleSimon (Jan 15, 2004)

LOL - you have a STRANGE way of counting remote clicks there, boy.


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## BobaBird (Mar 31, 2002)

You're _still_ not counting all the cursor movements required on the DP. :bang Perhaps those buttons are so worn out they no longer "click" :lol: . 4 commands on the DP can not be accomplished in less than the 11 key presses on the 522 which could be thought of as 3 commands (guide, day jump, hour jump). I'll have to double check with Mr Mathemetician  but I believe 3 is less than 4.

Unless the 522 is different from other Dish models, jumping within the EPG by entering a number followed by L or R moves you by that many hours, not half-hours.

I do sometimes miss having the guide opened already at the day/time I want to see but I find the Dish method to be completely usable. In the end it's just a different approach. I think you'll start to appreciate the things it does better.


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## Swampthing (Apr 24, 2002)

God forbid I simplified it. Cursor moves and repeated presses of a SCROLL button aren't the same thing in my book, but since people in this thread are in the business of the critically hyperanal, I decided to put it to the test... :nono2: 

At 7:40pm today, I decided to see how many key presses it would take to see what is on television at noon on 21 February. Let's see EXACTLY how many key presses it takes on the 522 and the Dishplayer:

Dishplayer: 1 - HOME, 2 - Left Button to TV LISTINGS, 3 - Press TV LISTINGS, 4,5 - Press down twice to reach BY DAY AND TIME, 6 - Push down once since the date is underneath, 7 - Press button to Select day, 8, 9 - Time comes up and once again to move right to 12pm. Total key presses 9, (Cursor movements 8) (OMG... that's even less than 11! :lol: )

522: 1 - GUIDE, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8 - Press SCROLL UP seven times to get to 21 February, 9, 10, 11, 12,13 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25 - Press 16 times to get back to 12pm. Total key presses 25, (Cursor movements 0!) 


Perhaps I didn't take the same math classes you did, because I was always taught that NINE is SIGNIFICANTLY LESS than TWENTY-FIVE. 

Wanna try again Wile E. Coyote? I think your ACME calculator is on the fritz again... :scratch: Oh and I think you need to fire your friend, Mr. Mathematician... he keeps doing you wrong over and over and over and over.... etc.. :rolling:

PS -- Now I'm sure someone will FIRE back, "Hey you could have just typed in to skip ahead the number of hours: (24 x 7) - 7.5 = 153.5." So I guess you could put your Mr. Mathematician friend to use for something, but I wouldn't count on him given his track record so far... :bonk1:


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## Pils (Sep 20, 2004)

Swampthing said:


> God forbid I simplified it. Cursor moves and repeated presses of a SCROLL button aren't the same thing in my book, but since people in this thread are in the business of the critically hyperanal, I decided to put it to the test... :nono2:
> 
> At 7:40pm today, I decided to see how many key presses it would take to see what is on television at noon on 21 February. Let's see EXACTLY how many key presses it takes on the 522 and the Dishplayer:
> 
> ...


Well, think it took me all of 10 clicks to do the same thing on the 522. As mentioned before, if you use the skip function to change days, and then the numeric pad and arrow to change the hours on the guide. You dont have to keep arrowing back, e.g. eight hours back is 8 and left arrow. Keep adding clicks all you want. Anyways, I do have a 7200 as you assumed I did not have above. Interesting how many people are attacking you, kinda funny. :hurah:


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## Swampthing (Apr 24, 2002)

Pils said:


> Well, think it took me all of 10 clicks to do the same thing on the 522. As mentioned before, if you use the skip function to change days, and then the numeric pad and arrow to change the hours on the guide. You dont have to keep arrowing back, e.g. eight hours back is 8 and left arrow. Keep adding clicks all you want. Anyways, I do have a 7200 as you assumed I did not have above. Interesting how many people are attacking you, kinda funny. :hurah:


Well, 10 is STILL more than 9. :lol: Would you mind mapping that out key by key as well? I'd like to see how you got 10 and we do have amazingly hypersensitive people in this forum.

As you mentioned because it is so obvious, it's amazing how people jumped to attack me personally rather than simply prove me wrong. Sad day for this forum. Sure I bit back, but those attacks were completely unnecessary and unprofessional. When I said Dishplayer did it better, you would have thought I kicked their newborn child through a field goal or something.

Concerning your silly assumption that I think I am the only person in the world that owns a 7100 or a 7200? Now THAT is "kinda funny." !rolling


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## n0qcu (Mar 23, 2002)

Only took me 5 key pressses.
1 - guide
2 - 1
3 - 5
4 - 9
5 - right arrow
= noon monday feb 21


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## Swampthing (Apr 24, 2002)

n0qcu said:


> Only took me 5 key pressses.
> 1 - guide
> 2 - 1
> 3 - 5
> ...


Um... Amazing. I must be psychic or something. Go back and read the PS.


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## BobaBird (Mar 31, 2002)

No personal attack here, perhaps just guilty of dogpiling the helpfulness when it seemed you weren't "getting" the difference. People tend to like what they already know. The WebTV/DP and Dish receivers often take different approaches to doing the same thing, such as the DP assuming you want to see a menu and making you hit a key to view TV full-screen :bang vs Dish receivers showing the menu only when you need it.

The current discussion of finding a future point in the guide is another example. You could have taken advantage of a Dish receiver shortcut that never got added to the DP - instead of pressing Left 17 times just press 1-7-Left - knocking your 25 keypresses down to 11. (If you were more than 12 hours from noon you landed on the wrong day. Taking away the extra day and jumping back only 4 hours leaves us at, :computer: let's see ... 9! ) That 2 keystroke difference is insignificant and can easily go in the 522's favor depending on how far the chosen day and time are from the cursor when you get to that point in the DP's menus. The design difference can be summarized as:

DP: Menu, select day, select time, enter guide at chosen time
522: Enter guide "now," skip to day, jump to time

As I believe has been sufficiently detailed above, you can make the 522 as laborious as you care to (scroll 17 times) or you can go to great lengths to avoid a few keystrokes (figuring 159 hours). I do both depending on the situation. So unless someone wants to give the horse CPR...


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## Swampthing (Apr 24, 2002)

BobaBird said:


> You could have taken advantage of a Dish receiver shortcut that never got added to the DP - instead of pressing Left 17 times just press 1-7-Left - knocking your 25 keypresses down to 11. (If you were more than 12 hours from noon you landed on the wrong day. Taking away the extra day and jumping back only 4 hours leaves us at, :computer: let's see ... 9! ) That 2 keystroke difference is insignificant and can easily go in the 522's favor depending on how far the chosen day and time are from the cursor when you get to that point in the DP's menus..


Figuring the math (24 x 7) - 7.5 is simply not as intuitive for most folks as pressing buttons. Sure you can all do that, but IMHO most folks are going to hit SKIP SKIP SKIP SKIP etc. because it's alot easier and we live in a mathematically-challenged nation. I think most people want to give their brain a rest when watching TV... especially some of the shows on TV lately. That's why Dishplayer's "you don't have to think" guide setup is much more intuitive.


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## airpolgas (Aug 13, 2002)

Going back to my "other forum,"  this reminds me of the question: "which is better, a PS2 or an Xbox? Followed by answers how one is better than the other based on graphics, game availability, etc.

It all boils down to what works for you as the user.


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## mrschwarz (May 8, 2004)

Bugs aren't the only problem with poorly designed software. The user interface isn't about to win any awards either.


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## sbturner (Jul 24, 2002)

Got the 522 installed yesterday, it seems like a good receiver, I love the software used for it, I wish my 721 had it. The only problem I am having is getting the info on the local stations. It only shows the info on current shows and maybe the next but after that it shows info unavailable. The other channels can go nine days out. The locals mapped fine its just the info I am having a problem with. I have unplugged the unit a couple of times and it was off overnight but still no help. Any help?


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## n0qcu (Mar 23, 2002)

it usually upto 24 hours for the guide on a new receiver to fully update.


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## bimmerbenz (May 26, 2004)

Actually, on the 522 at least (don't know if this works on the DP) you can skip any number of hours in the guide with only 2 key presses: 1 - press Guide button, 2 - press arrow button and wait until the time you want to see is showing in the guide. 

Bimmerbenz


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## JohnL (Apr 1, 2002)

sbturner said:


> Got the 522 installed yesterday, it seems like a good receiver, I love the software used for it, I wish my 721 had it. The only problem I am having is getting the info on the local stations. It only shows the info on current shows and maybe the next but after that it shows info unavailable. The other channels can go nine days out. The locals mapped fine its just the info I am having a problem with. I have unplugged the unit a couple of times and it was off overnight but still no help. Any help?


SBturner,

The first EPG download is done before your locals or any programing is activated on your receiver. Since Locals have to be specifically activated before they are even listed in the EPG on your receiver the receiver does NOT store any Local Channel listings until the locals or any OTA Network affiliates are listed in your EEPG program guide. If you do a switch check it will trigger the receiver to refresh the guide. Once the next EEPG guide download is done all Local program listings will be 9 days out just like your other programing.

The local channel mapping will not show up for about 24 hours after the receiver is activated. Local Channel mapping means instead of your locals only showing up on the Dish channel numbers (Generally in the 8000's) your locals will also be remapped and shown on their local OTA channel assignments in the guide as well.

John


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## sbturner (Jul 24, 2002)

Thanks guys after waiting 24 hours and unplugging my guide on locals and every thing else is A OK. By the way I love this reciever.


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