# My correspondence with Dish re: the 921



## kmcnamara (Jan 30, 2004)

*My email to Tech Support:*
Question: Hello. I am writing to communicate my dissatisfaction with the 921 receiver. I've been a subscriber to Dish Network since Feb. 1997 and have been generally pleased with the service and hardware. However, I fail to see how this unit made it into the field in its current state. For $1000, I have a ridiculously buggy unit that cannot be relied upon to even do the most basic PVR functions. It regularly misses scheduled recordings. And the fact that it cannot list program information in the local program guide is inexcusable and renders over-the-air recording useless. Now I'm hearing rumors that this feature will never be enabled. After the decision to never enable the firewire ports, I'm beginning to feel that the unit is going to be phased out before it really even makes it into widespread availability.

Add to this that I'm being charged $5/month to use the 'features' of this buggy device and it's extremely irritating. I work in software development and if we issued a software release as poor as the 921, many of us would lose our jobs. I've already had 1 unit replaced due to a hardware problem. I need assurances that the 921 is going to be fixed in short order. Otherwise I will be in possession of a $1000 paperweight and will switch to DirecTV.

*Dish's Response:*
Thank you for your email correspondence. Our engineering department is aware of this issue and is currently working on a solution.

The tentative release date for the software version to fix these problems is the end of April and May 2004. I apologize for any inconvenience this has caused you.

Sincerely,

Tom H.
Technical Support
Dish Network
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_Notice how they didn't actually address anything. What "issue" is going to be fixed with this supposed software update? Dishwire? OTA program info? Other unmentioned bugs? And is it one software update at the end of April and a second at the end of May? Or is it a software update either at the end of April or the end of May? No mention of the stupid $5/month fee. Bah. I'm very close to falling off the edge to the dark side (directv). Maybe 7 years is enough._


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## dswallow (Mar 31, 2003)

The normal response seems in the past to have been to correct the terminology and ignore the question... i.e., The 921 was never advertised to support Firewire, but only "Dishwire" connectivity with approved devices.


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## Jim Parker (Aug 12, 2003)

I think that you would have gotten the same response if you had said:

"When I push the thing-a-ma-gig, the dohicky does a flip flop and then frizzles the frazzle."

In other words, you got a canned response. Most of the support people don't know, and those who do know aren't telling. :nono2:


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## garypen (Feb 1, 2004)

kmcnamara said:


> _Notice how they didn't actually address anything. What "issue" is going to be fixed with this supposed software update? _


It's obviously the "paperweight" issue. The new software will make it a much better paperweight.


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## tm22721 (Nov 8, 2002)

Yawn


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## tds4182 (Jul 17, 2003)

I don't want to start a big brouhaha about E*vs D*, but I can't help but wonder why more E* customers don't switch, especially since the new HD DirecTivo is a great unit (I have one and love it). I read the posts about all the problems that the 921 seems to have and if it were me, I'd sell my 921 while I could still get decent money for it and switch in a heartbeat.

That's just my opinion--take it for what you think it's worth.



kmcnamara said:


> *My email to Tech Support:*
> Question: Hello. I am writing to communicate my dissatisfaction with the 921 receiver. I've been a subscriber to Dish Network since Feb. 1997 and have been generally pleased with the service and hardware. However, I fail to see how this unit made it into the field in its current state. For $1000, I have a ridiculously buggy unit that cannot be relied upon to even do the most basic PVR functions. It regularly misses scheduled recordings. And the fact that it cannot list program information in the local program guide is inexcusable and renders over-the-air recording useless. Now I'm hearing rumors that this feature will never be enabled. After the decision to never enable the firewire ports, I'm beginning to feel that the unit is going to be phased out before it really even makes it into widespread availability.
> 
> Add to this that I'm being charged $5/month to use the 'features' of this buggy device and it's extremely irritating. I work in software development and if we issued a software release as poor as the 921, many of us would lose our jobs. I've already had 1 unit replaced due to a hardware problem. I need assurances that the 921 is going to be fixed in short order. Otherwise I will be in possession of a $1000 paperweight and will switch to DirecTV.
> ...


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## ibglowin (Sep 10, 2002)

tds4182 said:


> I don't want to start a big brouhaha about E*vs D*, but I can't help but wonder why more E* customers don't switch, especially since the new HD DirecTivo is a great unit (I have one and love it). I read the posts about all the problems that the 921 seems to have and if it were me, I'd sell my 921 while I could still get decent money for it and switch in a heartbeat.
> 
> That's just my opinion--take it for what you think it's worth.


I'll give you a couple of reasons here in NM. NO LOCALS for one, D* has been promising them "soon" for 2 years now, and PEGASUCKS.....

My 921 isn't perfect, but it I'll still keep it. I am bummed about the firewire fiasco as well but at least I can export to DVD.


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## kwajr (Apr 7, 2004)

Well for years dish has put on ports and never used them.Do you really think the expansion port on the 50 series will be used no and the usb on the 522 no,so why is evry one so shocked that the firewire is dead on 921


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## gwh986 (Jan 19, 2004)

My 921 isn't perfect, but it I'll still keep it. I am bummed about the firewire fiasco as well but at least I can export to DVD.

How does one export from the 9221 to DVD without the Firewire ports?


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## bonscott87 (Jan 21, 2003)

ibglowin said:


> I'll give you a couple of reasons here in NM. NO LOCALS for one, D* has been promising them "soon" for 2 years now, and PEGASUCKS.....


So "move". Kill two birds with one stone. No reason why you have to be with Pegasucks.


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## tonyp56 (Apr 26, 2004)

A almost two months ago I received my new 811 receiver. I was expecting the guide to work, to have Dish Home, etc... What a let down! Why does Dish release these receivers before they are working. The 921, they introduced it about a year ago, it took them forever to release it to the "general public" why couldn't they have fixed these issues before they released it. Its almost like they hurry up and release their receivers, so they can say "look at our great receivers".
To you 921 owners, it disappoints me that 921 didn't lets say fulfill its expectations. And to think I would have bought one if I could have afforded it!


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## ibglowin (Sep 10, 2002)

gwh986 said:


> My 921 isn't perfect, but it I'll still keep it. I am bummed about the firewire fiasco as well but at least I can export to DVD.
> 
> How does one export from the 9221 to DVD without the Firewire ports?


via sVHS connection. (480i) Quality is not HD but its as good as any DVD you could buy.


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## ibglowin (Sep 10, 2002)

bonscott87 said:


> So "move". Kill two birds with one stone. No reason why you have to be with Pegasucks.


Moving is not an option.


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## dswallow (Mar 31, 2003)

ibglowin said:


> Moving is not an option.


Just to be clear, "move" in quotes around Pegasus conversations means to change your service address so that it's in a DirecTV-serviced area but to keep your billing address the same. Not to physically move.


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## Hall (Mar 4, 2004)

kwajr said:


> Well for years dish has put on ports and never used them.Do you really think the expansion port on the 50 series will be used no and the usb on the 522 no,so why is evry one so shocked that the firewire is dead on 921


 Wisely, the USB port, for example, is labeled "For future use" on the 522. When will it be enabled ?? In the future...  Two years from, that same answer still applies. Eventually, people will stop asking.


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## ibglowin (Sep 10, 2002)

dswallow said:


> Just to be clear, "move" in quotes around Pegasus conversations means to change your service address so that it's in a DirecTV-serviced area but to keep your billing address the same. Not to physically move.


Either way D* does not offer locals for New Mexico so switching is NOT an option.


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## bonscott87 (Jan 21, 2003)

Who says you have to "move" to somewhere in New Mexico? CSI is CSI, so long as it's CBS. "Move" to Phoenix or something.

But assuming that 7S launches successfully tomorrow morning, Albuquerque locals will be up within a month or 6 weeks.


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## ibglowin (Sep 10, 2002)

Cool beans.

Not interested in Phoenix locals or weather (110 everyday in the shade). Besides, doesn't D* utilize spot beams for locals? You wouldn't even see the locals if they do (like E*) as you would be out of the beam footprint.

If ABQ comes online soon and Dish doesn't get the software ironed out on the 921 by this Summer it might be an option.....



bonscott87 said:


> Who says you have to "move" to somewhere in New Mexico? CSI is CSI, so long as it's CBS. "Move" to Phoenix or something.
> 
> But assuming that 7S launches successfully tomorrow morning, Albuquerque locals will be up within a month or 6 weeks.


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## MikeW (May 16, 2002)

I wouldn't call the 921 a paperweight. I saw one sell for over $1300 on E-Bay and one is currently up to $1175 with 7 hours of bidding to go.


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## kwajr (Apr 7, 2004)

sorry for th epeople you do not research


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## BobMurdoch (Apr 24, 2002)

MikeW said:


> I wouldn't call the 921 a paperweight. I saw one sell for over $1300 on E-Bay and one is currently up to $1175 with 7 hours of bidding to go.


Hey, warts and all.... this machine is great. PQ is better even on the standard channels than my 721 was as I upconvert everything to 1080i through the DVI connection. I've got a monster hard drive, HD programming I can finally watch, AND I can record them.

Yeah, the thing spontaneously reboots three times a week where you have to wait 3 minutes for a reboot. I can can count on one hand the number of shows that failed to record (all on CBS-HD - usually the King of Queens where I got 0 second recordings). The firewire issue is a minor annoyance, as most of my archived recordings are from SD channels and can still be sent to VHS. Watching the Super Bowl in HD and rewinding to Janet's wardrobe malfunction made my guest's day at my Super Bowl party (not for, pardon the pun, titillating reasons.... but for the fact that we could see what the fuss was all about). This summer, I'm putting up an OTA antenna to e ready for football season so my wife can watch her Eagles games in HD (right now we can only get NY locals due to current SHVIA rules). Oh and I can record lots of HBO comedy and Showtime Beyond which I watch a lot, so don't lecture me about D* Tivos please.


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## garypen (Feb 1, 2004)

MikeW said:


> I wouldn't call the 921 a paperweight. I saw one sell for over $1300 on E-Bay and one is currently up to $1175 with 7 hours of bidding to go.


Ok then. A _Tiffany_ paperweight.


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## BobMurdoch (Apr 24, 2002)

If it was a colossal piece of crap, NO ONE wouldbe lining up to buy the things. The Pros and Cons of the 921 have been debated ad nauseum and they are STILL fetching obscenely high prices on the resale market. It will be interesting to see what happens to the price when supply catches up to demand....


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