# Is the 921 in Beta Testing?



## Raymond Simonian (Nov 22, 2002)

I would like to start a thread that would update the problems that are being resolved with the 921. How functional is it now and what needs to be fixed.


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## Bill R (Dec 20, 2002)

WHAT 921s are you talking about? As far as I know, no one has one yet.


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## Raymond Simonian (Nov 22, 2002)

Bill, the PVR 921. I know that no one has them. There are usually people like Scott who get some inside information on its progress.


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## BobMurdoch (Apr 24, 2002)

They usually don't let subscribers beta test them. Supposedly their inhouse engineers do the testing, which is a source of constant ridicule here as most of us would not consider this beta testing to begin with, but that's a rant that has been covered before.

Neptune, eh? Greetings from Brielle! I'll be grabbing a 921 as soon as it is available so I'll let you and everyone alse know how it goes out of the gate.


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## Raymond Simonian (Nov 22, 2002)

Bob, I am going to put up an off air UHF antenna, Channel Master 4228, and try for Philadelphia or New York City. Have you tried in Brielle. I am on the pre order list at Dish Depot for the 921. For the last year I have been enjoying DVD in Wide Screen and have not purchased a 6000 because of the alleged "soon" release of the 921 which is now August or Sept. or whenever. Until then it would be nice to get an occasional up date on what problems are being solved and what is functioning on it.


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## Bob Haller (Mar 24, 2002)

I think I am the MOST qualified person here to be a E beta tester. If theres a bug we will find it

Just look atr our present record


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## DmitriA (Aug 6, 2002)

> _Originally posted by BobMurdoch _
> *They usually don't let subscribers beta test them.*


Huh? I thought in E*'s dictionary the definition of subscriber and beta-tester was one and the same?


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## Ken_F (Jan 13, 2003)

> They usually don't let subscribers beta test them. Supposedly their inhouse engineers do the testing, which is a source of constant ridicule here as most of us would not consider this beta testing to begin with, but that's a rant that has been covered before.


Dish does test their HD products outside the company, but only in very limited numbers. Most of their testing is conducted by members of the engineering department, executives, and E* employees that have demonstrated an interest in the product.

Beta testing a HDTV receiver isn't the type of thing you can request with any hope of success; rather, they come to you if you contributed during past betas, if you are involved with a major publication or organization, if you are an Echostar partner, etc.


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## EvanS (Mar 27, 2002)

> _Originally posted by Bob Haller _
> *I think I am the MOST qualified person here to be a E beta tester. If theres a bug we will find it
> 
> Just look atr our present record *


GOOD LORD!! don't let Bob test it - it will NEVER be released!!! :hi: :lol:


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## Geronimo (Mar 23, 2002)

It seems to me taht we have had reports on this baorda bout certain people being beta testers. Ina ddition the term has been used on Tech forums. Although in the latter case I am not sure if it was in house or not.


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## Scott Greczkowski (Mar 21, 2002)

The do let people beta test their receivers and software. 

I personally alpha/beta test the 721 (which is how I am also able to post pictures of upcoming software releases) I also know that there are other non echostar employed 721 testers. (I just don't know who they are) 

As a beta tester I recognize that the software I am using is indeed beta, thus I will not post any bug reports of beta software here on the forum. I do of course report them to the beta program. 

It would not be fair to post beta bugs publicly as these bugs should not and will not be in the software when it is released to the public.

I am hopeful to get a beta 921 unit sometime in the future. Thats not saying I definately will, but I would hope with all the feedback I have been doing on the current betas that I would be a good canidate for the 921. (Plus I am already setup and ready to go, if a 921 was sent to me, I would just plug it in and be good to go.)


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## Ken_F (Jan 13, 2003)

Occasionally, Dish will send out notices to their beta mailing list with all the individual testers in the address field (rather than hiding the names); when they do that, it's apparent that a number of testers do not have an echostar.com email.


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## Bob Haller (Mar 24, 2002)

Scott would you admit it if a Bug in the beta software wasnt fixed before release?


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## Scott Greczkowski (Mar 21, 2002)

No Bob I would not. 

There is a couple of reasons

1) It's beta software, when anyone reports bugs we assume it will get fixed before the release.
2) It would not be right for me to report bug of software which is not publicly available, my job as a tester is to find and identify bugs so they can be fixed.

Now with that said if software is released with bugs that have been reported (especially big bugs) then I beleive I should mention that the same bugs were in the beta. (I did it in the past when I was a Dishplayer beta tester)

Now with that said, I am very confident with the 721 beta team that they are listening and working on giving the end users the best software possible. I have been on a lot of beta's and this beta team is one of the best groups I have dealt with.

Now before people start asking me if the L1.10 betas are buggy, again I will say I won't report bugs here as its private software. With that being said I will say that I am VERY impressed with L1.10 and I believe everyone will be happy with it.


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## BobMurdoch (Apr 24, 2002)

> _Originally posted by Raymond Simonian _
> *Bob, I am going to put up an off air UHF antenna, Channel Master 4228, and try for Philadelphia or New York City. Have you tried in Brielle. I am on the pre order list at Dish Depot for the 921. For the last year I have been enjoying DVD in Wide Screen and have not purchased a 6000 because of the alleged "soon" release of the 921 which is now August or Sept. or whenever. Until then it would be nice to get an occasional up date on what problems are being solved and what is functioning on it. *


I am planning on trying to get the Philadelphia feeds as New York is still suffering from a lack of signal due to the WTC bombings which took out their transmitters. One of the redshirts at Circuit City told me that he is able to get digital feeds from Philly on an INDOOR antenna, but I haven't verified this independently. As my HD Monitor doesn't have a digital tuner, I have not done anything yet to try and get the signals although I read that ALL of the Philly HD channels are on the UHF band which may help you in choosing which antenna you want (VHF and UHF signals are received with different types of antenna designs. Sound and Vision magazine recently did a write up and specifically mentioned Philly as a test case).

I myself am planning to install the 921, and then try an indoor antenna. I read in the same article that, counter intuitively, digital signals are easier to receive than their analog brethren due to a lack of ghosting and other phenomena so I may be able to get a decent signal via indoor antenna. Due to a slight incline on the land that my house is on, I am elevated about 50 ft. above sea level and the land slopes down away from my house in the direction of Philly which is about 40 miles away as the crow flies, so this seems to offer a line of sight to the transmitters. If the indoor antenna does not work, then I will return it and go for the roof mounted option.

Given E*'s history though, it could be Christmas by the time we get to that point where they are ready to release the 921.


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## BobMurdoch (Apr 24, 2002)

> _Originally posted by DmitriA _
> *
> 
> Huh? I thought in E*'s dictionary the definition of subscriber and beta-tester was one and the same?  *


Point taken........

I merely meant that there was never a formal "beta-test" PRIOR to its street date.

That being said, I will withdraw my whining if they will release the 921 and let us go bug hunting. I'm dying to watch baseball and football this year in HDTV, but I don't want to give up my pVR for the privilege.


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