# L182: And What is Fixed!



## DonLandis (Dec 17, 2003)

Channel Up -- Down speed: Fixed

Something that was previously a PIA but not worth me agonizing over it has apparently been fixed. And what difference this makes!

In the past when I would channel up and down, I could only go as far as the next channel. One at a time or it would just choke and revert to the next channel anyway. Made channel up and down a slow process. I would rather jump to the lightning fast channel guide and go up or down and then select as it was much faster.

Post L182, the fix is that I can now click away as fast as I can with the remote and the banner spins by, up or down. Where I stop the channel jumps to that place. This even works for OTA and Sat channels. 

921- Loving it more with every update!

I hope all of you have the same discovery on this fix.


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## SimpleSimon (Jan 15, 2004)

I see the improved Up/Down speed too. Putting the effort into that must be why they didn't have time to test the Sirius support vs. GSOD.


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## Mark Lamutt (Mar 24, 2002)

What do you mean they haven't had time to test the Sirius support vs GSOD? 

Guys, I've had L182 since Friday last week, spending quite a few hours since then testing it. The one didn't "just get sent"...

But, I do have to say that I didn't notice the channel change speed increase or decrease. But, I've been pretty focussed in my testing over the last couple of weeks as well.


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## SimpleSimon (Jan 15, 2004)

Mark - I'm NOT talking about you - unless it was your job to ensure Sirius support was stable. The two problems *discovered so far * are just too obvious.

I don't quire understand 'The one didn't "just get sent"...' comment - maybe that means something relevant to this?


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## DonLandis (Dec 17, 2003)

I spent a few seconds on each of the Serius channels and they all worked fine after activation which took what seemed an eternity, maybe 3 minutes. Havent had a GSOD since Sunday at 8:30PM while watching a DVR recording.

OTA- At first I thought my NON-PSIP NBC was better, locked in fine, Decided to test the other channels, all gone! Scanned each in but some now won't scan in; won't manually tune in. This is bad so I will do another L182 bug report.


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## Mark Lamutt (Mar 24, 2002)

I left that reply before I saw your thread about the GSOD while tuned to a Sirius channel. I can't say that I tested that, because I didn't have access to the Sirius streams until the same time everyone else did today. 

The "didn't just get sent" comment was meant to say that this version did undergo testing - it was not a release that skipped the beta team. But, like I said, testing the Sirius channels wasn't an option for me until tonight.


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## SimpleSimon (Jan 15, 2004)

See - as I expected, it wasn't YOUR fault.


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## ibglowin (Sep 10, 2002)

I can't see much of anything that needed to be fixed, fixed.

I am quite disappointed here.


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## Slordak (Dec 17, 2003)

We all get frustrated and discouraged, but bear in mind that this release was primarily to enable Sirius channel functionality. With that being said, it was undoubtedly a management decision to just get the release out with this functionality and whatever else could be added easily / with low risk.

Basically, they had to meet the deadline set by Dish management for Sirius channel roll out. Hence, most of the more major (higher risk) fixes which were not yet ready (or not yet fully regression tested) didn't make it into the release. I don't think it's that surprising that some of the promised upcoming fixes are not yet in there.


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## ggw2000 (Dec 22, 2003)

Slordak said:


> We all get frustrated and discouraged, but bear in mind that this release was primarily to enable Sirius channel functionality. With that being said, it was undoubtedly a management decision to just get the release out with this functionality and whatever else could be added easily / with low risk.
> 
> Basically, they had to meet the deadline set by Dish management for Sirius channel roll out. Hence, most of the more major (higher risk) fixes which were not yet ready (or not yet fully regression tested) didn't make it into the release. I don't think it's that surprising that some of the promised upcoming fixes are not yet in there.


Yes, but let's understand that the last release was OVER a month ago. I would have expected more as many of you also would  .


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## markcollins (Jan 27, 2004)

what fixes,just add ons.


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## jsanders (Jan 21, 2004)

markcollins said:


> what fixes,just add ons.


According to Mark's published bug fix list, a couple of "Gray screen of death" problems were fixed. Increased banner speed, or in my case, increased channel guide speed are nice to have though...


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## deweybrunner (Feb 8, 2004)

I seriously thought we would be really getting some problem ironed out with both 181 and 182. Both accomplished very little as far as addressing real issues. If Dish doesn't focus on the real problems I will be forced to go Direct/Tivo.
I know how good Tivo is because I had it for about four years. They had all these problems solved years ago. They have many more features and flexibility. I commend Direct for hooking up with Tivo.


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## Ronald K (Jan 11, 2004)

The channel up/down speed that you are describing was fixed in 180.


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## DonLandis (Dec 17, 2003)

_The channel up/down speed that you are describing was fixed in 180."_

Maybe so, but it sure was cripled here until I downloaded 182. Maybe it was just on my 921.


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## Slordak (Dec 17, 2003)

I have found L182 to be much faster in certain operations, such as scrolling up or down in the guide. I made a mental note of it to myself, but when the initial list of fixes from Mark didn't specifically mention it, I thought I was just imagining the increase in speed.

It's possible that the speed increase is due to the fact that the system is no longer leaking resources (due to crash fixes). Over time, resource leaks can manifest themselves as poor performance.


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## ibglowin (Sep 10, 2002)

I just tried to add TNT-HD to my HDTV favorites list.....

You guessed it, you can go in, select it to add, exit out and viola, its NOT in your favorites list....


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## SimpleSimon (Jan 15, 2004)

ibglowin said:


> I just tried to add TNT-HD to my HDTV favorites list.....
> 
> You guessed it, you can go in, select it to add, exit out and viola, its NOT in your favorites list....


It worked for me just now - try it again maybe?


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## keitheva (Aug 23, 2002)

ibglowin said:


> I just tried to add TNT-HD to my HDTV favorites list.....
> 
> You guessed it, you can go in, select it to add, exit out and viola, its NOT in your favorites list....


Me too.

Not only that, but I have found that I cannot modify an existing favorites list at all (no add or delete), and I cannot create a new favorites list either (because I cannot add anything to it).

Cheers,
-Keith


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## 4HiMarks (Jan 21, 2004)

ibglowin said:


> I just tried to add TNT-HD to my HDTV favorites list.....
> 
> You guessed it, you can go in, select it to add, exit out and viola, its NOT in your favorites list....


TNT-HD? What channel number is that? I thought we only had HDNet, HDNet Movies, Discovery HD and ESPN HD (plus OTA and premiums).

-Chris


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## keitheva (Aug 23, 2002)

keitheva said:


> Me too.
> 
> Not only that, but I have found that I cannot modify an existing favorites list at all (no add or delete), and I cannot create a new favorites list either (because I cannot add anything to it).
> 
> ...


This has got me thinking. Some folks can add to their favorites and some can't; sometimes it takes several tries to add an OTA TV channel (like it did for me yesterday to add KBHK). These actions all have something in common, they are updating an internal list (file), and sometimes it works, and sometimes it doesn't. This suggests some sort of timing issue perhaps. Is the 921 code multi-threaded does anyone know? Maybe there's some thread-timing issue whereby the original version of the file sometimes gets written over the upadted version of the file, depending on which thread runs first?

Just some random thoughts.

Cheers,
-Keith


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## deweybrunner (Feb 8, 2004)

After the above quote i checked to see if i could find TNT HD. It's there, unannounced, on channel 9430(I think). A plus.


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## SimpleSimon (Jan 15, 2004)

Chris, Dewey: TNT-HD is on 9420 not 9430.

Keith: Yes, of course, the 921 is multi-threaded. Hit yourself in the forehead while recording a show as you're watching another.  Sorry, couldn't resist. Anyway, I've spotted more than one instance of database corruption in this stupid box. The favorites problem seems to be related to OTA channels, too.

Anyone out there having favorites problems that does NOT have OTA???


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## jsanders (Jan 21, 2004)

deweybrunner said:


> After the above quote i checked to see if i could find TNT HD. It's there, unannounced, on channel 9430(I think). A plus.


TNT HD is 9420, I was watching it on my 9212 this morning.


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## jsanders (Jan 21, 2004)

SimpleSimon said:


> Chris, Dewey: TNT-HD is on 9420 not 9430.
> 
> Keith: Yes, of course, the 921 is multi-threaded. Hit yourself in the forehead while recording a show as you're watching another.  Sorry, couldn't resist. Anyway, I've spotted more than one instance of database corruption in this stupid box. The favorites problem seems to be related to OTA channels, too.


I think Keith was referring to how the threads handle lock semaphores. It is an easy thing to overlook.

If (!lock) { do something; }

vs.

do
. GiveTimeToAnotherThread();
while (lock);

lock = true;
do something;

If "do somehing" is to write data, and the semphore is set to lock, then the first scenario will just skip over writing anything, and the second one will wait for the lock to get released. And, yes, I understand the above example is crude, and can still have glitches because the locking isn't an atomic operation. However, programmers do tend to get lazy when they start out and write stuff like the first example in order to "get by" for a while, and write "fix me" comments to remind them that it ain't done....


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## SimpleSimon (Jan 15, 2004)

Gosh yes - I've been guilty of that myself. Of course, when it comes to file-write and database operations, that should be so far down in the core code and tight that it shouldn't be possible.

Then again, it's been my experience that people that program in Unix tend to be more chaotic and "free" than Windows people - probably because Windows forces you to do it Billy's way. But that's not necessarily a bad thing.


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## keitheva (Aug 23, 2002)

keitheva said:


> Me too.
> 
> Not only that, but I have found that I cannot modify an existing favorites list at all (no add or delete), and I cannot create a new favorites list either (because I cannot add anything to it).
> 
> ...


OK, this gets curiouser and curiouser. I had to reboot the 921 tonight after I tried to add TNTHD one more time and the menu froze, and guess what, *all* the changes I had made previously showed-up after the reboot. Not only TNTHD, but a couple of other channels too that I had tried to add to my favorites just to see if the problem was specific to TNTHD, and the new favorites list I had tried to create. None of these changes were apparent after I had made them, but after the reboot, bingo!

It's as if the display GUI was reading an old cached version of the list or something, and not the updated version. The reboot was like doing a refresh in a web browser.

Cheers,
-Keith


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## ksquared (Feb 2, 2004)

keitheva said:


> Me too.
> 
> Not only that, but I have found that I cannot modify an existing favorites list at all (no add or delete), and I cannot create a new favorites list either (because I cannot add anything to it).
> 
> ...


Same here. I was able to edit my favorites list just a few days ago
to add some Sirius channels. For me, it's not just the new TNT-HD. I
tried adding and deleting other channels (redundant NY, LA, and superstation
channel listings in the 8000 range) and those wouldn't stick, either.

Regards,
K^2
SW Version L182
boot: 120


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## 4HiMarks (Jan 21, 2004)

Hmm. I had no problem adding TNT-HD once I found out it existed. Thanks guys. I talked to a CSR earlier this week about something else and I asked when there was going to be more HD and he said he didn't know. Don't they tell the CSRs anything?

-Chris


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## DonLandis (Dec 17, 2003)

My Favorites worked fine with L182. I had no problem in adding it (TNT-HD) to my "HDTV PLUS" list I use which is just all the good HDTV (not demo channel or PPV channel) plus a few SD channels I like to keep up on. L182 allows this to work now.

I have observed two reasons for some people having difficulty with stuff like this:

1ST (most important) Always do a reboot, preferably with the power cord after any new software upgrade. Even if Mark Lamutt says and this is rare, that you do not need to, I have done the power plug reboot every time. I consider power button a monitor off mode and this is not the same thing as a real power plug shut down reboot (for the newbies). I'm a windows guy and I have learned that rebooting from a total power down is a great way to fix many strange problems. Whenever I install new software I always reboot my computer even if it doesn't ask to. Just a habit. Therefore I have always rebooted after a new software upgrade with the 921.

2. 2nd reason I discovered some people were having in not getting new channels to "take" is because they failed to check them off before saving or saying "Done" when doing channel adds, Favorites (now) and timers. When there's a button, make sure it has a check before exiting! That's my tip of the day for what does work. 


I got a nastygram(frustrated form of anger, ) from one lurker with a 921 who was having many many problems. #1 he was not rebooting except when the 921 did it's own GSOD, second he didn't know one had to select or check those little buttons before exiting. 


Was it you Simon who said reboot every morning to keep the GSOD away? Well, I'm not sure that will keep the GSOD away but it sure will refresh things. I have not begun that practice yet but I do think it is a good idea. 


Finally, after a week of doing many timers, I found that leaving the pad times set to default did not hamper my recordings. I had set 21 timers this past week many with padding conflicts, none with program conflicts, and not one misfire. No 0 time recordings. One instance of a split recording which had to be a standby reboot early in the morning.


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## SimpleSimon (Jan 15, 2004)

Good post, Don!

Yes, I've mentioned the daily reboot as a remedy, but I did NOT originate the idea - I think it might've been guruka. Just trying to put the credit where it's due. 

BTW, prior to L182, the reboot trick was helping. Since L182, I deliberately have NOT done it, and so far, so good - no GSODs except for those related to Sirius.


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## DonLandis (Dec 17, 2003)

You are correct. It was Guruka who suggested the daily reboot.

Hey WRT serius radio channels- Check out my post in the What's not fixed thread. I only posted it there because I had made an ignorant statement about Serius Radio channels earlier. 
So far, I've been surfing them for a couple of hours using the UHF remote and have not had any issues. I'm not recording though.


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## deweybrunner (Feb 8, 2004)

Serius Radio is great! no problems, just good music and great quality. Thanks 921.


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## Slordak (Dec 17, 2003)

It's "Sirius". You know, like the dog star, people (hence why the logo has a cute picture of a dog).


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