# E*'s 921 Support Team



## AVJohnnie (Jul 27, 2004)

I’ve about had it with *E. My 921 is on its last legs and trying to get *E to do something about it is damn near impossible. What started out as some noticeable clicking sounds and screen freezes, progressed to weird color shifting, and ended up last night as a completely black & white ONLY display (including the guide and recorded video.) I’ve been trying for almost a week now to get them to do something. They step me through the level-1 support BS, then on to the advanced BS support, who in turn tells me that they must communicate with some “super secret 921 support team”. These are the “guys” who have been supposed to call me within 24-48 hours since the end of last week.

You would not believe the display I’m getting out of the 921 now. Every color of the rainbow shifting in bands across the screen – then alternating between B&W and color so intense that it makes the monitors bloom. It’s doing this on the 4 sets I have connected to it – three of which are hooked up RF, and the main HD set which is connected by Component, SV and RF. It’s doing this on all the outputs (at the same time) – I don’t have a DVI monitor to test with.

At least this morning the guide is back in color again, but the video image color intensity and hue keeps shifting around.

The guy I spoke with in advanced tech last night told me that he has at least a dozen 921 owners in some kind of holding pattern waiting for the “921 A-Team” to respond to them. At least with the cable company, if you have a box go bad you can drive over and get it swapped out the same day. I think I’ve just about had it with this little beta-test called the 921 fiasco.

This is BS of the highest order of magnitude!


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## rstaples (Sep 17, 2004)

AVJohnnie said:


> The guy I spoke with in advanced tech last night told me that he has at least a dozen 921 owners in some kind of holding pattern waiting for the "921 A-Team" to respond to them. At least with the cable company, if you have a box go bad you can drive over and get it swapped out the same day. I think I've just about had it with this little beta-test called the 921 fiasco.
> 
> This is BS of the highest order of magnitude!


Must be the same advanced tech team that was supposed to call me more than three weeks ago and I left TWO phone numbers (home phone with message and cell phone) where I could be reached!

I suspect they are understaffed, overwhelmed, and hoping that the next release will fix many of the problems described by callers.


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## Mark Lamutt (Mar 24, 2002)

AVJohnnie - are you seeing this with your 921 set to output 1080i, 480p, 480i, or all three?


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## AVJohnnie (Jul 27, 2004)

Mark Lamutt said:


> AVJohnnie - are you seeing this with your 921 set to output 1080i, 480p, 480i, or all three?


I'm getting it in all modes I can do (480i, 480p and 1080i), including 480p Safe Mode (as designated by both HD and SD output indicator lamps being on simultaneously.)


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## DVDDAD (Dec 21, 2002)

Try CSR roulette. Keep calling until you get someone to agree to replace your unit.


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## naqbrules (Oct 30, 2004)

only folks from E 921 support team will be able to replace the 921. and they have to call you. i'd say since it's the 13th now prob call them back and find out what the status for that team to call you back. roulette won't work in this case as far as the actual replacement.


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## DVDDAD (Dec 21, 2002)

naqbrules said:


> only folks from E 921 support team will be able to replace the 921. and they have to call you. i'd say since it's the 13th now prob call them back and find out what the status for that team to call you back. roulette won't work in this case as far as the actual replacement.


Not true. But that's what they want you to believe. That's what I was told when trying to return my 921. Of course no one called me back either. But after my third call the CSR agreed to set me up with a replacement. And, this was not an advanced tech, just a first level tech. CSR roulette does work and is worth a shot!


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## AVJohnnie (Jul 27, 2004)

DVDDAD said:


> Not true. But that's what they want you to believe. That's what I was told when trying to return my 921. Of course no one called me back either. But after my third call the CSR agreed to set me up with a replacement. And, this was not an advanced tech, just a first level tech. CSR roulette does work and is worth a shot!


Hi guys - I have an update for you regarding the 921 replacement. One of the "special 921 support team" members eventually called and arranged for my replacement. They UPS (second day) aired it to me. I received it late last Friday.

I unboxed it and let it temperature stabilize until late Saturday afternoon before hooking it up. What a surprise! My old 921 must have had other issues I had not realized until I saw the output of this unit. I think the video scalar in my original unit may have been bad from day one. I had dismissed the high level of digital pixilation/artifacting I was seeing on SD channels as simply the way it was with the 921's 1080i up-conversion. Wrong! This one looks great! Smooth, no pixel boxes. Sure, some pixilation in fast motion areas but otherwise excellent! The occasional "weird color line" down the middle is still there on some sources - but I can live with that - no problem (they're fixing it anyway, right Mark?)

However - This brings up another question about this replacement 921&#8230; :sure:

In the past, with my old 921, when that line down the middle showed up, my method to deal with it was to temporarily drop to 480p. I also liked to drop to 480p on some ESPNHD game coverage to get around the over-scan cropping at the bottom of the image (which really bugs me because it crops the scoring banners.) Anyway, this 921 does something at 480p that my original never did. Every minute or two, the video flickers - actually it looks like it slightly collapses then pops back to normal. It does it in a fraction of second. I don't recall this issue being mentioned in the threads before. Anyone else ever run across this?  It only occurs at 480p - 1080i is fine. I'm using component video, if that matters.

I already have a call in to the support team. Oh-Boy! Here I go again&#8230; :lol:


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## Rodney (Aug 22, 2003)

AVJohnnie,

I had a very similar problem but it occured at 1080i with component cables. In my case the flicker was evident about every 20 minutes and began with the L184 or L185 upgrade. Dish replaced that 921 and the replacement did the same thing. I resolved the issue by using a DVI cable.


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## Kagato (Jul 1, 2002)

Explain your setup? 921 directly to your display? Or are their switch boxes and/or AV gear between these?

The component output on the 921 is EXTREMELY weak in my opinion. Support claims it's a software issue, but I'm pretty sure if you popped the component output onto a spectrum analyzer it would be a different story.

I don't mean to sound down on Dish, but I've brought this issue up to Advanced support, and to this forum, early summer and no one wanted to acknowledge any problem exists.

In my case, the 921 had serious issues when interacting with my component switcher. Mind you, my Dish 6000, my JVC 30K DVHS and my HiPix all worked with out a glitch. My solution was to replace the passive switcher with one that was active and amplified the signal.


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## AVJohnnie (Jul 27, 2004)

Kagato said:


> Explain your setup? 921 directly to your display? Or are their switch boxes and/or AV gear between these?


Hi Kagato, thanks for your input - Whenever there are "issues" I reduce to the simplest configuration possible - no extra A/V gear in the loop to flavor the brew. This reference/test setup consists of a direct connection between the 921 and the HD set. I'm using a 2 meter component video cable (Monster Video® Z300 Ultra). The HD set is a Mitsubishi Diamond Series WS-55711. Unfortunately this set does not have DVI or HDMI (bought it just before Mitsubishi updated the Diamond Series lineup to include those features.) My normal operational configuration adds a Yamaha RX-Z9 between the 921 and Mitsubishi (using another 2 meter Z300 cable set.) The old (replaced) 921 never had the "flicker issue" using either of these hookup configurations. :nono:

Its day 2 and I'm still waiting for that call back from the Dish "921 super techs".


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## Kagato (Jul 1, 2002)

AVJohnnie said:


> Hi Kagato, thanks for your input - Whenever there are "issues" I reduce to the simplest configuration possible - no extra A/V gear in the loop to flavor the brew. This reference/test setup consists of a direct connection between the 921 and the HD set. I'm using a 2 meter component video cable (Monster Video® Z300 Ultra). The HD set is a Mitsubishi Diamond Series WS-55711. Unfortunately this set does not have DVI or HDMI (bought it just before Mitsubishi updated the Diamond Series lineup to include those features.) My normal operational configuration adds a Yamaha RX-Z9 between the 921 and Mitsubishi (using another 2 meter Z300 cable set.) The old (replaced) 921 never had the "flicker issue" using either of these hookup configurations. :nono:
> 
> Its day 2 and I'm still waiting for that call back from the Dish "921 super techs".


I have a Z9 as well. It's a 6X2 Active Component switcher. It's most likely bad hardware. As opposed to sub par hardware. Try switching out the cable. In fact Dish is likely 2nd day a free set of them to get you to go away. Not that Monster is bad (a bit over priced) but I don't trust any cable I didn't make myself.


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## AVJohnnie (Jul 27, 2004)

Kagato said:


> Try switching out the cable.


Already tried (3 different cable sets), same story...

BTW: Got the call back from E*. We're hoping the soon to spool update addresses the issue.


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## Jason Nipp (Jun 10, 2004)

I just received an email from one of my contacts at Echostar regarding this thread. I haven't read the whole thread as I am in the office right now and just have time to skim, but apparently there are a couple users in this thread that said they were waiting for a return phone call from the 921 advanced team. This email is from the head of that team and he is wanting help collecting information in order to return calls. You can private message me with your contact info; Real name (Account Name), Address, and Phone number on account and to contact you at. If you don't trust me, I am also sending the info to Mark Lamutt and he can also forward your information. If you don't trust either one of us...then that's your decision.

Best Regards, 
Jason


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## Cyclone (Jul 1, 2002)

Aren't you that Jason guy from Amway?


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## Jason Nipp (Jun 10, 2004)

Cyclone said:


> Aren't you that Jason guy from Amway?


Typhoon,...Well amongst the many get rich quick schemes that my wife has burdened our friends and family with...Scamway isn't one of them...However I can spam you with a chitload of Marketnight, PamperedShef, or Partylong catalogs...Would you like me to? 

Jason


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## Mark Lamutt (Mar 24, 2002)

As Jason has posted, if you have called about whatever problem and have not received a call back from the 921 team, please PM or email me your contact information so that I can get it directly to them.


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## Cyclone (Jul 1, 2002)

Just as long as it isn't scrapbooking.


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