# What do I do now?



## Karl Englebright (Sep 10, 2003)

Well, I've pretty much given up on my 921. After having MAJOR issues with OTA channels disappearing from the guide, missed recordings and then the latest - after the new software the 921 keeps rebooting itself constantly, I have finally decided to give up on it. 

I have called 6 times and had someobody promise 3 times that a 921 expert would call me back. I cannot accept this level of service. I am pretty close on giving up on Dish all together and going to either cable or D*. Of course, changing carriers right now would be a pain so that will be my last resort.

Do I take it back to Costco for a refund (which they tell me they will do), or should I try to call Dish, AGAIN and try to get them to replace my 921? The problem is I'm not sure that a another 921 will be any better.

Is there a key to getting Dish to do something?


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## Jason Kragt (Dec 20, 2002)

My advice:

Run (don't walk) to Costco and get a refund while you still can. You can do a lot better with the money, whether it be a HD TiVo or the Dish 942. A lot of people here would be envious of you because you can still get your money back. I would venture to guess that a majority of us who were patient with Dish to get their 921 act together have since regretted it.


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## Karl Englebright (Sep 10, 2003)

It's looking more and more like that is what I will end up doing. It's sad. It's one thing to have a problematic product and another thing to not know how to support it. I've been a Dish customer for 8 years now and until now never felt the need to switch. Between a bad product, poor support, and their policy of not giving incentives to loyal customers, I've about had it.


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## Allen Noland (Apr 23, 2002)

Karl Englebright said:


> Well, I've pretty much given up on my 921. After having MAJOR issues with OTA channels disappearing from the guide, missed recordings and then the latest - after the new software the 921 keeps rebooting itself constantly, I have finally decided to give up on it.
> 
> I have called 6 times and had someobody promise 3 times that a 921 expert would call me back. I cannot accept this level of service. I am pretty close on giving up on Dish all together and going to either cable or D*. Of course, changing carriers right now would be a pain so that will be my last resort.
> 
> ...


The OTA guide data issue is a bug that is being fixed. Getting a different unit will not help that.

How often are the reboots?


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## gunawo (Aug 17, 2004)

Karl,
I feel exactly the same way. No one is saying anything about when or even if they're going to fix the problems they created
I'm giving them one more chance to send an update without creating more problems then I'll just unplug it and watch HD on the OTA and cable for the rest.


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## Karl Englebright (Sep 10, 2003)

Actually, my problem with OTA goes a step further than most people. Not only do I not get OTA information, my channels dissapear completely from the guide and cannot be scanned back or added back manually. I can do a digital channel scan and it says it finds all the services. When it completes, it goes back to the local channels screen but there are no channels on the left side of the screen. Same thing with the manual scan. I have a 6000 and have tested the antenna, sat reception and cabling and I am getting good signal. Before the booting problem, when I would try adding one channel manually, it would tell me that the signal was strong (around 100). I tried all the local channels that way. All strong, but then no channel listing on the left side of the screen.

After the 215 download I briefly(about two days) was able to scan the channels and display them (with the correct guide data) but then my 921 started rebooting itself continuously. POWER UP - HDTV Seal - AQUIRING SIGNAL for 4 or 5 minutes - REBOOT - POWER UP - HDTV Seal - etc, etc. Gone through the usual cold boot, warm boot, leave it disconnected for 1/2 hour, etc. Nothing. On my 5th call to Dish, the Tech told me to either take it back to Costco and replace it, or for $16 they can ship me a replacement.


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## lapplegate (Jan 17, 2003)

Karl Englebright said:


> Well, I've pretty much given up on my 921. After having MAJOR issues with OTA channels disappearing from the guide, missed recordings and then the latest - after the new software the 921 keeps rebooting itself constantly, I have finally decided to give up on it.
> 
> I have called 6 times and had someobody promise 3 times that a 921 expert would call me back. I cannot accept this level of service. I am pretty close on giving up on Dish all together and going to either cable or D*. Of course, changing carriers right now would be a pain so that will be my last resort.
> 
> ...


Karl,
Sorry to hear of the problems.
If you wait it out, til the next download, there is no guarantee that the download will fix ALL the 921 problems. 
If you get a replacement, you still have a 921. Keep in mind that the replacement may play perfectly, until the next download (which ironically might have fixed the one you have now). 
Changing service, as you said, is a pain. Also Dish does have the most available HD. Overall Dish is a pretty good provider. The problem is it is hard to see that when you are saddled with the 921 woes.

The compromise, seems to me, would be to change out units. Not to another 921 but to a 942. How bad could it be to some of the previous 921 owners?
I think that if you can get your money back, I would jump on it.

You could spend around half the refund, lease a 942 (that might take an email to the CEO, but I have heard of it being possible) and move to a supposedly better unit with better (NBR) features. You would also, most likely, have a better transition to MPEG 4 since you don't own the unit.

Just my 2 cents.

Good Luck,
Larry


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## Karl Englebright (Sep 10, 2003)

That's good advice, Larry. I think that leasing a 942 might be the better way to go.

Thanks.


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## Pils (Sep 20, 2004)

For all the problems, I wouldn't let them tie you into another year contract. Deal with the E.O. on this if you do stay.


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## Karl Englebright (Sep 10, 2003)

Well, I went to Costco today and returned the 921. Now comes the decision, do I go to D* or stick with Dish and lease the 942?


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## davemanfl (May 8, 2005)

Lease the 942 you will be happy....


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## kermit24 (Jun 22, 2005)

Well, whats the word? Can we lease starting now? I am antsy!


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## kermit24 (Jun 22, 2005)

Karl Englebright said:


> Well, I went to Costco today and returned the 921. Now comes the decision, do I go to D* or stick with Dish and lease the 942?


Karl, I also purchsed my 921 from Costco, so I will return as soon as a 942 lease option is available. Did you have any difficulty with the return @ Costco?


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## UT_Texan (Dec 9, 2004)

check tomorrow for leasing


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## astrotrf (Apr 5, 2004)

Karl Englebright said:


> Well, I went to Costco today and returned the 921. Now comes the decision, do I go to D* or stick with Dish and lease the 942?


For the moment, I actually have both D* and E*, after having been an E* customer for lots of years and gotten D* a few months ago as an alternative to endless reams of bug threads in the forums. Now that I've lived with D* TiVo units for a while, there is absolutely *NO WAY* I will continue with E*.

The guide on the D* units is slow; if you're a channel surfer, you're not going to like that. And follow-on D* units won't be TiVo; so the new MPEG-4 receivers will be a bit of a crapshoot.

But having lived with buggy E* units for years, and discovering happily that the D* units simply work correctly all of the time, and experiencing the wonder of rock-solid featureful NBR, I would absolutely *NOT* sign up for a 942 and more E* software problems, given the D* TiVo alternative. :nono:

The sad truth of the matter is that the biggest downside to leaving E* will be forfeiting my right to Eldon-bashing. 

Terry (astrotrf)


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## Karl Englebright (Sep 10, 2003)

kermit24 said:


> Karl, I also purchsed my 921 from Costco, so I will return as soon as a 942 lease option is available. Did you have any difficulty with the return @ Costco?


I didn't have any problems at all. Just make sure that you have your receipt. If you don't, they will credit you at the cheapest amount they sold the receiver.

ps. they check to see if you have all your cables, manual and remote, so make sure you pack those in the box.


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