# FROM DISH: Please read if you have the "Blue Line" problem



## Mark Lamutt (Mar 24, 2002)

I have been asked by service engineering group at Dish Network to pass this along to you:

If you are experiencing the blue line bug with your 921, please send an email to [email protected] as soon as possible.

In this email, please include you name, and contact information. Someone from Dish Network will be in contact with you about it.

Please do not use this email address for anything other than the blue line problem - if you do, your email will be ignored.


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## srrobinson2 (Sep 16, 2003)

Mark Lamutt said:


> I have been asked by service engineering group at Dish Network to pass this along to you:
> 
> If you are experiencing the blue line bug with your 921, please send an email to [email protected] as soon as possible.
> 
> ...


Mark, I just started noticing a thin bue vertical line in the middle of my screen when I am watching SD DVR recordings. The HD recordings (manual OTA) don't seem to show the line.

Is this the blue line problem?


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## Mark Lamutt (Mar 24, 2002)

Honestly, I don't know. Why don't you send that picture to the email address above and see what they say. I doubt it is because the problem has to do with the component video connections.


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## srrobinson2 (Sep 16, 2003)

Mark Lamutt said:


> Honestly, I don't know. Why don't you send that picture to the email address above and see what they say. I doubt it is because the problem has to do with the component video connections.


Sent email last niight--no reply yet. BTW--I am watching the pro bowl, and the same blue line is present during the live broadcast. Regular ESPN--not ESPN-HD.


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## FarNorth (Nov 27, 2003)

I'm seeing it, too, just a partial blue line during SD recording of Letterman, about halfway down the screen and comes and goes. I recorded an HD showing of 'Wild Things' for comparison and it is spectacular.


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## tgerrish (Jan 20, 2004)

srrobinson2 said:


> Mark, I just started noticing a thin bue vertical line in the middle of my screen when I am watching SD DVR recordings. The HD recordings (manual OTA) don't seem to show the line.
> 
> Is this the blue line problem?


This is a bit different from the original JPG sample image taken by another 921 owner, which had multiple vertical blue lines spread across the display.

My 921 has both the multiple blue lines (though mostly visible only on dark blue backgrounds) and EXACTLY the blue line which your screen shot shows. My 921 was sent back this Monday for repair, I'll let you know if both problems are fixed when I get it back.


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## buist (Nov 12, 2002)

Last night I had the same problem as FarNorth (thin blue line in the middle of the screen). It may or may not be a coincedence that I had switched from the normal HD output to SD output (I use a RF Video sender to send the video/audio when I am cooking in the kitchen). When I switched it back to the HD output (DVI connection) I started to see the blue line. I did not see it on any of the HD recordings, however, I could see it on SD recordings when the picture was darker.. 

For what it is worth, I did not see the problem this morning. It makes me very nervous, though. I will continue to monitor the problem..

Tim


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## tgerrish (Jan 20, 2004)

buist said:


> ...It may or may not be a coincedence that I had switched from the normal HD output to SD output (I use a RF Video sender to send the video/audio when I am cooking in the kitchen). When I switched it back to the HD output (DVI connection) I started to see the blue line. I did not see it on any of the HD recordings, however, I could see it on SD recordings when the picture was darker..
> Tim


Switching between HD & SD modes was also how I generated the blue line in the middle of the screen on my 921 (component video & SVideo outputs), but I'm not sure if this is what the Dish engineers are trying to fix. My 921 also has the problem with multiple blue lines in dark backgrounds.

My 921 has been in for repair all week now, and based on the latest email from Dish product elevation I'm not sure if it will be returned anytime soon. Either my 921 was a really bad sample that they are having a hard time fixing, or maybe they can't replicate the problem? In any case, I'll post an update when I finally receive the "repaired" 921 back.


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## John Quaglino (Aug 5, 2003)

Last night was the first time I noticed it. It only appears to be visible on SD broadcast converted to 1080i and output over component. I could not find it on the HD channels. I switched my output to 480p and I did not notice the thin blue line. For those experiencing this problem, please run a test and see if it is visible during 480p output.

I can definately state that this is a new problem. I've had the 921 for several weeks and the thin blue line just appear yesterday.


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## buist (Nov 12, 2002)

Just to add some more detail to this.. I did not notice the problem last night. Of course I did not switch between the HD and SD outputs (I am afraid to now!). I am connecting to my TV (Hitachi 51S700) with a Monster DVI-D cable (which everyone else seems to be using non-DVI connections). 

Tim


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## BobMurdoch (Apr 24, 2002)

So, if we are using DVI we are immune to this one?


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## buist (Nov 12, 2002)

I am using DVI and had the "thin blue vertical line" problem, so DVI can be a problem too. Although, I haven't seen this since I switched from HD output to SD back to HD. This may be part of what causes this problem. I am too scared ;-) to try the SD output again..

Tim


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## BobMurdoch (Apr 24, 2002)

I used the SD output only once when I archived an SD show to VHS. Other than that it is just left on HD and everything is upconverted to 1080i.


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## srrobinson2 (Sep 16, 2003)

srrobinson2 said:


> Sent email last niight--no reply yet. BTW--I am watching the pro bowl, and the same blue line is present during the live broadcast. Regular ESPN--not ESPN-HD.


I definately have the problem and have been insructed to ship my 921 back in to Dish. An easy way to see the lines (and I can now see multiple vertical lines) is to pause DVR recording during a fade between shows and/or commercials so that you are looking at a black screen.

It happens during HD OTA broadcasts and during SD sattelite broadcasts. I am not using DVI, however--I am using component with my Toshiba 65HD TV.


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## the_tx_dude (Jan 26, 2004)

One the third try I have a 921 without blue lines on component output. But with this 921 the S-video output shows a screen that appears scrambled. I usually watch SD upconverted through the component so it is not really a big deal but I hate to keep a 921 with what appears to be a defective s-video output. I am going to try another S-video cable just to make sure it is not my cable and I am going to hook up my 501 to s-video tv connection to make sure it is not my tv connection. :nono2:


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## BarryO (Dec 16, 2003)

srrobinson2 said:


> An easy way to see the lines (and I can now see multiple vertical lines) is to pause DVR recording during a fade between shows and/or commercials so that you are looking at a black screen.


Yea, that's what I did to verify mine was gone. You can single-frame step through the fade and check it at various brightness levels.

'haven't checked S-video, becasue I don't think I'll ever use it. My TV doesn't have discrete codes for input selection, so everything goes through a switcher with discrete input control to one TV input, which will handle 480p and 1080i.

tx_dude, glad to hear you have a good one. Your initial lack of sucess made be extra-paranoid checking mine. 'whole family has gotten pretty addicted to this DVR thing, and would hate to give it up again at this point.


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## tgerrish (Jan 20, 2004)

BarryO said:


> Yea, that's what I did to verify mine was gone. You can single-frame step through the fade and check it at various brightness levels...


This is one of the many ways that I was able to see blue lines on my 921 also; it got repaired last week and I'm pretty sure that all traces of this problem are gone.


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## H2OSkier (Jan 20, 2004)

Well I just noticed the thin blue line on a recording of Letterman. It might have been there for awhile but it sure was obvious on that recording. I'll have to check last nights recording tonight. Thanks for the tips on how to check for it.

Ken


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## FarNorth (Nov 27, 2003)

FWIW, I only saw the blue line partially down the screen and intermittently at that and I haven't seen it at all for at least 10 days.


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## Frank Z (Nov 15, 2002)

Just saw it on mine while watching a recorded SD program and saw the same vertical line after switching back to live TV. Hope they get this one fixed ASAP!!!


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## lex61564 (Feb 10, 2004)

I just saw my first blue and other color lines situation today, very subtle but there, mostly in dark or contrast areas of the picture, I called dish and they check there data bases for this problem and they offer some quick fix such as watching through the DVI (I don't have that options on my Sony VEGA) or S out connection which doesn't support HD. The remittees are one, wait for the next update in march in which they are experimenting with a software fix or to have the machine replaced with a tried and tested refurbished machine, still with a year warranty, I opted for a tried and tested machine, that way I should be in good shape. It is interesting to know that there might be a software fix in the works also that we will have an update here soon in March, three weeks to a month.


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## lex61564 (Feb 10, 2004)

The thing is, that I think this problem just developed, I never noticed it before and I have had my machine almost two months. That's kinda scary for everything to be fine then all of a sudden you can get blue line.


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## lex61564 (Feb 10, 2004)

It's weird but I have a replacement refurbished machine coming my way soon, and I am hard pressed to see any one of my lines issues, almost like they disappeared, just a couple of days ago I saw multiple lines, has anyone had this issues?


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## PanamaMike (Mar 31, 2004)

I've got some blue lines, but I don't know if it has to do
with my display device or the 921. I'm running an ECP 4500 FP and I get a vertical blue line but its off the screen in the area thats not part of the actual display on the right. However it doesn't look like a convergence problem line since I checked with my convergence grid.

Additionally, when I use the guide, I get two horizontal blue lines off in the same area of the screen on the border of the selected guide line. Again its mostly noticeable off
the viewing area of the screen.

I'm running the 921 at 720p

Mike


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## Mark Lamutt (Mar 24, 2002)

Mike, that doesn't sound like the blue line problem that's talked about in this thread. I recall another user reporting a cyan border around his picture on a plasma screen running at 720p from back in January or February. If you look through earlier threads in this forum, you should be able to find it.


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## David_Levin (Apr 22, 2002)

PanamaMike said:


> I've got some blue lines, but I don't know if it has to do
> with my display device or the 921. I'm running an ECP 4500 FP and I get a vertical blue line but its off the screen in the area thats not part of the actual display on the right.


Could it be an overscan issue? Can you adjust the overscan area on the monitor?


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## PanamaMike (Mar 31, 2004)

David_Levin said:


> Could it be an overscan issue? Can you adjust the overscan area on the monitor?


After looking at some photos of the serious blue line problem, I don't think what I have is an issue. It's probably something to do with the projector overscan. Doesn't seem to be a biggie


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## srrobinson2 (Sep 16, 2003)

srrobinson2 said:


> I definately have the problem and have been insructed to ship my 921 back in to Dish. An easy way to see the lines (and I can now see multiple vertical lines) is to pause DVR recording during a fade between shows and/or commercials so that you are looking at a black screen.
> 
> It happens during HD OTA broadcasts and during SD sattelite broadcasts. I am not using DVI, however--I am using component with my Toshiba 65HD TV.


Dish "repaired" my unit and gave me red and green lines instead. When I contact the blue line people now, I am instructed to contact the normal CSR for a replacement. Not sure yet if a refurb is a better deal or not. I suppose it's as good as the tech who certifies it. As for my recorded content, guess I'm out of luck there!


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