# 721 remote issue



## Randy_B (Apr 23, 2002)

3 times in the past 5 weeks we have instances where the 721 and the remote couldn't "communicate". The 721 recognizes the guide button press but none of the navigation commands or info work, nor do the numbers. You can only get out of the guide by hitting view. The remote can still communicate with the other devices programmed in (TV, VCR, audio receiver). The batteries are brand new. It takes a reboot of the 721 to get it to recognize the remote again. I haven't called Dish yet, but was curious if anyone else has encountered this?


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## Patrick G. (Sep 10, 2002)

Happened to me yesterday. Had to reboot.


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## Mike D-CO5 (Mar 12, 2003)

Happened to me also . Did a reboot on the 721 and the remote worked again.


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## Bob Haller (Mar 24, 2002)

me too although not as often as with the older software...


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## Kagato (Jul 1, 2002)

I found if you put a better quality UHF ant on the 721 you don't have these kinds of problems. Something is wrong with the remote stuff in the 721. I've changed remotes and units and I've still seen the problem. But then I hooked the ant connector up to my UHF HD ant in the attic. Problem gone.


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## Bill D (May 11, 2002)

I've never had this problem. Not sure if it matters but I use remote address #3 with the 721. 4900 is address #1
bill


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## Guest (Mar 27, 2004)

Experienced the same Control problems w/my 721 unit 3 times in the last couple of weeks and once two months back. I do not believe this issue is related to the UHF remote or reception of remote control signal. I have a non-Dish compatible IR control and get the same results with this unit. 
Even when trying to gain the navigational control (as described in Randy's original post) with the physical buttons on the receiver itself or with a connected USB keyboard still no luck. The only solution I have found was a reboot.


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## Bob Haller (Mar 24, 2002)

its the crappy software. the front panel buttons do the same non responsive thing.


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## pcirone (Jan 6, 2003)

I have found that pressing one of the two 'special' buttons, I forget which, unlocks the remote. You know the one that lights up 'dish' or the other one next to it..


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## treiher (Oct 24, 2002)

This is true! We had the same problem which would randomly surface, and my wife some how figured this out. Press the Dish button that lights up and the remote works again without doing a reboot. Don't know why, but it seems to work!


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## retiredTech (Oct 27, 2003)

I was having trouble with my remote(somtimes) in my other room.
I put a 3 foot coax extension (with a splicer) and raised my uhf antenna up,
this helped with that problem.


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## Guest (Jun 16, 2004)

Is this problem still happening to others? I am finding that this occurs on an almost daily basis. A call to tech told me that this is NOT a known problem, but refused to RMA the unit. I haven't seen a lot of remarks about this lately so maybe this doesn't happen anymore. Today, when the info button was pressed, the system information screen appeared, then the non-responsive remote. 

Pressing MENU brought up the menu, but again no response. Dish Home cleared the screen but no response. After messing with the keys, and a recording stopping, everything came back without a reset.

Anyone else still having this problem?


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## Packerbubba (Jun 24, 2004)

My remote hasn't worked out of the box. I even changed the batteries and still no good. Buttons on the box work.


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## Bob Haller (Mar 24, 2002)

packer check the remote address, they may be miss matched. yeah this trouble is still occuring


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## Jacob S (Apr 14, 2002)

Lately the receiver has had problems in regard to the Sirius channels. If you record a multiple hour Sirius station event on the 721 and it ends on its own it makes it to where you cannot do remote functions. If I turn receiver off and back on I get that same Sirius station screen. I had to reset the receiver TWO TIMES last night over this. The receiver would reboot a second time on its own each time I had to reboot so really it rebooted FOUR TIMES! I am getting tired of having to reboot the receiver and believe this is a software issue.

Yes, this is a Dish problem, sometimes I think they know it but do not want to admit to it. That does not mean that RMA'ing the receiver will do any good. New software is the only thing that will resolve this or to avoid what you do that would cause it to do such a thing in which I do think a certain variety of things do cause it to do that.


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## ron6399 (Jun 22, 2004)

I've had this problem and hit the guide button and I seem to get control back where I can now change channels. I really hate rebooting


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## Bob Haller (Mar 24, 2002)

rebooting is dish techs answer to everything. someone should reboot the programmers that come up with junk code.


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## kmcnamara (Jan 30, 2004)

Yeah, this happened to me a week or so ago. I had to reboot.


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## Big Bob (May 13, 2002)

Bob Haller said:


> rebooting is dish techs answer to everything. someone should reboot the programmers that come up with junk code.


I must be in a cranky mood, because I just can't let this one go by.

IT IS NOT THE PROGRAMMERS!!!!!!!!!

It always boils down to money. Dish has chosen not go invest enough in the developers.

The programmers probably don't have enough time or enough people to do the job right. Perhaps they don't have quality management. I am sure they don't have the budget for proper testing. If the developers were that bad, they would have been fired long ago.


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## SimpleSimon (Jan 15, 2004)

Actually, Big Bob, I believe it IS at least partially the programmers. there are just TOO MANY bugs to blame it all on management. The 721 & 921 share the same code base from Eldon, and overall, it's crap.


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## Jacob S (Apr 14, 2002)

Maybe it is both, Dish too cheap to get good enough programmers to do the job, who knows. If Dish can afford to give away all those HD tv's among the other things they have done, then why can they not afford good programmers?


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## Bob Haller (Mar 24, 2002)

Big Bob said:


> I must be in a cranky mood, because I just can't let this one go by.
> 
> IT IS NOT THE PROGRAMMERS!!!!!!!!!
> 
> ...


Oh its not JUST the programmers. My theory,that fits the conditions.

First the original design of each DVR box isnt robust enough. I watch my 721 bog down sometimes, like a computer without enough memory. Doing multiple things at the same time it finally bugs out and needs rebooting.

This is a function of a poor original design... not enough memory or robust enough Charlie cheaped out

Then we add minor variation of chipsets and parts between batches of boxes. Remember the old 4000s that blinked out? E publically admiuitted that some chipsets batches were more prone to this trouble than others.

I think the present DVRs suffer much the same fate.

Now the programmers TRY to produce good code. But with inadquate testing, a must get to market no matter what. inadquate number of programmers. they compound to make it worse.

Then we add the key ingredient  :nono:

E for security reasons greatly limits who and how much anyone knows of just how the boxes work. Remember the ORIGIAL dishplayer? That was the root cause of much of its troubles...

E REFUSED to share key patrts of the code with microsoft for fear of hacking.

Direct went on to work closely with microsoft and ultimate tv was very stable.

**********************************************************

Untill all these issues are addressed, and fixed with more than lip service and empty promises the downward slide of quality will continue.

.


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## finniganps (Jan 23, 2004)

Fish said:


> Experienced the same Control problems w/my 721 unit 3 times in the last couple of weeks and once two months back. I do not believe this issue is related to the UHF remote or reception of remote control signal. I have a non-Dish compatible IR control and get the same results with this unit.
> Even when trying to gain the navigational control (as described in Randy's original post) with the physical buttons on the receiver itself or with a connected USB keyboard still no luck. The only solution I have found was a reboot.


This is really annoying - two days in a row now. Pushing the Dish button at the top doesn't do anything. Reboot has been the only solution. Wierd how it worked fine for just over 2 months and now it's happening every day. And Yes, I do power off the unit with the remote every night (I don't cut the power on a power strip, but rather just on the unit). If it happens tomorrow I'll be calling the CSR.


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## Bob Haller (Mar 24, 2002)

I had the variation problem, DVR menu worked but the box reused to bring up the guide without a reboot.....


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## Jacob S (Apr 14, 2002)

My dang stupid 721 is doing it again, only responds to PVR functions, Guide, PVR button, and view. Will not turn channels or let me select a show from the PVR list to watch. Same bull all over again. This is really ticking me off. I have had about enough of this bug. It is VERY annoying. This has happened way too many times. They better release new software soon to fix this. When something is currently recording you cannot reboot the receiver if you do not want the recording interrupted so you have to wait until the recording is done. 

How much longer do we have to wait for a fix? This is looking more and more like the DishPlayer 7100/7200 all over again. Perhaps there needs to be a settlement for 721 owners as well if things are going to be this buggy this much. How can you record any programs if you have to reboot it all the dang time? This is utter bull. The 510 does not do this. Also the 510 does not bog down around 2-4 am at night like the 721 does. I watch a previously recorded show between that time on the 721 and it wants to freeze up then start again or go slower than it should. That is also a bunch of bull and has to be a malfunction in the way the product was made.

My satisfaction in the 721 is continuing to drop because the bugs are not being fixed and the stutter/freeze up problems at 2-4 am (in which I am guessing is not software related). I have no issues with the 510.

DISH - GET YOUR SOFTWARE FIXED ON THESE 721's!!!!!


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## finniganps (Jan 23, 2004)

Having the 7100 for almost 5 years, the 721 is no where near that buggy. Yes, the reboot solution is a pain. I think everyone who has the problem should call E* so that they work towards a solution on this. I have never had this problem on my 508, but rebooting on the 508 doesn't take several minutes like the 721 either....so if it had to be on one receiver I wish it was on the 508....Maybe we can get them to shift the problem to another receiver.....lol


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## Jacob S (Apr 14, 2002)

I do agree that it is not as buggy as the 7100/7200 but if things get much worse, such as having two or three of these such bugs it will be just as bad if not worse. Having to reboot the receiver constantly and not getting your shows recorded as a result totally defeats the purpose of having a DVR if you cannot record or play back your shows.


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## Mike D-CO5 (Mar 12, 2003)

I called the Dish advanced tech and talked to him about the unenabled applications on the Dish Home . He informed me that this is not a known problem and that I most likely had one of the 721s with the software with a problem. He told me that Dish home works on all the applications. I laughed and told him that on this and other boards that I am not the only one with no customer service apps working on Dish Home. He did a unusal trend report. 

I also told him of the "unknown recording channel 77 " and he said this was a known problem but not the way I told it. I told him all my recordings have this now until you hit cancel and then cancel again and the real recording information comes up. 

Does anyone else still have the Dish Home applications not working? If so will ya'll call dish advanced techs and inform them. They seem not to know that this is a problem. Oh ,but once again he promised that there is a software update coming to fix the problems they don't acknowledge are there. 


Please!


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## GoFish (Mar 30, 2004)

Wow it's interesting to see some of these older post come back to life after several months of no activity. 
Someone in another thread had introduce a fix that worked for me soon after my original FISH post (see above). I only experienced the problem a couple of more times after that. The quick recovery tip was to hit the big red antenna button next to the home key. With the last firmware update on the 721 this button is now used for the queuing of the pip without the second screen in screen. I however, have not experienced the probelm for several months myself. Hope this post doesn't jinx me.


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## Bob Haller (Mar 24, 2002)

Dish home no longer fixes this problem on my box

I see thwe comment about the long reboot time of the 721. Check your owners manual, it clearly states this time will be shortened by a future software upgrade. 

Another of Es unfinished software issues

Just enabling abort guide reload would help when recovering from one of these bugs.

MY 721 is today less stable than when I first purchased it.


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