# VIP 222 new problem



## AColdStArnolds (Sep 15, 2007)

Had a storm yesterday here in Houston and the satellite went out. As usual, the 722 recovered fine but the 222 recovered to the point of audio and a black screen. Rebooted and got the same thing. After about 3 seconds a screen came up that told me something like " the smartcard for your receiver is not authorized to receive this channel." I could change the channel but got the same thing on every channel and the same message. I tried channels all over the spectrum to hit all the satellites. Same thing.
After rebooting three times with the same problem I went to setup to check to see if the satellites were all being received. 
After all three came up green the picture came back and worked fine.
Anyone else have this problem?
The latest software update seemed to decrease the number of times I get the black screen of death with audio and have to reboot. But now this new problem has come up.


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## Cap'n Preshoot (Jul 16, 2006)

I've had the "Black Screen of Death" enough times to figure out that it is somehow related to me putzing with the remote during a period of signal loss, though I don't have an exact dupe scenario. I find I can avoid BSOD by ignoring the signal loss until it comes back in.

This of course then makes a good case for not mixing your OTA locals into your 222 channel lineup, switching over and using the ATSC receiver in your set instead.

Like you our 722 never has this problem, only the 222 and only then if you attempt to change channels during deep signal fade when all birds are lost. I guess the word here is Patience and resist temptation to go switching channels.

For me rebooting usually recovers it and when rebooting doesn't work then I pull the AC plug and leave it totally dead for about 5 minutes.

While "rain fade" is one of those annoying facts of life with any sat system, the only temporary disruptions are far more tolerable than the multiple day outages caused by garden-spade fade and rototiller fade common with a coaxial wired or fiber provider.

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## Donp (May 2, 2006)

AColdStArnolds said:


> Had a storm yesterday here in Houston and the satellite went out. As usual, the 722 recovered fine but the 222 recovered to the point of audio and a black screen. Rebooted and got the same thing. After about 3 seconds a screen came up that told me something like " the smartcard for your receiver is not authorized to receive this channel." I could change the channel but got the same thing on every channel and the same message. I tried channels all over the spectrum to hit all the satellites. Same thing.
> After rebooting three times with the same problem I went to setup to check to see if the satellites were all being received.
> After all three came up green the picture came back and worked fine.
> Anyone else have this problem?
> The latest software update seemed to decrease the number of times I get the black screen of death with audio and have to reboot. But now this new problem has come up.


For the the smartcard error you will need to what you did every time it occurs in order to fix it. It called "Check Switch" I have to contend with the same thing on my 811 too.


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## Jason Nipp (Jun 10, 2004)

Cap'n Preshoot;1524524 said:


> This of course then makes a good case for not mixing your OTA locals into your 222 channel lineup, switching over and using the ATSC receiver in your set instead.


This isn't the answer. There's a heck of a lot of people out there that have HD ready displays and do not have built in ATSC tuners.

Agree that patience is important during rain fade, but I also agree it's difficult to have patience when you at a critical moment of the show your trying to watch.

I also agree with DonP, when you get frequent smart-card errors, it is wise to clear and reteach the switch matrix. "Checkswitch".


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## Jimmy the Dish (Nov 13, 2005)

AColdStArnolds said:


> Had a storm yesterday here in Houston and the satellite went out. As usual, the 722 recovered fine but the 222 recovered to the point of audio and a black screen. Rebooted and got the same thing. After about 3 seconds a screen came up that told me something like " the smartcard for your receiver is not authorized to receive this channel." I could change the channel but got the same thing on every channel and the same message. I tried channels all over the spectrum to hit all the satellites. Same thing.
> After rebooting three times with the same problem I went to setup to check to see if the satellites were all being received.
> After all three came up green the picture came back and worked fine.
> Anyone else have this problem?
> The latest software update seemed to decrease the number of times I get the black screen of death with audio and have to reboot. But now this new problem has come up.


Your 222 problem is a bug issue. Dish came up with software upgrade that seems to help. A front panel reboot, holding the power button in for 8 seconds, will get your video back after about 5 minutes.


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## Jason Nipp (Jun 10, 2004)

Jimmy the Dish said:


> Your 222 problem is a bug issue. Dish came up with software upgrade that seems to help. A front panel reboot, holding the power button in for 8 seconds, will get your video back after about 5 minutes.


It would be wise for the user to reteach his switch matrix Jimmy. A corrupted switch matrix is the bug you are referring to. You can soft boot all you want, if you don't reteach the switch matrix it will just keep returning.


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## Cap'n Preshoot (Jul 16, 2006)

Jason Nipp said:


> It would be wise for the user to reteach his switch matrix Jimmy. A corrupted switch matrix is the bug you are referring to. You can soft boot all you want, if you don't reteach the switch matrix it will just keep returning.


Having patience during rain fade is one thing. I've been a previous D* subscriber for 7 years. What's really annoying the dickens out of us is the frequency with which we must reboot or otherwise access the service menues and perform time consuming procedures 

I've been an E* subscriber since early Dec '07, just a week or so over 4 months and I cannot count the number of times we've had "operational issues" with the system hardware, usually with the 222. We are presently on our third one. This is inexcusable.

I'm a retired FCC-licensed broadcast engineer w/40 years experience in the communications business. Okay, perhaps becoming a little bit senile, but I can still recognize garbage when I see it. The '222' IRD is the equivalent to technological excrement.

Never understimate your customer's ability to determine when their equipment isn't working right. Few CSR's and even fewer technicians have this ability.

Today (4/13/08) my "patience" is wearing thin. I am very close to calling E* and cancelling. Although under contract, I will not pay any 'early termination' fees because of a little thing called "implied warranty of merchantability", which at barely 4 months into the deal makes said 'contract' unenforceable. You think not? Pull up the account & look at the number of customer complaint calls, each one having been verified as valid. The 222 is junk.

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## Jason Nipp (Jun 10, 2004)

Cap'n Preshoot;1550042 said:


> Never understimate your customer's ability to determine when their equipment isn't working right. Few CSR's and even fewer technicians have this ability....
> I'm a retired FCC-licensed broadcast engineer w/40 years experience in the communications business....


I am not an E* employee. I am also an engineer but do not feel that tauting what I design or do for a living makes me any more credible than if I never brought that up. I do not recommend waiving credentials around in here like your above people, there are many industry professionals in here, and yes they know what they are talking about.

If one feels necessary to convince others that they know what they are talking about, well I always interpret that as someone having to reassure themselves that they are worthy enough to debate. In my case I just don't care, people either believe my advice or the don't. I will give advice freely, but it does not benefit anyone in here to wave a big mojo sign trying to rally people around me. So again, I give opinions, but I am fallible just like everyone else. Believe what I say or not, I will sleep tonight if they don't.

I have had D* as well. If you think the other side has perfect hardware then your defending them. The biggest difference... IMHO, is that the other side tends to hold back features that aren't ready. So since I am a technology geek, I would rather play with something like 8VSB OTA or DLB... rather than not having them at all. Yes I know the other side now has OTA, but DLB is still not there on their DVRs. Seems to me that both sides have some product maturing to do. The good thing here... IMHO is that it is mainly software related, not hardware, as such software is upgradeable. How fast upgrades come, your guess is as good as mine.

Cap, I am sure your a smart guy, try not to refute everything everyone else says, constantly debating people will only give you an ulcer.

Peace
Jason
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## Cap'n Preshoot (Jul 16, 2006)

Not defending anyone, merely wanting a consistent and reliable level of service in exchange for the $120+ monthly I am spending. I am too dang old and too dang tired to be frustrated with an unstable product. I just want to be able to watch TV without having a stroke or heart attack.

No one implied that these HD receivers (the 222 in particular) were fresh out of beta or that I was going to be expected to be a guinea pig while E* conducts a wide beta trial in the retail channel at full subscription rates. If it isn't ready for prime time, don't release it. If it is ready for prime time, then prove it with stable firmware.

By comparison our 722 has been a joy to use.


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## James Long (Apr 17, 2003)

A reminder:
"This forum is HIGHLY moderated. Post only ViP211 (411) and ViP222 support questions and feature requests here."

The support forums are not intended for constant complaints, threats to leave DISH, insulting engineers or insulting other member's opinions, etc. They are intended for VERY LIMITED discussion of the features and operations of the receivers named.

If you have general complaints about the way DISH operates please post in a more appropriate forum (Dish General, Dish HD). 

Thanks!


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## Cap'n Preshoot (Jul 16, 2006)

Jason Nipp said:


> It would be wise for the user to reteach his switch matrix Jimmy. A corrupted switch matrix is the bug you are referring to. You can soft boot all you want, if you don't reteach the switch matrix it will just keep returning.


Jason,
Thank you for this tip. It seems to have solved all of my 222 problems except the problem with the "info" screen frequently popping up. Wonder why no one at E* ever suggested trying this?


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## Cap'n Preshoot (Jul 16, 2006)

For us the 222 serves a specific purpose for which a DVR would be overkill and waste of money. Anything less than the 222 would not do what we need it for. The 222 does exactly what we got it for; to feed analog signals into a second (guest) bedroom while providing Digital OTA and HD sat reception for the master bedroom, all on a single cable. Indeed we also have a DVR in the family room, but per the mods that's OT for this thread.

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## fredinva (May 10, 2006)

Yepper, doing a check switch on a 222 sure beats talking to the cable co CSR when the cable goes out for hours or even days at a time!!!!
fred


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