# 721 Software Update



## SDiego

Well according to Tech forum, we should get a software update to get the dishhome feature, by the 20th, this thursday. I hope it fixes some other things as well.

Ron


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## Cyclone

Did they mention dates?


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## SDiego

Yes, they said by the 20th


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## Mike Russell

Getting new software now. I hope this will buffer the second tuner feature.


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## Big D

Mine is done, L171. Wonder why the big jump in the number. OpenTV is working, at least most of it.


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## goughl

Looks like 2nd tunner buffer also


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## AppliedAggression

does the 2nd tuner always buffer or only when you pull up pip then have that little icon in the corner...?


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## thevoice

Looks like you push the red button to make the second tuner buffer.. Dish home is also here, the coolest part is you can record video while in DishHome!

As for the new games, got to love Sokoban - this is my favorite and it is about time Dish added a good game that takes some brains!!

Sirius support is also here!!


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## AppliedAggression

that's pretty cool. is there an easy way to switch tuners now without bringing up the pip?


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## 68mustang

What is the "2nd tuner buffer"?


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## Guest

68mustang said:


> What is the "2nd tuner buffer"?


Its a buffer for the second tuner.


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## gary s

I took the 721 software upgrade. Now I notice the themes search (hitting the left arrow button) is not working. They all have a date of December 30, 1994 and do not show any programs. They just say AUX 9:16pm. I use the themes search pretty often. I hope this is something that will straighten out after a little while. 

I am very happy to have the Dish Home channel.

Should be good to have Sirius also. Just heard a DJ as soon as I tuned to my first station. I think I could do without DJs.


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## thevoice

gary s said:


> I took the 721 software upgrade. Now I notice the themes search (hitting the left arrow button) is not working.


I always do about 2 reboots after any software update on my 721/921... I am not having any troubles with the themes, maybe this is why... As for the Sirius channels, not much of any DJ's and the selection is wonderful. Way better to me than the alternative.


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## gary s

thevoice said:


> I always do about 2 reboots after any software update on my 721/921... I am not having any troubles with the themes, maybe this is why..


I did a reboot after I got the software update. Just did another one on your suggestion and the themes are now working. Thanks a lot! However, it seems there is a new layout. They list the programs by channel names instead of channel numbers as I believe they used to. I could be wrong.


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## Jacob S

I tried to select one of the Sirius channels and it rebooted on its own and the orange message light appeared (along with the red recording light) in which must indicate a new recording on the DVR from Dish Network pertaining to the software or Club Dish or both. It does not let me turn the receiver back on as it has the last message indicated below on the tv screen when the receiver is powered off. How long does it take once that last message (Download installation succeeded) appears?

I noticed the messages below when my receiver rebooted on its own to do the software upgrade...

Messages on Screen:

Unpakcing DishLinux ... Please wait while the system is upgraded.

then

Installing DP721 ... Please wait while the system is upgraded.

then 

Burning Flash ... Please wait while the system is upgraded.

then

Download installation succeeded ... Please wait while the systme is upgraded.


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## thevoice

Jacob S said:


> I tried to select one of the Sirius channels and it rebooted on its own


Makes perfect since, as I read somewhere before - the L171 software contains the sirius fixes and additions - the software that you had wouldn't work with those channels (rebooting the box).. Good to see the update worked ok though!


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## Presence

Does the upgrade go over a DishPro LNBF *YET*?


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## Jacob S

Well when I saw the red light go off it finally let me turn it on. I heard music just for a split second and then it rebooted by itself again. Finally after it was done rebooting I was able to get the receiver to turn on and the Sirius channel came right up, and it has good sound quality. The content of the channels is also good. I checked the Themes and it said that the database was currently being built, to please try back later.

The DVR functionality seems to work well with the Sirius stations. When I rewind it, it shows the correct information for the song that is playing at that time, even when you fast forward it. It will even allow you to record the content as it would with the other audio channels in the past.


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## thevoice

Presence said:


> Does the upgrade go over a DishPro LNBF *YET*?


I am a little lost with your question...


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## Guest

Jacob S said:


> I tried to select one of the Sirius channels and it rebooted on its own and the orange message light appeared (along with the red recording light) in which must indicate a new recording on the DVR from Dish Network pertaining to the software or Club Dish or both. It does not let me turn the receiver back on as it has the last message indicated below on the tv screen when the receiver is powered off. How long does it take once that last message (Download installation succeeded) appears?
> 
> I noticed the messages below when my receiver rebooted on its own to do the software upgrade...
> 
> Messages on Screen:
> 
> Unpakcing DishLinux ... Please wait while the system is upgraded.
> 
> then
> 
> Installing DP721 ... Please wait while the system is upgraded.
> 
> then
> 
> Burning Flash ... Please wait while the system is upgraded.
> 
> then
> 
> Download installation succeeded ... Please wait while the systme is upgraded.


I tuned to the Sirius Channels, the unit shut down and went into a re-boot, over and over again. I've tried front-panel re-sets, smart card re-sets and power re-sets.

A couple of times it looked like it was going to recover, but as it had been on a Sirius Channel prior to crashing, that's where it went when it came on again, and then continued to crash.

Waiting for help from tech support, but real disaster so far.

-Earl


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## Bogey62

I received the software update like everyone else. After doing a system reboot this morning, I get an error message box that says, 

"You cannot receive this channel outside the designated 
viewing area. Please channel up or down."

I channel up or down and the screen goes black for a minute or so and comes up with the same error!


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## rcwilcox

It appears to me that they may have fixed the Sky Angel audio problem. That was where you were in a SA audio program and switched to a video you would get a reboot. So far that has not happened here. Anybody confirm?


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## thevoice

Earl Zuberbelt said:


> I tuned to the Sirius Channels, the unit shut down and went into a re-boot, over and over again. I've tried front-panel re-sets, smart card re-sets and power re-sets.
> 
> Waiting for help from tech support, but real disaster so far.
> 
> -Earl


Are you sure you had the software update (L171) that supports sirius? The only way I found around this with old software was to unplug the switch and then play a DVR event in each pip window... Then plug in the feeds, wait about 5 minutes and tune to a non sirius channel....


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## Jacob S

_Originally Posted by Presence:
Does the upgrade go over a DishPro LNBF YET? _

You must be thinking about the initial software upgrade when first activating the 721 receiver that needed a legacy lnbf instead of a DishPro lnbf.


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## AppliedAggression

that problem was only with quad LNBs, wasn't it?


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## Presence

Jacob S said:


> _Originally Posted by Presence:
> Does the upgrade go over a DishPro LNBF YET? _
> 
> You must be thinking about the initial software upgrade when first activating the 721 receiver that needed a legacy lnbf instead of a DishPro lnbf.


Ya, no doubt. So what's the answer.


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## erasmu

For what its worth, Dish tech support told me that a DPtwin would work, but a quad would not.


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## AppliedAggression

The DishPro Quad is the only one that does not work initially. Once you upgrade the software, you'll be fine with the quad.


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## thevoice

Presence said:


> Ya, no doubt. So what's the answer.


Still a little lost with your question.... This update will download over factory or older bird software. If you have the factory that doesn't support the quad, this release isn't going to help that - the only way to get your quad support is to download ANY release (now it is 171) from a legacy and then hook it up. So the answer would be - it supports every current switch configuration, but you have to download it first...

Every release that I have had since the unit came out worked with the quad (after initial legacy LNB download that is).. Are you not able to download or something?


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## rcwilcox

thevoice said:


> Still a little lost with your question.... This update will download over factory or older bird software. If you have the factory that doesn't support the quad, this release isn't going to help that - the only way to get your quad support is to download ANY release (now it is 171) from a legacy and then hook it up. So the answer would be - it supports every current switch configuration, but you have to download it first...
> 
> Every release that I have had since the unit came out worked with the quad (after initial legacy LNB download that is).. Are you not able to download or something?


there used to be an issue with a twin cascaded with a sw21 not working on some software versions. Mine works but I was told to never do a switch check. Is that problem over now?


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## Ddavis

This whole thread confuses me. I just recently got the $249 Dish 721 deal that included a Dish Pro Quad LNB. Received receiver about three weeks ago. Not knowing any better, I disconnected my legacy twin LNBs with two SW21s. Installed the Dish Pro Quad LNB. Ran two feeds through a ground connector and then to the Dish 721. Had a few problems getting the check switch to work on both tuners. Turned out to be a bad cable from the wall. Replaced both cables, got the check switch to work showing both tuners connected to the Dish Pro Quad LNB with no switches. After this completed, my initial software download started and completed without any problems.

From what I have read here, this should not have worked using the Dish Pro Quad LNB!(?) However, under oath, I swear, it did work without any glitches what so ever. Did I just get lucky?


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## JohnH

rcwilcox said:


> there used to be an issue with a twin cascaded with a sw21 not working on some software versions. Mine works but I was told to never do a switch check. Is that problem over now?


I don't think it is over. Mine will not do a cascade with SW21 and SW64 for 4 sats.


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## Bob Haller

my 721 appears ok, but it hangs now when loading thwe pvr list. anyone else notice this?

As my wife said last night new software new bugs.... new challenges...

got a tree removal estimate of over a $1000 bucks to clear a D tree obstruction it may have to be a DIY project.


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## MAllen

Well, I have been off the boards a while and NOW I know why my original 721 died earlier this week. It quit recognizing the smartcard after the update. The 721 in the BR (newer) is still working. Go figure, glad I pay 1.99 month warranty.


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## luckycat

Ddavis said:


> This whole thread confuses me.


Me too. I currently have a legacy SW64 and legacy LNBFs. My new 721 should be arriving any day now, for some reason they shipped the new DishPro SW34 and Quad LNBF 2nd day, so I have those already.

So I should get the 721 first, hook it up to legacy SW64 to get the sw download, then switch over to DP? Or do they update the sw at the factory before shipment to me?

And if my 721 breaks, and I send in for a replacement (after switching to my DishPro Quad LNBF) I'll be screwed until I install the old switch back and old LNBF? That can't be...


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## Ddavis

My best guess, is switch to the new Quad and try the download. If it works then great, if not then switch back. Seems like alot of work, but might be worth it in the long run. Just make sure you get a good switch check first. Also, if it starts to loop re-booting, try hitting the power on button on the remote when the screen clears. I seem to remember doing this.


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## Bob Haller

Most of the refurb boxes I have gotten all 6 or 7 come with more than brand new software. that elminates the quad issue for refurbs.

my 721 crashed today going to the sirus bluegrass channel. reboot got it working again.

dvr guide load is slower than old software...


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## Mike D-CO5

That is true. I had bought a new 721 from Dishdepot and it had tuner issues, but since I already had put it on my account, Dish replaced it on the 1.99 warrenty. The refurbished replacement from Dish already had the latest software update , so I didn't have any problems .


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## Big Bob

Bob Haller said:


> dvr guide load is slower than old software...


Not for me. Seems to be the same.


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## RLMesq

Other new features... you can now delete individual entries in the search history without nuking the whole list. Go to the search page (you can still hit the # key and it will search for the program you're viewing). Hit history... There's a red indicator on the "delete" button on the OSD. Click so the red dot comes on... it will erase any entry you click on.

The search function also lets you choose to search by title or description.


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## DaveF

RLMesq said:


> ...
> 
> The search function also lets you choose to search by title or description.


Can you also search by channel name? (i.e. type in "IFC" and get a list of all the shows on IFC). Thanks.


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## AppliedAggression

no, but that'd be a good feature.


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## rcwilcox

I noticed now that you hit the red button on the remote and it brings up PIP did it do that before? And after you step through the PIP it leaves a little TV on screen symbol. Did it do that and if so what does it mean as it is new to me?


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## kenyarnall

I've been playing with my new 721 (with the latest software) and reading old threads on this board to see what discussions have been had concerning the (mis)features. I'm not really in a position to comment on how L1.71 compares to older versions, but I like it.

It looks to me like lots of the gripes people had before have been fixed, or at least changed. It's almost like commenting on the shortcomings of the system here is useful. :grin:

Having not run into any bugs yet, here are the changes/new features that strike me as most useful:

* Buffer both tuners, all the time. It's just silly that the background tuner isn't buffered (I'd gladly give up two hours' recording time to accomodate this -- wouldn't everyone?) It looks to me like the backup is buffered if it's displayed in the PIP window, but that isn't enough.

* Folders for recordings. Pretty easy to implement, much more useful than sorting for organizing events. Just give me a UI for creating folders, and allow me to specify a destination when I create a timer.

* When I display the PIP, I'd like to be able to change channels on it, not on the main screen. I found a thread from awhile back that discussed this, but it centered on how to rig up a way to choose which window (main or PIP) received commands, and it seems that, without remote changes, there was no decent way to do it. I'd rather simply designate the PIP as the target of channel changes and maybe record commands. It's more intuitive, to me anyway. If I want to change the main tuner, I'll get rid of the PIP. 

* On my 508, the timers are listed with the name of the show displayed (if I created the timer by choosing something out of the Guide, that is). This is very convenient, even if it is a bit of a lie.

I won't list name-based recording, since that's so obvious. 

Ken


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## Mike D-CO5

rcwilcox said:


> I noticed now that you hit the red button on the remote and it brings up PIP did it do that before? And after you step through the PIP it leaves a little TV on screen symbol. Did it do that and if so what does it mean as it is new to me?


 When you see the tv screen you are buffering the second tuner as well as the one you are watching. I guess this is good if you want to watch a sporting event on two different channels at the same time. You could swap back and forth and see both. The tv screen also looks like the 522 features with their little tv screen. OF course you could also watch two different tv shows and if you wanted to you could record at any time ,since you are buffering both tuners from the beginning and have the entire event on the buffer.


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## Dad3Kids

Does anybody know where I can find the release notes (new features, bug fixes, ...) for the latest release of the 721 software. I would think that Dish would put in on their website, but I could not find it. 

I see that my number one interface pet peeve did still not get fixed...stickiness of the Sort By Name in the DVR recorded list. Why would I want the list of programs that I have recorded to revert back to Sort by Date. Just make the selection stick to the one that you have selected. I can't understand the logic in switching it back to Sort by Date. 

jon


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## Unthinkable

kenyarnall said:


> * When I display the PIP, I'd like to be able to change channels on it, not on the main screen. I found a thread from awhile back that discussed this, but it centered on how to rig up a way to choose which window (main or PIP) received commands, and it seems that, without remote changes, there was no decent way to do it. I'd rather simply designate the PIP as the target of channel changes and maybe record commands. It's more intuitive, to me anyway. If I want to change the main tuner, I'll get rid of the PIP.


 Pretty sure that was me who was originally talking about how nice it would be to be able to change channels on both tuners with perhaps an extra button press or two beforehand. TV sets like a lot of the ones manufactured by Toshiba allow you to do this no problem.

In a perfect world, the 721 would never ask us which tuner it should record on for folks who watch a lot of TV with the PIP tuner engaged full time. I just want it to record directly to the PIP tuner everytime without any popup box sitting onscreen for the first minute of the show asking me how to do its job properly. Should definately be an automated task with an option in the settings screen for people to manually choose whether they want to direct all recordings to the PIP tuner or not. The fewer questions my PVR asks me the better imo.


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## Unthinkable

Dad3Kids said:


> Does anybody know where I can find the release notes (new features, bug fixes, ...) for the latest release of the 721 software. I would think that Dish would put in on their website, but I could not find it.
> jon


 I don't think you'll ever see that kind of thing posted on the Dish Network website. Details like this will generally trickle down from the people who speak directly with Dish engineers on day to day basis or from posters who have great contacts within the company.


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## Jacob S

I think the name-based recording functionality which has been the most requested feature will be the most appreciated.


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## Big Bob

Unthinkable said:


> folks who watch a lot of TV with the PIP tuner engaged full time.


I was thinking about this the other day. Why do people with a 721 use PIP?
Why not just record the show you have in PIP and watch it later?


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## Unthinkable

Big Bob said:


> I was thinking about this the other day. Why do people with a 721 use PIP?
> Why not just record the show you have in PIP and watch it later?


 Why not use a feature thats built in when you aren't recording other shows? I don't see the need to record everything 24-7 when you may just have a casual interest in whats on a different channel at the same time you are watching live tv on the other tuner.


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## Big Bob

Unthinkable said:


> Why not use a feature thats built in when you aren't recording other shows? I don't see the need to record everything 24-7 when you may just have a casual interest in whats on a different channel at the same time you are watching live tv on the other tuner.


I guess that I feel that the recording feature is a better way to watch two shows than the PIP feature.

It is so easy to record and erase a show, I still don't understand why one would choose to try and watch two shows at the same time when they don't have to.

In the almost two years that I have had my 721, I have used PIP 1 time, to watch some breaking news that had a direct effect on my family.

I guess it comes down to the fact that I rarely watch live TV anymore. Even if there is a show on that I am interested in, I usually delay it and skip the commercials.

Oh well, to each his own


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## Jacob S

PIP is good if you are wanting to watch a second show that is on at the same time as your first show. Sometimes I will watch a DVR Event on one window and swap to it when the show on one of the tuners goes to commercial and that still leaves another tuner to record a DVR timer. This way you do not have to watch any commercials, just watch a prerecorded DVR Event while the commercial is going and then watch the live show when the commercial is over.


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## dbronstein

I just use PIP for sports. There's so much dead time in them anyway, so there's no reason to record one game when you can just watch both at the same time.


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## Bob Haller

The only use for PIP is diagnosing lost tuner 2s. We rarely watch live tv and PIP is a solution looking for a problem.


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## LarryH

I just noticed a new feature on the 721: Make a recording that spans multiple EPG events. When you attempt to playback the recording, it shows all all of the programs that are included in that recording. Not sure if this is new for 171, but I just noticed it.


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## Mike D-CO5

Manual timers create " Folders " so to speak with the name of each show and the info for each show when you highlight it. I use this for most sitcom shows that run concurently on like Thursdays and Mondays on CBS. I can go to the start of any show and watch in any order. I love this feature and it saves me on multiple timers since I can only create like 64 timers before the machine tells me no more can be created.


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## Unthinkable

Big Bob said:


> I guess that I feel that the recording feature is a better way to watch two shows than the PIP feature.
> 
> It is so easy to record and erase a show, I still don't understand why one would choose to try and watch two shows at the same time when they don't have to.
> 
> In the almost two years that I have had my 721, I have used PIP 1 time, to watch some breaking news that had a direct effect on my family.
> 
> I guess it comes down to the fact that I rarely watch live TV anymore. Even if there is a show on that I am interested in, I usually delay it and skip the commercials.
> 
> Oh well, to each his own


 Plenty of people still watch live TV from time to time. For me, I'll watch the Stanley Cup Playoff games live and swap between a Red Sox game for example and whatever else is currently on at the same time without being locked into recording any programs I may only have a passing interest in. You can't tell me thats completely out of the realm of normal reason now. Some people live and die by their PVR's recording every single episode of Star Trek Voyager, Deep Space 9, Simpsons etc... as though its a requirement for sustaining human life. One single missed episode and its the end of the world. For me its just TV. I record a lot of stuff on a daily basis, but I'm by no means on a personal crusade to archive TV 24-7 in a desperate attempt to fill the hard drive with stuff I have zero interest in watching all the way through. I think some folks tend to want to justify their higher monthly bills by actively trying to record as much as humanly possible in a given 24 hour period myself whether they genuinely want to watch everything they archive or not.


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## Jacob S

LarryH, I have noticed that for a while now.


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## kstevens

I've noticed that half of the opentv stuff doens't work, like local weather. Anyone know when they will be added? 


Thanks,

Ken


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## JohnH

kstevens said:


> I've noticed that half of the opentv stuff doens't work, like local weather. Anyone know when they will be added?
> 
> Thanks,
> 
> Ken


Looks like they pushed it down before its time so they could say we have OpenTV in Millions of receivers. 

The Weather does work on the 301.


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## Big Bob

Unthinkable said:


> Plenty of people still watch live TV from time to time. For me, I'll watch the Stanley Cup Playoff games live and swap between a Red Sox game for example and whatever else is currently on at the same time without being locked into recording any programs I may only have a passing interest in. You can't tell me thats completely out of the realm of normal reason now. -snip- humanly possible in a given 24 hour period myself whether they genuinely want to watch everything they archive or not.


Hey, not saying anyone is wrong here. To each his own.

I am just trying to understand if I am missing something, thats all.

When I watch a game, I usually just hit pause and come back in 15-20 mins or hit record with an extended delay at the end of the scheduled game, watch something else for awhile and then start watching a bit later. In both cases, I finish the game about the same time as the live game, but I get to skip the commercials.

I have a suspicion that for some reason, people resist recording shows that they are going to watch right away. I think it is a hold-over mentality from using tape-based VCRs for so long. I know it took me awhile to record a show on a whim.

With the 721, there is plenty of recording time and it is so easy to erase shows. Why not just press the red button?

But like I said, to each his own. No one is wrong, they just do things differently.


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## Jacob S

The weather application works fine for mine before and after this last softwrae update.


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## kstevens

Jacob S said:


> The weather application works fine for mine before and after this last softwrae update.


Open TV wasn't available before this last update.

Ken


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## Mike D-CO5

But weather worked all along from the sat menu itself. It doesn't work from the dish home menu at all.


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## garypen

Channel 9500, I believe.


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## Jacob S

There was still an option in the menu to view the weather before the OpenTv software was released in the last software update.


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## AppliedAggression

Big Bob said:


> I guess that I feel that the recording feature is a better way to watch two shows than the PIP feature.
> 
> It is so easy to record and erase a show, I still don't understand why one would choose to try and watch two shows at the same time when they don't have to.
> 
> In the almost two years that I have had my 721, I have used PIP 1 time, to watch some breaking news that had a direct effect on my family.
> 
> I guess it comes down to the fact that I rarely watch live TV anymore. Even if there is a show on that I am interested in, I usually delay it and skip the commercials.
> 
> Oh well, to each his own


One thing I like to do is having music playing on the main tuner and having the big PIP up. So there, it's useful.

Another useful way is to use the Red button to buffer the second tuner, then just using swap, and going back and forth between channels, without waiting for it to load. No need to bring up the PIP, which is nice.


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## Lyle_JP

I just got the 721 hooked up this afternoon, and I have a question. Does this PVR have the local channel number mapping that the 501/508/510 has? Because mine is only showing my local channels in the 8000 range. I've already done a front-panel reset once. No change.

It's currently running 171, so I have the latest software.


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## JohnH

Yes, it has local channel number mapping and they sometimes do not show up for as much as 24 hours.


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