# Secret(s) 921 Tweeks - Believe it or Not



## jcord51 (Feb 1, 2003)

:grin: Well maybe it's not a secret but I got you to look! I'd like to start this thread with what you have found out about the 921 to make it work better or even to customize it in some way that it now performs the way you like it. Maybe you found a hidden code within the remote codes that allows you to make a change (please nothing illegal).I'll start off by telling you that if you hit the browse button you will see infomation on the current channel displayed but the menu itself is transparant. You can change that menu to non-transparant by hitting the "Info" button a few times. Unfortunately it only remains that way for a short time. I still do not know haw to keep it that way like the 508's browse menu.​


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## sampatterson (Aug 27, 2002)

I've got one. Leave the 921 unplugged and it fixes the reboot problem!!! :lol


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## tahoerob (Mar 22, 2003)

Use the 8000 range locals to set OTA timer.

Select 8xxx channel with show wanted to make a timer.
Edit timer to change channel to OTA channel.

Timer will keep info until recording. It will start\stop well.
After, the recording will say"Unknown Recording" in DVR guide.


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## tahoerob (Mar 22, 2003)

The 921 keeps a displayable caller ID log.


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## tahoerob (Mar 22, 2003)

The DVR guide will show the recorded shows, but if you scroll down, it will show all teh set timers. 
Nice to have in one place.


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## Scott Greczkowski (Mar 21, 2002)

Scott's Tip for having the 921 record ALL the set timers...

1) Delete All timers.

2) Do not reprogram any timers

3) Since you have no timers programmed, your 921 will no longer miss any recordings!

Enjoy!


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## BobMurdoch (Apr 24, 2002)

I've recorded about 25 programs since last Thursday when I installed my 921 and have not lost any shows yet from timers not firing. It has rebooted a few times, but has rebooted and then started recording from there.

Here's a couple tweaks I have used on mine......

I have a 16:9 Widescreen TV but the 16:9 Aspect Ratio built into the 921 does NOT properly format SD content on the screen as it chops off the sides (Discovery HD logo cut in half). I go to the Display Setup menu and change the setting from 16:9 to 4:3 #2 and it wrks perfectly for SD content ONLY. I switch it back to 16:9 when watching HD content. Hopefully they will fix this incorrect aspect ratio in the next update.

I change the channel listings so that it goes up in an ascending fashion (you can change this setting under "Preferences"). It seems more intuitive to me to have the lower channels at the top and the higher at the bottom.

Don't forget that the commercial skip button will jump ahead 24 hours when viewing the guide.

Make a favorites list so you can banish shopping channels, PI, and PPV channels from your channel surfing. (I know, simple stuff, but many don't do it)

Make a favorites list called "HD ONLY" to help your guests go right to the 94xx channels to save time and allow you to show off HD to them.


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## Jim Parker (Aug 12, 2003)

A few things that are different from the 5xx:
The "Jump to Live" has been moved from the View to the Stop button.
In the guide, you can scroll left to the channel name, select it, and the channel changes but leaves the guide on screen.
In the Program screen, you can set the 921 to just change channels to the program at the selected time in addition to recording it.

Not related to just the 921, but on my Pronto progammable remote control, I set up 3 buttons that skip ahead 1, 2 and 3 minutes. Great for commercials.


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## Jerry G (Jul 12, 2003)

sampatterson said:


> I've got one. Leave the 921 unplugged and it fixes the reboot problem!!! :lol


But if you leave it unplugged, how can you use it?


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## Jerry G (Jul 12, 2003)

Scott Greczkowski said:


> Scott's Tip for having the 921 record ALL the set timers...
> 
> 1) Delete All timers.
> 
> ...


If you do this, you won't be able to do any timed recordings.

BTW, I've probably set 25 timers in the 10 days I've had the 921, including a few OTA timers. I've had NO recording failures. I think you may have gotten a lemon, Scott. Will Dish exchange it for you?


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## Jerry G (Jul 12, 2003)

Jim Parker said:


> In the guide, you can scroll left to the channel name, select it, and the channel changes but leaves the guide on screen.


I discovered this one last week. It's a great feature. I wish the 811 could do it also.


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## cdru (Dec 4, 2003)

Jerry G said:


> If you do this, you won't be able to do any timed recordings.
> 
> BTW, I've probably set 25 timers in the 10 days I've had the 921, including a few OTA timers. I've had NO recording failures. I think you may have gotten a lemon, Scott. Will Dish exchange it for you?





Jerry G said:


> But if you leave it unplugged, how can you use it?


Humor is lost in you. :nono2:


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## Jerry G (Jul 12, 2003)

cdru said:


> Humor is lost in you. :nono2:


Not at all. I appreciate good humor. I appreciate good satire. But, by and large, that's not what I'm seeing. :zzz:


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## jcord51 (Feb 1, 2003)

So far from what I see listed Jim Parker has some of the best tweaks. I wish that I could somehow keep all menus and displays at about 10 to 20 transparent.


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## peterd (Dec 17, 2003)

Especially given the pain of setting up OTA timers w/o guide data, I have wanted to program weekly timers wherever possible. However, given the networks' penchant for constantly screwing with their schedules, I'm finding that many times I want to skip a timer without permanently changing the repeating timer. Just selecting a timer in the timer management screen doesn't give you that option, though.

The tip I've found is to intentionally create a conflicting timer (given that the 921 records dual tuners at once, this may require creating two unwanted timers). Once the conflict resolution screen comes up you can select the instance of the repeating timer and one of the options is "Skip once" (or some similar wording). After selecting skip, just delete the conflicting timer(s) you created to force the conflict resolution screen to come up and you're done!


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## Jim Parker (Aug 12, 2003)

Time to bump this for those 2 or 3 people who have actually gotten a 921 in the last month.  

I'll also add:

If you want to get rid of the "Paused" bar, hit the skip ahead/back button.

If you have the problem where the sound takes several seconds to come back when you have paused, hit the skip back button then the pause.


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## Mark Lamutt (Mar 24, 2002)

Over the last few days, I have successfully recorded many consecutive digital OTA events on different channels. (And when I say many, I'm meaning 12 consecutive one hour timer events.) Keep in mind that I'm probably not running the same version of the software as you are, but when you get the next version, here's how I've gotton it to work, and not miss a single recording:

Enter the timers manually - do not use the guide to create the timers, and then edit the channel numbers.

Once the timer is entered, go back and edit the timer to change the default pad times from 1 and 3 to 0 and 0. 

Once done with that, edit that same timer again to make sure that the pad times are now 0 and 0.

Repeat process for each timer.

Either leave 921 on or turn it off. It has made no difference to me. Go watch something on one of the satellite tuners, or not - once again, it has made no difference in my case.


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## Throwbot (Dec 24, 2003)

Jerry G said:


> But if you leave it unplugged, how can you use it?


The eyes are open, the mouth moves, the hands type, but Mr. Brain has long since departed.


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## Throwbot (Dec 24, 2003)

Mark Lamutt said:


> Over the last few days, I have successfully recorded many consecutive digital OTA events on different channels. (And when I say many, I'm meaning 12 consecutive one hour timer events.) Keep in mind that I'm probably not running the same version of the software as you are, but when you get the next version, here's how I've gotton it to work, and not miss a single recording:
> 
> Enter the timers manually - do not use the guide to create the timers, and then edit the channel numbers.
> 
> ...


But Mark, do you really have to do it all balancing on you left leg singing the theme tune from Mr Ed?


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## tahoerob (Mar 22, 2003)

Throwbot said:


> But Mark, do you really have to do it all balancing on you left leg singing the theme tune from Mr Ed?


No, I think you need to sing the Gilligan's Island theme :hurah:


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## P Smith (Jul 25, 2002)

Is some lucky owner the 921 using USB keyboard ?


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## Mark Lamutt (Mar 24, 2002)

Actually its while singing that catchy BingoTV theme song...


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## dreamer (Jan 21, 2004)

Mark Lamutt said:


> Keep in mind that I'm probably not running the same version of the software as you are


Must be nice to have "connections" !


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## Jerry G (Jul 12, 2003)

Throwbot said:


> The eyes are open, the mouth moves, the hands type, but Mr. Brain has long since departed.


You went back a ways to dig up that one. Desperate? Sounds like it!

You know the old saying about people in glass houses, don't you? And you didn't even get the original intent, and that's not surprising. Is there a killfile available for this board?


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## Jerry G (Jul 12, 2003)

Throwbot said:


> But Mark, do you really have to do it all balancing on you left leg singing the theme tune from Mr Ed?


That will have no effect on whether a time does or doesn't work. You've obviously tested it and should already know that.


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## Nick (Apr 23, 2002)

Jim Parker said:


> ...Not related to just the 921, but on my Pronto progammable remote control, I set up 3 buttons that skip ahead 1, 2 and 3 minutes. Great for commercials.


Why not also have a 4 minute jump since that is the interval of most commercial breaks?


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## Jim Parker (Aug 12, 2003)

Nick
I have found that many commercial breaks are 3 minutes. It is easier to go forward 3 minutes, then another 30 seconds once or twice than it is to got forward 4 minutes then back 6 times with the 10 second skip back.

Besides, with the skip back, forward 30s, 1m, 2m 3m, the row of buttons on the Pronto was full.  

As an aside, the stations here in Anchorage are on a 1 hour delay from the west coast. This means that they are not tied to the real time feed, and can insert extra commericals. At the end of the evening, the programs are usually 4 or 5 minutes late. I was glad to see that the 921 had the option to add time to the end of the timer. I missed a lot of endings with the 501/510.


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## jcord51 (Feb 1, 2003)

How is this for a believe it or not. Last week I called Dish and gave them a round down on things that I would like to get adjusted and fixed on the 921. At the end of my conversation with the CRS I told her that I still had some issues with the 921 remote control. She asked me if I wanted it replaced and I answered yes. On Monday UPS dropped off a new 921 receiver!!! I looked at the box and read the instructions on the receiver on not to return my old 921 until I knew for certain that the new 921 was operational. BTW, there was no wires or remote control in the box just a new 921 receiver. I'm thinking to myself "what a bunch of YoYos". I called Dish and gave them the RA# that was given to me for the replacement remote control which was the same RA# on the 921 box. The CSR told me that her records show that I had received my replacement remote and that I had signed for it that morning. I again asked if that was all her records showed and she said yes that the RA# was for a replacement remote. That's when I told her that I think that Dish made a mistake and sent a 921 instead of a replacement remote! I thought of keeping the unit but my wife said that maybe the girl will get into trouble. Bottom line is that Dish gave me a new 921 remote and I returned the 921 via UPS. So for all those people waiting to get a 921 maybe you should just order a 921 remote control.


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## lujan (Feb 10, 2004)

Mark Lamutt said:


> Over the last few days, I have successfully recorded many consecutive digital OTA events on different channels. (And when I say many, I'm meaning 12 consecutive one hour timer events.) Keep in mind that I'm probably not running the same version of the software as you are, but when you get the next version, here's how I've gotton it to work, and not miss a single recording:
> 
> Enter the timers manually - do not use the guide to create the timers, and then edit the channel numbers.
> 
> ...


I have done exactly as Mark described (except the default pad times, I leave those alone) in every recording I've created and it has worked out very well. Every one of my recordings, either OTA or Satellite has worked great since getting the 921.


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## RickyMac (Feb 21, 2004)

What a great story! Like my daddy always said, "Honesty pays, not too damn much, but honesty pays." God Bless



jcord51 said:


> How is this for a believe it or not. Last week I called Dish and gave them a round down on things that I would like to get adjusted and fixed on the 921. At the end of my conversation with the CRS I told her that I still had some issues with the 921 remote control. She asked me if I wanted it replaced and I answered yes. On Monday UPS dropped off a new 921 receiver!!! I looked at the box and read the instructions on the receiver on not to return my old 921 until I knew for certain that the new 921 was operational. BTW, there was no wires or remote control in the box just a new 921 receiver. I'm thinking to myself "what a bunch of YoYos". I called Dish and gave them the RA# that was given to me for the replacement remote control which was the same RA# on the 921 box. The CSR told me that her records show that I had received my replacement remote and that I had signed for it that morning. I again asked if that was all her records showed and she said yes that the RA# was for a replacement remote. That's when I told her that I think that Dish made a mistake and sent a 921 instead of a replacement remote! I thought of keeping the unit but my wife said that maybe the girl will get into trouble. Bottom line is that Dish gave me a new 921 remote and I returned the 921 via UPS. So for all those people waiting to get a 921 maybe you should just order a 921 remote control.


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## jcord51 (Feb 1, 2003)

Any more tips?


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