The Dish Network User's Resource
The Dish Network User's Resource
Hosts for the February 2007 Tech Forum are Mark Jackson, President of EchoStar Technologies and Dan Minnick, VP of Engineering.
1-888-621-2078 or e-mail techforum@dishnetwork.com
Existing customers get $10 off for 10 months when you subscribe to DishHD for the first time.
| Customer Pays* | $149 | $199 |
| Savings w/DIU Bonus | ($50) | ($50) |
| Savings w/HD Bonus | ($100) | ($100) |
| Net Upgrade Price | FREE | $49 |
| Customer Pays* | $99 | $149 |
| Savings w/DIU Bonus | ($50) | ($50) |
| Savings w/HD Bonus | ($100) | ($100) |
| Net Upgrade Price | $50 back | FREE |
L401 will be available in the next 2 weeks, by March 1, now in final testing.
Prize: ViP622 installed with dish
Question: What does “RG” in RG-6 stand for? Also what is the minimum frequency rating for a cable to qualify as RG-6?
Video clip from the show floor. One of the main themes was HD video and, specifically, 1080p.
EchoStar participates in several standards organizations, working to reach consensus on the best technologies for video interfaces.
History of moving pictures:
1080p is marketed as “better,” but there are three things to remember:
Peter: Having trouble getting 622 to dial out over VOIP
Dan: Go to the phone set-up menu, enter prefix *99
Scott: When will DD5.1 be available over HDMI on the 622 and 211?
Dan: Will be in L401 on the 622, sometime in May for the 211.
Gary: Getting a 1080p TV, can I add HD DVR w/o sacrificing picture quality?
Dan: Will still be able to connect VCR and DVR, will need to use component or HDMI to view HD.
Herbert: New features for the 622 were supposed to have been out by the end of December
Dan: Got busy with the Christmas rush, with no releases allowed for a few weeks so it got delayed for the next release cycle.
Rob: Why does TV2 out have to be a high channel number, why not ch 3?
Mark: Lot of broadcast channels in the lower numbers. One way to prevent confusion is to use the remote's lock-out mode described in the manual.
Mike: What is the preferred connection from an HDTV receiver for the best PQ?
John: Both component and digital will be comparable, don't use S-Video for HDTV.
Scott: Auto-update is set for the default 3a.m., why do both TV1 and TV2 have to be off?
Dan: Don't need to turn them off, will happen automatically if there are no timers.
Lee: Remote access to program DVR via the internet?
Dan: Should be available first half of this year.
New feature, currently has general information and audio set-up info.
Available on most of the interactive boxes. The 622 should get it in the next couple months. The 211/411 was not listed or mentioned.
Dish Home Customer Service can be used to set up Credit Card Auto-Pay and to add programming.
Scott Higgins, Director of Sales. Daytona 500 info also available at dishracetv.com (bad link) and through your cellular phone (dial 3100 and text RACE). Also coming, Cricket World Cup. Dish is sponsoring a race car with a team of drivers.
Winner: Andrea Forbeck gets the 622. RG means Radio Guide, min rating is 2150MHz.
Prize: PocketDISH AV700E
Question: What were the last 2 special events shown on the Dish Home mosaic?
Press Guide, press it again to cycle through you Favorites lists which are set up either through Menu>Favoites or Menu>Preferences>Favorites. If you are missing channels, press Guide until you get to All Channels or All Subscribed.
In the EPG, press the DVR skip buttons to move ahead/back 24 hours. For any receiver, enter a number then RightArrow to jump that many hours (2 digits or less).
For DVRs with “My Recordings,” press DVR twice to get to your events, and a 3rd time for the daily schedule.
For dual-tuner DVRs in Single Mode, press Swap to change tuners without going through PIP.
Press View to get out of menus to get back to full-screen viewing.
Press Swap in the DVR list to toggle between your last two sort methods.
Ken: HDMI stopped working on my 622, component doesn't look as sharp. I was told it was a software issue that would be fixed in November but that didn't happen.
Mark: Your HDMI connector is probably broke, call to get a replacement box. We have tooled up a new connector that uses a surface mount instead of the tiny pins in the industry-standard mount. (Didn't say how to know which you have or will be getting.)
Nathan: Has a 622 in an area without Dish HD locals. Will it be possible to enable the 622 to tune HD from cable?
Mark: Might be able to use the Q-Box (mainly for apartment QAM installations) instead of the internal Broadcom chip, but the answer becomes more complicated as they consider the sat tuners and EPG. Can't give a complete answer now.
Do your receivers have a 480p mode for my EDTV plasma?
Dan: Yes, options are in the HDTV setup screen.
Bill in AR: Does the 622 receive and record OTA digital channels?
Dan: Yes.
Richard: Way to force the receiver to select 61.5 over 129 when both are connected?
Mark, with help from the gallery: Answer seems to be no.
Dave in Chicago: How do I adjust an SD picture from my 211 to fit my HDTV screen?
Dan: Press the “*” button on the remote to cycle through the format options.
David: Will I be able to use the USB port, for instance to view photos or store programs to a hard drive?
Dan: Can view photos today from a thumb drive on the 622 and 942. External storage seems to be working (won a CES Innovation Award), just finalizing the business decision. Get an off-the-shelf USB 2.0 drive (up to 750GB will work, 1TB will not), can archive and play back. Should be out no later than this summer, may have a one-time enabling fee.
Larry: When will Sioux City IA get HD locals?
Mark: Working hard to put up satellites but bandwidth is limited now.
Debbie in IL: Can I get two 622 receivers?
Leanna Sultan, VP, Customer Retention: You can upgrade 3 tuners at a time in a lease upgrade (622 and 211), or purchase the 2nd 622.
Winner: Craig Mitchell, Collins, IA. Last 2 events were ESPN Winter X-Games and NBA League Pass multi-cam event.
Doug: Will my 942 get satellite HD locals?
Dan: No, all HD locals are in MPEG-4, so you would need a 622 (equivalent to 942).
Greg: Has a 211, do any channels support PCM audio?
John: all channels should output PCM, check the audio setup.
Gary from TX: Has a 522, wants back-to-back timers on the same channel to stay on the same tuner
Dan: The 622 will stay on the same tuner, will be added to the next release for the 522, coming in March(?).
Jan: Want to add 118.7° internationals to Dish 1000, what do I need?
Leanna: New dish installed for $59.95 and an additional commitment. The unstated answer is Dish 1000+.
Dewayne from NM: Thinking of upgrading to HD, do I need a different dish?
Dan: Yes, you need a Dish 1000 to see the complete HD package.
The show will be rebroadcast throughout February.
Next Charlie Chat: Monday March 12, 2007, 9pm ET, channel 101