[mythtv-users] recent dish external channel change problems?

[Jim Stichnoth]

On Sun, Nov 29, 2009 at 8:12 AM, Alex Williamson
<alex.l.williamson at gmail.com> wrote:
> I've been using a dish vip211 with an IguanaWorks serial IR
> transceiver for most of the year with very high reliability on channel
> changes.  Recently, my channel change reliability has taken a nose
> dive.  I've played with my channel change script, increasing delays
> between commands, but I can't find a recipe that gets me back to the
> reliability I had earlier.  I typically get double button presses, so
> instead of tuning to channel 138, it might tune to channel 113, which
> doesn't exist in my lineup, sending me into the hard to get out of
> menus.  I've had to resort to using the dish guide to change channels
> to avoid this.
>
> I notice that http://dishuser.org/211sw.php lists that dish released a
> new firmware image for this system on 11/5/2209 (L527), which seems
> like it roughly coincides with when my channel change issues started,
> but my receiver claims to be running software version L458.  I'm
> running mythtv 0.22.0+fixes22890, but I suspect the issue is
> independent of mythtv as I get the same results manually running the
> channel change script outside of myth.
>
> Is anyone else having recent issues with dish receivers?  Is there an
> IR transmitter that's more reliable than serial, perhaps a USB-UIRT?
> Thanks,

I also have a vip211, running the L527 firmware.  Over the past 2
weeks or so, I started noticing some occasional problems with channel
changing and also with HD-PVR recording.  I wouldn't say that channel
changing reliability has taken a nose dive, but it used to be rock
solid and now there are occasional problems.  When it fails, it
usually ends up tuning into some infomercial channel (not sure which
one).  I didn't realize there was a firmware update, but now that I
know, I can try experimenting with my channel changer script.

By the way, I suggest starting your channel changer script with an
"up" or "down" key.  This will get you out of the "unsubscribed
channel" screen if you happen to be there.  After that, send "select"
in case you're at the "nightly update" screen.  Finally, the actual
channel numbers.

My other problem is with HD-PVR recordings.  Sometimes it decides to
record 1080i video at 30fps instead of 29.97fps, or 720p video at
60fps instead of 59.94fps, but with the audio at the correct fps,
leading to synchronization lag that gets progressively worse during
playback.  I suspect something in the new DISH firmware is causing
this confusion.

My setup is 0.22 (some recent version of trunk), lirc_mceusb IR
receiver/blaster driver, 2.6.31 kernel, HD-PVR with the latest 1.5.6.1
firmware.

Jim