Community Forums

computerguy · 04-16-2019, 10:34 AM

So, I have a Wally receiver on Dish with an external powered WD hard drive. Recently I am experiencing some shows recorded but not able to watch the full recording. The schedule shows the recording completed the full time, the show indicated it recorded the full time but when you try and watch it it ends prematurely.
Anyone else experience this?
Dish tech support was useless.
Dish Outdoor (Pace) was helpful (sort of). They seem to think it is a bad hard drive. They could not confirm it nor tell me how to test it.
SOoooooooooo, anyone else experience this type of problem?
Or anyone else able to test a hard drive out of a Wally for problems? I ask this because I thought I read somewhere that if you try and run a typical manufacturer HD test that it will not let you or it needs to write to the drive which in turn makes the drive no longer able to be read by the Wally and will need to be formatted by the Wally (aka will lose all recordings).
Hate hate hate to lose 250 gb of recordings but if the drive is dying not much of a choice.

reubenray · 04-16-2019, 01:39 PM

I had this happen also and everything shows up after doing a reset. Reboot your hard drive also.

computerguy · 04-16-2019, 01:46 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by reubenray

I had this happen also and everything shows up after doing a reset. Reboot your hard drive also.

How do you define a "reset"?

**Lt Dan** · 04-16-2019, 03:51 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by computerguy

How do you define a "reset"?

Go to the Wally setup menu, Tools and do a reset which will reboot the receiver and hard drive. You can not test the hard drive separate from the Wally as a computer will not recognize the format. The Wally uses a proprietary format that is not compatible even with their other receivers.

It could be the hard drive. I have had two spinning disk hard drives fail on my two wallies and they have been replaced with true 500gb solid state drives. The two drives that failed were LaCie drives that were advertised as solid state. After the first one failed I tore it open and sure enough it had a spinning disk drive inside.

F4Gary · 04-16-2019, 05:50 PM

If you are just missing the last minute or so of a program, that could be the program itself. I've had to set up some of my timers to record an additional minute.
Some programs just don't start on time. I see that all the time.

computerguy · 04-17-2019, 04:06 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by F4Gary

If you are just missing the last minute or so of a program, that could be the program itself. I've had to set up some of my timers to record an additional minute.
Some programs just don't start on time. I see that all the time.

Nope,20 minutes or so missing from 1 hour shows and 9 minutes or so from 30 minute shows.

And BTW new software version was installed on my unit the AM - U801 and now my Wally doesn't want to stay on a channel. Goes from HD to SD then to HD and SD and then at some point decidedes Channel Not Authorized. Whole day troubleshooting with Dish. Might be cancelling the account this time.
This was after I decided to bite the bullet on the recording issue and do a Master Reset. Master rest MIGHT have fixed the recording issue. Still need to check more but I am burnt out after a day of trying to fix Dish's beta software release. I really don't think they test these things. So frustrated.

rgvtexan · 04-17-2019, 05:13 PM

Tell them you are Alpha Male!

When Dish works it is great, other time not so much.

Where I live in WA, Dish, Direct or WIFi are the only choice. No cable or OTA.

Wayne M · 04-17-2019, 05:55 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lt Dan

[...] The Wally uses a proprietary format that is not compatible even with their other receivers.

[...]

True on the proprietary format, but I take my 2Tb WD from the Hopper (I download to the WD) and take it with me hooked up to the Wally without problem.

RGVTexan, I would suspect a damaged hard drive. Do you have any other dish receivers that you can plug it into?

computerguy · 04-17-2019, 06:07 PM

FYI, NOT a bad hard drive as i was pretty sure it wasn't. Master Reset seemed to have fixed it.
But have a different issue now. really hatin' on Dish these days! For those who didn't see my reply earlier today:

"And BTW new software version was installed on my unit the AM - U801 and now my Wally doesn't want to stay on a channel. Goes from HD to SD then to HD and SD and then at some point decidedes Channel Not Authorized. Whole day troubleshooting with Dish. Might be cancelling the account this time.
This was after I decided to bite the bullet on the recording issue and do a Master Reset. Master rest MIGHT have fixed the recording issue. Still need to check more but I am burnt out after a day of trying to fix Dish's beta software release. I really don't think they test these things. So frustrated."

rgvtexan · 04-17-2019, 06:37 PM

Wayne
Not my problem, see the OP. computerguy

FatChance · 04-18-2019, 08:40 AM

If these problems you are having were related to Dish operating software or Dish service, I would expect to have the same problems you are experiencing. I don't have any problems so they most likely are not system wide problems or related to the software you downloaded. This would imply you may have issues with your individual receiver, your antenna or the wiring between the two.

computerguy · 04-18-2019, 11:03 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by FatChance

If these problems you are having were related to Dish operating software or Dish service, I would expect to have the same problems you are experiencing. I don't have any problems so they most likely are not system wide problems or related to the software you downloaded. This would imply you may have issues with your individual receiver, your antenna or the wiring between the two.

It seems to be a change in the software AND a "low signal" as defined by advanced tech support. A signal below 30 is considered no good. Mine is around 28 (Even though the signal monitor still shows green all the way down to 20!)
I changed over to a new Playmaker I just bought to be portable in case of changes. I am getting a signal of 32 and no more drop outs.
For 10 days prior to the new software update I had NO (as in like ZERO) problems with that same antenna and signal.
Sooooo, seems to be a software change they made in u801. Previously I was on u449 released back in January. u801 was released 4/17

Wayne M · 04-19-2019, 09:54 PM

Wow! I used a Carryout for 10 years and the only time I had problems when there were trees in the area and in the extreme Northeast.

The item of the signal dropping from HD to SD and back and forth does sound like a signal problem. Many things can affect that even a tree branch blowing in the breeze can cause signal strength to fall and/or block he HD satellite and switch to the SD satellite.

This is our first year and half of using the Wally and we have had no problems with it. We use the Traveler antenna and satellites 110, 119 and 129 from the Western Arc. If I start having problems with that I'll reprogram the Wall for satellite 61.5.

I recorded a program last evening and all is well.

RedT · 04-20-2019, 05:10 AM

I changed from DirecTV to Dish a little over a year ago, installed a Wally with a TailGater portable antenna. Fought reception problems from the get go - none were consistent. Chased issues as they appeared, most of the time got a good signal after tweaking this or that, or changing coax cable, or antenna position. Thinking I had fixed the problem only to experience a new problem the next time I turned the TV on.

Even when parked, with NO change in antenna position, etc., receiving a signal was a hit or miss situation. One time all is well, turn off TV, go to bed, turn on in the morning, no HD signal, or could not acquire the satellite, or downloading program guide, or just a blank screen. Frustrating.

Replaced coach coaxial cable, no splitters, only one long run from the back of the coach to the receiver. Now have a consistent HD signal even after moving antenna. (BUT, haven't moved the coach to a different campground....yet)

Never had issues with DirecTV, but then with a dome antenna, I only received SD programming.