DIRECTV HR34 Home Media Center
- Thread starter Scott Greczkowski
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Hey All-
New to the forum, just signed up with DirecTV/Centurylink because of how bad Comcast sucks at everything they do/don't do.
Anyways, I was told I'd get this new HR34 and wondered a few things.
1) I sense this is the case, but technically, if I record a movie onto the DVR, is it illegal to then backup that movie to my personal drive. My reason for this is that it seems easy for the DVR to mess up/get reset and lose all data, and that really sucks.
2) Regardless of the legality of #1, is it possible to backup saved movies/tv shows/etc to an external drive or (if networked appropriately) to copy them over to network storage?
Thanks,
Sleepraider
New to the forum, just signed up with DirecTV/Centurylink because of how bad Comcast sucks at everything they do/don't do.
Anyways, I was told I'd get this new HR34 and wondered a few things.
1) I sense this is the case, but technically, if I record a movie onto the DVR, is it illegal to then backup that movie to my personal drive. My reason for this is that it seems easy for the DVR to mess up/get reset and lose all data, and that really sucks.
2) Regardless of the legality of #1, is it possible to backup saved movies/tv shows/etc to an external drive or (if networked appropriately) to copy them over to network storage?
Thanks,
Sleepraider
For DirecTv DVR's, if you attach an EHD it will replace the onboard HDD. You cannot record to the onboard HDD and then move the recording to the EHD.
In addition, the programs that are recorded on the external drive are ONLY accessable from the receiver that they were recorded on. I.E. you can't move the drive to another one of your DVR's and access the recorded content. So, in short, there is no way to "back up" your recorded content. This is one area that Dish really shines in. I wish that DirecTV would do like wise, instead of marrying the recorded content to a specific receiver, they should just marry it to the account.
so I can get my DVR to read a share on an network drive and play that, but have no way to share that content anywhere else.
BTW, I have no intention of getting it to another DVR. I want it on my computer's external drive.
I assume then, there's no way to burn content to a DVD, either?
So is it illegal to do this, or does Dish just have some problem with people doing this? Why no workaround?
So is it illegal to do this, or does Dish just have some problem with people doing this? Why no workaround?
Dish will allow you to move content from the internal HDD to an external HDD and vice versa. DirecTV does not offer this option.
With Dish you can move the external drive from DVR A to DVR B, and so on, because the content on the disk is tied to the account.
DirecTV does not offer this with their external drive option. The content on the external disk is tied to the receiver. If your receiver craps out and you have to get another, all of the content on the disk is lost.
You can record to a DVD from the DVR, but it would have to be in SD from the composite out.
There is no way to stream to a computer, or from a computer for that matter.
I believe you can access photos and some other multimedia content from your computer on the DVR.
With Dish you can move the external drive from DVR A to DVR B, and so on, because the content on the disk is tied to the account.
DirecTV does not offer this with their external drive option. The content on the external disk is tied to the receiver. If your receiver craps out and you have to get another, all of the content on the disk is lost.
You can record to a DVD from the DVR, but it would have to be in SD from the composite out.
There is no way to stream to a computer, or from a computer for that matter.
I believe you can access photos and some other multimedia content from your computer on the DVR.
bobvick-
any idea why the restrictions? What good does it do DirecTV to provide service like that?
It is just the way Directv programmed the box, it is a very simple design to use one drive or the other, and all programming is tied to the receiver id.
It is a consistent request to change this, to use both drives, so adding an external you don't lose the programs on the internal, and to make recording account number based. That would let you keep recordings if you had to have a receiver replaced.
Directv has made no statements or efforts to impact those two design flaws.
It is a consistent request to change this, to use both drives, so adding an external you don't lose the programs on the internal, and to make recording account number based. That would let you keep recordings if you had to have a receiver replaced.
Directv has made no statements or efforts to impact those two design flaws.
DIRECTV equipment doesn't do SMB network shares. You need to abandon all hope of that.
Backup (and restore) involves copying things around in a Linux filesystem environment. Typically the only reason you would need a backup of something is if the DVR dies and if the DVR dies, all of its recordings become inaccessible so there's little point.
If you have little faith in the hard drive mechanisms you use, you can frequently swap out external drives (in the relatively safe assumption that a drive that isn't running isn't likely to fail).
What DISH does is of no consequence as DIRECTV seems resolute in their avoidance of support for moving content around and more importantly in their disdain for long-term protection of your recordings.
harshness-
That's actually great to know. Turns out, I'm a 5 year linux user- so can I just take out the drive after DVR'ing something, copy to another external drive, and throw it back in the box? That seems simple? Anyone play with this to determine if VLC (or another player) can play the files, given the right codecs?
BTW, if I can backup everything, I can find another workaround to play the media on the computer. That's not a problem.
I was thinking about using Mythbuntu back before I decided to switch to DirecTV anyways.
That's actually great to know. Turns out, I'm a 5 year linux user- so can I just take out the drive after DVR'ing something, copy to another external drive, and throw it back in the box? That seems simple? Anyone play with this to determine if VLC (or another player) can play the files, given the right codecs?
BTW, if I can backup everything, I can find another workaround to play the media on the computer. That's not a problem.
I was thinking about using Mythbuntu back before I decided to switch to DirecTV anyways.
PS Harshness-
Dont know how much you know about linux, but the other thing I was thinking about doing (since there's two external USB's) is hooking up a live flash drive, running some distro off there, plugging in a external usb drive, copy, then retstart. Would seem to work in theory, right?
Dont know how much you know about linux, but the other thing I was thinking about doing (since there's two external USB's) is hooking up a live flash drive, running some distro off there, plugging in a external usb drive, copy, then retstart. Would seem to work in theory, right?
You are not going to be able to take the hard drive in and out and in and out like that. First of all, if you lease the equipment from DirecTV, you will be breaking the lease agreement, however, that is an issue between you and DirecTV. If something goes wrong with you opening up the DVR case and removing the hard drive, then they will probably make you pay full retail price for the receiver, I would imagine. Now, if you bought the receiver and it was owned (I am not even sure if you can still do this) then in theory you could do that, but I highly doubt it would work anyway. Sounds like you need some type of computer managed DVR software that will interface with a regular DirecTV receiver, and not a DirecTV DVR. There used to be a program called SageTV, but they have been acquired by Google, and I don't know if you can still get the program.
bobvick- I knew that breaking the lease/paying tons of money was the bigger problem with that first idea. The idea I'm currently going with is the one I posted after that (that starts out with PS Harshness). All that (in theory, of course) would require is working knowledge of linux (and how to boot off a live usb) and an external drive. Being a linux nerd, I happen to have both of those. Also, I wouldnt need to open anything. 
Might still technically void the warranty because I would be tampering with their software.
OTOH, Im also curious what I can do with MythTV. I've heard it has the ability to control some DirecTV boxes, so I'd also be curious if there are any further abilities in there with the HR34.
Might still technically void the warranty because I would be tampering with their software.
OTOH, Im also curious what I can do with MythTV. I've heard it has the ability to control some DirecTV boxes, so I'd also be curious if there are any further abilities in there with the HR34.
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The content is encrypted with a key that is unique to the DVR that recorded it.
ABANDON ALL HOPE OF VIEWING IT USING SOME OTHER DEVICE OR SOFTWARE.
I presented the information strictly with the idea that it was to try to avoid loss in case of a hard drive failure.
ABANDON ALL HOPE OF VIEWING IT USING SOME OTHER DEVICE OR SOFTWARE.
I presented the information strictly with the idea that it was to try to avoid loss in case of a hard drive failure.
No idea. Rumor has it there will be none. But I expect if your call and know your way with getting deals out of a CSR, something could be accomplish to your benefit.
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