External Hard Drives & Genie (HR34)

[j_met]

I have been a Dish Network customer for about 10 years. With the Dish 922K receiver, you can attach an external hard drive via USB to expand your recording capacity. Can you do the same with Direct TVs Genie?

Also, what video connections are on the back of the receiver and how many? Reason I ask is currently I have the main TV connected to the receiver via component and then have a 50' HDMI cable running to the second TV in the bedroom. Then a 3rd display is connected via coax.

TV 1 and 2 display the same picture but, I am ok with that. This works great for me as I don't need to lease an additional receiver and can still have 3 TVs connected and watch different programming on different TV at same time

 

[Mr Tony]

I have been a Dish Network customer for about 10 years. With the Dish 922K receiver, you can attach an external hard drive via USB to expand your recording capacity. Can you do the same with Direct TVs Genie?

yes but it replaces the internal one. it is associated with the receiver so if the HR34 craps out and gets replaced you lose everything on that hard drive

Also, what video connections are on the back of the receiver and how many? Reason I ask is currently I have the main TV connected to the receiver via component and then have a 50' HDMI cable running to the second TV in the bedroom. Then a 3rd display is connected via coax.

no coax but the rest (HDMI, Component, composite, s-video)

TV 1 and 2 display the same picture but, I am ok with that. This works great for me as I don't need to lease an additional receiver and can still have 3 TVs connected and watch different programming on different TV at same time

you do realize that the Genie (HR34) the video output is the same on all TV's so you'd see the same thing on all TV's attached to it? (unless you get the client receivers for other TV's)

 

[j_met]

...

no coax but the rest (HDMI, Component, composite, s-video)


you do realize that the Genie (HR34) the video output is the same on all TV's so you'd see the same thing on all TV's attached to it? (unless you get the client receivers for other TV's)

ok I can use a HDMI splitter between TV 2 & 3 to work around not having coax....

What about remotes? I have a total of 3 remotes now with 2 of them being on the same "address"...that way I can control tv 1&2 with separate remotes and 1 is a IR the other is the the kind that works through walls.

 

[Mr Tony]

The Genie uses either IR or RF (but not both) so you could set up 3 remotes for RF. I did that a while ago when I had the bedroom TV hooked up to the main setup

But again....this isnt like Dish where you have TV1 & TV2 and the option to watch two different programs. Directv its the same on all TV's (there is only one output)

But yes you can use a HDMI splitter

 

[inazsully]

I'm not sure why with "E" the EHD supplements the DVR's internal hard drive and with "D" the EHD cancels the internal hard drive but this seems like a major drawback to the Directv's DVR's. This is the one single reason I cannot switch to "D". In today's world of high tech electronics this seems like an easily rectifiable situation. Who wouldn't want to ad 2TB of external hard drive space for a hundred bucks. Come on "D". I would switch to the HR34 in a heart beat except for this drawback.

 

[raoul5788]

I'm not sure why with "E" the EHD supplements the DVR's internal hard drive and with "D" the EHD cancels the internal hard drive but this seems like a major drawback to the Directv's DVR's. This is the one single reason I cannot switch to "D". In today's world of high tech electronics this seems like an easily rectifiable situation. Who wouldn't want to ad 2TB of external hard drive space for a hundred bucks. Come on "D". I would switch to the HR34 in a heart beat except for this drawback.

Most agree with you that it's a foolish way to set up the ehd, but that's what it is. I don't understand why that would be the deciding factor to not switch. I don't think of the hd, external or not, as long term storage, so the size isn't that important to me.

 

[inazsully]

Most agree with you that it's a foolish way to set up the ehd, but that's what it is. I don't understand why that would be the deciding factor to not switch. I don't think of the hd, external or not, as long term storage, so the size isn't that important to me.

For some, like me, the long term storage is a big deal. I have several concerts and movies that I plan on keeping for many years. I routinely record entire seasons of a specific show, like Lost, NCIS LA, House, Haven, Supernatural, Dr. Who etc and watch the entire season over a weekend. Saying, "that's what it is" is like saying that even if it's a stupid way of doing things let's just keep doing it that way even if there's a better way. My main point is that the technology that "E" uses is not propriatory. "D" can use it also. So why don't they? Just a question. Seems kind of stupid to design a DVR with EHD capabilities and then have the EHD eliminate the on board hard drive. Makes no sense.

 

[raoul5788]

For some, like me, the long term storage is a big deal. I have several concerts and movies that I plan on keeping for many years. I routinely record entire seasons of a specific show, like Lost, NCIS LA, House, Haven, Supernatural, Dr. Who etc and watch the entire season over a weekend. Saying, "that's what it is" is like saying that even if it's a stupid way of doing things let's just keep doing it that way even if there's a better way. My main point is that the technology that "E" uses is not propriatory. "D" can use it also. So why don't they? Just a question. Seems kind of stupid to design a DVR with EHD capabilities and then have the EHD eliminate the on board hard drive. Makes no sense.

You will get no argument from me! My "that's what it is" comment was referencing the way Directv does it, and I don't expect it to change. As to using a hard drive for long term storage, I just don't think it's a good idea. DVDs are much more reliable. The problem then is not being able to record to them in hd.

 

[inazsully]

You will get no argument from me! My "that's what it is" comment was referencing the way Directv does it, and I don't expect it to change. As to using a hard drive for long term storage, I just don't think it's a good idea. DVDs are much more reliable. The problem then is not being able to record to them in hd.

DVD's are more reliable for sure but many of the concerts broadcast in HD and 5.1 are not available on DVD's especially if you want 1080P and 5.1. Not to mention that off the Sat. they are free. Movies off HBO etc are nice to save and watch at your leisure. It's easy to shift stuff from the EHD back to the DVR's. With the HR34 I could have 3TB of usable hard drive space. EHD's are pretty reliable. I haven't lost anything in three years.

 

[Jimbo]

D* for some reason doesn't use EHD's as addl. space, reason is unknown.

Thats said, those that like to fill up 2TB's or more of video and think it's there for long term, sorry, but your really tempting fate.

If the recvr goes down, the EHD is reformatted when you hook it up to a new/replacement unit ... it has to reformat i guess so it can SEE the new recvr.

I would NEVER fill up a HD with stuff that I really want to keep.

 

[Jimbo]

DVD's are more reliable for sure but many of the concerts broadcast in HD and 5.1 are not available on DVD's especially if you want 1080P and 5.1. Not to mention that off the Sat. they are free. Movies off HBO etc are nice to save and watch at your leisure. It's easy to shift stuff from the EHD back to the DVR's. With the HR34 I could have 3TB of usable hard drive space. EHD's are pretty reliable. I haven't lost anything in three years.

Until you hook it up to a new unit.

 

[KasumiX]

There's a reason DVRs have limitations that prevent you from using them as long-term storage. The same reason you can't copy the file from the DVR to your computer and burn it to disc.

The studios want you to buy the blu-ray.

 

[inazsully]

Until you hook it up to a new unit.

According to "E" their replacement DVR will indeed recognize an existing EHD and have no problem playing it's programming the new unit. I've been told this twice. What limitations are incorporated into DVR's that that prevent you from using them as long-term storage? Are you saying that information stored on a hard drive will become, by design, corrupted over time?

 

[inazsully]

D* for some reason doesn't use EHD's as addl. space, reason is unknown.

Thats said, those that like to fill up 2TB's or more of video and think it's there for long term, sorry, but your really tempting fate.

If the recvr goes down, the EHD is reformatted when you hook it up to a new/replacement unit ... it has to reformat i guess so it can SEE the new recvr.

I would NEVER fill up a HD with stuff that I really want to keep.

I would think that on a forum such as this your first sentence would have many here wanting an answer beyond "Reason unknown". My only assumption is that it's a marketing choice and a rather poor one at that. Recording an entire season of a given show does not exactly require LONG term storage. Just a few months. In the very unlikely chance that it would be lost, then I can buy the season on disc. If it's not lost I save about $30 per show. No real risk and the odds are in my favor.

 

[raoul5788]

I would think that on a forum such as this your first sentence would have many here wanting an answer beyond "Reason unknown". My only assumption is that it's a marketing choice and a rather poor one at that. Recording an entire season of a given show does not exactly require LONG term storage. Just a few months. In the very unlikely chance that it would be lost, then I can buy the season on disc. If it's not lost I save about $30 per show. No real risk and the odds are in my favor.

Reason unknown is because no one here knows why Directv chose to set up ehd usage the way they did. The HR24 holds 100 hrs of hd programming. That's a lot. If you get a 2 or 3 tb hard drive, there is a temptation to record so much stuff you may never get around to watching it all. That's a roll of the dice in my book given the nature of electronics.

 

[inazsully]

Ahh but at least it's my option to roll the dice. Just like it's my option to eat too much or drive too fast. Not being familiar with "D anymore (I used to be) I just wonder why they chose this format, and then kept it. There is always a chance that someone here affiliated with "D" might know the answer. It's no big deal. I'm probably the only one here that really cares.

 

[Jimbo]

Ahh but at least it's my option to roll the dice. Just like it's my option to eat too much or drive too fast. Not being familiar with "D anymore (I used to be) I just wonder why they chose this format, and then kept it. There is always a chance that someone here affiliated with "D" might know the answer. It's no big deal. I'm probably the only one here that really cares.

Not really, a lot of us wondered the same thing, but we have been given no answers.


Also, it's NOT a Marketing ploy as D* doesn't sell or market any EHD's

 

[inazsully]

Not really, a lot of us wondered the same thing, but we have been given no answers.


Also, it's NOT a Marketing ploy as D* doesn't sell or market any EHD's

Marketing was a poor choice of words on my part. Actually allowing the use of an external hard drive gives the sub an option not available on the home hard drive which is detrimental to both "D" and "E". You can transfer a pay per view onto the EHD and keep it as long as you want.