My 211 DVR function is activated

[dondem]

I have two 211 receivers and have activated DVR. I am using a 500 GB SimpleTech Signature mini which doesn't require external power and was able to use it successfully with one of the receivers. The thing that confuses me is when I connect the same EHD to the other receiver, it knows that a EHD is connected and checks for compatibility and then it gives me this Unknown Error please try another USB 2.0 compatible EHD. Does anyone know why this is happening?

I bought a universal AC adapter last night for the EHD just to experiment if the other box would work or not. IT WORKS!

A Dish technician is coming over this weekend and hopefully I will get a new 211 that will work without using an AC adapter for the EHD.

 

[KAB]

I bought a universal AC adapter last night for the EHD just to experiment if the other box would work or not. IT WORKS!

A Dish technician is coming over this weekend and hopefully I will get a new 211 that will work without using an AC adapter for the EHD.

USB powered drives SHOULD NOT WORK. Must be powered. Has nothing to do with your unit. If you insist on a new one, the same story. Chances of USB power working correctly, almost nil. Cancel the call if that's what it's about.

 

[Foxbat]

USB powered drives SHOULD NOT WORK. Must be powered. Has nothing to do with your unit. If you insist on a new one, the same story. Chances of USB power working correctly, almost nil. Cancel the call if that's what it's about.

In fact, I think that's what has been sabotaging my 211's Universal USB rig. The USB to IDE/SATA adapter is powered by the 211 while the disk gets its power from a power pack. My ratio of DVR :up::down after the daily reboot is 2:5. People that have been using the powered drive enclosures have not been reporting this issue.

 

[dondem]

USB powered drives SHOULD NOT WORK. Must be powered. Has nothing to do with your unit. If you insist on a new one, the same story. Chances of USB power working correctly, almost nil. Cancel the call if that's what it's about.

Then explain to me why is it working on my other 211 box? And why does it work on my laptop too?

 

[nsaspook]

Then explain to me why is it working on my other 211 box? And why does it work on my laptop too?

On the other 211, pure dumb luck. Most hard-drives require more power than the USB2.0 spec. Laptops usually supply more power to USB devices than required by the specification.

 

[Smith P.]

Then explain to me why is it working on my other 211 box? And why does it work on my laptop too?

Perhaps you're inexperience person and don't have long history of fixing damaged USB ports in desktop and notebooks and should listen other ppl ?
http://www.satelliteguys.us/1604157-post192.html

 

[w0fms]

Sorry if I am slightly off topic here.. But this thread is making me seriously consider Dish and one of the TurboHD packs.

I'm considering one of the Turbo HD packs to replace the C-band package I have now (which is now in range possibly of only being a little less than Dish if I can keep the $5/mo here and $7/mo there's down-- and I'm comparing "end of promotion prices").

Anyway this "DVR software upgrade" could possibly mean that I could get two 211's (or a 222 and a 211) instead of a 722 for the same price per month ($7 for the second HD receiver vs "DVR fee"). I have a 250 Gb USB 2.0 HDD that I built up that I can use for the cause so that's more or less free. Ok $40 up front.. not horrible... and both units could become DVR's that way if I wanted.

Actually I could then also see if I could live without the DVR feature at all for a few weeks, too... add it after the first months bill maybe?

What I wonder is do any of you guys know if on a 211 all of the outputs are active simultaneously (i.e. RF modulator or component and HDMI)-- like on the 222 and and 622/722 units? I actually have three sets, two 720p LCD's and one 1080i tube. If I could hook two sets to one of those receivers.. I may actually be able to justify going to one of the TurboHD packs compared to C-band. It'd be more but I wouldn't have to watch Toon Disney 12 hours a day anymore..

I know I won't have the UHF remote with two 211's (or second remote) but I have IR pyramids set up anyway. I have sets in one case on two floors, but my component video run from downstairs to up is only about 15-20'.. it works with runs of good quality RG-6...

And no, I don't want another $7/mo for three HD receivers..

I thought about a 722 but it would be nice two have 2/3 of the sets HD..

Actually in either case I could try to go for a 222 and a 211 and then make the 211 a DVR. I could live with the single sat and single ATSC tuner.

Is the 222 supposed to get this upgrade some day as well?

Why is figuring out what to get and not get screwed so hard?

Also is there an actual channel list on this site (or elsewhere) for the TurboHD packs.. (with channel #'s like the SD packs?)

Thanks..

 

[dondem]

On the other 211, pure dumb luck. Most hard-drives require more power than the USB2.0 spec. Laptops usually supply more power to USB devices than required by the specification.

If it is working, is it safe to say it would continue to do so?

 

[dondem]

Perhaps you're inexperience person and don't have long history of fixing damaged USB ports in desktop and notebooks and should listen other ppl ?
http://www.satelliteguys.us/1604157-post192.html

Easy Mac, don't want you to get a heart attack.

 

[Smith P.]

You did already, son.

FYI, USB port could provide up to 500 mA per port if it's powered HUB ( internal or external).

 

[Smith P.]

If it is working, is it safe to say it would continue to do so?

Nope.
Any spike in current and 'finita la comedia'.

 

[splino]

Just so you guys know. My activation for a WD 640 GB My Book had to be done with the hard drive unplugged. The CSR couldn't activate the VIP 211 when the 499 screen was on. The WD 640 GB My Book also stays on all the time.

 

[intrac]

The drive is always on. There is no sleep function.

That's why I got a low current drive.

 

[Jim5506]

REMEMBER!!!

One of the stipulations about the EHD on 211 is that for it to be guaranteed to work it must have it's own power supply.

If yours works without it it is fortunate, but not guaranteed to continue working because the 211 USB port does not put out a lot of current.

 

[Foxbat]

With Smith, P's and my Solaris friend's assistance, I was able to transfer the events recorded on the 500 GB LaCie hard drive I had used on my 622 over to the new 1 TB LaCie hard drive I bought to replace it. I ended up using the CD-ROM based Linux (Knoppix) on my HP Notebook to do the transfer, which took over eight hours.

The first time I attempted this, I found that I could not watch the events I had moved over, even though they appeared in the "My Media" directory of the drive on the 622. It turns out that I had not used the old drive on my 622 since I swapped in the purple G3 card. This changed the security of my receiver, so it could not recognize the old encrypted programming.

When I plugged in my original drive into the 622, it told me that this disk had been used on a different receiver and it needed to be updated to work on this receiver. I did this (half expecting it re-format the drive) and I was pleasantly surprised when the contents were modified to allow access!

I retried copying the contents from the old 500GB drive and another eight hours later, I was happy to see that my 622 could now read it. I took the 500 GB drive, hooked it up to the 211 (which knew it had been used as an Archive disk), and the 211 reformatted the drive for its needs. I was able to use a similar technique to copy the events I had previously recorded on the 250 GB Seagate drive over to the LaCie 500 GB drive, so now I'm configured the way I wanted to be: My ViP 211 with DVR now has 500 GB of space at it's disposal.

 

[Gardo]

Hey folks, first post here. Just wanted to say a big thank you for the information in this thread. I had been through four calls (two human, two automated) to try to get the DVR activated. Same story everyone else here has told: it's "on" but nothing happens. Once I'd read this thread and understood that the "activate" needed to be hit while message 499 was on the screen, I called CSR again and within two minutes was formatting my drive and preparing for DVR goodness. (It didn't hurt that the last time I called I got a great CSR named Matthew--really terrific guy.)

My only issue after this success was trying to figure out the whole DVR routine. I've never had a TiVo, only a stand-alone DVR/DVD Pioneer rig, so a lot of the nomenclature was foreign to me. It took me awhile to figure out that to schedule a recording I had to "set up a timer." I kept backfilling from various help screens until I'd sussed it out. But I sure wish there were a description online somewhere that spelled it all out. Perhaps there is and I just didn't look in the right place.

So I've got "Zero Effect" recorded, as well as my favorite "House M.D." episode (got lucky there), all in HD splendor. I have enough things scheduled to keep me glued to the set until they wheel me out the door. I'm wondering if I can archive this stuff on successive hard drives. If I plug in a second hard drive when the first is full, can I then plug the first back in and get to everything recorded on it? Given the plummeting prices of hard drives, I'm thinking that's actually an economical way to go.

Thanks, everybody.

 

[KAB]

I'm wondering if I can archive this stuff on successive hard drives. If I plug in a second hard drive when the first is full, can I then plug the first back in and get to everything recorded on it? Given the plummeting prices of hard drives, I'm thinking that's actually an economical way to go.

Thanks, everybody.

Yes, yes and yes.

 

[Gardo]

Yes, yes and yes.

Thanks!

 

[Jim5506]

Just be sure the 211 is in standby when you unplug the usb HDD, OK!!

 

[Smith P.]

Well, checking BF sales today and how 211 will accept Samsung 1TB disk.

Bought Samsung HD103UJ for $99 - 1TB/7200 RPM/32 MB cache; attached to 211, after press Power button it did reboot then got normal request to format the disk, passed the step OK, then 211 did reboot itself and came with error 955: Wrong size, must be between 50 and 750 GB.

Quick analysis of the disk did show normally formatted disk with consistent file system;
as usual all three partitions are ext3 type; first partition have regular size 2 GB, second - 256 MB SWAP, third - rest of the disk ~930 GB.
First/third partitions have typical 'lost+found' folder.

So, the ViP211 L5.23 FW is inconsistent - format working fine, but DVR functions have some limit (hard coded size ? ) and cannot handle 1TB disk.
Perhaps ( as usual ) developers didn't have 1 TB disks in their hand when did develop the new functions, but later on bosses decide to release outdated software, as all promised dates slipped too far.