Updated 622 External Storage Information

[TheForce]

Scott, I mentioned this before but never heard anything. Is there a failsafe if your internal runs out of space, i.e., will the 622 auto transfer to the external?

If not, this is something they should consider.

This is just a guess, so take it for what it's worth- Presently when you schedule something that will overflow your HD capacity you get a popup that will ask for you to continue by deleting the oldest program needed. I vision with the EXT hard drive, you will have the option either in the popup or manually to save that by transferring to it. It would be cool if those older programs were automatically transfered but I don't expect that to be in this first release. This may be something that would be added in a feature upgrade later. Good suggestion, and be sure to mention it when a thread starts to discuss and report "issues" and suggestions with the feature after we all have it.

 

[spamatdan]

I ordered my drive on Thursday, and it should be here next week.

I will be nearly ready to go!

Just in time for Cinemax HD to replay all 6 Star Wars movies in HD...starting on Monday.

 

[gadgtfreek]

This is just a guess, so take it for what it's worth- Presently when you schedule something that will overflow your HD capacity you get a popup that will ask for you to continue by deleting the oldest program needed. I vision with the EXT hard drive, you will have the option either in the popup or manually to save that by transferring to it. It would be cool if those older programs were automatically transfered but I don't expect that to be in this first release. This may be something that would be added in a feature upgrade later. Good suggestion, and be sure to mention it when a thread starts to discuss and report "issues" and suggestions with the feature after we all have it.

Thanks, will do.

My fear was Id have to go out of town for say 3 weeks and my 622 be empty and not be able to record everything because it would fill before I got back.

 

[navychop]

Wouldn't it make more sense to have this feature activated thru the STB, or at least thru the internet? I'd say they didn't want to wait on programming to write the feature, but they've had many, many months to do this. Maybe they figure few will want it at first. After we've "tested" it in the real world, maybe they'll script in the STB/online upgrade options and start advertising the feature.

Guess I'll buy an external storage unit Real Soon Now.

 

[fallout2600]

Hey, no problem, You're not alone. But you did sound like a shill for D*. Read the other threads. they're easy to pick out as they do what you did. Bad news they LOL; but good news and they find something to piss and moan about. Now after the FACT, and I do mean fact, not anticipation of something that may go bad or assumption that everything they do is flawed, then lets have at it. We heard it all in the thread about the way E* would be charging for this new feature. What a bunch of cry baby whiners that thread unsurfaced. The feature charge was quite fair and frankly if those whiners don't like it, go to cable where the feature is free.
What I saw was this, people complain all the time E* stuff isn't beta tested, so they do a controlled release as Ler defined here( he was not the first since they started the controlled release) And then the sarcasm that E* is doing a controlled release over a week, calling it beta if you will.

But remember this, if you post something that resembles being a whiner, a pessimist of good things to come, or just plain badmouth, it's not this old curmudgeon that needs to lighten up, Maybe its you and others like you who need to. If you give someone something after they beg for it, and then rather than say thank you, you complain they gave it to you, some would say you're not even a whiner, you're being a jerk. So, regardless of what your profession is, if you do what you did, be prepared for some to call it like they saw it.

I have one more thing to say to E* if you are reading-
Thanks for not only making this feature happen but being on schedule that you said would be the middle of August for release date which is what you said "realistically" back at CES. Even though it was mostly ready back then, the delay for a better price decision and getting legal to sanction the method tells me this has been a well prepared feature for the 622. BUT, we'll see. As the pessimists are quick to warn, there may be some flaws, but you do have a track record of fixing them. Keep up the good work and I will remain a loyal customer.

Don, you should apply for a job with E*, you would be a loyal employee!

 

[John Kotches]

So, how is someone who doesn't read this forum supposed to know that a message that reads:

"Call DISH to activate this feature"

really means

"Don't call DISH to activate this feature until August 15th"

Are we supposed to be mind readers?

Since most people don't actually know that external storage is being added to the software it's a moot point.

Cheers,

 

[Hall]

So, how is someone who doesn't read this forum supposed to know that a message that reads:
"Call DISH to activate this feature" really means "Don't call DISH to activate this feature until August 15th"

Are we supposed to be mind readers?

How many people do you think randomly plug external hard drives into their receivers on a daily basis so that they'd run into this message ??

Personally, I think Dish is doing this backwards... If they enable a feature, it should be usable right then. Make their systems ready to enable it on the 15th whether or not any customers have the req'd software or not. Slowly roll the software update out then.

 

[Hall]

Is there a failsafe if your internal runs out of space, i.e., will the 622 auto transfer to the external?

Considering that nothing goes to the external HDD "automatically", safe to say the answer is 'no'.

I'd like to see an option something like:

DVR recordings storage location:
- automatic (let the receiver choose, based on available space ?)
- use internal first
- use external first

 

[gadgtfreek]

Considering that nothing goes to the external HDD "automatically", safe to say the answer is 'no'.

I'd like to see an option something like:

DVR recordings storage location:
- automatic (let the receiver choose, based on available space ?)
- use internal first
- use external first

That'd be good. That way I could set it on auto when I went out of town.

 

[schneid]

NO External Drive Support for 622HZ

I've heard AT&T will make same feature no fee for customers with 622HZ DVRs soon after Dish.

according to the HZ manager I spoke with yesterday. HZ arbitrarily limits HD content to 20gb anyway.

 

[voodooevil]

hello. I couldn't find it, but did any one ever say what the maximum HD capacity that is allowed?

Thanks....Joe

 

[David_Levin]

Considering that nothing goes to the external HDD "automatically", safe to say the answer is 'no'.

I'd like to see an option something like:

DVR recordings storage location:
- automatic (let the receiver choose, based on available space ?)
- use internal first
- use external first

Well, the way it appears to be implemented, the external HDD will only be running one stream at a time. Perhaps it can support 2 (though I doubt, but probably not 3.

One the fly failsafe will not work because the bandwidth isn't there (you could be recording 3 streams).

I suppose they could implement fail-safe such that the 622 looks ahead for 24 hours then moves programs to the external HDD in anticipation of the overflow. But, I wouldn't expect to see this anytime soon.

Formatting: No point in questions like this. We could guess. But, we'll find out soon enough. However you format the drive it'll probably be wrong. 622 will likely format the drive as it sees fit.

 

[Smith P.]

according to the HZ manager I spoke with yesterday. HZ arbitrarily limits HD content to 20gb anyway.

He doesn't know what 2WIRE testing, and you did a mistake - "20gb".

 

[Foxbat]

The LaCie 500 GB USB 2.0 External HDD arrived today (surprised me as I didn't expect a Saturday delivery!) As expected, the ViP622 knows you've plugged something in, but tells you "Unsupported device", so I've turned the drive off and will let it sit next to my 622 for now.

Mini-review: The USB cable that comes with the drive is only two feet long. No problem for my installation, but putting it further away might require a different USB cable. It is extremely quiet; the HDD in my ViP622 drowns it out. The enclosure has a brushed metal front and a titanium grey case color. It matches my Mitsubishi more than the ViP-series silver color. The power LED doubles as the drive activity LED, so it goes from red-orange to amber-yellow when the drive is active. There is a temperature-sensitive fan that will come on when the drive get too warm, otherwise, all you hear is the drive (a Samsung unit according to my Mac).

Ready and waiting here...
(excuse the dust: I tried dusting before taking this picture, but it just moved it around. I need Endust Also, the thing sticking out from the front of the drive is the IR Detected LED for my Hotwire Remote Repeater.)

 

[long_time_DNC]

Does it matter which of the two usb ports you use for the ext. drive? I'm hoping either will work...

 

[rockymtnhigh]

The LaCie 500 GB USB 2.0 External HDD arrived today (surprised me as I didn't expect a Saturday delivery!) As expected, the ViP622 knows you've plugged something in, but tells you "Unsupported device", so I've turned the drive off and will let it sit next to my 622 for now.

Mini-review: The USB cable that comes with the drive is only two feet long. No problem for my installation, but putting it further away might require a different USB cable. It is extremely quiet; the HDD in my ViP622 drowns it out. The enclosure has a brushed metal front and a titanium grey case color. It matches my Mitsubishi more than the ViP-series silver color. The power LED doubles as the drive activity LED, so it goes from red-orange to amber-yellow when the drive is active. There is a temperature-sensitive fan that will come on when the drive get too warm, otherwise, all you hear is the drive (a Samsung unit according to my Mac).

Ready and waiting here...
(excuse the dust: I tried dusting before taking this picture, but it just moved it around. I need Endust Also, the thing sticking out from the front of the drive is the IR Detected LED for my Hotwire Remote Repeater.)

Roland, Run the drive for a bit - I am curious how hot it gets. I haven't picked out a drive yet; but cooling is an issue I am concerned with.

 

[dfergie]

I can tell y'all haven't worked around noisy equipment... I can't hear my 622's fan I have external drives full of Replay stuff, I guess if you don't watch it, you should delete it but it's hard as I'm a packrat... got that from my Mother

 

[Foxbat]

Roland, Run the drive for a bit - I am curious how hot it gets. I haven't picked out a drive yet; but cooling is an issue I am concerned with.

I had it hooked up to my Mac for an hour or so and never heard the internal fan come on. Temperature-wise, it was cooler than my IOMagic aluminum enclosure with a Maxtor 500GB drive.

 

[gadgtfreek]

I had it hooked up to my Mac for an hour or so and never heard the internal fan come on. Temperature-wise, it was cooler than my IOMagic aluminum enclosure with a Maxtor 500GB drive.

Where did you get the LaCie drive at? I dont really know anything about that brand.

 

[Hall]

LaCie is a pretty common and popular brand. Newegg, Circuit City, etc sell them.