What is the CHEAPEST way to keep my Hopper w Sling?

[bwexler]

My mobile home space rent includes mandatory Cox cable tv subscription.
I can't really afford to pay for Cox and Dish.
I have more than 10 TB of recordings on my Hopper plus EHDs.
I would like to retain access to all my recordings.
What's the absolute cheapest way to keep the Hopper, even with no current programming.

 

[orlyPR]

How many EHD you have?

 

[osu1991]

Currently Welcome Pack is cheapest programming alternative. Hopper EHD are useless without service.

 

[dishrich]

Currently Welcome Pack is cheapest programming alternative. Hopper EHD are useless without service.

Agree & the OP will still have a DVR fee as well...

 

[iadubber]

You can put your account on pause for up to 6 months I think and still view recordings on dvr/ehd, IF you have the dish still hooked up. Unfortunately pause won't work to keep watching recordings if the receiver is not hooked up to the dish still. Otherwise Welcome Pack is the cheapest package you can keep for your HWS.

 

[dare2be]

Not sure about the EHD access while on pause. If your intent is to keep your recordings but not necessarily watch them during that time, then Pause is the way to go for 6 months, then Welcome Pack for the other 6 months of the year. Rinse and repeat.

 

[bwexler]

I have at least 6 EHDs. At least 3 are 2 TB. The rest are smaller.
Some recordings I have never watched, others are old favorites.
I probably need to make an inventory of the shows (daunting task) and compare availability on Amazon, Netflix, etc.
Alas I am often lazy when it comes to long boring tasks.

My original goal was to transcribe the shows I want to keep on to a format that would be viewable without the Hopper. I haven't figured that one out yet.

 

[Hall]

I have more than 10 TB of recordings on my Hopper plus EHDs.
I would like to retain access to all my recordings.

I probably need to make an inventory of the shows (daunting task) and compare availability on Amazon, Netflix, etc.

That was going to be my suggestion - determine which shows are available elsewhere. With 10TB though.... geez ! Remember with Amazon and Netflix, some programming goes away after a period of time.

My original goal was to transcribe the shows I want to keep on to a format that would be viewable without the Hopper. I haven't figured that one out yet.

You can't transfer the recordings off of the EHDs in order to re-transcribe them.

 

[bwexler]

By transcribe, what I meant was to play each program through a par card on my computer or a TiVo or ??
I realize that could take thousands of hours to complete. I also assumed once I completed the first EHD, I could reuse it as the destination for the next EHD, so at most I would only have to add one additional drive to complete the task especially if I eliminated duplicates and shows I no longer care about.

I will look at the new packs and see if any might be cheaper than the welcome pack, or if I can finagle some other discounts.

 

[osu1991]

I've done it occasionally with hauppauge hdpvr. Works well.
I would say use the money you would spend to keep minimum service and buy the stuff on dvd or bluray.