What is the maximum usable space for an EHD with Dish's one time archiving EHD fee?

[KKlare]

Dish has been imposing a 1TB limit on the VIP211 used for recording, not archiving like 611/722/722k.

I can say I have nearly filled, at one time, the one 1.5TB drive that I have. Several 1TB drives have reached the point of no more files. This is because the file system does not handle fragmented files, only contiguous ones. You can end up with 1% of the drive used and still not be able to add another file if small fragments are closer together than the file size you are adding.

The internal drive file system clearly does handle fragments but that makes it more complicated.

olds403: It is not a 1.9TB drive due to formatting. It is a misunderstanding that drive makers speak in powers of 1000=10^3 while computers and most of us speak in powers of 1024=2^10. Thus a 1TB drive holds about 931GB and 1.5TB=1397GB and 2TB=1863GB with GB here being 1024^3.
-Ken

 

[Ghpr13]

Can you record directly to the EHD, or is it only for archiving? Also, data is sent to the EHD via USB, correct?

Ghpr13

Archiving.

Dish has been imposing a 1TB limit on the VIP211 used for recording, not archiving like 611/722/722k.

I can say I have nearly filled, at one time, the one 1.5TB drive that I have. Several 1TB drives have reached the point of no more files. This is because the file system does not handle fragmented files, only contiguous ones. You can end up with 1% of the drive used and still not be able to add another file if small fragments are closer together than the file size you are adding.

The internal drive file system clearly does handle fragments but that makes it more complicated.

olds403: It is not a 1.9TB drive due to formatting. It is a misunderstanding that drive makers speak in powers of 1000=10^3 while computers and most of us speak in powers of 1024=2^10. Thus a 1TB drive holds about 931GB and 1.5TB=1397GB and 2TB=1863GB with GB here being 1024^3.
-Ken

OK, now I'm a little confused (surprise, surprise!). If I get a VIP211, then I can use a EHD for recording, but with the 722k I have now, if I get an EHD it can only be used for archiving. Do I have this correct?
Thanks,
Ghpr13

 

[Laddyboy]

OK, now I'm a little confused (surprise, surprise!). If I get a VIP211, then I can use a EHD for recording, but with the 722k I have now, if I get an EHD it can only be used for archiving. Do I have this correct?
Thanks,
Ghpr13

Yes, the 211 doesnt have an internal HDD for recording so the external add-on has to be used after paying the $40 one-time fee. With the others, all recording is done to the internal HDD although playback of recorded material can come from either the internal HDD or the archived stuff on the external HDD.

 

[Ghpr13]

Yes, the 211 doesnt have an internal HDD for recording so the external add-on has to be used after paying the $40 one-time fee. With the others, all recording is done to the internal HDD although playback of recorded material can come from either the internal HDD or the archived stuff on the external HDD.

Thank you for setting me straight on this!
I have one other question. The 222k, from looking at the Dish web site, appears that it doesn't allow for an EHD for recording like the 211 or archiving like the 722k, am I correct?
Ghpr13

 

[MikeD-C05]

NO the 222 does not do external hard drives. At one time they said there would be software to do it , but it has never materialized.

 

[navychop]

There is a difference between communicating with a box that has 2 drives and is trying to pass them off as one - and communicating with a box that has two drives, but in effect the DVR sees just one, and the box mirrors the first drive to the second (unseen by the DVR). My RAID 1 box has worked very well for me, but I could see where a poor implementation could result in spotty performance.

 

[TalonDancer]

....This is because the file system does not handle fragmented files, only contiguous ones. You can end up with 1% of the drive used and still not be able to add another file if small fragments are closer together than the file size you are adding.....

This sounds like a good reason to stick with several smaller EHDs rather than one big one (e.g. 2-1TB EHDs vs 1-2TB EHD).

BTW How can this extra fragmented space be 'recovered'. Can you transfer files directly to another (empty) EHD? Or do you have to move them back to the internal HD and then to another EHD? FWIW the later would be a PITA on a 622 because of the small internal disk compared to most EHDs.

Thanks in Advance - Talon Dancer

 

[navychop]

Only one EHD can be connected at a time, so you'd only be able to move to another EHD via the DVR. Officially. Some have reported using Linux to copy drives.

Hubs might be supported at a later date.

 

[Ghpr13]

NO the 222 does not do external hard drives. At one time they said there would be software to do it , but it has never materialized.

Thanks MikeD!

Ghpr13

 

[MikeD-C05]

Thanks MikeD!

Ghpr13

You're welcome.