[JMikeF]

I've heard:

• The USB external option will be available in Dec for the 622
• It will not be available for the older 942 receiver

Question: will we be able to archive programs that are currently recorded? Or is it seemless - that is, we won't be able to specifiy external/internal - the sw sees it as one big virtual space.

 

[Rob Glasser]

Since it's not out it's hard to say, but based on what has been told to us already and demo'd at events it would seem that you can archive what you've already recorded. That it does not act like one big virtual space. Only time will tell, but what is what I've read so far.

 

[Ron Barry]

Hmm December..... Guess we got a new rumor date floating around. I thought the USB support was going into the big October update? Would be nice to get this as a early Xmas present.

Like Rob said, based on the demos shown and how it was described it will be archival in nature and not one virtual space. As for the time of release, I don't think Dish has mentioned a date so any information should be taken with a grain of salt or maybe even a shaker full.

 

[William]

A few questions if anyone has answers.

• Will the 622 format your USB to it's file format?
• Can you read (play) your USB drive on someone else's 622?
• Will you be able to keep your USB drive(s) and use them with the next generation HD-DVR?
• Will you be able to use multiple USB drives to create a library of content or only 1 drive per system?
• Can you have more than 1 USB drive plugged in at the same time using a USB hub?
• What is the maximum capacity for a USB drive that the 622 can format and read?

 

[James Long]

All good questions which will be answered when DishNetwork releases the product/service offering.
For now, the best answer is yes and no. Matching those answers to the questions is the hard part.
(I will give the answer to the last question, to the best of my knowledge: neither yes or no. )

 

[cooldude919]

A few questions if anyone has answers.

• [YES]Will the 622 format your USB to it's file format?
  [NO]Can you read (play) your USB drive on someone else's 622?
  [NO]Will you be able to keep your USB drive(s) and use them with the next generation HD-DVR?
  [YES]Will you be able to use multiple USB drives to create a library of content or only 1 drive per system?
  [NO]Can you have more than 1 USB drive plugged in at the same time using a USB hub?
  [lets hope 1TB works fine]What is the maximum capacity for a USB drive that the 622 can format and read?

heres my go at the guessing game

 

[James Long]

Two questions to add to William's list:

• Can you read (play) your USB drive on another 622 on the same account?
• Can you read (play) your USB drive on a non-622 receiver on the same account?

Answers -
Wait and see.

 

[Mark Lamutt]

cooldude - my guesses would be very similar to yours in answer to those specific questions.

 

[TBoneit]

This could be a cool feature or it could end up like expanding a closet becsuse you ran out of room. Shortly after the expansion the closet will once again be out of room. When I had a 501 I always ended up with 5 to 10 hours free, when I had a 721 I always seemed to end up with 5 to 10 hours free, I now have a 622 and have 5 to 10 hours of HD free......

Computers: I had a 120 gb drive it always seemed to have 20 Gb free , I added a 300gb and guess what I had about 20 gb free on each. 20 gb seems to be the point where I start archiving to DVD and then fill it up again. I added some external USB drives total free space stayed about the same.

My conclusion is whatever it is will always consume available free space.

Storage on a hard drive has to be considered temporary since it is only when not if the drive will fail.

Cheers

Edit: I can spell I just can't type.

 

[harsh]

Computers: I had a 120 gb drive it always seemed to have 20 Gb free , I added a 300gb and guess what I had about 20 gb free on each. 20 gb seems to be the point where I start archiving to DVD and then fill it up again. I added some external USB drives total free space stayed about the same.

Micro$oft has trained you well young Padawan. That Windows XP becomes "less stable" with less than 20GB free has caused this behavior to be imprinted on your soul.

 

[Ron Barry]

There is a very common theory in warehouse managing. Finding the minimum amount of space to work with. In all the cases I saw, whenever space was shrunk they still seemed to be able to accomplish their work. Yes it is always good to have the option of more space, but also there is something said for not having too much so it forces one to keep a cleaner house.

Of course.. having options in this area would be most welcome.

 

[lujan]

Micro$oft has trained you well young Padawan. That Windows XP becomes "less stable" with less than 20GB free has caused this behavior to be imprinted on your soul.

I thought the "less stable" limit was 20% of available space, not 20GB?

 

[Rovingbar]

In all the cases I saw, whenever space was shrunk they still seemed to be able to accomplish their work.

Yah, I hate it when my company thinks like this. They seem to place a premium on 'working capital' and forget the value of past work. At least we have a low-cost archive drive to save old work. I guess this applies equally to a DVR. I start to get worried when we have less than 10 hrs of HD time left. Each week we record about 15 hrs of OTA programming so if I don't get around to watching everything over the weekend, we run the risk of wiping out some shows.

On the other hand, if we had 100 hrs of HD recording available, I'm sure we'd fill it right up to the last 15 hrs.

:grin:

 

[Ron Barry]

Heck.. We still would have HD shows being erased before we got to them...... Seems to be the way things work.. You always find ways to fill up the unused space whether you really need it or not. The hard question is always finding that sweet spot where you balance cost vs. revenue generated.

 

[William]

Here is a good price for a 500GB USB drive. I wish that E* would say for sure about USB storage.

 

[Jolard]

That is not bad at all.

One of the best things to do is simply buy a USB 2.0 drive enclosure, and then buy a standard internal drive and put it in. You can usually get that cheaper if you kind of build your own external drive.

Dish, pay attention please. I want to be able to buy a drive in a killer After Thanksgiving day sale, and use that with my DVR. Don't make me buy a Dish branded drive for twice what I could buy my own.

 

[Mark Lamutt]

No kidding...

If you do go the drive enclosure route, be sure to get one with a fan built in, otherwise you may run into heat problems with the drive always running.

 

[William]

...Don't make me buy a Dish branded drive for twice what I could buy my own.

I was about to buy a USB HD to be ready. However is it possible that E* will force us to buy an already formatted Dish drive at a inflated price?:nono2:

 

[James Long]

Anything is possible ... but once again, don't panic until the feature is released! (I don't believe E* has made that decision yet.)

So many times people get so worked up with "worst case scenarios" of how bad it could be yet it turns out to be so much better. Patience.

 

[P Smith]

It was seen at last CEDIA, Dish used Maxtor' external USB2 500 GB disk; I bet it will be safe to buy exactly one - if it did works for Dish, it must works for us.