[retiredTech]

Does anyone know if previous DVR recordings can be played and viewed without being connected to E* signal?
I have recordings on my 721 that I would like to be able to watch after I switch to the replacement DVR (E* is discontinuing service to 721's).
Has anyone tried playback after not having signal for any real length of time
(days,weeks, months)?

Or would it be more likely to playback with E* signal BUT NOT activated?

After I switch & activate my replacement DVR,
and deactivtate my 721 I would like to watch the recordings still on it.

Has anyone tried this?

Thanks

 

[shadough]

I'm almost positive you can still watch the recordings on it. I too am in the same boat as you, have tons of material on the 721 that I still need to convert to DVD. I'll be continuing to use it for quite some time. I can vouch that it works when no sat signal is present. If that translates into months well I dont see why it wouldnt.

 

[Michael P]

I successfully viewed recordings off my old 921's after they were disconnected from the dish so it should be possible on a 721.

 

[BattleZone]

IIRC, the DVR service will turn off if not authorized within 9 days. But that may or may not be true/accurate with the older receivers.

 

[kstuart]

IIRC, the DVR service will turn off if not authorized within 9 days. But that may or may not be true/accurate with the older receivers.

What would make sense is that it turns off on receivers that require a DVR fee, so no fee, no DVR service.

If the receiver is not authorized, then there is no way for the receiver to verify whether or not DVR fee is still being paid.

My 501 which I long ago replaced, can still be used to view recordings by pressing Menu to escape from the "no signal" popup. That is a no-fee DVR, so perhaps no-fee DVRs can be used indefinitely to view recording, but DVR fee receiver recordings can no longer be viewed after 9 days ? Sounds plausible...

 

[BattleZone]

My 501 which I long ago replaced, can still be used to view recordings by pressing Menu to escape from the "no signal" popup. That is a no-fee DVR, so perhaps no-fee DVRs can be used indefinitely to view recording, but DVR fee receiver recordings can no longer be viewed after 9 days ? Sounds plausible...

Definitely plausable.

 

[JackDobiash]

So we'll call this myth 'plausable' instead of 'busted' or 'confirmed', lol

 

[tsmacro]

I know when I moved I could watch recordings on my 522 for the few days it was disconnected while I was waiting for Dish to set up a new dish. When I turned it on of course the trying to connect to the satellite message would pop up but all i'd have to do is hit the DVR button and it would bring up my list of recordings. Of course it was only disconnected for a few days so i'm not sure how long it would've kept working.

 

[CABill]

IIRC, the DVR service will turn off if not authorized within 9 days. But that may or may not be true/accurate with the older receivers.

It also may not be true/accurate with ViP receivers. Depends on how one defines DVR service. Certainly, one can't continue to record Sat channels long/indefinitely. OTA channels stop working on a ViP within some time frame - immediately if they receive the signal to turn off when you deactivate. My 622 has been powered off and deactivated for a month, but just now, I failed to disconnect it from a dish before plugging it back in. I can play existing recordings and make new recordings of channel 101 or NASA FTA channels. But it is still connected to a dish with sat signals. My 942 still doesn't have a connection to a dish and hasn't been activated for longer than the 622 and all its recordings are still available. I can't make new recordings on the 942 of OTA digital channels from the guide (no local sub active even if connected to the dish to get a guide), but the 942 has that advantage over the ViP DVRs in that I can make manual timers to record 013-01. Manual timers are a royal pain, but some people do that with active receivers w/o locals.

 

[finniganps]

I am still watching my recorded programs on my 721. I just switch the cables from my new DVR to the old one, hit PVR and watch the old programs - no problems or issues.