# Watching old records on 501



## Hawthorne Cinema (Oct 6, 2008)

I have been a Dish customer for more that a dozen years. My first receiver was a Dishplayer and I got it at a time when I could do my own install. I loved the keyboard and UI but not the glitches that thing had. It seemed that as soon as the glitches disappeared, they discontinued it. I recorded the Columbia disaster with it as it happened and I can still access the programs that were recorded on it. When Dish phased out the Dishplayer it was replaced with a 501. Now the 501 has been replaced with a VIP722. Before I removed the 501 from my account I disconnected it from the satellite. At that time I still had access to my programs recorded on the 501. At some point since then I was having trouble with the satellite signal on my vip722 so I hooked up my 501 to test the satellite signal strength.(ended up being a bad lnb) Now I cannot watch the programs on my 501s dvr.

I called dish support yesterday and explained that I had a 501 that I wanted to watch the programs on the DVR that I recorded while it was active on my account. I explained that I did not want to watch live programs or record anything else. I only wanted access to my programs on my receiver. She put me on hold to research and when she came back she told me that she could not activate my 501 because it was discontinued and that the software was not compatible. I explained that I knew the 501 was discontinued because it cannot use mpeg4 compression and that is the reason it is not active on my account. I reiterated that I did not want to access to programming. I only wanted access to my recorded programs. She told me that there was no usb port on that particular receiver. I asked to be escalated to a senior tech.

The senior tech came on the line and I explained to him what I wanted. He told me that I would have to add the 501 to my account for $7 per month to watch my dvr. I told him that this receiver never had a DVR fee and I asked why do I have to pay a dvr fee to access the programs I recorded 5 years ago. He told my that the $7 was not a dvr fee but an additional receiver fee. I said I did not want an additional receiver, to watch programming with this receiver, or do anything with this receiver other than watch the programs I have recorded. We kept going in circles until I gave up.

How do I unlock my 501s DVR? Can the harddrive be removed and accessed via PC? It has P407, currently receiving signal from satellite, a blue card and I have a yellow one somewhere. This forum has helped many times in the past. Please help again.


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## P Smith (Jul 25, 2002)

well, there is Shadow watching any advice ... see posts at Yahoo group pvrexplorer


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## RBA (Apr 14, 2013)

You should have transferred it to a DVD before it was deactivated. If the senior tech was correct and he can add it to your account as an additional receiver for $7/mo. you may have an additional chance to save your programming. After you save it then deactivate and save the $7.


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## shadough (Dec 31, 2006)

It sounds odd, what are the messages or errors u get on the screen when u try to watch a recorded show? I know someteims receivers get stuck looking for a signal and the only work around is to hit the menu button in order to get into the recordings menu. My 721 has been disconnected for years but i've hooked it up to the satelites now an then and was still able to watch recordings.


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