# 622 "Future Use" features



## guillermopelotas (Oct 9, 2006)

The Ethernet interface on the Vip series is for "future use". The ability to put USB recordings onto an external disc is hinted at in the software, but currently not an enabled feature. 

Is there any known timetable for enabling these things on the 622?

For that matter, I've had about 6 different receivers since I started up with Dish about 10 years ago, and as far as I know NONE of the expansion ports has ever been used. Have any of them EVER been enabled?

Thanks

GP


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## ChuckA (Feb 7, 2006)

I have never seen Dish publish any timetables nor do I believe they will. They will be enabled when the feature is ready, or never. Only they know.


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## Stewart Vernon (Jan 7, 2005)

This is one of the odd things about "upgradability" with modern technology. It is very cool to get a new device (in this case a Dish DVR) and see that it has expansion ports and things that are there for "future use" so we feel like we can upgrade to the next thing by just adding a small part.

But then the way technology obsoletes itself these days... it is often cheaper for the company to make a whole new box than make an expansion... and sometimes they even can offer it cheaper to the consumer too!

Also coming into play... maybe they can add a card that performs new features, but the old receiver is not robust enough to peak perform with the add-in like a new receiver with a faster CPU can do.

I used to run into this a lot with my home computer upgrades... Always wanting a new graphics card or faster hard drive, but realizing my old CPU couldn't keep up so to truly use the use features I needed a new CPU and motherboard too.

In the current case of the ViP series... enabling Ethernet and offering Ethernet and USB support for things would be cool and probably will happen... though who knows when! Hopefully there will be new features that can be enabled/added that will perform well enough when enabled on these boxes and not make us wish for the next one that is faster.

I sit on the fence a lot of times with upgradability as it often is the case that in order to truly make something capable of being upgraded for the future... you have to sacrifice performance now. Usually a designer ends up with a choice to optimize performance right now and maybe sacrifice expandability OR make it expandable but sacrifice performance.

Just 2.5 cents


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## mwsmith2 (Nov 15, 2004)

Usually these ports are so cheap to add, they only cost pennies, so it's kind of a "why not?" type of decision. I know of several devices that are now obsolete that had expansion ports that were never used.


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## dbconsultant (Sep 13, 2005)

mwsmith2 said:


> Usually these ports are so cheap to add, they only cost pennies, so it's kind of a "why not?" type of decision. I know of several devices that are now obsolete that had expansion ports that were never used.


Plus newbies get excited when they see a port mentioned in their manuals 'for future use' - I've seen this mentioned in the various receivers' manuals for 10 years so I just ignore it!!!:lol:


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## guillermopelotas (Oct 9, 2006)

mwsmith2 said:


> Usually these ports are so cheap to add, they only cost pennies, so it's kind of a "why not?" type of decision. I know of several devices that are now obsolete that had expansion ports that were never used.


I'm sure this is the case...

So all you Dish history buffs...has an expansion port or jack *EVER* been enabled after release?


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## dbconsultant (Sep 13, 2005)

guillermopelotas said:


> I'm sure this is the case...
> 
> So all you Dish history buffs...has an expansion port or jack *EVER* been enabled after release?


I went from the biiiiiig dish (that would always scare someone standing next to it when you changed channels) to their first receiver for the small, roof-mounted dishes - I think the receiver was a 100 or a 1000? Don't know when the expansion ports were added - possibly the early 300's (?) - but in all the receivers that I owned up through the 510 and today's 622, the expansion port was always noted as 'for future use' in the manuals. So, no, I don't think they have ever been enabled.


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## tnsprin (Mar 16, 2003)

guillermopelotas said:


> I'm sure this is the case...
> 
> So all you Dish history buffs...has an expansion port or jack *EVER* been enabled after release?


Both expansion ports were eventually used on the 6000's.


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## CABill (Mar 20, 2005)

It seems to me that my original 4000 had an "Accessory" port that did nothing. Then one year DISH got the satellite at 110 and they came up with a SWAJ to go into it that allowed you to switch between the two sats. It also had a High Speed Data Port that did get enabled for some specialized data feed as well as a Signal stock quote adapter. That same port on a 5000 also got some HDTV adapter (never had a 5000). I think that same Data Port was used for the early Dolby Digital adapter as well.

EDIT - I forgot that the USB port on my 942 wasn't initially enabled but did get activated.


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## jannlinder (Oct 2, 2002)

guillermopelotas said:


> I'm sure this is the case...
> 
> So all you Dish history buffs...has an expansion port or jack *EVER* been enabled after release?


YES! Dolby Digital Adapter worked for my old HD unit. (do not remember the model number)

Also didn't they have another adapter for that slot too? OH YES, the 8VSB adapter

Jann


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## guillermopelotas (Oct 9, 2006)

tnsprin said:


> Both expansion ports were eventually used on the 6000's.


**BING BING BING** We have a WINNER!!!!

I totally forgot about that. I even received the upgrade myself. :nono2:

Thanks for the reply, everyone. I appreciate it very much!


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## iaw4 (Apr 15, 2005)

but does anyone have any idea whether at least the external hard drive feature may be enabled? this must be more of a policy decision than a software decision. it can't be too hard to tell a recorder to copy file from or to a standard usb device these days...even a crappy interface to store and retrieve files would be better than none.

policy wise, my guess is that they are fearing that when a receiver goes bad, the user loses all his saved recordings---because they have made the stupid choice of binding the encryption to the unit, not to the user---and thence go ballistic on them.

I am of course equally pissed that a large part of my hard drive functions to store pay-on-demand recordings, that I will never use.

/iaw


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## James Long (Apr 17, 2003)

Every improvement requires testing. It would not bode well if E* released a feature, especially a desired one, and it did not work correctly. Plus they would have to decide how to offer the feature - if they wanted to take the risk of "any old" USB 2.0 drive being connected or if they wanted to pre-approve drives for the task. (I'm hoping for the former - but if a user loses all of their external recordings because they bought a crappy USB drive are they going to blame the hard drive manufacturer or E*?)

People already lose all their recordings on the internal drive if a receiver goes bad. It would be relatively easy to tie an external drive to one receiver (match smart card/receiver serial in some alogrhythm?) but deciding who owns that receiver is another step. A unique number would have to be generated on the receiver based on the account number if they decided to go on a "locked to account" basis. Does a receiver know it's account number? Maybe. (I'm hoping for "locked to account" but I am expecting "locked to receiver".)

It should be coming ... be patient. You want it to work right, right?


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## guillermopelotas (Oct 9, 2006)

James Long said:


> Every improvement requires testing. It would not bode well if E* released a feature, especially a desired one, and it did not work correctly.


You do realize this is Echostar we're talking about. If they started testing boxes and features before releasing them, their heads would explode (or maybe our heads would). 

I've been with them for 10 years +, and I've seen no indication that they will every plan to properly test anything. Though I will give them credit on the 622 so far.


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## Mark Lamutt (Mar 24, 2002)

guillermopelotas said:


> You do realize this is Echostar we're talking about. If they started testing boxes and features before releasing them, their heads would explode (or maybe our heads would).
> 
> I've been with them for 10 years +, and I've seen no indication that they will every plan to properly test anything. Though I will give them credit on the 622 so far.


You would be absolutely wrong, guillermopelotas. Look for your head to explode any minute now.


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## dhclaypool (Oct 29, 2005)

Don't forget that the USB port can be used for PocketDish...


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## cornflakes (Sep 30, 2005)

Of course take this with a grain of salt... I just signed up directly with Dish and asked the rep taking the order if the vip622 can plug in an external hard drive. He put me on hold for about 3 minutes and came back and said "I just spoke to my supervisor, and he said yes you can use an external one, but you may not open up the box to install an internal one."

He made it sound like it's already available...


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## Ron Barry (Dec 10, 2002)

Like you said. Grain of salt..  This feature is currently not available.


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## apco25 (Oct 2, 2005)

cornflakes said:


> Of course take this with a grain of salt... I just signed up directly with Dish and asked the rep taking the order if the vip622 can plug in an external hard drive. He put me on hold for about 3 minutes and came back and said "I just spoke to my supervisor, and he said yes you can use an external one, but you may not open up the box to install an internal one."
> 
> He made it sound like it's already available...


I got the same response from a sales guy... Telling me I could just do to Best Buy and get a Drive with USB and plug it in.:lol:


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## James Long (Apr 17, 2003)

Wishful thinking.


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## The Lidless Eye (Aug 11, 2003)

shee%^&%8t, I'd have one of these
on order so fast it'd make your head swim.


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## cooldude919 (Sep 21, 2006)

The Lidless Eye said:


> shee%^&%8t, I'd have one of these
> on order so fast it'd make your head swim.


why not save a little money? 
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16822136061


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## The Lidless Eye (Aug 11, 2003)

nice, i just searched on usb 2.0 and that one didn't come up. bad search feature.


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## TBoneit (Jul 27, 2006)

Yes you can plug in a external hard drive and use. I plugged one into the front port and it found all the JPEGs on the drive and will allow them to be copied into the 622. That feature worked from the first day I got the unit.

The CSR was accurate was they said you can use a external drive. Read only at this time. You can not write to it which is what everybody wants. 

If you asked a CSR can I use a external drive for extra storage that'd be a different story than asking can I use one.

Hopefully any external drive won't be tied to the specific 622 or only to replace the internal one as the HR-20 from D* does it.

Imagine you had a HR-20 and had everything on the external drive, Your unit needs to be RMA'd the drive is good but will have to be reinitialized loosing all your programs according to what I read about the ESATA for the HR-20.
Bummer!

If an external drive is tied into a specific unit not just model it becomes a toy feature and not a useful feature. It needs to be in addition not instead of.

Enough for now. I'm still waiting for it to happen


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