# Bring my DISH DVR abroad???



## jedipastor (Apr 23, 2008)

So my family is being sent to Japan soon (military) rather unexpectedly. I have loved my DISH DVR and have 3 full external HDs with stuff I'd love to bring with me. I know of no way to transfer this data to a format that can be read by a computer, so I'm wondering if there is a way I can somehow bring my DISH DVR (722 VIP) with me?

I know it won't be "live," but can I view the content on the externals even without the DVR being jacked-in?

Thanks!


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## harsh (Jun 15, 2003)

The short answer is no. Canceling service will likely result in your EHD privileges going away. If you lease, you'll also be required to return the ViP722 before you leave. 

There are some computer-based high definition component capture devices that may help for as little as $90.


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## jedipastor (Apr 23, 2008)

hmmm ... not good news. If I keep the EHDs and then get a DISH when we return to the States, will the EHDs work on that new DISH receiver?


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## BobaBird (Mar 31, 2002)

If you can get service restored under the same account number.


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## Stewart Vernon (Jan 7, 2005)

jedipastor said:


> hmmm ... not good news. If I keep the EHDs and then get a DISH when we return to the States, will the EHDs work on that new DISH receiver?


You could try suspending your account, if it is going to be a limited time spent in Japan.

As already noted, and experienced by at least one user elsewhere in the forum I believe... if you cancel your account, then you'll never be able to view those recordings even if you open a new account and again pay the archive drive fee.

But the "on hold" would preserve all of that.


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## GrumpyBear (Feb 1, 2006)

jedipastor said:


> So my family is being sent to Japan soon (military) rather unexpectedly. I have loved my DISH DVR and have 3 full external HDs with stuff I'd love to bring with me. I know of no way to transfer this data to a format that can be read by a computer, so I'm wondering if there is a way I can somehow bring my DISH DVR (722 VIP) with me?
> 
> I know it won't be "live," but can I view the content on the externals even without the DVR being jacked-in?
> 
> Thanks!


6 month rotation or 1yr? You can try and suspend your account so everything will work when you get back if its a 6 month rotation. Not sure about a 1yr though. Nobody can tell you that you can take your equipment with you, unless its owned equipment. You can't get signal in Japan or Oki, but you can watch your EHD's without gettting a signal, not sure for how long though, you can go without a signal and still watch your EHD's.


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## ShapeShifter (Apr 21, 2008)

GrumpyBear said:


> You can't get signal in Japan or Oki, but you can watch your EHD's without gettting a signal, not sure for how long though, you can go without a signal and still watch your EHD's.


My experience is different. Without a signal, I can watch recordings that are already on the internal drive, but I can't access the EHD. If I plug in the EHD when the receiver has powered up without a signal, it says I'm not authorized to use the EHD. I have to hook up the dish, get a signal, and a minute or two later I can use the EHD. It apparently needs to see an authorization code being sent over the satellite stream.

If I did have a signal, but lose it, the EHD will continue to work until the receiver resets. Then it needs a signal again before it will work.

That's just my personal experience with a Vip722.


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## jedipastor (Apr 23, 2008)

GrumpyBear said:


> 6 month rotation or 1yr? You can try and suspend your account so everything will work when you get back if its a 6 month rotation. Not sure about a 1yr though. Nobody can tell you that you can take your equipment with you, unless its owned equipment. You can't get signal in Japan or Oki, but you can watch your EHD's without gettting a signal, not sure for how long though, you can go without a signal and still watch your EHD's.


its a 3-year tour, so we'll be gone a total of 40 months.


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## dmspen (Dec 1, 2006)

Pick up an external DVD burner and play your content onto the burner. DVD burners are fairly cheap. It'll take some time, you won't have any 5,1, but you'll save the content.


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## GrumpyBear (Feb 1, 2006)

jedipastor said:


> its a 3-year tour, so we'll be gone a total of 40 months.


Oh the big one. 
Time to find a software package or a hardware solution, to move the movies over.
I take my 612 out in the hunting rig all the time, and watch movies and shows off of the EHD, I don't think you can suspend your account that long, and I don't think you can just reactivate your old account, so the enccryption Key will make contend on those EHD's unuseable.


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## CABill (Mar 20, 2005)

ShapeShifter said:


> Without a signal, I can watch recordings that are already on the internal drive, but I can't access the EHD. If I plug in the EHD when the receiver has powered up without a signal, it says I'm not authorized to use the EHD. I have to hook up the dish, get a signal, and a minute or two later I can use the EHD. It apparently needs to see an authorization code being sent over the satellite stream.
> 
> If I did have a signal, but lose it, the EHD will continue to work until the receiver resets. Then it needs a signal again before it will work.


My experience is pretty similar, with slight variations. My 622 isn't always left active on the account - it is usually unplugged from the wall but connected to a dish when inactive. When a DISH "deactivate" is received, or the current one "times out" (weeks, not hours), the EHD can't be used. While the 622 is active on the account, it does need to have a dish connected for me to use the EHD - at least connected briefly after a restart. If I push and hold power w/o a dish connected, I get the "to activate, please call" trying to do stuff with the EHD. Reconnect the dish and My Media reappears and is usable.


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## puckwithahalo (Sep 3, 2007)

GrumpyBear said:


> Oh the big one.
> Time to find a software package or a hardware solution, to move the movies over.
> I take my 612 out in the hunting rig all the time, and watch movies and shows off of the EHD, I don't think you can suspend your account that long, and I don't think you can just reactivate your old account, so the enccryption Key will make contend on those EHD's unuseable.


Actually, when you restart service, you are supposed to restart the old account, not a completely new one. This often doesn't happen, but that's how it is supposed to work. Just save the old account number and they'll restart the same account.


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## ShapeShifter (Apr 21, 2008)

CABill said:


> at least connected briefly after a restart.


And that's the gist of the issue - it has to see a satellite at some point after a power up before the EHD will work. Since the required satellites are not visible in Japan, and it's not practical to move the DVR from the USA to Japan without unplugging it, I'd say that pretty much means that the EHD will not be accessible in Japan.



puckwithahalo said:


> Just save the old account number and they'll restart the same account.


Even if it's the same account number, will it be the same "household code" in the receiver, which is apparently what is used to key the EHDs? (In other words, is the "household code" derived from the account number, or is it an independently determined value?)


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## puckwithahalo (Sep 3, 2007)

ShapeShifter said:


> And that's the gist of the issue - it has to see a satellite at some point after a power up before the EHD will work. Since the required satellites are not visible in Japan, and it's not practical to move the DVR from the USA to Japan without unplugging it, I'd say that pretty much means that the EHD will not be accessible in Japan.
> 
> Even if it's the same account number, will it be the same "household code" in the receiver, which is apparently what is used to key the EHDs? (In other words, is the "household code" derived from the account number, or is it an independently determined value?)


I'm pretty sure the household code is linked to the account number, but not positive. I will look into it to find out for sure.


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## GrumpyBear (Feb 1, 2006)

puckwithahalo said:


> Actually, when you restart service, you are supposed to restart the old account, not a completely new one. This often doesn't happen, but that's how it is supposed to work. Just save the old account number and they'll restart the same account.


I have just seen several posts were people have left come back and new account. I would hate to have somebody go on a 3yr deployment, thinking that they could get the same account number and same Home key encryption. Lots of things change in 3 yrs.


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## GrumpyBear (Feb 1, 2006)

CABill said:


> My experience is pretty similar, with slight variations. My 622 isn't always left active on the account - it is usually unplugged from the wall but connected to a dish when inactive. When a DISH "deactivate" is received, or the current one "times out" (weeks, not hours), the EHD can't be used. While the 622 is active on the account, it does need to have a dish connected for me to use the EHD - at least connected briefly after a restart. If I push and hold power w/o a dish connected, I get the "to activate, please call" trying to do stuff with the EHD. Reconnect the dish and My Media reappears and is usable.


I don't remember having this problem. Last time I used the 612 was back in Nov, Granted its only active Sep-Nov.


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## puckwithahalo (Sep 3, 2007)

GrumpyBear said:


> I have just seen several posts were people have left come back and new account. I would hate to have somebody go on a 3yr deployment, thinking that they could get the same account number and same Home key encryption. Lots of things change in 3 yrs.


Like I said, its supposed to work with them restarting the same account, just doesn't always happen that way. I'm not positive on the home key, but I'll find out about that. What I can say for sure is if you have the account number and say you want to restart that specific account, it absolutely will be restarted.


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## CABill (Mar 20, 2005)

GrumpyBear said:


> I don't remember having this problem. Last time I used the 612 was back in Nov, Granted its only active Sep-Nov.


Ahh, the EHD on a 612 behaves like the internal drive on a 622/722. At least that's my understanding (never seen a 612). My Internal, and I assume your EHD, show recording minutes in the recordings list. On my 622/722, the EHD appears as a My Media folder in the Recordings list with its own unique UI (recording length displays in MB). W/O a dish connected, I can play things recorded on my Internal drive, but not the External.


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## TulsaOK (Feb 24, 2004)

CABill said:


> Ahh, the EHD on a 612 behaves like the internal drive on a 622/722. At least that's my understanding (never seen a 612). My Internal, and I assume your EHD, show recording minutes in the recordings list. On my 622/722, the EHD appears as a My Media folder in the Recordings list with its own unique UI (recording length displays in MB). W/O a dish connected, I can play things recorded on my Internal drive, but not the External.


Works the same on 612 as it does on the 622/7xx's.


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## GrumpyBear (Feb 1, 2006)

CABill said:


> Ahh, the EHD on a 612 behaves like the internal drive on a 622/722. At least that's my understanding (never seen a 612). My Internal, and I assume your EHD, show recording minutes in the recordings list. On my 622/722, the EHD appears as a My Media folder in the Recordings list with its own unique UI (recording length displays in MB). W/O a dish connected, I can play things recorded on my Internal drive, but not the External.


One of these days somebody is going to have to put in writing all the little nauances between the 612 vs the 622/722.
I forgot all about the swap button not working, on the 612. Swap button is a key feature I miss, and have been following the EHD option on the ViP222. 
EHD goes live on the ViP222, the 612 will get the boot.


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## CABill (Mar 20, 2005)

Kent Taylor said:


> Works the same on 612 as it does on the 622/7xx's.


So I'm confusing the EHD on the 211 with how it performs on a 612?? If it works the same on a 612 as a 622, I'm going to have to write it off as Grumpy Bear having as much trouble remembering November stuff as I do December stuff.


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