# Watching recordings on deactivated 612



## bluegrill (Jul 27, 2009)

I have an external drive with lots of recordings. If I were to PURCHASE a VIP612, have it activated on my Dish account, activate the drive on that receiver and then cancel my Dish service would I still be able to access the recordings on the external drive with my owned 612? It seems it should work but I would like to hear from someone who knows for sure. Thanks.


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## harsh (Jun 15, 2003)

DVR service is a feature that you pay to use and when you stop paying for it, the DVR will disable itself if DISH can't reach it immediately.

EHD functionality is a subset of DVR service.


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## bluegrill (Jul 27, 2009)

Are you saying the DVR will disable itself even if it is completely disconnected from the outside world?


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## harsh (Jun 15, 2003)

harsh said:


> DVR service is a feature that you pay to use and when you stop paying for it, the DVR will disable itself if DISH can't reach it immediately.





bluegrill said:


> Are you saying the DVR will disable itself even if it is completely disconnected from the outside world?


Does this help?


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## bluegrill (Jul 27, 2009)

So, Dish DVR's have some kind of secret self-destruct code in them that if they are disconnected from the sat inputs the drives are erased??? Can someone answer my question in an intelligent manner. I'm not talking about pirating Dish programming. I'm asking about watching recordings I have made on a DVR which I OWN. Thank you.


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## Stewart Vernon (Jan 7, 2005)

The recordings are likely not erased... but you will not be able to play them after an extended time of the receiver being disconnected from an active Dish service. Since you also cannot play those recordings elsewhere, they essentially become useless to you.

Times vary as to how long people have been able to play recordings on an owned DVR after disconnecting service... but I don't think you can get much more than 30 days.


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## bluegrill (Jul 27, 2009)

Thanks for the reply. Is this something new in the last couple of years? I've got a couple of 510 DVR's that have been out of service for at least 10 years and I can still access the recordings on those.


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## Stewart Vernon (Jan 7, 2005)

It could be a fluke, or maybe the old DVRs didn't phone home in the same way the newer models do.


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## bluegrill (Jul 27, 2009)

Sorry to be so dense, but I still don't get it. If I activate a receiver, plug in my external drive with all the recordings on it and confirm that it is working, then DISCONNECT the receiver from sat, phone and internet inputs, I can still access my recordings. Now, if I cancel my Dish service WITHOUT RECONNECTING the receiver I don't see how the receiver could possibly get the deactivation signal unless there is some self-executing code in the software of the receiver that deactivates itself after a certain period of not being able to "phone home". I guess this is theroretically possible but it seems like it would create all kinds of unintended consequences when people leave their receivers unplugged for long periods of time, like moving or remodeling, etc. Do you see what I'm asking?


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## RBA (Apr 14, 2013)

bluegrill said:


> Sorry to be so dense, but I still don't get it. If I activate a receiver, plug in my external drive with all the recordings on it and confirm that it is working, then DISCONNECT the receiver from sat, phone and internet inputs, I can still access my recordings. Now, if I cancel my Dish service WITHOUT RECONNECTING the receiver I don't see how the receiver could possibly get the deactivation signal unless there is some self-executing code in the software of the receiver that deactivates itself after a certain period of not being able to "phone home". I guess this is theroretically possible but it seems like it would create all kinds of unintended consequences when people leave their receivers unplugged for long periods of time, like moving or remodeling, etc. Do you see what I'm asking?


Please if you can't accept the facts just go buy one and then discontinue your subscription and then post your results.


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## bluegrill (Jul 27, 2009)

So sorry. I don't have a problem accepting the facts. I guess I mistook this forum for a place where I could GET the facts. Have I inadvertantly stumbled onto a taboo topic here? My apologies.


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## Laxguy (Dec 2, 2010)

While you own the HDD, you don't own the recordings you've made off of any provider. If you are able to access them contra to the TOS, that's not a fit subject for this forum. 

Good luck.


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## bluegrill (Jul 27, 2009)

O.K. I get it. I didn't realize what I was asking was a violation. I apologize.


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## Stewart Vernon (Jan 7, 2005)

If you were to somehow stumble upon a way to bypass the security of the system, then yes that would be a taboo topic as we don't allow discussion of such things here.

That said, I am not even aware of such a process that could allow what you are wanting to allow so I believe it is a moot point anyway.

It's a fairly easy thing to design a receiver that regularly checks to see if it is activated and can see the SATs... and if it can't then it rightfully "assumes" there is a problem and deactivates itself... and will then need to be reconnected to a SAT signal and activated again to resume normal functions.

Yes, someone who moves or has a lengthy power outage would be inconvenienced by having to call and get their receiver activated again... but such a person would already be dealing with the more aggravating aspects of that move or power outage anyway so this would be a drop in the bucket.

For what it's worth... Adobe essentially adopted this scenario for their new Adobe Creative Suite software... where you have to pay a monthly subscription in order to use their applications. You do not have to be connected to the Internet at all times BUT you do have to be connected at least once every 30 days for Adobe to verify your continued subscription or the software ceases to function. I say this to note that the notion of software/hardware that needs to authorize itself regularly is in no way a new thing.


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## harsh (Jun 15, 2003)

bluegrill said:


> I don't have a problem accepting the facts.


Hogwash! I gave you the facts as they exist for the model in question and you've made several subsequent posts reasoning the contrary.

My 508 timed out and wouldn't work after a few weeks of not being connected (though still active on the account). It would tune four or five channels and complain bitterly when first started and there was no hint of DVR functionality. I'm quite surprised that the 510 didn't brick similarly.


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## harsh (Jun 15, 2003)

Stewart Vernon said:


> For what it's worth... Adobe essentially adopted this scenario for their new Adobe Creative Suite software... where you have to pay a monthly subscription in order to use their applications. You do not have to be connected to the Internet at all times BUT you do have to be connected at least once every 30 days for Adobe to verify your continued subscription or the software ceases to function. I say this to note that the notion of software/hardware that needs to authorize itself regularly is in no way a new thing.


I recall that Microsoft, at the introduction of Windows 7, had a 30 day limit on Windows 7 and a 30 start limit on Office.


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## Laxguy (Dec 2, 2010)

harsh said:


> I recall that Microsoft, at the introduction of Windows 7, had a 30 day limit on Windows 7 and a 30 start limit on Office.


 So now that confirms it's a horrible idea.


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## harsh (Jun 15, 2003)

Laxguy said:


> So now that confirms it's a horrible idea.


I'm not sure the idea is horrible in comparision to something like Office 365 where you have to buy it every year and "upgrade" when Microsoft takes a notion.


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## Laxguy (Dec 2, 2010)

Won't argue that! Anything that Billie and Stevie did I was lucky enough to stay a mile away from .


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## Jim5506 (Jun 7, 2004)

Look at the Yahoo Group PVRExplorer.


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## Laxguy (Dec 2, 2010)

Jim5506 said:


> Look at the Yahoo Group PVRExplorer.


For what purpose? All for succinctness, but.....


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