# Unsubbed 921 work as DVR ?



## SLONGO (Sep 18, 2002)

I am aware that you can use an unsubbed E* 6000 to receive local OTA content ,as long as you also connect to a correctly pointed dish.

Will the same set-up work for the 921; and will all DVR functions work (even without paying the $10 DVR fee) ??

Thanks in advance


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## Cyclone (Jul 1, 2002)

Interesting question. I wonder this myself. You definately would have to have the 921 connected to a Dish that can see the satellites.


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## boba (May 23, 2003)

For the price of the 921 why would you want it without a subscription?


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## SLONGO (Sep 18, 2002)

boba said:


> For the price of the 921 why would you want it without a subscription?


Well, for $550 it will record all my many local digital and HD broadcasts for free...with a 250G hard drive and DVR functionality. Not really interested in anything else except that.

Is there any reason I need to pay the DVR fee to do this?


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## n0qcu (Mar 23, 2002)

Currently the DVR functions should work (that could change with a software upgrade)

Without a sub, it most likely will NOT have any OTA guide data. (even after OTA guide is added)

Other than that it should work.


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## Bob Haller (Mar 24, 2002)

Note if many folks do that E could make it impossible with a software upgrade that can be forced to your always connected box


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## MI_SAT (Jul 21, 2004)

Isn't is possible to turn off the automatic downloads? It's that way with my 508 and 301. If possible, turn off that auto download.


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## Bill R (Dec 20, 2002)

MI_SAT said:


> Isn't is possible to turn off the automatic downloads?


The 921s and 721s don't have an option to turn off automatic downloads.


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## Bob Haller (Mar 24, 2002)

Beyond which even set to dont upgrade E can force a download at any time


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## Big Bob (May 13, 2002)

try disconecting the satellite feeds to your 921 and see if that works.


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## Bob Haller (Mar 24, 2002)

Big Bob said:


> try disconecting the satellite feeds to your 921 and see if that works.


no sat feed no OTA reception With sat feed possiblity of software upgrade disabling OTA operation

Viscious circle


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## P Smith (Jul 25, 2002)

You could point to ExpressVu satellite .


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## boba (May 23, 2003)

P Smith said:


> You could point to ExpressVu satellite .


Take an Expressvu download and possibly nothing will work. :nono:


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## Mark Lamutt (Mar 24, 2002)

Great way of turning your 921 into a doorstop...and there's no going back.


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## n0qcu (Mar 23, 2002)

Well, since expressvu doesn't have the 921 there shouldn't be any software to download.

However the current receiver software on both systems will NOT even lock on to the other systems satellite signal.


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## ClaudeR (Dec 7, 2003)

How about if you cancel the sub, and still leave dish attached?


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## dishbacker (Jun 15, 2004)

Does programming come off of all Satellites? I was thinking it was stated to make sure you hook up your receiver to 110/119 in order to download the latest software when you install the 921. What if you just had 148 feeding into the receiver. Would this keep the 921 from downloading software, while still seeing a dish network bird?


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## michaelL (Nov 30, 2004)

When I first connected my 921 I did not have an extra cable for the two inputs (ie, I was only running with 1 cable).

I could not receive the software upgrade. I unconnected a cable from my other receiver and temporary ran it to my 921. I received the software update.

When I disconnected the 2nd cable and ran the 921 with one cable everything worked (except the second tuner). I could record off of OTA.

My guess if you ran your 921 with only one sat connection you would not receive an update, but you would still be connected (to the sat).

(I have no proof of this)

Mike


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## Cyclone (Jul 1, 2002)

I received my 921 yesterday and connected it up and downloaded the new software. I'm waiting on a DPP44, so I'm not going to activate the 921 until its here. 

So tonight I'm trying out the 921 without sat connections, but just the OTA. Its working just fine unsubbed and OTA only.


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## moviegoerman (Aug 18, 2004)

Cyclone said:


> I received my 921 yesterday and connected it up and downloaded the new software. I'm waiting on a DPP44, so I'm not going to activate the 921 until its here.
> 
> So tonight I'm trying out the 921 without sat connections, but just the OTA. Its working just fine unsubbed and OTA only.


Great Cyclone! I was interested in knowing this too since my 921 is a doorstop already and I have DirecTV too. The new L211 software gave me guide information for most of channels (major ones). That part is good...

Do you have guide information without the satellite hooked up using L211? I would like to know this because it's only use will be an addition OTA tuner after I cancel DISH!

RANT!: The bad is so many more bugs have been introduced where I can't use it at all now with a guide window that never goes away... Hopefully, I can get that part worked around and try to use this $1000 doorstop for something. It's still not working after owning it for 6 months and no way that anyone will give me close to what I paid for now they cut the price in half. Good job dish for screwing over your customers twice. I'm so pissed at Dish and can't wait to stop paying them money, but I feel I have to use what I can and get something for the $1000 I paid. Waiting for L211 has just caused more critical problems othan the previous L188 in some conditions from what the new bug reports seem to show. Fix some, break some more. It is a very undependable and still very buggy box. So much for our very LONG, LONG, LONG wait to get this new software release. Score = Still a non-functional losing box. What a disaster for Dish!!!

On the side note: My 10-250 (Tivo) has been working great since I got it two days after seeing the 921! To me there's no question which box actually works as designed and is better overall! I've never missed anything and can always rely on my 10-250 to bring me the shows I want to see.


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## Cyclone (Jul 1, 2002)

No guide info. Since Its disconnected from the sats, there isn't any guide info at all. It doesn't even know what the correct date is. If I press guide, I get a black screen where the programs would be and you can not scroll through the channels.

But I was able to add all of my OTA channels and browse them with the banner browse.


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## Bradtothebone (Aug 11, 2003)

Cyclone said:


> I received my 921 yesterday and connected it up and downloaded the new software. I'm waiting on a DPP44, so I'm not going to activate the 921 until its here.
> 
> So tonight I'm trying out the 921 without sat connections, but just the OTA. Its working just fine unsubbed and OTA only.


When you tried out the 921 "without sat connections," do you mean you literally disconnected the sat lines, or just didn't activate the unit? If you disconnected the sat lines, did you leave the receiver "on" the entire time? I believe that it will work without sat connections until you turn it off, then it has to see a satellite again.

The reason I ask is that I did the same thing - hooked everything up (OTA and SAT), then used the unit for OTA only for a couple of days before I activated. I did leave the sat lines connected, so that the 921 could see the sats. While the receiver worked fine as an OTA receiver during that time, there were NO DVR functions at all. This is exactly what I would have expected, BTW.

Brad


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