# L4.03 update and external usb drive



## jrdnyquist (Sep 13, 2006)

I received the L4.03 update a few days ago and everything seems to work OK except for the Multimedia Menu (option 4) USB storage feature. I plugged in an external 250 Gig Western Digital drive and the system does recognize it. When I try to goto "Dish Recordings" and either manage or send to device it says "This feature is currently not supported". When I try to do the same for photos it pops and says "receiving file list" and hangs for a very long time, I just end up bouncing the box after 10 or 15 mins.

Is this feature really not supported or could it be that it doesn't like my drive? I think I have it formatted ext3 but I can't remember, it could be NTFS as well. Should I try wiping out the partitions on my Linux machine and see if it will try and partition and format the drive itself?

Thanks!
-jrdnyquist


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## Rob Glasser (Feb 22, 2005)

USB External Hard Drives are still not supported. Dish is still working on it. Right now you can only use the USB port for viewing digital images, i.e. from your camera.


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## jrdnyquist (Sep 13, 2006)

Rob Glasser said:


> USB External Hard Drives are still not supported. Dish is still working on it. Right now you can only use the USB port for viewing digital images, i.e. from your camera.


They should grey out the buttons or hide the section that doesn't work then. It's very misleading to allow you to press the button and then say "not supported". It gives the end user a feeling of an incompatible usb drive. They could also add a button that starts a web server and allows you to schedule recordings remotely and then say "not supported" when you press it. Why bother adding menus for items that are known to not work?

Is there any place that documents the receiver's new usb drive features? I need to know what drive formats it can read etc.


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## Rob Glasser (Feb 22, 2005)

jrdnyquist said:


> Is there any place that documents the receiver's new usb drive features? I need to know what drive formats it can read etc.


Not at this time. I would imagine this information would be released when the feature is released.


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## rtk (Apr 15, 2007)

Rob Glasser said:


> USB External Hard Drives are still not supported. Dish is still working on it. Right now you can only use the USB port for viewing digital images, i.e. from your camera.


Rob,
Do you really know if Dish is still working on adding USB external hard drive support or is it just your opinion? I'd love to see it happen I'm just skeptical of them really doing it. I'm hoping you know something as to me this is absolutely top of my wishlist.
Regards,
Rick

PS: whether fact or conjecture, any prediction on when we might see it added?


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## Ron Barry (Dec 10, 2002)

The technology was demoed at the last CES show.. THere is a thread with pictures somewhere on here... Here is a thread discussion possible time table.

http://www.dbstalk.com/showthread.php?t=68752&page=3

And here are the pictures from the CES show

http://www.dbstalk.com/showthread.php?t=75628


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## P Smith (Jul 25, 2002)

Try FAT32 as cameras and Archos using.


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## rtk (Apr 15, 2007)

Thanks all for your replies. I saw the external hard drive CES demo from a few months ago and I guess I was mainly trying to see if there was any new info, either public or private, regarding its potential release. Unfortunately as others have mentioned, showing a feature at a trade show does not mean it ever becomes a reality. My guess is that if its truly being considered it would be sent to beta testers first who might be restricted by NDA but I can still ask :sure:


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## James Long (Apr 17, 2003)

It has been showing up at trade shows for nearly a year ... not exactly the normal vaporware that shows up once and disappears and in this case, something that has to be put IN to working software just to be demo'd (can't do a mockup ... it has to work).

It seemed to be more of a legal issue the last time that E* talked about this. It can be done but can it be done without exposing content to hackers in a way that the program providers would disapprove?


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## rtk (Apr 15, 2007)

could anyone try asking for a status update of external hard drive support on charlie chat?


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## Mark Lamutt (Mar 24, 2002)

rtk said:


> Rob,
> Do you really know if Dish is still working on adding USB external hard drive support or is it just your opinion? I'd love to see it happen I'm just skeptical of them really doing it. I'm hoping you know something as to me this is absolutely top of my wishlist.
> Regards,
> Rick
> ...


I'm not Rob, but I do know absolutely that the external drive support is being actively worked on. As for a prediction, it will be released when DISH deems that it's ready. That's the best that anyone will be able to say. My guess is this year, but that's my personal guess not based on anything else other than my gut feeling on the matter.


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