# How do I transfer programs from a DVR to an external hard drive?



## pmac

Just switched from DTV to Dish (mainly because of the Pac 12 thing). I now need to know how to transfer all of the programs that have been recorded onto my DTV DVR onto the external hard drive that I purchased from the Dish guy.

When I connect the DTV receiver to the TV using an HDMI cable, all I can see is a warning that there is no connection to the satellite. How do I configure the 1. external hard drive, 2. DTV Receiver, and 3. screen(TV) so that I can effectively transfer all recorded programs to the external hard drive now that the receiver is no longer able to receive a signal from the satellite?

Thanks!


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## peds48

you can’t do what you are trying to do


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## peds48

First, the programs are encrypted to the DVR, without the DVR you can’t apply the shows. yo can’t transfer from the DVR to a hard drive, i just not possible. ONLY way to transfer, is the “old school” way. play the show and record it on a DVR recorder or VCR. a video capture hardware/ software will work as well in real time.


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## RBA

pmac said:


> Just switched from DTV to Dish (mainly because of the Pac 12 thing). I now need to know how to transfer all of the programs that have been recorded onto my DTV DVR onto the external hard drive that I purchased from the Dish guy.
> 
> When I connect the DTV receiver to the TV using an HDMI cable, all I can see is a warning that there is no connection to the satellite. How do I configure the 1. external hard drive, 2. DTV Receiver, and 3. screen(TV) so that I can effectively transfer all recorded programs to the external hard drive now that the receiver is no longer able to receive a signal from the satellite?
> 
> Thanks!


Directv and DISH do not use compatible encryption systems so you are just plain SOL.


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## pmac

peds48 said:


> First, the programs are encrypted to the DVR, without the DVR you can't apply the shows. yo can't transfer from the DVR to a hard drive, i just not possible. ONLY way to transfer, is the "old school" way. play the show and record it on a DVR recorder or VCR. a video capture hardware/ software will work as well in real time.


I have discovered as much in the last few hours. I have learned, though, that we CAN hang on to our DTV box for a couple of weeks and watch recorded programs directly from the box, even though it's not connected to a satellite anymore. It's cheaper to not tell DTV that we've cancelled our service and just hang onto the box for 2 weeks than it is to purchase a 2TB external hard drive.

INTERESTINGLY, you CAN transfer recordings from a Dish Hopper to an external hard drive, but you CANNOT do it from a DirecTv DVR to an external hard drive. Here's to hoping we like Dish better than DTV!


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## inkahauts

While that's true for dish you still have to have dish to work with it. It wouldn't work on anyone else system either.


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## mwdxer

While subscribing to the service, you can have a DVD recorder inline to copy what you want, but unfortunately it will only be in 480i.


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## litzdog911

pmac said:


> I have discovered as much in the last few hours. I have learned, though, that we CAN hang on to our DTV box for a couple of weeks and watch recorded programs directly from the box, even though it's not connected to a satellite anymore. ....


That's risky. Without an active satellite connection, the DVR will eventually stop working, and you won't be able to view those recordings anymore. There's no way to know for sure how long that might be.


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## harsh

pmac said:


> It's cheaper to not tell DTV that we've cancelled our service and just hang onto the box for 2 weeks than it is to purchase a 2TB external hard drive.


You can't move DIRECTV programming from one drive to another and you cannot have access to more than one drive at any one time (dismissing RAID configurations as a single drive). You may be able to externally image the drive using a computer (a violation of the Equipment Lease Addendum) but the resulting copy will only work with the DIRECTV DVR that it was recorded on.

Another important concept to understand is that DIRECTV uses an eSATA connection and DISH uses a hot-swappable USB connection. Very few off-the-shelf external drives support both standards.

You'll find DISH's EHD configuration very appealing and eminently usable in comparison.


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## P Smith

harsh said:


> You can't move DIRECTV programming from one drive to another and you cannot have access to more than one drive at any one time (dismissing RAID configurations as a single drive). You may be able to externally image the drive using a computer (a violation of the Equipment Lease Addendum) but the resulting copy will only work with the DIRECTV DVR that it was recorded on.
> 
> Another important concept to understand is that DIRECTV uses an eSATA connection and DISH uses a hot-swappable USB connection.* Very few off-the-shelf external drives support both standards.*
> 
> You'll find DISH's EHD configuration very appealing and eminently usable in comparison.


I would say enclosures/docks; drives are all SATA type and could be installed into enclosures/docks any time


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## peds48

pmac said:


> It's cheaper to not tell DTV that we've cancelled our service and just hang onto the box for 2 weeks than it is to purchase a 2TB external hard drive.


If you don't tell DIRECTV® you have cancelled your service, are you still paying for the service? How you cancel without talking to DIRECTV®?


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## pmac

peds48 said:


> If you don't tell DIRECTV® you have cancelled your service, are you still paying for the service? How you cancel without talking to DIRECTV®?


Yes. We are still paying. I'll cancel next week after we've watched the programs that are on the DVR. The amount I will pay to DTV to continue the service for 2 weeks is less than the cost of the external hard drive (which, I've discovered from this thread won't serve the purpose I'd hoped it would anyway)!

Thanks, everyone, for your help!


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## bpratt

pmac said:


> Yes. We are still paying. I'll cancel next week after we've watched the programs that are on the DVR. The amount I will pay to DTV to continue the service for 2 weeks is less than the cost of the external hard drive (which, I've discovered from this thread won't serve the purpose I'd hoped it would anyway)!
> 
> Thanks, everyone, for your help!


Hope you are outside your 2 year contract with DTV, otherwise you may have to pay a lot to get out of it.


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## harsh

P Smith said:


> I would say enclosures/docks; drives are all SATA type and could be installed into enclosures/docks any time


Suitable USB storage devices are often cheaper than bare hard drives.


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## The RobD

litzdog911 said:


> That's risky. Without an active satellite connection, the DVR will eventually stop working, and you won't be able to view those recordings anymore. There's no way to know for sure how long that might be.


 Well, I can tell you that I've been watching recordings off of my old DVR for almost 6 years now, and it hasn't had a satellite feed during that time. Yes, I get the warning when I turn it on, but then I just click the remote to show my recordings and up they come. My wife had spend years collecting exercise videos that were no longer being broadcast and we've been watching them for years. To the DVR, it's no different than when a storm comes a long and you lose signal. It's just been a 6 year storm.  A way to test your current DVR is to unplug the satellite feed and see what happens. That will tell you if the new DVR's will work without a satellite feed. Then again, it's not any different than if you lost signal during a storm.

In response to what someone said about DirecTv DVR's only having E-sata ports, I can tell you that my DVR has USB ports.


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## P Smith

1st - you are lucky with old FW version, stopping sat feed today could have very different result
2nd - your DVR has USB port for other purpose, not for external DRIVE !


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## damondlt

P Smith said:


> 2nd - your DVR has USB port for other purpose, not for external DRIVE !


Yep they can charge your Cell phone, or Playstation remote. 
That's the only thing I've ever used Directv's USB ports for.

Damon


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## damondlt

But how does Weaknees transfer your recordings to your New Hardrive?


Damon


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## unixguru

damondlt said:


> But how does Weaknees transfer your recordings to your New Hardrive?


The content is tied to the receiver.


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## P Smith

damondlt said:


> But how does Weaknees transfer your recordings to your New Hardrive?
> 
> Damon


they shamelessly used for a profit a method what I proposed here and many members polish it to practically 100% success; we have a couple threads how-to in great details for newbie


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## Delroy E Walleye

I used them a number of years ago (before I found this forum). I had neither the equipment nor the expertise, but I badly wanted to keep my shows.

They were copied from the "stock" HDD (2007 vintage HR21/700) to a 1.5 TB internal. I was only without my DVR for about a week and a half. At the time, for me it was definitely worth it.

Right or wrong, expensive or not (yes!), good or bad, TOS or no TOS (unit supposed to be returned to them for any service or lease recovery) all I did was put a UPS on it and never looked back. (BTW that DVR is still functioning as well as it _can_ be - with considerations for its "large" drive and current NR).

Since living on this forum for a while and hearing more negative about that company, I'd most likely do it myself or go external now.


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## peds48

The RobD said:


> Well, I can tell you that I've been watching recordings off of my old DVR for almost 6 years now, and it hasn't had a satellite feed during that time. Yes, I get the warning when I turn it on, but then I just click the remote to show my recordings and up they come. My wife had spend years collecting exercise videos that were no longer being broadcast and we've been watching them for years. To the DVR, it's no different than when a storm comes a long and you lose signal. It's just been a 6 year storm.  A way to test your current DVR is to unplug the satellite feed and see what happens. That will tell you if the new DVR's will work without a satellite feed. *Then again, it's not any different than if you lost signal during a storm.*
> 
> In response to what someone said about DirecTv DVR's only having E-sata ports, I can tell you that my DVR has USB ports.


The receivers (now) required authorizations from DIRECTV® "every now and then" miss one of those authorizations and your receiver is dead. DIRECTV® has ever published how often those authorizations are sent for obvious reasons, but they are a few days (maybe weeks) apart


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