# local channels in HD?



## pk214 (Jan 13, 2010)

Will I be able to view the local HD channels, which is 4 in my area, under the family package with the $5 local channels add-on and a HD Solo receiver?


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## Jim5506 (Jun 7, 2004)

Yes, and with the proper antenna you can also view all the ones that Dish does not carry and have the on-screen Guide for most of them and record any of them with the optional EHD on the Dish ViP211.

Matter of fact, the ViP211 with the EHD option can record one OTA channel and one Satellite channel at the same time!

EHD option is a $39.99 one time fee for activation, then you attach an external USB hard drive, the reciever formats it and reboots and you have a HD solo DVR, with no DVR fees.


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## jerd23 (Jan 15, 2010)

so just pay the activation and theres no monthly dvr fees?


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## bnborg (Jun 3, 2005)

Jim, I did not know this.

Does it make a difference if the model is listed as VIP 211k? Can you record with the Vip 212k also?

Dish Depot .com has them for $129 and $139 respectively.


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## coldsteel (Mar 29, 2007)

vip211 and vip211K can both do the EHD = DVR option.


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## garys (Nov 4, 2005)

I have not seen or heard of a Dish Network model 212 receiver. If you mean the 222k, no external hard drive yet.


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## bnborg (Jun 3, 2005)

garys said:


> I have not seen or heard of a Dish Network model 212 receiver. If you mean the 222k, no external hard drive yet.


Yes, my bad. I meant the Vip 222k.


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## coldsteel (Mar 29, 2007)

vip222 and vip222K cannot do the EHD = DVR function yet.


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## fryguy503 (Sep 3, 2009)

Requirements 
USB 2.0 
Size between 50GB and 1TB 
Must have it’s own AC power adapter. Don’t try to power it off the receiver’s USB ports. 
No dual drives (two drives in one physical case) 
No flash-memory drives 
No hybrid drives (flash memory plus traditional disk in one physical case) 

Supported Receivers 
DISH 411™ 
ViP 211™ 
ViP 211k™ 
ViP 612 DVR™ 
ViP 622 DVR™ 
ViP 722 DVR™ 
ViP 722k DVR™


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## bnborg (Jun 3, 2005)

Thanks, guys.

I'll make sure I don't get a 222.


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## coldsteel (Mar 29, 2007)

Now, the EHD has different functions based on the receiver. The 612/622/722 acts like extra recording capacity. the others become a 1-tuner DVR.


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## bnborg (Jun 3, 2005)

Does it require an additional one-time, $39.95 activation fee?

Or has that been changed in the new year?


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## RasputinAXP (Jan 23, 2008)

It's always been a $39.95 activation fee for the 211/211k EHD DVR.

It is separate from the $39.95 external HD fee for the 6/722/k.


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## bnborg (Jun 3, 2005)

Yes, I understand.

I also read in other posts that the EHDs are not transferable between 722 and 211. Although I don't really know why.


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## Stewart Vernon (Jan 7, 2005)

bnborg said:


> Yes, I understand.
> 
> I also read in other posts that the EHDs are not transferable between 722 and 211. Although I don't really know why.


There could be many reasons... One reason could be "just because"... but recently I was made aware of something that made me think it might be a design accident.

For 622/722 receivers the external drive is "just" an archive drive. You can't record to it... you just move recordings back and forth between the DVR and the external drive.

For the 211 receiver, which has no built-in DVR capability, you are recording directly to the external drive AND that is also where the 9-day EPG data and other DVR-related data is stored.

That means the archive drives are formatted in different ways... and thus not directly compatible with each other.

Dish could probably "fix" that with firmware updates that made 622/722 create some reserve space on an external drive that would be there for if you connected to a 211... OR make the 211 so that it only creates that space in a safe area to a drive from a 622/722.

But, it actually makes sense that right now they don't directly share... and while it should be easily overcome in programming... I'm not sure Dish has incentive to do so.


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## coldsteel (Mar 29, 2007)

And the fee is $39.99, not $39.95...


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## GrumpyBear (Feb 1, 2006)

Stewart Vernon said:


> But, it actually makes sense that right now they don't directly share... and while it should be easily overcome in programming... I'm not sure Dish has incentive to do so.


I think you Nailed right there, what is the insentive for Dish?


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## Jim5506 (Jun 7, 2004)

The 211/211k/411 EHD has to ADD DVR capability to the receiver, software stored on the EHD, whereas the 612/622/722/722K EHD is an archiving tool and the software in in the receiver.


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## dakeeney (Aug 30, 2004)

I archive my programs all the time. It works great!!! I use the seagate 1 TB harddrive. So far so good.:grin:


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## dakeeney (Aug 30, 2004)

If anyone has any info on this I would love to hear from them. Can the hard drive in the 722k be swapped out for 1TB drive? I would like to swap it out without damage to the unit.
Thanks for any input


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## GrumpyBear (Feb 1, 2006)

dakeeney said:


> If anyone has any info on this I would love to hear from them. Can the hard drive in the 722k be swapped out for 1TB drive? I would like to swap it out without damage to the unit.
> Thanks for any input


Just pay the $40 for the EHD, you don't want the headache of, voided Warrenty's and being the sole support if something goes wrong with the 722k.


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## bnborg (Jun 3, 2005)

dakeeney said:


> If anyone has any info on this I would love to hear from them. Can the hard drive in the 722k be swapped out for 1TB drive? I would like to swap it out without damage to the unit.
> Thanks for any input


You can find some OLD information in the Yahoo DishMod Forums. 

It takes some doing, especially if you do not replace with the exact same model number drive.


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## MDavidM (Feb 19, 2007)

pk214,

Just so you know what you are getting, Dish only carries 4, 5, 8, 11, and 33 in HD in North Texas. Still no 21, so no Mavericks in HD on the local broadcast...


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## bnborg (Jun 3, 2005)

Yes, to get back to the title of this thread.

In (greater) Minneapolis, only 4, 5, 9, and 11. No HD on 2, 17, 22, 23, 29, 41 and 45.


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