# Dish Pause - can I still watch recorded stuff?



## patman2 (Oct 26, 2007)

I have a DVR512 with about 100 hrs of recorded stuff and am being transferred to Canada for 3-6 months where I won't be able to get Dish service. I'd like to know whether I can implement Dish Pause to temporarily suspend billing (or at least reduce it to the $5/mo fee for Dish Pause) and then take my DVR with me to Canada and still watch the things I already recorded. Anyone know?


----------



## Stewart Vernon (Jan 7, 2005)

I could be wrong, but I do not believe the DVR will continue to function without being connected to a satellite feed. It might work for 30 days, or perhaps a little longer... but I thought the receivers will self-deactivate after a time of being disconnected from the satellite source.


----------



## patman2 (Oct 26, 2007)

Stewart Vernon said:


> I could be wrong, but I do not believe the DVR will continue to function without being connected to a satellite feed. It might work for 30 days, or perhaps a little longer... but I thought the receivers will self-deactivate after a time of being disconnected from the satellite source.


I've seen so many different and contradictory answers to this question. I guess I'll just have to ask Dish, although I'm not convinced I'll get correct information even from that source.


----------



## Mike.H_DISHNetwork (Feb 1, 2011)

With the receiver is on pause and in the same home, you can watch the DVR content. Taking the receiver from the home it will not have authorization to view content. 
Thanks


----------



## SayWhat? (Jun 7, 2009)

Mike.H_DISHNetwork said:


> Taking the receiver from the home it will not have authorization to view content.


That STILL doesn't answer the question. Why is it so difficult to get a straight answer on this?

Yes or No - can you watch previously recorded content on a DVR without the box being connected to the dish and seeing the satellite? If so, for how long if there is any duration limit like 30 days?

Forget about WHERE the box is located.

People have asked about taking it on the road in an RV where they may not be able to get a signal.

People have asked about disconnecting from the dish and leaving the box in place, or moving it to another room in the house.

No matter how the question is worded, I have yet to see a definitive answer. Will it work, or won't it?


----------



## SayWhat? (Jun 7, 2009)

The second part of this question that I can't get a straight answer on ......

If you leave everything connected after you terminate any and all subscription services, can you still watch previously recorded content for the unlimited future?


----------



## Mike.H_DISHNetwork (Feb 1, 2011)

If a customer has a DVR receiver and the DISH services are disconnected they cannot watch the DVR content. If they have the services on Pause, they will have access to the DVR recordings. 
Thanks


----------



## MCHuf (Oct 9, 2011)

SayWhat? said:


> That STILL doesn't answer the question. Why is it so difficult to get a straight answer on this?
> 
> Yes or No - can you watch previously recorded content on a DVR without the box being connected to the dish and seeing the satellite? If so, for how long if there is any duration limit like 30 days?


Of course you won't get a straight answer from DIRT. Do you really think that Dish wants people to know if you can take your receiver to a friends house to watch what you've recorded? The only way to really know is to disconnect it and try for yourself.


----------



## RBA (Apr 14, 2013)

> I could be wrong, but I do not believe the DVR will continue to function without being connected to a satellite feed. It might work for 30 days, or perhaps a little longer... but I thought the receivers will self-deactivate after a time of being disconnected from the satellite source.


I believe Stewart is right the purple card must receive authorization by the DISH satellite connection or it will shut down. That is why you seem to get different answers. MikeH states as long as the receiver is on pause you can watch the DVR, that is assuming it is still connected. He also states if DISH service is disconnected the DVR will stop functioning. Depending on when your purple card was last authorized it may work for 2 days or it might last 30 days but it will stop working at some point. Patman 2 original question is can he disconnect while on pause and take it to Canada where there is no DISH connection. The answer would be for a brief period of time it may work but without a DISH signal it will shut down.


----------



## sremick (Feb 4, 2008)

Also note that "recorded content" does _not_ include anything you've moved to an external hard drive.

For whatever reason, Dish does _not_ consider this to be "recorded content" when they promise you that you'll be able to continue watching "recorded content" even while on Dish Pause. Whatever stuff you happened to be storing on the external drive will become inaccessible, while the stuff on the DVR's internal hard drive remains playable. The type of recorded material doesn't matter... all that matters is the meaningless difference of whether you were storing it on drive A or drive B at the time of going on Pause. It's a stupid and arbitrary distinction, and Dish should be more honest and forthcoming with their answers when people ask this.


----------



## tampa8 (Mar 30, 2002)

"I want it for free"......


----------

