Dish DVR 512 to What???

21st Hermit

SatelliteGuys Guru
Nov 26, 2005
141
0
Colorado
I have the Dish Welcome Pak and a Dish DVR 512 that is dieing. It randomly goes seeking a satellite signal. Done this a dozen times in the last 2-days. Called Dish TS, he said the HDD is dieing. Dish wants $75 for another old 512 so I figured I'd upgrade. To what???

The Dish tech offered a DVR 612, but I had to upgrade to Top 120 + $7/mo for the DVR, baa humbug!

What is the sweet spot DVR that I should look for on eBay? Is their another better source? CL? Other?

Thanks
 

navychop

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Maybe you should consider a ViP211 series (prob not the Z). You can buy a new one from a dealer for not much over $100. Then pay a one time $40 fee and buy a EHD and you have an HD DVR.
 

osu1991

SatelliteGuys Master
Sep 4, 2004
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The 211 is a HD receiver and you pay dish a one time $40fee to add dvr software and your own external usb hard drive to make it an hd dvr with no monthly dvr fee.

Posted Using The New SatelliteGuys Reader App!
 

boba

SatelliteGuys Master
Dec 12, 2003
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Dorchester, TX.
I have the Dish Welcome Pak and a Dish DVR 512 that is dieing. It randomly goes seeking a satellite signal. Done this a dozen times in the last 2-days. Called Dish TS, he said the HDD is dieing. Dish wants $75 for another old 512 so I figured I'd upgrade. To what???

The Dish tech offered a DVR 612, but I had to upgrade to Top 120 + $7/mo for the DVR, baa humbug!

What is the sweet spot DVR that I should look for on eBay? Is their another better source? CL? Other?

Thanks
Spend $7/Mo. for the protection plan and get your 512 replaced free. After 4 mo. cancel the protection plan. If you are subscribing to the welcome pack a 211 or 612 HD receiver won't do you any good. HD is not included in the Welcome Pack. If you want to upgrade to HD the AT120 is your lowest package but I believe it is $30 more.
 

21st Hermit

SatelliteGuys Guru
Nov 26, 2005
141
0
Colorado
locals, premiums and any freeviews are in HD
That would be huge.

....but he'd have to upgrade his dish (assume its a D500)
What am I looking at here? ebay antenna? installer? Pointing is easy enough.

Also, looking at eBay, Hopper's aren't much more than the 612, am I looking at a $7/mo regardless? A Hopper has HDMI, I don't think anything else has HDMI?

Thanks all, you can tell I'm out of touch with the latest. :)
 

ZachS@DISH

SatelliteGuys Pro
Jun 14, 2011
1,726
159
Denver, Colorado
That would be huge.


What am I looking at here? ebay antenna? installer? Pointing is easy enough.

Also, looking at eBay, Hopper's aren't much more than the 612, am I looking at a $7/mo regardless? A Hopper has HDMI, I don't think anything else has HDMI?

Thanks all, you can tell I'm out of touch with the latest. :)


All of our HD receivers have HDMI. The DVR fee on the Hopper increases from $7 to $12 a month. You will also need an node installed, as well as a new antenna for the Hopper.
 

21st Hermit

SatelliteGuys Guru
Nov 26, 2005
141
0
Colorado
All of our HD receivers have HDMI. The DVR fee on the Hopper increases from $7 to $12 a month. You will also need an node installed, as well as a new antenna for the Hopper.
Good info, Thanks.

Moot now, multitasking on ebay I bid and won a $42 DVR 625 shipped. Sitting in Illinois so maybe by Fri it'll be here.

Any thoughts?
 

21st Hermit

SatelliteGuys Guru
Nov 26, 2005
141
0
Colorado
Think I've figured out the HDD failure on my 512?

If I try to record 2 shows at once, the little Winchester arm has to servo back and forth between tracks, causing more heat and shut down.
So maybe I can limp along with a single show recorder until the 625 arrives?

Does the 625 have a fan under the HDD like the 512? Fan prone to failure? I replaced the 512 fan the second day I had it, squealed. The 512 had a Maxtor HDD, don't even remember who bought Maxtor or when.

I may still opt for a HD DVR, the HDMI and HD locals might be worth it. Not yet clear on the antenna, cabling, etc?
 
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TheKrell

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Jan 4, 2007
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The 625 is a SD receiver and will incur the same $7 DVR fee/month.

Nevertheless, it's a great SD receiver. Our whole family loved it until I bought my first HDTV and then went with a 722.

Does the 625 have a fan under the HDD like the 512?

Yup.

Fan prone to failure? I replaced the 512 fan the second day I had it, squealed.

Yes. I replaced the fan in my 722 as well.

I may still opt for a HD DVR, the HDMI and HD locals might be worth it. Not yet clear on the antenna, cabling, etc?

You really need 3 satellites to receive all your HD. What you would need for the Western Arc is a 1000.2, which receivers 110, 119, and 129 all at once. It also has a built-in DishPro Plus switch, which can feed all 3 sats to as many as 3 dual tuner receivers via one cable (each).
 
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21st Hermit

SatelliteGuys Guru
Nov 26, 2005
141
0
Colorado
You really need 3 satellites to receive all your HD. What you would need for the Eastern Arc is a 1000.2, which receivers 110, 119, and 129 all at once. It also has a built-in DishPro Plus switch, which can feed all 3 sats to as many as 3 dual tuner receivers via one cable (each).
Great info. Entered 1000.2 into eBay and came up with 161 hits. Pretty cheap too.

Now I'll look for a suitable, read as bargain, HD receiver that isn't named Hopper. ;)
 

KAB

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Sep 20, 2005
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Great info. Entered 1000.2 into eBay and came up with 161 hits. Pretty cheap too.

Now I'll look for a suitable, read as bargain, HD receiver that isn't named Hopper. ;)
I would seriously consider getting the protection plan and have the install done for you. Aiming is not as easy as you seem to think, especially at three Sats, if you ever plan to go hd
 

navychop

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I sat my ViP722s on top of laptop coolers.

You got a great deal on that 625. Run with it for a while, read up here more, and you'll learn what you want or what you're happy with.
 

TimberWolf

SatelliteGuys Pro
Jun 7, 2010
612
8
PA
make sure you get a western arc 1000.2 for colorado
you can still install the new hd dish with the sd rec if you want and then upgrade the rec later

the 625 is just an upgraded 522, the 512 is a disabled 522
 

TheKrell

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Jan 4, 2007
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make sure you get a western arc 1000.2 for colorado
you can still install the new hd dish with the sd rec if you want and then upgrade the rec later

Yeah, I meant to type "a 1000.2 for western arc" above, not eastern arc as I typed accidentally. I edited my post above.

the 625 is just an upgraded 522, the 512 is a disabled 522

A disabled receiver wouldn't work at all. I would prefer to call it "crippled". It's a 522 fixed in firmware to be in solo mode. As such, it's an SD version of the VIP612, of which I have two and like them a lot. $10/ea/mo.
 

21st Hermit

SatelliteGuys Guru
Nov 26, 2005
141
0
Colorado
the 625 is just an upgraded 522, the 512 is a disabled 522
If you go to this Dish DVR page you'll see the 522 isn't mentioned, just the 512 and 625. I was hoping for better firmware, likely not.

I get History, but some of my record all episodes, are also shown on H2. The 512 records the H2 episodes, but I can't view them. Double bad, takes up HDD space and uses one of the two record events during that time. Record all events have high priority and exclude other record events like one time sports. I was hoping this wouldn't happen with the 625, your post suggests otherwise since they're a family.

I'm going to disassemble my 512 in the morning, hoping the fan has quit. If I can find another computer fan I'll replace it. Currently only runs an hour before shutting down, suggesting heat.

The suggested USB laptop fan sounds like a good idea, they're cheap.
 

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