Transfer Hopper 3 sling recordings

Wilber256

Well-Known SatelliteGuys Member
Original poster
Sep 25, 2018
31
19
Amory
Hello all, First please forgive me if this is in the wrong section. I have been searching the web for hours to see if this can be done. My 67 year old brain just can’t grasp this stuff. We have a Hopper 3 sling with 3 wireless Joeys.
We are having to do away with the service and wondered if I can dump/transfer the recordings that are on it cheaply and easily. (We can no longer afford the service) if this is possible can someone tell me what I need and how to do it? The thing is almost full, I can delete some junk in there but most are for our Grandchildren to watch.
Can this be done (cheaply) Payment is bank draft and soon approaching with no funds to pay the bill. So the sooner the better. If the withdrawal is made we will be charged $50 plus pay our bank back the amount that was deducted. If I had that money I would keep the service. Any and all help is greatly appreciated.

Thanks
 
Once you close your account, all recordings will be lost.

PERIOD.

Yes, some will say you can use some convoluted hardware and/or software to save them to a PC readable format, but no, not really, for most of us. Going by your post, this is not an option for you.

OPTIONS:
1. Record in real time that which you wish to keep to an appropriate DVD recorder. You might as well just watch it all.

2. Drop down to the minimum service level and watch the recordings as fast as you can.

3. Drop Dish and lose it all.
 
Thanks for the reply. I have until the 8th before we cancel to prevent a bank draft. I read all kinds of stuff on the web, way too much for my mind to grasp and so many conflicting answers from getting a flash drive to getting an external hard drive. I suppose those are out of the question. Even they are doable I haven't a clue how to turn either on for viewing. Guess we will just lick our wounds. Thanks so much for replying. I really do appreciate your reply and time.
 
Thanks for the reply. I have until the 8th before we cancel to prevent a bank draft. I read all kinds of stuff on the web, way too much for my mind to grasp and so many conflicting answers from getting a flash drive to getting an external hard drive. I suppose those are out of the question. Even they are doable I haven't a clue how to turn either on for viewing. Guess we will just lick our wounds. Thanks so much for replying. I really do appreciate your reply and time.
You probably don't have enough time left before the 8th for real-time recording. An external hard drive is possible for moving those recordings, but then they'll definitely become lost and gone forever when your account goes away. So that is no option either.

You might try unplugging the receiver from the dish before you cancel to keep it from getting the kill signal, and then do some real-time recording before your return box arrives. Dish takes weeks to get you that box. I do not know for sure that the H3 will still play anything if unhooked. I think you have a limited period before some timer expires and you're toast.

The only sure way I see to fix your predicament is to pay for 1 more month and do the real-time recordings.
 
  • Like
Reactions: charlesrshell
Ok,, thanks. I will unhook the rg6 cable the day before and try to get some of the boys stuff. So even if I have a external HD with some shows loaded on it when dish Dish hits the kill I will lose those too? If it will work where would you suggest to purchase and what size? I suppose it will have usb or hdmi Built into the external hard drive for hooking to the TV? Is there a menu or dashboard of some sort to find your way along? prolly have to purchase software and install on the EHD before you can have some sort of directory.
Thanks
 
Internal hard drive is not encrypted, but it is very difficult to get them off (Linux knowledge and use of the Python programming language), if you copy them to an external drive they ARE encrypted and can ONLY be read by a receiver on your current customer number - if you cancel - THEY ARE GONE.

Your best bet is to copy them to an external DVD burner, VCR, Hauppauge PVR or some other device that can record from the outputs on the back. Of course these will have to be real time recordings, no direct file copying is possible.

You might consider pausing your Dish account (you lose any discounts if you reactivate and you can't record anything, but I believe you can play what is already recorded and it only costs $5 per month (all other charges are paused, I think). During the pause you keep the equipment you have. This might give you time to copy the programs you want to save.
 
Keep in mind, it is not a kill signal from satellites that ends the parade. It is a timer in the receiver that kills when it can’t phone home and receive a continuation signal from the satellite. Actually, it won’t even phone home.
 
Ok, I have a dvd/blue ray burned that hooks to a lap top via usb. Will that work? As you said it will only record what is “live” on the tv, not transfer the recordings. Or purchase a small dvr and do the same. Ok, I understand how the kill works now. Shuts off signal without a response back from the hopper. So the hopper is a decipher per-say no interceping the signal and recording it with a conventional dvr etc. So the only way is to capture the signal is downstream from the hopper before it gets to the tv. Correct?
 
Ok, I have a dvd/blue ray burned that hooks to a lap top via usb. Will that work? As you said it will only record what is “live” on the tv, not transfer the recordings. Or purchase a small dvr and do the same. Ok, I understand how the kill works now. Shuts off signal without a response back from the hopper. So the hopper is a decipher per-say no interceping the signal and recording it with a conventional dvr etc. So the only way is to capture the signal is downstream from the hopper before it gets to the tv. Correct?
A DVD burner on your PC, USB or otherwise, would be good to record a video that's already on the laptop. But that does not get the Hopper videos onto your laptop in the first place. For that, you need to capture the video coming from the Hopper in real time as you use the Hopper to play the relevant program.

I cannot decipher ;) your last 3 sentences. What's that about? Yes, you most certainly can capture the decrypted video between the Hopper and the TV. I suggest using the analog composite video outputs to do this.

HDMI is also possible, but then you have "fun" getting around any HDCP problems. One thing I am pretty sure will work is to leave the HDMI going to your TV, and your TV on and showing you what the Hopper is doing, while recording off the composite video outputs.
 
The dvd/blue Ray is not built in it’s a stand alone unit. Laptop to thin for it to fit. I suppose that will not matter. what I am trying to say is. If I put a recording device downstream of the hopper (between hopper and tv) it should record live shows. The hopper should not care what happens to the signal after it leaves the hopper. that should be able to capture what ever is going from the hopper to the tv. Right?
 
The dvd/blue Ray is not built in it’s a stand alone unit. Laptop to thin for it to fit. I suppose that will not matter. what I am trying to say is. If I put a recording device downstream of the hopper (between hopper and tv) it should record live shows. The hopper should not care what happens to the signal after it leaves the hopper. that should be able to capture what ever is going from the hopper to the tv. Right?
All the outputs on the Hopper are live at the same time so you don't have to use the same output to the DVD as you use to the TV.
 
I can’t understand why I can’t capture/record the signal as it leaves the hopper going to the tv. Would a recording device not capture the signal downstream of the output to tv and record the shows. After the signal leaves the hoppers dvr it should not be encrypted. Correct? It enters the tv ready to view. Correct?
 
So that being said, I should be able to capture the show as it comes out of the hopper dvr. Correct?
 
If do then a cheap DVD burner should work. Just intercept the signal as it leaves the hopper dvr before it gets to the tv. That make sense?
 
  • Like
Reactions: charlesrshell
If do then a cheap DVD burner should work. Just intercept the signal as it leaves the hopper dvr before it gets to the tv. That make sense?
I still have an old Panasonic VCR / DVD combo connected to my Hopper 3 and TV by RCA cables. Still works good. I can record to either the VCR or DVD from my Hopper.
 
If do then a cheap DVD burner should work. Just intercept the signal as it leaves the hopper dvr before it gets to the tv. That make sense?
Yes, that is what we are trying to tell you! That is, if your DVD burner has video input capability. If it's just an external USB drive, then that will not work by itself.

Note that standalone DVD burners typically only have A/V inputs since DVDs are SD. Some may exist with composite inputs that downconvert. If so, I don't know which ones do that.
So that being said, I should be able to capture the show as it comes out of the hopper dvr. Correct?
I mentioned this above. HDMI has HDCP which may interfere with your ability to record it. That is why I recommended leaving that plugged into a TV that's turned on while you record off the composite outputs. I think component recording is cheaper than recording HDMI too.
 
Last edited:
Yes, that is what we are trying to tell you! That is, if your DVD burner has video input capability. If it's just an external USB drive, then that will not work by itself.

Note that standalone DVD burners typically only have A/V inputs since DVDs are SD. Some may exist with composite inputs that downconvert. If so, I don't know which ones do that.

I mentioned this above. HDMI has HDCP which may interfere with your ability to record it. That is why I recommended leaving that plugged into a TV that's turned on while you record off the composite outputs. I think composite recording is cheaper than recording HDMI too.
Composite (one video RCA), or Component (three video RCAs)?
 
Hard headed…. Now for a really stupid question. I plug a hdmi cable into the hopper then the other end into the tc?
 
***

Users Who Are Viewing This Thread (Total: 1, Members: 0, Guests: 1)

Who Read This Thread (Total Members: 1)