211 and EHD

Weezknight

SatelliteGuys Pro
Original poster
Jan 10, 2006
628
0
Philly 'Burbs, PA
I just saw the thread about hard drive bargains, and I'm wondering, though, what kind of EHD specs I should be looking for if I want to upgrade my 211?

Anyone who could give me any idea as to what the various sizes equate to in terms of recordable hours, as well as what kind of connections, speed, etc... I need, it would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks in advance.
 
Many like me are using the garden variety OTS drives like a WD "my book". These are great because they're cheap and ready to plug and play. But they are not made for 24/7 operation so there could be reliability issues. I'm taking my chances for now. Nothing I plan to record is irreplaceable, but that should be a consideration for you when you make your choice. My 1TB drive reports ~98 hrs time in HD and 3x that for SD.

Min. specs. include USB 2.0 compatible and has its own power supply. Right now the size limit for the 211 is 1TB w/ SW version L524. The EHD must be a single drive, i.e., not a stack of drives in one enclosure. Check the Dishnetwork pages for spec sheets in PDF form. Here's one:

http://www.dishnetwork.com/receivers/hd/vip211dvr/default.aspx

And the complete "User's Guide" for the conversion:

http://www.dishnetwork.com/downloads/pdf/user_guides_and_manuals/vip211_dish411/DVR Conversion.pdf

Others recommend drives intended for server or DVR applications. The WD AAKS series is an example. That's just the drive so it needs a separate cabinet and PS, but apparently that's a fairly simple DIY. Whatever you use, make sure it gets good ventilation and is isolated from movement/vibration when it's connected.

(I got my 1TB drive at Staples last week for $100 + tax, and also ordered a 750GB version for $80 + tax. That particular sale is over, but you'll find similar bargains elsewhere...)
 
Last edited:
***

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

Who Read This Thread (Total Members: 1)