External Hard Drive

[HighlanderCFH]

I was with Dish Network for many years. A few years ago I cut the cord and am now with Dish Network's Sling TV Blue streaming service.

When I was with Dish Network, I had a WD "My Book" 2 TB external hard drive connected to my Hopper and eventually amassed several hundred movies & TV episodes. I would love to be able to access all of that recorded content, but am not sure if this is possible -- or even legal -- without a Hopper.

Is there anything I can do with this EHD so I can watch the stuff I recorded?

Thanks,
Chuck

 

[Foxbat]

Chuck, not as far as I’ve seen. Even if you re-subscribed to Dish and got another Hopper, you’d probably get a new account number for the new Hopper and would see your old EHD as needing to be reformatted.

Even though a Linux computer can recognize the partitions and file structure of the EHD, the data in the files themselves is encrypted.

Of course, I have never tried to move one of my EHD’s to another Dish user’s Hopper to see if it would be able to access the programming. Maybe someone else has and will respond.

 

[HighlanderCFH]

Thank you for your reply. Much appreciated. I don't hold out much hope of ever being able to watch the stuff on the EHD again, but I've resisted using it for anything (and having to reformat) else just in case.

Thanks again!
Chuck

 

[BUD_n_Sons]

Chuck, not as far as I’ve seen. Even if you re-subscribed to Dish and got another Hopper, you’d probably get a new account number for the new Hopper and would see your old EHD as needing to be reformatted.

Even though a Linux computer can recognize the partitions and file structure of the EHD, the data in the files themselves is encrypted.

Of course, I have never tried to move one of my EHD’s to another Dish user’s Hopper to see if it would be able to access the programming. Maybe someone else has and will respond.

I'm fairly certain the encryption includes the internal receiver ID. It's why I have 3 spare HD that can replace the internal. If the internal goes bad, it won't have access to any EHD. I've a VIP612 and it's internal is hard coded to that HD make/model - it's a Seagate 3320311CS if 320GB, 3500312CS if 500GB.

 

[bookworm370]

I'm fairly certain the encryption includes the internal receiver ID. It's why I have 3 spare HD that can replace the internal. If the internal goes bad, it won't have access to any EHD. I've a VIP612 and it's internal is hard coded to that HD make/model - it's a Seagate 3320311CS if 320GB, 3500312CS if 500GB.

The encrytion does not include the internal receiver ID or else Dish could never replace a faulty Hopper with another one. But it does include your account number. If you leave Dish and decide to come back and you get a new account number, then your EHD's will be toast.

 

[BUD_n_Sons]

The encrytion does not include the internal receiver ID or else Dish could never replace a faulty Hopper with another one. But it does include your account number. If you leave Dish and decide to come back and you get a new account number, then your EHD's will be toast.

Ah Ha, I stand corrected and thanks for it - makes perfect sense. Is it also you have to have a current subscription to some Dish package to keep the account # valid?

 

[bookworm370]

Ah Ha, I stand corrected and thanks for it - makes perfect sense. Is it also you have to have a current subscription to some Dish package to keep the account # valid?

Correct, as long as you still keep a minimal package, then your account number won't change

 

[BUD_n_Sons]

Correct, as long as you still keep a minimal package, then your account number won't change

Interesting, so if I end my subscription to Dish, my account expires - becomes invalid?
Therefore all EHD and internal saves become inaccessible?
Not looking for a way around property rights, just once I've saved it, can I keep it?

 

[Bobby]

Interesting, so if I end my subscription to Dish, my account expires - becomes invalid?
Therefore all EHD and internal saves become inaccessible?
Not looking for a way around property rights, just once I've saved it, can I keep it?

You can keep that encrypted stuff all you want but you will never be able to play it again off of the EHD after you cancel your account. The encryption is tied to a specific account number. You may be able to see the internal programming for a short period of time after cancellation but after that short period it too will be gone.

 

[TheKrell]

Therefore all EHD and internal saves become inaccessible?

What Bobby says about the EHD is true. (I never tested that, though.) But the internal disk should still be playable. (I'm not sure for how long!) If I were you, I'd play back the programs you really want to keep and capture them for safekeeping.

 

[DishSubLA]

I Affirm what bookworm370 and Bobby have posted.

 

[sktrus]

I tested it in the past. I attached my ehd (with transfers from hopper) to laptop. Tried several programs to open the files. Windows show files exist. Not playable. I imagine some computer wizard can break the code and view them. Too much trouble.

 

[llokey]

I tested it in the past. I attached my ehd (with transfers from hopper) to laptop. Tried several programs to open the files. Windows show files exist. Not playable. I imagine some computer wizard can break the code and view them. Too much trouble.

You can attach it to a linux system (live drive will do) and see the files. You can even copy them in their entirety to another drive (after initializing the drive on your receiver) and the new drive will work on your system. However you cannot view the files in any meaningful way. As has been stated, they are encrypted and tied to your account.

 

[sktrus]

You know old geezers like myself would never dare switching from Windows to Linux. We would end up messing everything.

 

[llokey]

You know old geezers like myself would never dare switching from Windows to Linux. We would end up messing everything.

I realize that this is off-topic but you can test Linux without affecting Windows. You create something called a live drive on a CD, DVD, or flash drive. Then you boot up from the live drive and experiment all that you want. When the computer is rebooted without the live drive, Windows is there just like it always was.

Also if you consider 70 an old geezer then I qualify

 

[sktrus]

Well, you are an old geezer with brains!! I get scared to challenge my knowledge.

 

[bookworm370]

I tested it in the past. I attached my ehd (with transfers from hopper) to laptop. Tried several programs to open the files. Windows show files exist. Not playable. I imagine some computer wizard can break the code and view them. Too much trouble.

It has been tried by people much better than me and no one has managed to hack the encryption yet.

 

[riderj]

You can attach it to a linux system (live drive will do) and see the files. You can even copy them in their entirety to another drive (after initializing the drive on your receiver) and the new drive will work on your system. However you cannot view the files in any meaningful way. As has been stated, they are encrypted and tied to your account.

Please let me jump in here with my dilemma. I run around 8 or 9 different EHDs, and 7 of them work fine. The other two I recently discovered that the hopper doesn’t recognize them. They are my oldest, and have recordings from 10-15 years ago. I can’t remember the last time I accessed them.

Can the individual files on these drives be transferred to another working EHD and viewed?

 

[TheKrell]

Can the individual files on these drives be transferred to another working EHD and viewed?

I am going to guess "Yes". The reason? I moved my EHD off my 722 onto my H3 right away, and it works fine. I left the EHD from my 612 sitting around (actually the installer plugged it into a Joey which of course does nothing) and does not. I've booted up a live Linux CD and the file structure on the non-recognized disk works fine, and I can see (but not view) the files. So, I already moved the files off the 1st working EHD and onto my new 6TB EHD. At some point in the future, I intend to try what you suggest. I do not know if this will work.

 

[bookworm370]

Please let me jump in here with my dilemma. I run around 8 or 9 different EHDs, and 7 of them work fine. The other two I recently discovered that the hopper doesn’t recognize them. They are my oldest, and have recordings from 10-15 years ago. I can’t remember the last time I accessed them.

Can the individual files on these drives be transferred to another working EHD and viewed?

If you haven't plugged them in for a while, they just probably need reauthorized. With the drive(s) plugged in, call Dish support and have them send a ping to your Hopper. That will refresh the key on the EHD's.