External HDD feature for ViP622 and ViP722: coming 8/15: $39.99

Regarding "compatibility", the reason Dish chose to use a USB interface is because it removes any compatibility questions (for the most part). The receiver really doesn't know anything about the storage device that's behind the USB interface.

If you don't know if eSATA/SATA exist, then yes. But the world have much BETTER solution - eSATA. Dish simple missed the train.
 
Enable fee ~$40,
HD ~100$,
Ex. enclosure ~$40,
USB Cable - ~$10.
The whole toy plus some bugs at least $200.

You can buy external 500GBs (with included cables I might add) for less than $150 at several places on the net.

As an FYI, I just purchased a NexStar 3 external enclosure and it came with USB and eSata cables.

Cheers,
 
If you don't know if eSATA/SATA exist, then yes. But the world have much BETTER solution - eSATA. Dish simple missed the train.

Why? Even 4 simultaneous streams won't come close to the capacity of USB 2.0.

Not that I think that USB 2.0 is better in general, but for this application it is a very good solution. Well that and there's no eSata port on the 622, and likely not one on the 722.



Cheers,
 
Okay they say on 8/15 that you can get the software down load that enables the external hard drive option. Does that mean all 622s will get the download and that you can actually use it once you call DISH and pay the $39.99? I would hate that you miss the download on that day and have to wait till later to get it. I am sure that DISH will be covered with calls on 8/15 to get the option.
I'll bet they will push the firmware update to everyone, and then you'll either have to call or order it via the remote..I hope the ethernet "call in" feature gets enabled at the same time, so I dont have to go buy one of those wireless phone adapters to connect a phone line that I dont have..
 
The largest single spindle drive I know of are Hitachi and Seagate 1TB spindles. These would have to be a pair of 750GBs in Raid-0 mode.

Cheers,
John, you've mentioned in several previous threads that, I'm paraphrasing to the best of my understanding, RAID 5 would be an ideal solution for archiving as it would protect against HDD failures.

Can anyone describe a possible solution that provides RAID 5 via USB? I think one of the new Buffalo TB HDD's might be one possibilty. Is there another or a "home brew" that might make this possible, while still being compatable w/our 622's?
 
Yes, I'm sure that will be the scenario. They don't want to maintain two software loads for the receivers. The "option" to enable this will simply be part of another update.

Yeah, it will be just like when they enable a channel or one of the interactive features on the boxes today. The software version won't change there will just be somehting else that is allowed to work on your boxes.
 
I did see a 44 dollar 320 gig external drive online today.. ecost.com or something like that..

After a $70 mail in rebate and a $15 mail in rebate. That's a lot of rebates to be depending on ... I once sent in a $50 rebate, the web site said "processing" and then nothing ever happened - even after I sent them a certified mail letter with copies of the forms.

Also, only 2mb buffer on that HD.

I just ordered a 500gb external drive from newegg.com (very good cust service - I bought my HD TV from them). 500gb is still the best buy in terms of $ per gb. If you go with an external drive with very good reviews, it's still lots cheaper than a separate enclosure, because the manufacturer is buying the enclosures (and cables) at large volume discount wholesale, and they only make one profit on the product. (If you buy separate HD, separate enclosure, and separate cable, then you are paying 3 different product profit margins.)

A big advantage of newegg.com is the customer reviews...

PS Since deals on 500gb external HDs can be ~$100, then with MPEG4, that works out to about $1 per hour of HD storage...
 
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After a $70 mail in rebate and a $15 mail in rebate. That's a lot of rebates to be depending on ... I once sent in a $50 rebate, the web site said processing and nothing ever happened - even after I sent them a certified mail letter with copies of the forms.

Also, only 2mb buffer on the HD.

The 2MB buffer is not really a killer in this type of scenario. Most of the HDD in DVR's will use a HDD that has a 2MB buffer just because it is cheaper to get those drives than ones with 8 or 16MB buffers.
 
Can anyone describe a possible solution that provides RAID 5 via USB? I think one of the new Buffalo TB HDD's might be one possibilty. Is there another...?

Iomega StorCenter Pro 150d Series

EDIT: Scratch this one - the USB connections are only for adding more drives, not sharing the storage capacity. At least that's what I can gather from the user guide.
 
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John, you've mentioned in several previous threads that, I'm paraphrasing to the best of my understanding, RAID 5 would be an ideal solution for archiving as it would protect against HDD failures.

Can anyone describe a possible solution that provides RAID 5 via USB? I think one of the new Buffalo TB HDD's might be one possibilty. Is there another or a "home brew" that might make this possible, while still being compatable w/our 622's?

There might not be a way to get RAID-5 with an external enclosure that will be compatible. The only way to get protection against HDD failures might be to archive the shows to Windows Home Server(when it releases later this year and when E* enables it to archive the media). Although this is not a RAID-5 solution as the information I have read so far on WHS indicates that it uses a different type of protection scheme where the files are stored on multiple drives so that if one dies it can recover but that it is not a RAID implementation.
 
500gb is still the best buy in terms of $ per gb.
There's always a sweet spot on computer hardware prices. If you want the "latest", you will pay and pay dearly for it. The benefit to others is, when that "latest" hardware comes out, the previous generation and previous to that drop in price. 750gb to 1tb drives have that premium nowadays, hence why 300-500gb drives are a bargain.
A big advantage of newegg.com is the customer reviews...
Are you aware that Newegg routinely deletes negative reviews ?
 

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