Need to replace VIP722. Have 2 EHDs full of programs

[johnd393]

My VIP722 has died. It gets to the finding satellites screen, 2 bars go green than for a few seconds than reboots. If I disconnect the dish cable it does not reboot and most functions work. I was able to transfer all recorded programs to a EHD.
If I connect the Sat cable after it's up and running it go's to continuous reboot again.

The replacement VIP722 from Dish is here. I just don't want to screw up the procedure and loose my EHD programs. Instructions in the box say remove the old, hook up the new, and follow on screen directions.
Any advice for that?


Previously i lost EHD programs on a VIP211.
My VIP211 died. They sent me a newer VIP 211z, no component output, no OTA tuner. . After installing the 211z, I found & replaced a bad capacitor on the 211, which fixed it. I reactivated the 211. It's been a while. I think for a couple hours I had both 211s active, than took off the 211z. Result was lost access to the EHD. It works with a new EHD.

 

[navychop]

ViP211 series uses a different system with EHDs.

But your VIP 722 series EHDs will work just fine with the Hopper series. I’ve done it. But you might give it 2-3 days after installation for things to settle down and everything to work. You shouldn’t lose a thing.

 

[pattykay]

My VIP722 has died. It gets to the finding satellites screen, 2 bars go green than for a few seconds than reboots. If I disconnect the dish cable it does not reboot and most functions work. I was able to transfer all recorded programs to a EHD.
If I connect the Sat cable after it's up and running it go's to continuous reboot again.

I had that happen to a ViP211 (original model) once. I was able to fix it by going into the Menu and doing a Factory Reset.

I didn't discover that until after I already had Dish send me a replacement ViP211. I really didn't want to lose all of my settings from the old ViP211. However, since I already had the replacement at that point (and was going to have to start over again from scratch if I set up that receiver) I decided it was worth one last-ditch effort to try to save the old ViP211 first. Since the Factory Reset worked to get that ViP211 up and running again, I decided to keep it, and send the replacement back to Dish. That ViP211 lasted for around ten years before it finally died due to a different issue.

Since you have already transferred all of your recordings, and you already have a replacement ViP722, it may be worth trying a Factory Reset on your old ViP722, just to see if you can get it to work again.

The funny part about the ViP211 in my case was that while it was stuck in this continuous reboot problem with the Dish signal, I was able to disconnect the cable from the Dish satellites, and connect it to another dish aimed at the Bell Expressvu satellites (82 and 91) instead. With those satellites, the ViP211 had no problem acquiring the signal whatsoever, and I was able to watch the free Bell barker channels with movie trailers and stuff. Then, when I hooked it back up to the Dish satellites, it would go back to the two bars then reboot cycle, just like you described.

 

[Jim5506]

The 622/722/Hopper series of external drive are all compatible with each other. There should be no problem connecting the old 722 EHD to the new(er) 722 and playing the programs there. If it asks for a reformat, refuse and call dish and have them send a "hit" to the new receiver to tell it it is on your account. EHD's are assigned to your account not to a specific receiver as long as it is of the correct type (411/211 or 622/722/Hopper). I have had old EHD's from my 622 play on my H3 with no problem.

 

[johnd393]

I did swap out a 622 for the 722, when the 622 died several years ago, and maintained access to the original EHD, which is one of the EHD's still in use.

After the trouble with the 211, I just don't have a lot of confidence this stuff is gonna behave the way it's supposed to.

Can I be sure I won't loose access to my EHD recordings after a factory reset?

One thing I didn't try it to take the 722 down stairs and connect it to the other dish cable.

It's been at least a couple years since the 211 problem. It works great the EHD that's on it. That old EHD that it won't access might be still here somewhere. Whatever swapping around I did at the time with the 211 & the 211z, they were always the same account. The 211 is on a basement system with a projector. It doesn't see a lot of use. There were times where I unplugged everything for a vacation and didn't plug it back in for weeks. Sometimes I had to call Dish to get the EHD restarted after extended power down.

Just more information, The 722 as it is will let us play back EHD or internal recordings. It let me transfer everything to the EHD. It will not let me access OTA channels. It locks up if I go to (Dish on Demand) (All TV Shows) (My Rentals) We had a few episodes of a couple TV shows saved in My Rentals. They were free downloads but My Rentals is where it puts them. Once it freezes with My Rentals highlighted, it will stay there until forced to reboot. Probably connecting the dish cable might cause a reboot.

OK one thing I'm gonna try is hook the 211z I still have up to the 722's dish cable and see if it likes the sat signal.
Update, Did that. 211z is happy with the sat signal. Loads directory. Nothing is subscribed. Allows viewing Dish information channels. Sat signals look a little weak 50% to 60%

 

[pattykay]

Can I be sure I won't loose access to my EHD recordings after a factory reset?

A Factory Reset is not "supposed" to wipe out any existing recordings from the internal hard drive. Since you already transferred everything to an EHD, you really have nothing left to lose there either way. If you can get the old ViP722 working again, that may be a fail-safe just in case the replacement receiver doesn't recognize the EHD for whatever reason. As was suggested before, simply refuse to let the new receiver reformat the EHD, and try connecting it to the old receiver instead. If it is the old receiver that doesn't recognize the EHD, simply reverse that advice.

It will not let me access OTA channels.

Yeah, that's typical. Without guide information, the receiver has no way to access the OTA channels. Without a satellite signal, the receiver has no way to get guide information. So, if you can get it working again, at least you could continue to use it for OTA, as long as you leave it hooked up to the satellite signal.

Sat signals look a little weak 50% to 60%

Which satellite is that on? If you are Eastern Arc (61.5 and 72) that signal strength is probably fine. If you are Western Arc, that may be a little low, but is still usable. That just means that the signal may drop out slightly more often than it would if the dish were better peaked for a stronger signal.

 

[Jim5506]

Your equipment is so old it is remarkable that you have had so little trouble with it. I still have a TiVo that was made in 2007, but now it is starting to occasionally lock up with a purple screen so I've got a replacement ready to take over. These thing do not last forever. The 722 was replaced by the Hopper 2000 which was replaced by the Hopper with Sling which has been replaced by the Hopper 3 with 16 tuners.

 

[pattykay]

The 622/722/Hopper series of external drive are all compatible with each other.

EHD's are assigned to your account not to a specific receiver as long as it is of the correct type (411/211 or 622/722/Hopper).

The 722 was replaced by the Hopper 2000 which was replaced by the Hopper with Sling which has been replaced by the Hopper 3 with 16 tuners.

No love for the 922? It was a fun intermediary step between the 722 series and the first Hopper. 1TB internal hard drive, and it was the first receiver with built-in Sling, while that version of the Sling functionality was still supported anyway. Requiring the Sling adapter for the Hopper 2000 was a step backwards, until Dish fixed that by building Sling into the next Hopper after that. EHD's from a 922 would also be compatible with the 622/722/Hopper series DVR's.

 

[johnd393]

The 722 suits my needs
Sats are 110, 119 , 129

EHDs are tied to the account or whatever. Yet when I changed out the 211, I lost access to the existing EHD programs

I also have 2 DTVPal OTA PVR boxes, including some new in the box spares.

Sometimes this stuff can be fixed by replacing obviously blown capacitors. Visual inspection of the 722 didn't identify any bad caps.

Return of old VIP722. A sheet in the box says send it back. A email says it should be properly recycled but I won't be charged for not recycling it.

I think somehow in getting the replacement receiver sent, I got signed up for a monthly equipment protection fee

 

[pattykay]

Return of old VIP722. A sheet in the box says send it back. A email says it should be properly recycled but I won't be charged for not recycling it.

Yeah, those sheets contain old outdated instructions. Dish doesn't want the old ViP stuff back. Hold onto that email as proof anyway though, just in case. If you can get the old ViP722 working again, someone here may want it if you don't want to keep it.

 

[johnd393]

Installed it.
Everything seems to work. OTA tuner found like 84 channels. Most work. Some are religious or other language.
Had some trouble with display format which corrected when I switched away from 1080p and than back. everything was displaying in a 4:3 box.
Took me a while to figure out the buttons to select Single or Dual TV mode are on the front of the box
I think it needs a update cus the menu shows Blockbuster @Home. However I was able to start a download 3 episodes of a TV show we're been binge watching

Turns out I have 3 EHDs. I hooked up one and started transfering some programs back. Didn't test with the other 2 EHDs but if one works they probably all do. Thansfer has completed

I was thinking what I need is some kind of infrared camera to look over the old 722 for bad caps. I know I found some bad ones on a computer board once because they were hot.

 

[TheKrell]

No love for the 922?

No love for the 612 either.

 

[Foxbat]

Since we’re talking VIP 211, today our PAYG 211 told me to pull out the Smart Card and reinsert it. This is the one I replaced the bad electrolytic capacitor near the Smart Card. But it seems fine otherwise.

 

[pattykay]

No love for the 612 either.

Good point, and I suppose I should have also included the 722k, in order to have a complete list.

 

[navychop]

Bad caps tend to bulge and are easy to spot. Or do some not work that way?

 

[johnd393]

I'm pretty sure a capacitor can fail giving no visual indication

 

[johnd393]

Found my old hard drive that the 211 lost access to. Hooked it up and gave it another try. All it wants to do is format it. No luck. I'm sure the drive is still usable if I let it format it but maybe someday someone will come up with a way to access the programs on it.

 

[Jim5506]

Found my old hard drive that the 211 lost access to. Hooked it up and gave it another try. All it wants to do is format it. No luck. I'm sure the drive is still usable if I let it format it but maybe someday someone will come up with a way to access the programs on it.

Have you had a Dish rep send a hit to the receiver? Maybe it is confused about the account it is tied to. Back in the days when I had a 211 (3 of them) I could shut then down and exchange hard drives willy nilly and they would still work (sneaker net).

 

[Bobby]

The 211 and Wally use different operating systems. I wonder if a 211 encoded EHD will transfer to a Wally. That might be why it wants to reformat the drive.

 

[pattykay]

The 211 and Wally use different operating systems. I wonder if a 211 encoded EHD will transfer to a Wally. That might be why it wants to reformat the drive.

That has always been my experience when going back and forth between a ViP211 and a Wally. I have to reformat the drive each time. I'm not sure what's happening in the OP's case though, since johnd393 has a ViP211z, which should work with the old ViP211's EHD.