Replace Hopper Internal Drive?

[scottts]

I've got two HWS, both purchased and out of warranty, with hard drive failures.

I'm thinking of opening one up to see if I can replace the hard drive. But I thought I'd ask if there are any special records or signatures Dish puts on the drives that make a simple replacement impossible before I try.

Seems a real pain to have to return them for refurbs that might have other issues.

Anyone know? Thanks.

 

[navychop]

Try to get the same model. I'm pretty sure the bios will format any acceptable HDD. I don't think Dish receivers are as picky about models as they used to be, but better safe than sorry.

 

[Hall]

There is a discussion group on Yahoo that specializes in this type of stuff. I know that they had lists of "compatible" hard drives that worked in Dish DVRs, although it was frequently older models of DVRs. I'd guess they have info on more current DVRs as well.

 

[Jim5506]

Subscribe to Home Protection Plan and Dish will replace even owned receivers free, IIRC (Others surely will chime in).

Even without the HPP the charge used to be just shipping $15-17 per receiver, but this may have changed.

It is certainly more convenient and much less hassle than replacing the drive yourself.

 

[Hall]

I'm positive that I've seen DIRT indicate that owned receivers are covered.

 

[KAB]

I'm positive that I've seen DIRT indicate that owned receivers are covered.

WITH protection plan.

 

[ChadT41]

I'm positive that I've seen DIRT indicate that owned receivers are covered.

They most surely are.

 

[scottts]

Thanks everyone. I'll check with DIRT on the cheapest way to proceed. I'd still like to replace the drives myself, depending on the drive cost. I've had trouble in the past with 622/722s getting refurbed units back with tuner problems and rebooting problems. I also don't know if I will have to have a programming contract for Dish to replace them.

 

[WiCkeDuDe]

I changed the hdd myself on my 722 and it was very simple. Hopefully it's about the same on a hopper. The group on yahoo had a ton of info, just can't think of the name at the moment.

 

[Hall]

I'd still like to replace the drives myself, depending on the drive cost

If you can confirm that off-the-shelf HDDs will work, that would be a good option for you. If it requires "special" drives that are hard to get, only available used now, or expensive, then you may want to go the protection-plan route.

 

[Voyager6]

I changed the hdd myself on my 722 and it was very simple. Hopefully it's about the same on a hopper. The group on yahoo had a ton of info, just can't think of the name at the moment.

It is called DishMod. https://groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/dishmod/info

 

[WiCkeDuDe]

That's the one. Thanks voyager!

 

[Joe Satellite Fan]

Dish will definitely replace your owned Hopper. I have the protection plan and I've never been charged a fee to replace a bad receiver. Go through DIRT, they get things done quicker and you don't have to convince a dish "expert" that "yup, the hard drive is bad".

 

[BBCInc]

For me a Seagate ST2000VM003 (same as the original drive) worked and a Western Digital WD20EURX did not.

 

[TheKrell]

For the record, I just today got Matt to replace my owned 722. He added the PP for me. It's not a disk problem, but a channel authorization problem that occurs on both tuners. Nuts. This 722 is my 1st HD receiver, and it has failed in this squirrelly way. Matt says a new card will not fix it. I am sorry to see this great receiver go, after so many good years.

 

[chg]

So, just to clarify, Dish will replace a owned receiver that is not under warranty, if you add the protection plan? (I dropped the protection plan months ago)

I also have a bad hard drive on my HWS. Lost all my recordings and it will not boot up. Just gets stuck trying to start up. I did get a hard drive warning right before it happened.

I did want to wait and see if anything new will be announced.

 

[harshness]

DISH will replace whatever you have if you have the Protection Plan. No need to keep asking.

I don't expect that anything truly revolutionary will be announced until DISH mounts some manner of UHD campaign.

 

[navychop]

For the record, I just today got Matt to replace my owned 722. He added the PP for me. It's not a disk problem, but a channel authorization problem that occurs on both tuners. Nuts. This 722 is my 1st HD receiver, and it has failed in this squirrelly way. Matt says a new card will not fix it. I am sorry to see this great receiver go, after so many good years.

 

[TheKrell]

So, just to clarify, Dish will replace a owned receiver that is not under warranty, if you add the protection plan? (I dropped the protection plan months ago).

Just to add to what harshness said, you can also get an owned receiver replaced without the PP. For a 722, this is $75 + $15 shipping.

 

[ChadT41]

I was trying to remember what the cost was. I thought it was $90, but $75 sounds more right.