ViP-211K Questions

[rthomp03]

To the knowledgeable crowd:

I have purchased a HDTV for our bedroom to replace our 25 year old Sony 19" TV. I am leaning towards the ViP-211K to replace the current 501 there. I have the following questions:

1) Is the $39.99 DVR activation fee different from the External Hard Drive enabling fee?

2) Is the DVR function performing well on the 211K? I have a 722 and a 622 as well and am hooked on DVRs.

3) Can you attach a 2nd hard drive on the 211K to transfer events between the 211K and the 722/622?

Thanks in advance for the help.

 

[garys]

1. Same
2. Haven't heard of many problems.
3. No, the EHD can trade programs for 211's and 411's, but not with 622's or 722's.

 

[GravelChan]

Just to clarify, the fee is the same (39.99) but it is two separate fees. The 211k hard drive can be used with a different 211/211k (same account) but not with a 622/722. I have a 722 and a 211K and the 211k with the external hard drive works as well as the 722DVR.

 

[bebop]

Looks like 2 different answers here. I've never heard of a DVR activation fee. Methinks garys answer is correct -especially since both would essentially do the same thing - allow you to record on a receiver that has no recording storage in it.

Anyone want to settle this definitively?

 

[chainblu]

GravelChan pretty much summed it up.
The "DVR activation fee" is basically what you are doing when you pay the $39 to add a EHD to a 211 (an otherwise non-DVR receiver).

The 722/622 have an internal hard drive, plus are already DVR receivers, so the fee is called the "External Hard Drive enabling fee".

 

[bebop]

I guess so. Since I don't have the 211, I hadn't though of it that way. I just didn't understand the "but it is two separate fees" comment.

 

[rthomp03]

Thank you all for the help. :up Sounds like a go to me.

 

[dishstaller]

I've got external drives on my 612 and 211 and have noticed two things. It seems that the 211's DVR functionality is a bit sluggish, not much but it is noticeable. Also, on my 612 I didn't really think about the time it would take to transfer shows from the primary drive to the external one but I guess I'm used to the time it takes to upload something to my mp3 player and didn't consider how much larger the video files would be.

 

[rthomp03]

One more question I just thought of. The 211k brochure says up to a 750gb hard drive is supported. Is this the limit or can you go up to 1Tb?

 

[dishstaller]

750 is the current limit but my employee has a 722 with ext drive. He bought a 1T drive and it wouldn't work, he called Dish tech support for help and they said that the new 722 software would allow up to 1T ext drives so most likely they are going to update the 211s ext drive limits as well.

 

[bebop]

I think a larger 1TB would work, just make sure it is one physical disk and not 2 sandwiched together. You may want to search the forums for the topic elsewhere.

 

[KAB]

I think a larger 1TB would work, just make sure it is one physical disk and not 2 sandwiched together. You may want to search the forums for the topic elsewhere.

Lots of people around here are using single disc 1T's with no problems.

 

[rthomp03]

Thanks again!

 

[BobaBird]

1) The fees are different.

EHD activation is for adding archival to all 612/622/722/722k receivers on your account.

DVR activation is for converting all 211/211k/411 receivers on your account to DVRs.

Drives may be moved amongst receivers of each type (622 > 722), but not between types (211 can't play a 622's EHD).