ViP211 and multiple HDs?

[visiter555]

I have a ViP211 and wonder when I get my 750 gig HD full and want to keep the shows on the HD can I unload my 750 GB drive and just plug in a second (third, fourth etc) HD and use it and just swap the drives to watch what I want?

To simplify... does the ViP211 allow you to utilize multiple external drives one at a time with no loss of stored shows?

Thanks!

 

[MikeD-C05]

I don't know but I would like to know. I have a 211k with a external hard drive and I notice there is an option to remove the dvr menu option. I guess you could try and see but I am not brave enough. It is my kid's shows and he would sh*t if I screwed them up.

 

[visiter555]

That is the problem I have. I have several hundred recordings and I am loath to lose them. I know this works on the Bell equivelants, but I hate testing it on my loaded HD!!!!

Anyone????

 

[MikeD-C05]

Well I just removed my hard drive using the My Dvr option. I plugged in an external hard drive that I had been using in back up on my 722k. It said the receiver would have to reformat the new drive and I would lose all shows already on it. I then let it reformat my ext drive and it showed no shows and no timers either. I then removed that drive using the MY dvr option once again and replugged in my original ex hard drive. It didn't reformat it when I plugged it back in to my receiver. It rebooted and it had all the shows that were originally on it and it had full guide data for 8 days. So it looks like the timers and guide data is with the hard drive you set it on. I would have to conclude that you can switch back and forth on your 211s as long as they are all on the same account, just like you can with the 622/722/722k dvrs. But I would imagine that if you moved the external hard drive to the other 211 that the timers and guide data would go with it and you would have to recreate your timers and down load new guide data on the new external hard drive.

 

[BBfromCA]

Visitor,
You can exchange hard drives (without loss of programs) with no problem. Just let the 211 reboot itself before plugging in a different hard drive.
You will have to wait a few minutes as the receiver goes through the reboot and change of guide days, then it will do it again when you plug in the new drive.

 

[Jim5506]

Yes, It is a bit of a pain to swap EHD's on a 211, but the whole DVR OS is on the drive along with the 9 day EPG and all the rcordings, actually more comples then the EHD on the 622/722.

I don't know if the 211 alone has enough memory to house a hot swapping facility like the 622/722 have, probably not - so they did the best they could with quite limited memory resources.

When the EHD first came out on the 211, there was no direction on how to swap drives and I messed up 3 or 4 EHD's trying to hot swap the USB without shutting the receiver off between. Now we at least have the disconnect EHD option on the menu.

 

[visiter555]

Thanks everyone for your help.

Vis