There’s a neat feature of DISH DVRs that pretty much no other provider has. You can transfer your recordings to an external hard drive on some DVRs, and you can connect a hard drive to a standard receiver and turn it into a simple DVR. It’s something that I wish more providers would do. Even though it doesn’t come up often, it comes up enough that I think it would be worth building this capability in.
But, you can’t just order any old hard drive from Amazon and have it work. First of all, it needs to meet these specs:
- USB 2.0: The drive needs to support USB 2.0. Most USB 3.0, 3.1, and 3.2 drives will do this but some won’t.
- USB-A Connector: The drive has to use the old-fashioned rectangular USB connector, not the new one that cell phones use. Again this isn’t a huge deal since you can usually get the right cable at extra cost if you need it.
- 500GB or larger: Most drives today are 1-2TB so again, not a problem.
- External Power Supply: Here’s where you’ll often find a problem. Most hard drives today get their power from the USB connector. You need to find a drive that plugs into a wall outlet or it won’t work. The USB connector on DISH receivers doesn’t supply enough current to power the drive.
The other thing you’ll need to know is that you need to tell DISH you’re doing this. In most cases there will be an additional fee added to your bill for it. If you’re paying for a receiver-only, and you’re getting DVR service, they have the right to charge you as if you had a DVR.
How to get this done easily
There’s good news here. If you are planning on upgrading to DVR service, all you need to do is call us. We are DISH Premier Local Retailers and we can do everything that DISH’s own call centers can. Our folks are experts and we’re located 100% in the USA, near Detroit. We’ll give you the best possible customer service. We’ll work with you to help you figure out exactly what you’ll need, and we’ll make sure your account is updated properly. Our satellite experts will take the time to explain every option, and we’ll even see if you qualify for discounts you didn’t know you could get!
Solid Signal is more than just a satellite TV operation. We do more marine and RV satellite activations than anyone in the world. We’ve been around for over 20 years, and we specialize in solving the hard problems.
Want to know more? Call the experts! The team at Signal Connect is here for you. We have trained technicians on hand ready to help. Whether it’s adding something to your existing account or starting a whole new line or service, we’re here for it. Home, business, vehicle… we can take care of it all.
Start by calling 888-233-7563 during East Coast business hours. We have full staff on hand at those times. You’ll reach an expert who will give you their direct line so you don’t have to go through phone trees again. It’s all part of what we do. If it’s after hours, no problem! All you need to do is fill out the form below. We’ll get right back to you!
