After a slow quiet summer, things are about to pick up for both satellite TV companies.

Dish Network will start rolling out its long awaited “USB External Storage” solution for its ViP622 MPEG4 High Definition DVR on Thursday. This USB External Storage solution will allow Dish Network customers to hook up an external USB hard drive to their ViP622 receiver and save content from their receiver to the external hard drive for later viewing. Dish Network will be charging a one-time $39.99 enabling fee for the service, and with the software going out on the 9th, customers will not be able to subscribe to this service until Aug. 15.(So those folks who have been waiting for this feature will need to wait just a little longer.) (http://www.multichannel.com/blog/350000435/post/560012856.html)

Would love to have this. I know Bell won't get it though.

Expansion is possible though:

http://www.digitalhome.ca/forum/showthread.php?t=31995

Looks like a Scott Greczkowski love in if you ask me. (The article)
And a few dissenters, just for balance.

How long will it last with MPAA and the like flexing their muscle?

Now that Echostar has the software working to add this feature, I don't see why Bell wouldn't include it when it rolls out the new receivers.

-Mike

Lots of Dish boxes have features that Bell either never implemented or did so after quite some time.

I don't believe the have taken advantage of the high end boxes 7 days EPG capabilities, how long has that been available?

And wasn't NBR/Searchable guide delayed for a while as well?

57,

It is possible to hook up a sata drive but it needs to be a very specific model number and they are very hard to find. It also requires opening up the box to get to the connector.

The USB option is simple and every drive should work of any size.

ARR,

Bell have not implented many features. USB is already active for the portable device E* have. NBR was delayed don't remember how long. It was available on the 5200 first. 7 day guide has been available for years.


Bell IMO is falling behind now in there claim to be the HD leader. If they started doing other things like mentioned above then maybe some attention from HD would be taken away. The more HD the better however some of these features would be awesome.

Apparently there is a upgrade fee you can pay to allow your receiver to accept any size USB drives so that it's storage can be infinite.

Something like $49 US as well as activate the ethernet port allowing for ON DEMAND service.

Now if something like this would only come to ExpressVu.

My bad...didn't know there was already a post on this....