Ext. Hard Drive--can I migrate from Dish use?

[bookwalk]

I currently use a 500 g Western Digital My Book Essentials with USB connector with my 622 HD DVR. If I switched to D* and the Hd 20-700 (or whatever it's called), could I use the ext. drive with this new D* setup?

 

[monetnj]

I'm not certain, but I think the answer is no. The HR20 uses esata drives, not usb ones.

 

[byron!]

well, eSATA drives can have USB connectors on the back.... however, if it isn't an eSATA drive.... it won't work with the HR20/HR21.

 

[Smith P.]

eSATA never been a drive, but a connector.

Some enclosures have both USB and eSATA - so that one is OK.
And disk interface doesn't matter too if the box have eSATA connector to a host.

 

[bookwalk]

I'm not certain, but I think the answer is no. The HR20 uses esata drives, not usb ones.

How do I check if My Book is eSATA? I don't think there's any other connector than the USB on the back? I imagine I could use it for backup to my laptop and get another ext hd that IS eSATA.

Too bad there's not a way to salvage the movies saved. I suppose I would have to either get a hd-tv tuner card/hd-dvd burner and capture the recorded movies from the 622/et. hd & burn to dvd OR use the new Toshiba hd-dvd recorder that records to regular blank dvd's.

But no way to ever txfr to D*'s HD receiver or ext hd?

 

[gadgtfreek]

Open the case and see if you have a connection on the drive.

If you do buy a new drive, Ive had a Seagate FreeAgent Pro for a couple of weeks, has been working great.

 

[aramus8]

But no way to ever txfr to D*'s HD receiver or ext hd?

At present, you can't transfer recorded programs from one HR20 to another and I don't foresee ever being able to transfer from an E* box to a D* box. As much as the networks rerun everything, I suspect you could get most of your programs back by just rerecording them when you go to D*. Count on more reruns than ever now that the writer's strike is here.