We have been on Dish Network for several years. A few years ago we added an external drive for the DVR. Recently, we were able to change our internet provider going from 3 Mbps to 30. Our plan is to use firesticks, paying for whatever we currently watch a decent amount and getting rid of Dish, which has become ridiculously expensive.

The only issue is the content we have saved on the DVR drive. Is there a way to connect this in some way so that we can keep and watch those things we can't find (or find for free) on the firesticks?

This was data saved through the Dish Network DVR software? Sounds like it might be hard to just plug and play something like that with another device.

posted by justincredible

This was data saved through the Dish Network DVR software? Sounds like it might be hard to just plug and play something like that with another device.

Yes. So you believe that it's probably saved in a proprietary format of some sort?

I would assume so. Have you tried plugging into a PC and exploring what the data structure looks like? Assuming it's a standard external USB you should be able to see what you're dealing with on a random computer.

posted by justincredible

I would assume so. Have you tried plugging into a PC and exploring what the data structure looks like? Assuming it's a standard external USB you should be able to see what you're dealing with on a random computer.

Haven't yet, we just got the upgrade to a reasonable internet speed the other day.

Here we go:

https://blog.solidsignal.com/tutorials/format-satellite-dvr-recordings-stored/#:~:text=The%20files%20on%20your%20DIRECTV,%2Dray%20disc%20files%2C%20really.

Looks like they are likely encrypted mp4 files that are tied directly to your dish device.

I would look at dvdfab.cn software. They have a free player that may be able to transpose the file.

There is no way that content isn’t encrypted. So it won’t just play. But, you might be able to find some free software to turn it into a standard format.

Or just go over to the darkside and download your content via torrent or other non-torrent sites.  Just make sure to use a VPN.

posted by queencitybuckeye

Haven't yet, we just got the upgrade to a reasonable internet speed the other day.

The fact that you think 30 mbs is reasonable internet speed is one of a multitude of reasons I would never move back home. This is not a knock on you, but more a knock on rural Ohio. 

posted by brutus161

The fact that you think 30 mbs is reasonable internet speed is one of a multitude of reasons I would never move back home. This is not a knock on you, but more a knock on rural Ohio. 

Not even just rural Ohio. My parents are 15 minutes from me. I have spectrum and they have a locally owned cable company that’s obviously the only one available to them. They pay $20 more a month for 50mbps than we do for 1G. 

if you have a firestick just download the cinema app and it has every tv show past and present.  

posted by brutus161

The fact that you think 30 mbs is reasonable internet speed is one of a multitude of reasons I would never move back home. This is not a knock on you, but more a knock on rural Ohio. 

To be fair, rural anywhere.