How to Transfer Data From a 625 DVR to a PC
By Eoghan McCloskey
Dish Network DVRs offer a number of convenient features such as multi-tuner capability, HD recording, and a sizable hard drive for saving recorded programs. Another convenient feature offered by many Dish DVRs like the 625 is USB support for connecting an external storage device such as an external hard drive. This allows you to dump recorded programs to an external drive to free up space on your 625 receiver. The 625 uses a very simple connection and download process, so you can start taking advantage of this handy feature in a matter of minutes.
Step 1
Contact Dish Network and add the EHD (external hard drive) fee to your account. Dish assesses a charge for unlocking the USB ports on their receivers, so until you pay this fee, the USB port will not recognize anything plugged into it. Once the EHD charge has been added to your account, you are ready to proceed.
Step 2
Attach the USB cable from the hard drive to the USB port on the back panel of the 625 receiver, located on the right side of the 625's back panel.
Step 3
Format the external drive if prompted to do so. If this is the first time you have plugged this drive into the 625 receiver, you will be prompted to reformat it. Understand that formatting the drive will erase any data currently saved on it, so it is always best to use a blank hard drive for this purpose. Once complete, you should see a popup window advising that the drive was successfully formatted.
Step 4
Follow the on-screen prompts to download DVR data onto the external hard drive. Once you have copied everything off the 625 receiver that you want to save to the drive, you are ready to disconnect the drive.
Step 5
Power down the 625 receiver completely using the front panel power button, and then disconnect the external hard drive.
Step 6
Plug the external drive into a USB port on your computer. A popup window should recognize the USB connection. You can now transfer information off the external drive and save it to your PC.
Writer Bio
Eoghan McCloskey is a technical support representative and part-time musician who holds Bachelor of Arts degrees in English and political science from Texas State University. While at Texas State, McCloskey worked as a writing tutor at the Texas State Writing Center, proofreading and editing everything from freshman book reports to graduate theses.