The main problem with DVRs (Digital Video Recorders) is that they eventually run out of storage. Thirty hours of high definition recording capability seems like a lot until you tape a few episodes of "LOST," "HEROES," "The Office" and maybe a high definition movie or two. Then suddenly, the recording time starts dwindling and you find yourself forced to catch up on your backlog of shows or risk having them deleted without being watched.

Sure, manufacturers can include larger and larger internal hard drives, but eventually you'll be faced with the necessity of deleting your favorite shows. DISH Network has found a simple but obvious solution to this dilemma: swappable external hard drives.

DISH Network's soon-to-be-released ViP722 HD DVR as well as its current ViP622 HD DVR will have their USB ports enabled later this Summer via a firmware upgrade. This will give the recorders the ability to record and playback high definition and standard definition content from their internal hard drives as well as from an external hard drive connected via USB.


Running out of hard drive space? No problem, pick up a 500 GB external hard drive, plug it in via USB, transfer over a few dozen episodes of "My Name is Earl" in High Def, and put it on your shelf. Find yourself in the mood for a little white trash humor a few months later? No problem, plug the drive back into the USB port and watch as much "Earl" as you can handle.

Also, unlike any other high definition PVRs currently on the market, the ViP622 and ViP722 both include three internal tuners - two satellite tuners that support SD or HD channels as well as a third ATSC (high definition) tuner to record HD and SD shows broadcast over the air. Who could possibly need three tuners? Well, "Survivor," "My Name is Earl" and "American Idol" are all on Thursday at 8:00 PM? Enough said?

The upcoming ViP722 DVR will offer an internal hard drive that supports up to 55 hours of HD recording (350 hours of SD recording) as compared to the current ViP622 which supports 30 hours of HD or 200 hours of SD recording. The 722 also offers support for High Definition Video On Demand, a feature which has not been fully defined yet by the provider, but seems pretty self-explanatory.

DISH Network also recently announced the addition of eight new regional sports networks in High Definition plus seven new national HD channels coming this month and next, expanding their already fairly extensive high definition package.

We expect to get our hands on a review sample of the new DVR shortly with the external drive feature enabled and when we do, you'll be able to read all about it here on Big Picture Big Sound.

Special Offers on DISH Network:

• Free ViP622 High Def DVR and Free Installation Plus Discounts on DISH Network's HD Service (New Subscribers Only)
• Free installation of up to 4 receivers in 4 rooms from DISH Network. Free HD DVR available to qualified new customers: GET IT NOW!

Updates: (7/18)

Based on the popularity of this article and the questions we've received over the past few days, we've gone back to our sources at DISH Network to clarify some details about the upgrade, which are covered in the following FAQ:

• Q: When will the external hard drive feature be available?
  A: Official Launch Date for the ViP722 and for the external HDD update for the 622 is August 15, 2007


• Q: Will there be any charge for existing customers to upgrade their 622 to use the external HDD option?
  A: There will be a one-time "per household" fee of $39.99 to upgrade either the ViP622 or ViP722 DVRs to use the external HDD option. This covers as many DVRs as are in the account/household.


• Q: Will the update be delivered over the satellite?
  A: Yes, as of 8/15/07


• Q: Are recordings on the external HDD "locked" to the specific account/DVR or can they be played back on other DISH Network DVRs?
  A: 8/7/07 update - In the initial release of the software, content recorded on one receiver can only be played back on that specific receiver. Attempting to play the content back on another box (even within the same household) may risk loss of content. Note that this is *not* what was initially announced but this information is current as of 8/7/07. This may change in the future such that content recorded on one PVR could be shareable within the same household on other PVRs.


• Q: What is the cost for the ViP722 DVR?
  A: The ViP722 will be free to new subscribers. Existing customers can upgrade from a ViP622 to a ViP722 for a fee ($199 DIY or $249 professionally installed).


• Q: With the upgrade, can you record directly onto the external HDD?
  A: No, recordings can be made to the internal HDD only, then may be moved to the external HDD. Recordings can be played back directly from an external HDD or transferred from external HDD to internal HDD.


• Q: Can a recording exist simultaneously on the internal and external HDD?
  A: No, a recorded program can only exist on one storage device (either internal HDD or external HDD)