Forum Discussion

4huskers's avatar
4huskers
Explorer
Aug 23, 2014

Those of you with Tailgaters

I have a VP211z receiver that I bought with the Tailgater. What brand or type of hard drive are you all using to record programs? Thanks
  • The device you put into the 211k is formatted immediately. do not know about the z.
  • JohnG3 wrote:
    DOTLDaddy wrote:
    I have been using this thing for a couple of years now:

    Buffalo Ministation

    Mine is the 500gb version, and I have never even come close to filling it up. Of course, I also don't just keep recording stuff and never deleting it either. If you are one of those kind of people, it comes in a 1tb version as well.

    I like it because:
    1. It is small
    2. It is USB powered, hence no power cube to plug in
    3. It has never failed me
    4. Last but not least, it was inexpensive


    Will this work using an iPhone or iPad charging cube with the USB connection?

    I am not sure what your are asking here . . .

    Will it work on the home satellite/receiver to record programs/movies then taken to the RV for playback?

    Like the previous poster mentioned, whatever hard drive you use will be formatted for use only with the 211 receiver. I am 99% sure it cannot then be plugged into any other device for playback purposes.
  • sfischer wrote:
    ... but I believe my 211k advises to only use an external HD as a DVR which has an external power connection. No passing the power via USB....
    If that is what they recommend, then there are exceptions to the rule. The USB powered Buffalo Mini-station I have been using for two years would be one of those.

    I hate using devices that require those danged power cubes.
    :M
  • DOTLDaddy wrote:
    JohnG3 wrote:
    DOTLDaddy wrote:
    I have been using this thing for a couple of years now:

    Buffalo Ministation

    Mine is the 500gb version, and I have never even come close to filling it up. Of course, I also don't just keep recording stuff and never deleting it either. If you are one of those kind of people, it comes in a 1tb version as well.

    I like it because:
    1. It is small
    2. It is USB powered, hence no power cube to plug in
    3. It has never failed me
    4. Last but not least, it was inexpensive


    Will this work using an iPhone or iPad charging cube with the USB connection?

    I am not sure what your are asking here . . .

    The post above says the 211k or z box recommends NOT using a storage device that is powered by the 211 box USB connection. While clarifying my question I figured out why it doesn't make sense. You cannot hook up both the USB charging cube AND the usb connection to the 211 box.

    Will it work on the home satellite/receiver to record programs/movies then taken to the RV for playback?

    Like the previous poster mentioned, whatever hard drive you use will be formatted for use only with the 211 receiver. I am 99% sure it cannot then be plugged into any other device for playback purposes.


    So I have a VIP 211K at home and a 211z in the RV. If I were to plug the storage device into the 211K at home and record movies/programs, can I then take it to the RV and plug it into the 211z and watch the recorded movies while camping?
  • I have not heard of anyone doing this. You may have to test and tell us.
  • JohnG3 wrote:
    DOTLDaddy wrote:
    JohnG3 wrote:
    DOTLDaddy wrote:
    I have been using this thing for a couple of years now:

    Buffalo Ministation

    Mine is the 500gb version, and I have never even come close to filling it up. Of course, I also don't just keep recording stuff and never deleting it either. If you are one of those kind of people, it comes in a 1tb version as well.

    I like it because:
    1. It is small
    2. It is USB powered, hence no power cube to plug in
    3. It has never failed me
    4. Last but not least, it was inexpensive


    Will this work using an iPhone or iPad charging cube with the USB connection?

    I am not sure what your are asking here . . .

    The post above says the 211k or z box recommends NOT using a storage device that is powered by the 211 box USB connection. While clarifying my question I figured out why it doesn't make sense. You cannot hook up both the USB charging cube AND the usb connection to the 211 box.

    Will it work on the home satellite/receiver to record programs/movies then taken to the RV for playback?

    Like the previous poster mentioned, whatever hard drive you use will be formatted for use only with the 211 receiver. I am 99% sure it cannot then be plugged into any other device for playback purposes.


    So I have a VIP 211K at home and a 211z in the RV. If I were to plug the storage device into the 211K at home and record movies/programs, can I then take it to the RV and plug it into the 211z and watch the recorded movies while camping?


    I've tried this with our 211K and 1TB HD; it doesn't work!

    When the receiver formats the HD during its initial DVR setup, it encrypts the receiver's Electronic Serial Number (ESN) into the HD's Sector 0 (starting sector). If that ESN doesn't match the ESN on the receiver, it's "Game over"!
  • Kiwi_too wrote:
    The device you put into the 211k is formatted immediately. do not know about the z.


    Have the 500G Toshiba unit. The VIP211 (no suffix) would not read/format the drive. Called dish and for $40 they sent an update/upgrade so it will format/read the drive. Have not been to the trailer to hook it all up yet.

    The Toshiba did format with the 211k with DVR at home.

    Dish tech support did say to store anything you have on that remote drive to a source you can retreive it as formatting will erase everything on the protable drive.
  • We have a 211Z, a Tailgater and use a 2TB Seagate with its own power source and have to use the USB 2.0 connection. The 2.0 USB interface is required by Dish so make sure your hard drive handles 2.0. Ours is 2.0 and 3.0 compatible.
  • JohnG3 wrote:
    Kiwi_too wrote:
    The device you put into the 211k is formatted immediately. do not know about the z.


    Have the 500G Toshiba unit. The VIP211 (no suffix) would not read/format the drive. Called dish and for $40 they sent an update/upgrade so it will format/read the drive. Have not been to the trailer to hook it all up yet.

    The Toshiba did format with the 211k with DVR at home.

    Dish tech support did say to store anything you have on that remote drive to a source you can retreive it as formatting will erase everything on the protable drive.


    Yes. I am sorry. Assumed that you already had thed DVR program. It is a one time program fee.

About RV Must Haves

Have a product you cannot live without? Share it with the community!8,793 PostsLatest Activity: Aug 22, 2023