How do I make HD DVD from Dish Network HD DVR

You may want to try the HDTV Recorders section of AVS. Did you mean HD DVD as in HD DVD disc format? If so, then try the HD DVD Players section of AVS. If you meant HD DVD as in high definition disc format then try the Blu-ray Software section of AVS and see the sticky thread titled My Blu-Ray Movie Burning Experiences....

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That appears to be a standard DVD recorder therefore will not record in high-definition. Blu-ray can record in 1080i. Unfortunately, that would have to be done with a PC drive. In the US Blu-ray STB recorders are as scarce as hen's teeth, in Japan they are a common item. Click here to see a few models.

FWIW, there were two competing hi-def disc formats, they were Blu-ray and HD DVD. The HD DVD format was discontinued almost two years ago.

You can attach an external hard drive to dish dvrs.

But I don't know what you will do if its for a ppv or a vod rental beyond the 24 hr and 30 day viewing windows

The way I record of my 722K VIP is with this
Hauppauge 1212 HD-PVR High Definition Personal Video Recorder

unfortunately you are limited to component, and need a decent computer.

the 722K will not output hdmi, and component simultaneously so you have to hook up the TV via component pass through the 1212. It does a very decent job, however you have to use the primary tuner. So no watching something else while recording something.

OK so this is how it works based on the 1212, It can record only from the component output of the 722K, (This is the Analog hole that the studios and cable co's want to kill)
(722K) -> Component cable -> (1212 HD PVR) -> component cable -> TV * the component cable max resolution is 1080i (still Hidef).

The 1212 HD PVR connects to your laptop via USB.

You launch the PVR software on your laptop, You play the recorded sports event on the DVR, you can watch it on the TV (the 1212 passes the signal through), press record, on the laptop PVR software, and viola after the show is finished, and you press stop on the PVR software, and the DVR, you have the show recorded on your laptop in wonderful Hidef (Mpeg4 -AVC), You can now use a software like Nero, or Pinnacle studio, or the 1212 software to create a Blu-ray player playable HD DVD. Please note HD DVD is Hidef video recorded on a DVD disc, The only current HDvideo playing disc players are Blu-ray players. HDDVD has become an obsolete product. To make a truely hidef disc you need a Blu-ray burner, and blu-ray recordable media (currently $$$). Hope this helps.

the 1212 cannot record from hdmi sources, and the 722K will not output video over component when it senses the hdmi output attached to a TV, it automatically defaults to hdmi output, and stops component output. (yes this is a pain)

Recording digital streams from a Dish or DirecTV PVR is highly discouraged to say the least. I won't get into the legality but let's just say they have made it difficult.

Here are some options:

1) As outlined above the Hauppauge PVR works but must have a component analog input and re-compresses the video. This means a quality hit.

2) While there are some HDMI input cards on the market, they surely won't accept an HDCP encoded signal. And still you would have to re-compress.

3) While Dish does allow external hard drives, you can't decode the files for PC use. That would be a huge piracy hole. The files only playback through the STB that recorded them. AFAIK, you can't even plug your drive into another Dish STB and get playback.

4) You can always take the Svideo or Composite and upconvert to HD but this isn't really HD anymore.

5) Look up Nextcomm or R5000 in the HD recorders forum. This is a modification to the STB that does allow the raw MPEG4 data stream to be recorded on PC. Then it can be burned to DVD or BluRay. This is a complex setup and only for serious videophiles that will tolerate non user friendly system.

Seems like that would be an easier solution, unless you wanted it to be portable.

If the OP wanted to record OTA MPEG2 content, he or she could search for a program called PVRExplorer which would allow him or her to copy the MPEG2 HD programs off the hard drive. PVRExplorer doesn't work with MPEG4 files. Therefore, one needs a little more Linux knowledge to get those MPEG4 files off the hard drive.

Even after that, there's the lovely fun of taking the file and converting it to Blu-Ray (BD-9?), AVCHD or HD DVD (really 3x DVD) on a PC.

The files recorded on external USB drives connected to a Dish STB are heavily encrypted. They aren't open MPEG2 or MPEG4 files. There is no way the content providers would ever allow that.

How can the studios and networks dictate to Dish what hardware they offer? Simple, you either encrypt that to our satisfaction or we don't give you any programs or movies to run!

Would a slingbox solve the portability question? Able to watch your TV-dvr from any iphone, blackberry, etc..

Not HD . The only easy way to archive from dish DVR in HD is the 1212 HD PVR, or the Hava HD Platinum. Though the 1212 is a little easier. the Hava requires an aegis network driver. Needless to say I own a 1212, a pinnacle version of the Hava, a sony locationfree HD streamer, a HD Homerun, and an original Sasem Onair USB digital cable QAM / ATSC OTA tuner. currently I am using the locationfree to stream, the 1212 to record Dish, and the Onair / HD homerun to record OTA, and cable. What is interesting is the file sizes (the compression used)

I wasn't talking about the external drive. My instructions referred to the internal SATA drive.

even the most die hard ht fans are wary about breaking into a stb.

I'll be willing to bet that's encrypted as well. I know the first Tivos were easily hacked, I did it myself. But I think the manufactures have moved beyond that with HDTV content.

on Dish DVRs it is not. the internal storage is DRM free. However PVRexplorer only extracts SD currently, or HD on Bev boxes which uses Mpeg2 for compression. Dish uses mpeg4 (non standard), you need a good linux understanding to extract those files, but those are unencrypted as well. Not easy but not impossible.

Interesting! Any WEB sites I should look at for more info?

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/PVRExplorer/
lists the howtos