Transfer your DISH DVR recordings: The ultimate guide to offline mobile viewing

Step-by-step: How to transfer a DISH recording to your phone

Transferring DVR recordings to your mobile device is simple once you know the process. Here’s how to do it from start to finish.

Pre-transfer checklist (must be done at home)

Confirm your Hopper DVR is connected to your home internet. The transfer requires your DVR to be online and communicating with your app.

1. Ensure your mobile device is connected to the same home Wi-Fi network. Both devices must be on the same network for the transfer to work.
2. Log in to the DISH Anywhere app. Use your DISH credentials to sign in so the app can access your DVR recordings.

Initiating the transfer in the DISH Anywhere app

1. Open the DISH Anywhere app on your mobile device.
2. Select DVR from the main menu.
3. Choose Recordings (or PrimeTime Anytime) to see your full list of available shows.
4. Tap the show or movie you want to move, then select the specific episode.
5. Tap the Transfer icon or button.
6. Confirm the transfer when prompted. Your recording will now begin transferring to your device.

Monitoring your transfer status

1. From the app menu, select More.
2. Tap Transfers.
3. Switch to the My Queue tab to watch your transfer’s progress bar fill up.
4. Once complete, the recording will move to the My Videos tab, ready for offline viewing.

Once your show appears in My Videos, you’re all set—it’s officially on your device and you can watch anywhere, even 35,000 feet in the air.

Essential prerequisites and compatibility

Before transferring your DVR recordings, confirm that your setup meets DISH’s compatibility requirements.

Compatible Hopper DVR models

To transfer DVR recordings, you’ll need either a Hopper with Sling or a Hopper 3. These models include Sling technology, which encodes and pushes your selected DVR recording to your phone or tablet through your home network. Older Hopper models without Sling capability won’t support mobile transfers.

Transfer speed and data usage

Transfers use your home Wi-Fi, not your mobile data plan, so you won’t have to worry about using up your carrier data or paying for extra bandwidth.

Transfer times vary depending on your network speed and the length of the recording. With a strong home Wi-Fi connection, a 30-minute HD show usually transfers in under 5 minutes. Larger files or weaker Wi-Fi may take longer, so it’s best to start transfers before heading out the door.

Advanced tips and troubleshooting

Even the smoothest setup can occasionally run into hiccups. Here are a few expert-level fixes and insights to make sure your DVR transfers work every time.

Fix: Recording stuck or not transferring

If your recording seems frozen or won’t start transferring, your Hopper DVR may need a quick refresh. Go to your Hopper’s Timer settings, find the specific show’s timer, and confirm that “Prepare for Mobile” is enabled. Save the setting, then try your transfer again.

This small step tells your Hopper to ready the file for encoding and can solve the most common transfer issues.

Downloading vs. transferring: A critical distinction

It’s important to know that transferring a recording is different from downloading one.

• Transferring sends a DVR recording stored on your Hopper directly to your device through your home network.
• Downloading, on the other hand, usually refers to getting select Video On Demand or purchased titles from the DISH Anywhere app—these aren’t tied to your DVR.

So if you’re asking, “How can I watch my DISH recorded shows on my phone?”—the answer is to transfer, not download.

Maximizing your storage

Transferred recordings can take up a good amount of space on your mobile device. Once you’ve finished watching a show, go to the My Videos tab in your DISH Anywhere app and delete the episode to free up space for new transfers. These steps won’t remove the recording from your Hopper DVR, so you’ll still have the complete library at home.