2 THINGS ABOUT HOPPER DRIVING ME CRAZY

[HighlanderCFH]

Hi,

If these two things have been covered in other threads, please forgive me.

I just returned to Dish Network after several years away with other services. I just had a hopper w/sling installed yesterday and found out two things, from the technician, that were not explained very well to me by the reps over the phone.

1- I had no idea that only ONE remote can work with the hopper (I guess they call it "pairing" now). I have the hopper in my basement family room and have the TV hard wired to several other TVs on my main floor. I had expected to acquire 3-4 remotes so I could have one in different places through the house to control the hopper downstairs. Sure beats remembering to carry the same remote throughout the house.

I was really surprised that it is physically impossible to mate more than one remote to the hopper or the joey (which is also in my basement family room).

Is there any way that some upgrade can be done in the future that would allow multiple remotes to be paired with the hopper?

2- I was also surprised that, if I disable the PrimeTime recording feature, it will not allow me to record additional channels at the same time. Whether or not the hopper is recording the prime time networks, you can still only record and/or watch three different channels.

Any idea how popular this PrimeTime feature has been for Dish? I have absolutely no use for today's prime time network programming, so I'm hoping that yet another future upgrade might allow a person to record 4 or 5 different live shows at the same time.

I guess I'm spoiled by the DirecTV Geni that I just cancelled. It allowed me to record 5-6 things at the same time. I used to do this on Dish with the old dual-tuner DVRs (had a couple of them) and had expected the hopper to have at least the same capability.

Anyway, thanks for listening to me rant.

Chuck

 

[n0qcu]

You can pair up to 8 remotes with rhe Hopper.


Sent from my iPad using Safari.

 

[HighlanderCFH]

That would be wonderful. I have a couple extra remotes that the installer left me with in case my existing one broke.

He told me that, if I try to pair one of them with the Hopper, it will automatically cancel out the first one. But it sounds like this may not be true if I can do this with those two extra ones. Then I would have three remotes that can control the Hopper.

Is there any trick involved in doing this without negating the first one?

Thanks much!
Chuck

 

[darrengs]

Yes as stated you can pair multiple remotes, just pair multiple remotes, there is no trick. I have 4 remotes paired to one of my Hoppers without any issues. In fact I have one in the basement that works fine controlling the Hopper 2 floors up.

You should have gotten a Super Joey and that would have added two more tuners.

 

[KAB]

You should have gotten a Super Joey and that would have added two more tuners.

Yep.

 

[Brussam]

Hi,

2- I was also surprised that, if I disable the PrimeTime recording feature, it will not allow me to record additional channels at the same time. Whether or not the hopper is recording the prime time networks, you can still only record and/or watch three different channels.

Any idea how popular this PrimeTime feature has been for Dish? I have absolutely no use for today's prime time network programming, so I'm hoping that yet another future upgrade might allow a person to record 4 or 5 different live shows at the same time.

Chuck

There are only three tuners in the Hopper. PTAT boosts that number to an apparent 6 tuners because it is receiving the 4 broadcast channels in a single data stream and then separated in the Hopper. I like PTAT a lot because it allows the recording of shows in the same time slot, often three or four.

 

[MikeD-C05]

Hit menu twice till you see the system info screen with software and linked joeys and you will see your remote controls. Hit the sat button on your remote control you want to pair and it will recognize it with a beep and then hit the sat button again on your remote control and it should show the new remote on your screen and you should be able to control the receiver with your second remote control .

 

[JSheridan]

Genie has 5 tuners and can record up to 5 things at a time.

Hopper & Super Joey has 5 tuners, which can record up to 5 of anything or 8 if 4 are the local networks.

Genie can have up to 4 remotes paired to it.

Hopper can have up to 8 remotes paired to it.

 

[boba]

Yes as stated you can pair multiple remotes, just pair multiple remotes, there is no trick. I have 4 remotes paired to one of my Hoppers without any issues. In fact I have one in the basement that works fine controlling the Hopper 2 floors up.

You should have gotten a Super Joey and that would have added two more tuners.

Before you ask as a new customer contact DIRT and they can help you to add the Super Joey.

 

[KaptainRandom]

My hopper with ptat off still records multiple 'big 4' programs simultaniously as one tuner...
Big 4...abc/cbs/fox/nbc

 

[thomasjk]

Yes. Multiple channels can be recorded at any time using only one tuner for the Big 4.

 

[rglore]

Joeys can also pair with multiple remotes.

 

[HighlanderCFH]

Before you ask as a new customer contact DIRT and they can help you to add the Super Joey.

A big THANK YOU to everyone who responded. I now have the two extra used remotes (left with me by the installer) paired with the Hopper, so I have a total of 3 now. Also glad to hear about the Super Joey. If it's not too much more expensive, I can check on this and add to my recording capacity.
Is there a way to ask DIRT about this?

Thanks again,
Chuck

 

[JSheridan]

A big THANK YOU to everyone who responded. I now have the two extra used remotes (left with me by the installer) paired with the Hopper, so I have a total of 3 now. Also glad to hear about the Super Joey. If it's not too much more expensive, I can check on this and add to my recording capacity.
Is there a way to ask DIRT about this?

Thanks again,
Chuck

Super Joeys cost $10 a month, regular Joeys are $7 a month, so if you replace a regular with a super it will only be $3 a month more.

 

[Bobby]

and yes, DIRT can assist you...

 

[Hall]

Also glad to hear about the Super Joey. If it's not too much more expensive, I can check on this and add to my recording capacity.
Is there a way to ask DIRT about this?

Since you're "activated" now, normal Dish CSRs will charge you to replace the Super Joey. You're under a 2-year contract and Dish has no incentive to give you free stuff (I don't mean that as a knock on Dish either). In this situation, even explaining the situation may not make a difference. People from DIRT can "bend" the rules though....

Go back to the main page and look for the "Helpers online now" box (it's location varies based on the theme you use for this site). Look for names in red that end in "@dishnetwork". As I'm typing this, none are online at the moment.