722 to which Hopper?

[bamafamily]

Hey all,
Been a DISH customer for 15+ years....Started with a VIP622 and upgraded once to my current VIP722...(not on any contract)
Thinking of moving to some type of Hopper but need some help deciding.....Looking for the least change to my bill.....

What I have: One TV (non 4K) that uses VIP722 DVR, 3 Tuners(includes OTA), and now defunct Sling.
Currently paying: $107 ($88 Top 200, $12 Local Channels, $7 Loyal Customer DVR fee)

What I want: Same TV (non 4k..yet) that uses HopperXX, minimum 5 tuners (including or plus OTA), Sling/DishAnywhere capability, very close to same monthly price....

All help is greatly appreciated.....oh, and I turned 55 this year so if that gets me any entitlements, I am not too proud to take those either..

thx
Bama

 

[HipKat]

Hey all,
Been a DISH customer for 15+ years....Started with a VIP622 and upgraded once to my current VIP722...(not on any contract)
Thinking of moving to some type of Hopper but need some help deciding.....Looking for the least change to my bill.....

What I have: One TV (non 4K) that uses VIP722 DVR, 3 Tuners(includes OTA), and now defunct Sling.
Currently paying: $107 ($88 Top 200, $12 Local Channels, $7 Loyal Customer DVR fee)

What I want: Same TV (non 4k..yet) that uses HopperXX, minimum 5 tuners (including or plus OTA), Sling/DishAnywhere capability, very close to same monthly price....

All help is greatly appreciated.....oh, and I turned 55 this year so if that gets me any entitlements, I am not too proud to take those either..

thx
Bama

The only answer, if you plan on recording, is the Hopper 3. No reason to take an older, slower model with less features

 

[TheKrell]

I think with only one TV, Dish will want to upgrade you to the Hopper Duo which has only 2 sat tuners and (with the extra cost dongle) 2 OTA tuners. The old/original Hopper2K (don't get that!) and the Hopper w/Sling have 3 sat tuners. So with the OTA dongle, those would give you 5 tuners. The only ways you can get more than 3 sat tuners is with the Hopper3 (16) or more than one Hopper.

If I were you, I'd buy a 4K TV and try for the H3.

 

[bamafamily]

thx HipKat and TheKrell ...
In looking at my monthly fee, the only thing I would incur with an H3 is adding $8 for the DVR fee....(plus the $50 outlay for the USB OTA....)
Sound about right?

 

[TheKrell]

Do not waste $50 (or $60?) for the black Dish tuner. Buy a white dual-tuner dongle from AirTV for $30. Same guts.

 

[pattykay]

thx HipKat and TheKrell ...
In looking at my monthly fee, the only thing I would incur with an H3 is adding $8 for the DVR fee....(plus the $50 outlay for the USB OTA....)
Sound about right?

I can save you money on the dual-tuner OTA dongle. I have the newest Dish-branded Lark model (same internal components as the AirTV model, but in a black case, as TheKrell mentioned above) that I recently offered to another member here for less than the price of a new AirTV dongle. That member declined my offer, so I will offer you the same deal.

As far as the DVR fee, the Hopper Duo is the only model with a $10 per month DVR fee. All other Hoppers have a $15 per month fee. Depending on how much recording you do on the local broadcast networks, a Hopper Duo may still suit your needs, even with only two satellite tuners. Hopper Duo has the ability (similar to other Hoppers) to record the four major broadcast networks (ABC, CBS, NBC, Fox) using only one satellite tuner. This means that you could be recording five things at once, using only the two satellite tuners. By adding the dual-tuner OTA dongle, you could be recording seven channels at the same time. That is not bad for a "budget" DVR, and it is certainly an upgrade from your current 722.

Having said that, the drawback of the Hopper Duo is that it is not compatible with Sling or Dish Anywhere, so it all comes down to how important those features are to you.

 

[bamafamily]

thanks for the information all.....In an effort to "future-proof" my still TBD setup over the next 6 months, I think I will end up going with just the Hopper3.
crodrules While I appreciate your offer, I have decided that the OTA would not be necessary with 16 tuners....
Can I assume the best method of upgrading is to call directly into DISH??? or via Chat??? Anything else I might be able to get as a long time customer at the venerable age of 55??

 

[pattykay]

thanks for the information all.....In an effort to "future-proof" my still TBD setup over the next 6 months, I think I will end up going with just the Hopper3.
crodrules While I appreciate your offer, I have decided that the OTA would not be necessary with 16 tuners....
Can I assume the best method of upgrading is to call directly into DISH??? or via Chat??? Anything else I might be able to get as a long time customer at the venerable age of 55??

Since you are likely doing a two-year commitment anyway to get the upgrade to the Hopper 3, be sure to ask about the Preferred Customer Offer. This deal would lower the price of your Top 200 package by $15 per month. (This also requires you to sign up for AutoPay, if you do not have AutoPay already, to qualify for $5 per month of that total $15 discount.) The new price will be locked in for two years, with a two-year commitment. This commitment covers the same time period as the commitment required for the equipment upgrade, so it is still a total commitment of only two years, not four years.