I put two hoppers at the same (main) location with their outputs feeding one TV through a switching A/V receiver. Two Joeys are at the other locations. This way the joeys see anything on either Hopper and either Hopper can display to the main TV location. After integration, one Joey will be going back to DISH.
Buyers remorse about getting 1 Hopper vs 2 Hoppers?
- Thread starter sparc
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This is also related to the thread I started about how the first Hopper commercial was misleading and will lead to issues with customers thinking they can actually record 6 things at once.
http://www.satelliteguys.us/hopper-zone/279945-hopper-commercial.html
http://www.satelliteguys.us/hopper-zone/279945-hopper-commercial.html
I just got a second hopper and an additional Joey from ups last night along with a duo node.
I am not going to hook it up until I return from vacation.
I am trying to figure the best way to hook it up, I am thinking of not plugging in the joeys when hooking up the duo node so that the second hopper can download its software then hook up the lines again to the joeys.
I am not going to hook it up until I return from vacation.
I am trying to figure the best way to hook it up, I am thinking of not plugging in the joeys when hooking up the duo node so that the second hopper can download its software then hook up the lines again to the joeys.
I am a newb, and 2nd Hopper should be installed in the next 90 minutes or so.
Why would you want/need to do this?
I was in the same boat. Everybody kept saying 3 was enough. But nope. They decided on this cheaper method of doing things with the nodes instead of doing something similar like SWM. Which in the end costs them more in time, cabling, installs, and most important, customers.
The hopper fiasco sold me on switching to another provider.
Just had a hopper replaced in my 2H system.
before the tech came, i unplugged the hic and joeys from power. The tech also had me unplug the coax from the joeys to be on the safe side.
After he left, i plugged the joeys and hic back in myself. (Figured i'd save him some time so he can get to his next job)
The first hopper was still left running the whole time. Everything running perfectly now and zero troubles. Just had to wait for that 2nd hopper to download like the original install.
I have a 2 Hopper/3 Joey setup and I couldn't imagine only having 1 Hopper. I think that anyone with 4 TVs or more should at least be offered a 2 Hopper setup when signing up. However, in Dish's defense the vast majority of people out there probably only need a one Hopper setup. I would be interested in seeing the number of subs with 1, 2, 3, 4 or more tuners on their accounts. I would bet most are in the 3 or less range and a 1 Hopper system would be fine for them. Remember most of the people here on Satguys are not in the norm want/need more.
digiblur said:
What I don't understand is, what fiasco? It's not like Dish limited it to one Hopper per account. If you need more tuners, you can get a second one. Hell, they're even offering three Hopper setups if needed.
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My $.02-
I have not had any problems with only having 3 tuners. We watch only 2 of the 3 tv's connected at the same time, and almost always watch DVR content. We are actually recording about twice as much as we were with our 722k, with no important events conflicting in the almost month that we've had our hopper. Not everybody is power-using like some are.
I have not had any problems with only having 3 tuners. We watch only 2 of the 3 tv's connected at the same time, and almost always watch DVR content. We are actually recording about twice as much as we were with our 722k, with no important events conflicting in the almost month that we've had our hopper. Not everybody is power-using like some are.
have fun with those price hikes. Installing the hopper system is way easier then the VIP system.
I was happy to pay $199 to get the system I wanted (2H/2J) rather than the 1H/3J they kept trying to push on me. I don't know why, but Dish seems very reluctant to configure a 2H/2J system. The DNS tech who installed mine agreed that a 1H/3J system doesn't make sense for a 4 TV household. He also said he had already run into customers who were surprised to learn they can't record 6 programs at once any time they want. Again, I don't understand why Dish is so adamant about the 1H/3J system and not more willing to let a customer configure the system they way that works best for them. Maybe it really is just a cost issue where customers will shy away from signing up if they have to pay $199 to get a useful system.
I said on an earlier thread that Dish was a "Day late and a dollar short" with the H/J. Dish's competition is coming out with 4, 5 and 6 tuner WHDVR solutions (as standard). Sure, you can get 6 or 9 tuners from Dish with multiple Hoppers. But you have to pay a lot more for them also. I think that the extra fees are what I really resent. DirectTV has extra tuners in their WHDVR client boxes (with no extra up front fees) to watch live tv if your dvr tuners are all busy. While with Dish you pay $100/$200 to get the same expierence. And with cable, there's no upfront equipment fees at all and no contract extension to upgrade equipment.
My take is when we first heard about the system DISH was pushing the whole home solution with Hoppers and Joeys and the new PTAT tech that would solve the WH viewing problem for a majority of its customers. At the time we were told that Hopper had 3 tuners and could support 3 Joeys (4 TVs) and if needed a second Hopper would add 3 more tuners with seemless integration. Then the arguments went back and forth about why DISH limited Hopper to 3 tuners, many said why put the money in the boxes for more tuners when a majority of DISH customers would never use it, a second Hopper could always be added. I believe early on Scott even said they were looking at the possiblity of a 6 tuner box if there was enough demand for it. Same arguments were made for lack of OTA integration and Sling IIRC (add it later coming soon). We were all drooling and then we got closer to launch and the announcement was made that Hoppers wouldn't integrate at launch and OTA would be coming later too. I think the biggest problem is that DISH CSR training (or lack thereof) and computer module setup seems to be geared toward limiting customers (new or upgrades) to 1 Hopper unless more than 4 TVs and makes it difficult to add second Hopper and that's where the buyer's remorse is coming from rather than having a CSR actually try to figure out the customers needs based on vieing habits and number of eyeballs in the household (2 people with 4 TVs is much different than 5 people with 4 TVS, yes?). Rather than pushing PTAT as panacea as they are (and I understand it is a marketing thing and DISH is gambling that it is) they should be giving the CSRs a card to read that says "You have ONLY 3 tuners 90 % of the time and the other 10% you have 2 tuners + 4 PTAT channels". As far as the cost for a second Hopper being a deal breaker for many customers: Too bad, you WANT it, you BUY it. At $200 for new customers and $100 for upgraders for a second Hopper, they're practically giving it away. Unless of course for some reason you don't qualify for upgrade price, that's another story.
Your reasoning about "If you want it, you pay for it" is logical, if Dish was the only game in town. But they aren't. At DirectTV, you can get a 5-tuner HR-34 with three client boxes (which also have built-in tuners) for half (or less than half if you read what some people were quoted) the upfront fees that a 2H/2J system has. One of my local cabelcos has the Arris 6-tuner WHDVR with no upfront costs. To be fair, the monthly fees are much higher with this system than what Dish and Direct charge for their respective WHDVR solutions. Although you can connect clear QAM devices to the service without any monthly stb fees. It seems to me that Dish has handicapped themselves by offering a 3-tuner WHDVR as the standard just so they can get some extra fees from the people who need more tuners.
If you are a new customer, then D* is cheaper to buy into an HR34 with 3 receivers than a 2 Hopper+2 Joey system. You will pay a little more in subscription fees, but it isn't a great amount.
But if you are an existing customer of D*, then the HR34 costs from free to $500 depending upon a lot of factors, no small one the Magic 8 Ball. Similar to what we are seeing with the E* upgrades to Hopper/Joey situation.
I think, but do not know, that some of the resistance from E* for a 2 Hopper and no Joeys, or some combo of less Joeys than Hoppers could very well be product availability constraints. But for new customers, one easy way to get that is to go through a retailer instead of E* directly. Costs are the same and it has been reported successful for many.
While I would normally not want a Hopper + 3 Joey setup, I can see where it could be more than good enough. And that is where the additional units are really not being used all that much. Like a bedroom TV for instance, or a kid's room where they watch incessantly the same Sponge Bob or whatever. Just noise, color and movement being good enough oft times.
But if you are an existing customer of D*, then the HR34 costs from free to $500 depending upon a lot of factors, no small one the Magic 8 Ball. Similar to what we are seeing with the E* upgrades to Hopper/Joey situation.
I think, but do not know, that some of the resistance from E* for a 2 Hopper and no Joeys, or some combo of less Joeys than Hoppers could very well be product availability constraints. But for new customers, one easy way to get that is to go through a retailer instead of E* directly. Costs are the same and it has been reported successful for many.
While I would normally not want a Hopper + 3 Joey setup, I can see where it could be more than good enough. And that is where the additional units are really not being used all that much. Like a bedroom TV for instance, or a kid's room where they watch incessantly the same Sponge Bob or whatever. Just noise, color and movement being good enough oft times.
