I think at this point, it is not so much about improving the Hopper 3, but rather seeing how many of the advanced Hopper 3 features can finally trickle down to being rolled out on the lower-model receivers, especially the Wally and Hopper Duo. If the hardware in those models cannot handle the additional features, then that is where the need comes in to come up with newer versions of those receivers to replace them.How would you improve the Hopper 3 (besides adding a red LED on the front)
For starters, how about making sure that all of the streaming apps are available at every receiver level? Apps like YouTube, YouTube Kids, and Amazon Prime should not be restricted to just the upper Hopper models. These are features that just about any "smart" device is expected to have, so there is no excuse for Dish not including these in their entry-level (cheaper) receivers.
It is also a shame that the Hopper 3 is the only receiver model that can handle 4K HDR. A need for a 4K HDR Joey has already been mentioned, and I would expand on that by suggesting a 4K HDR Wally (and even a 4K HDR Hopper Duo) should also be added as options. Not every subscriber wants to pay the full $15 monthly DVR fee just for access to some occasional bonus 4K content and a few streaming apps.
While I am mentioning a proposed new Hopper Duo, I think that including a larger hard drive (500 GB is microscopic by today's standards) and adding the full PTAT and AutoHop functionality would be a bare minimum as far as what features to add. Otherwise, why even call it a Hopper?