Hopper 3 and Joey Swap Feature Equivalent

[js0873]

Today I have Hopper 2s and some Joeys covering 5 TVs. I love being able to use the Swap feature, which I use a lot in 2 rooms. The Swap feature isn’t available on Joeys as far as I know. I’ve been told that I’d really benefit from having a Hopper3 vs. my Hopper2s, since the technology is better, changing channels is faster (my 2s lag a few seconds on a channel change), and so on. But I can’t have 2 Hopper3s. Dish won’t let me.

I need the Swap feature to be able to watch 2 channels, basically pausing one and watching something else, then coming back to the paused channel and resuming. I’d be fine with doing that on a Joey Multiview, as long as Multiview allows you to pick the channels it shows, and to pause one. I don’t know if it does though. On the latest Joeys, is there any way to pause a channel, watch something else, and come back to the paused channel later on, without having to record something?

 

[pattykay]

But I can’t have 2 Hopper3s. Dish won’t let me.

You can have two Hopper 3's if you purchase one of them. There is at least one Hopper 3 available for sale in the Classifieds section here at SatelliteGuys. Having a purchased Hopper 3 may actually lower your monthly bill, since the second receiver fee for a purchased Hopper 3 is only $5. Unless your existing second Hopper 2 is purchased, you are likely paying more than that now for a leased one.

No MultiView on Joeys, unfortunately, except the few Mosaic channels where Dish picks the channels are displayed, and they cannot be paused. The other option would be pausing a recording and resuming. Awhile back, many people here were having problems with resuming from Joeys with at least one of the software updates. So, I am not sure how reliable that functionality actually is.

 

[js0873]

You can have two Hopper 3's if you purchase one of them. There is at least one Hopper 3 available for sale in the Classifieds section here at SatelliteGuys. Having a purchased Hopper 3 may actually lower your monthly bill, since the second receiver fee for a purchased Hopper 3 is only $5. Unless your existing second Hopper 2 is purchased, you are likely paying more than that now for a leased one.

No MultiView on Joeys, unfortunately, except the few Mosaic channels where Dish picks the channels are displayed, and they cannot be paused. The other option would be pausing a recording and resuming. Awhile back, many people here were having problems with resuming from Joeys with at least one of the software updates. So, I am not sure how reliable that functionality actually is.

OK, so let me ask a few follow-up questions. Is the Hopper3 a lot faster in response than the 2? For example, does it change channels more more quickly and present guides faster, etc? If I've not got a problem with tuners and recording space, am I really gaining much by switching?

I've heard that a newer Joey 4 is coming out soon, maybe this month. Any chance it changes this at all?

 

[pattykay]

OK, so let me ask a few follow-up questions. Is the Hopper3 a lot faster in response than the 2? For example, does it change channels more more quickly and present guides faster, etc? If I've not got a problem with tuners and recording space, am I really gaining much by switching?

I've heard that a newer Joey 4 is coming out soon, maybe this month. Any chance it changes this at all?

I've never used a Hopper 2, so I can't do a direct comparison. I can say that my Hopper 3 responds much faster than either the Hopper Duo or Wally, both of which are newer models than the Hopper 2. As far as any other gains, Hopper 3 is more likely to get new apps before any of the other Hopper models, if the other Hoppers ever get them at all. Hopper 3 is the only model with the four-screen MultiView where you pick which channels are displayed. The main benefit of having a purchased Hopper (any model except Hopper Duo) is the lower monthly fees for purchased equipment. Adding a second Hopper 3 means more expense up-front (due to the requirement to purchase it) but you get that money back in equipment fee savings going forward.

I wouldn't expect the new Joey to come out this month. At some point in the near future, yes, but no definitive date nor any announcement about specific features yet.

 

[Jim5506]

The H3 is faster at displaying menus and guide info and slightly faster at changing channels but the big delay cause in changing channels is the assembling of the video stream which is inherently not instantaneous as it was with NTSC TV. Even OTA ATSC TV has an inherent delay because of the processing required to assemble the video frames in digital TV.
Side by side there may be an obvious speed difference but it is not a game changer - 16 tuners thats the game changer.