Official - I have a Hopper 3 Thread!

[FilmMixer]

Do you really believe that DirecTV isn't throwing out detail with compression and then recreating it with their processing algorithms? The Hopper 3 with the latest technology and very fast processor, combined with the upscaling of your 4k TV is going to give you a superb picture. That's what I am seeing with my Hopper 3 and Samsung 4k TV (updated with the latest Evolution box). Take the plunge. DirecTV's boxes are not going to catch up for quite a while with the technology distraction from the merger with AT&T.

Where did I say Directv was transparent to the original source? Even OTA isn't... But I also know they aren't broadcasting in 1440x1080. You can't compare compression techniques wot delivery. Two completely different things.

You want to argue that throwing away 25% of the vertical resolution is solved by a "superior" box design? Once you transmit the signal in 4x3 HD it doesn't magically get reinstated by the H3....

Directv broadcasts 1920x1080.... And since they swriched to MPEG-4 years ago their HD quality has been really really good.

You keep telling me that the H3 will solve the issues is saw 2 years ago when I had a HWS....

Dish was soft. No questions about it. Went back to DTV and the Genie and the picture on HD was noticeably sharper.

Again. I'm not bashing Dish.... It's just the one thing holding me back.

 

[lparsons21]

If that is the one thing holding you back I would suggest that if it is at all possible in your area, go to a local dealer of both and see if they have a Genie and H3 connected up in their showroom. Barring that, possibly a friend has Dish with a Hopper 3 and a comparable TV to yours.

I'm currently using a Hopper 3 connected through a Denon S900W AVR in pass-through mode to a Sharp LC-70UH30 4K THX certified TV. The picture on all HD is anything but soft. In fact from my 11' viewing distance to the 70" screen shows in Dish's HD and 24Hz streams of 4K look nearly the same. If I crawl up to within about 5' of the screen I can see the differences, but it is still just damned good. As with Direct, it does vary a bit by channel and/or show.

Going on memory, the video I'm seeing now is at minimum every bit as good as anything DirecTV provided to my HR44 Genie when I had it, and I'm not unconvinced that it may even be better.

 

[patmurphey]

FilmMixer, Have you seen the output from the Hopper 3, it sure isn't soft? Scott has posted a few times that there isn't a difference worth worrying about between his side by side Dish and DirecTV pictures. In fact, Dish is better on some channels and DirecTV is better on others.

 

[lparsons21]

Further comments....

Currently I have a Tivo and cable sub on it. Mediacom's hd is 1280x1024 1080i just like Direct's. When I had the genie and tivo the HD PQ was exactly the same. When I switched to a Hopper w/Sling, the HDPQ on the Tivo was a little better. Now with the H3, the video is a wash. Virtually identical.

FWIW...

 

[kittycatblues]

Was it a USB 3.0 Hard drive? It's been reported elsewhere that the speed increase is dramatic with 3.0 to 3.0 USB.

Yes, it's a new Seagate 2 TB powered USB 3.0 hard drive (USB 2.0 compatible)

Unless you do a lot of DishAnywhere and watch shows that are on the EHD, I'd leave the stuff on the EHD. You can watch any of them directly off the EHD from Hopper and Joey locations.

I will do that for the rest of the recordings. Just wanted to test it out.

My USB 3.0 EHD on the 3.0 port is much faster than the HWS.

Maybe it is after all, it ended up transferring a lot more quickly than the estimated time it gave me.

 

[gadgtfreek]

If mine is in standby, it takes a sec before it gets to full speed and you get an accurate time.

 

[kittycatblues]

If mine is in standby, it takes a sec before it gets to full speed and you get an accurate time.

I watched it for a minute and it stabilized at 280 minutes (over 4.5 hours), but it was definitely done in under 2 hours.

ETA: Spoke too soon. I saw some of the recordings had transferred and thought it was done. It is still transferring with an hour left, and it has been about 2.5 hours so far.

 

[gadgtfreek]

I dunno. Mine does an OTA recording now in like 5 mins.

 

[mike1973]

Got mine today. Took a couple days with DIRT to get it all setup, install was a couple hours. He replaced the whole dish, not just the LNB. New interface will take some getting used to, trying to figure out how to restore my timers, I backed them up to the old remote and its paired but the long press for the system wizard doesn't do anything on the Hopper 3.

 

[Bobby]

Got mine today. Took a couple days with DIRT to get it all setup, install was a couple hours. He replaced the whole dish, not just the LNB. New interface will take some getting used to, trying to figure out how to restore my timers, I backed them up to the old remote and its paired but the long press for the system wizard doesn't do anything on the Hopper 3.

Press Menu twice to get to the Diagnostic screen. Now, press Sat. The remote will beep and you will see it come up on the Diagnostic screen. Next, from that same screen, drop down to Tools and Restore Settings.

 

[bmetelsky]

Loving my H3 this weekend, binge watching The Walking Dead, using the built in Netflix app.

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[anex80]

Where did I say Directv was transparent to the original source? Even OTA isn't... But I also know they aren't broadcasting in 1440x1080. You can't compare compression techniques wot delivery. Two completely different things.

I think the point is that the lost resolution with Dish is not noticeable considering the signal lost due to varying compressions and dated hardware. Perhaps the inferior PQ of old was more related to those factors all along.

 

[FilmMixer]

Thanks to all for their opinions... one more question.. and I know this probably isn't the thread, but it seems a well traveled place...

Have they added a screen saver on the DVR's yet? Hate having to worry about burn in on our plasma...

 

[lparsons21]

Dish has had a screen saver for years. When they go into standby it puts a moving set of text and graphics on the screen. I can't even remember when they didn't have one.


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[Bobby]

But, if you go to pause, it will lock that image until you unpause it...

 

[lparsons21]

But, if you go to pause, it will lock that image until you unpause it...

I didn't know that. But why would someone go to pause if it is in standby?

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[FilmMixer]

Dish has had a screen saver for years. When they go into standby it puts a moving set of text and graphics on the screen. I can't even remember when they didn't have one.


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But, if you go to pause, it will lock that image until you unpause it...

That's so unfortunate... at least have an option to put it into standby on pause after 5-10 minutes..

Follow up.. if you're watching a recorded show and it ends, will the boxes eventually return to live tv after a short amount of time.. again, for when someone falls asleep watching a show...

I know some might think it a "niche" feature, but for those of us with plasmas, and now OLED's coming into the mainstream, it seems like a weird oversight...

 

[FilmMixer]

I didn't know that. But why would someone go to pause if it is in standby?
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Ummm.. no one would... but we pause tv all the time for more than 5 minutes... when work calls, etc.... and again I ask if the box will just get stuck on screen at the end of a recorded show or revert to live tv after a short amount of time..

Again, not a knock on Dish... but Directv does both (screen saver after 3-5 minutes of pause, and reverts to live tv after a show has finished with no user input (at the end of watching a recorded show you get a Keep Or Delete message on screen.... if you ignore it, after a couple of minutes it just goes back to live tv....,) and I know it's saved my plasma some pain..

 

[ashutto20]

I don't think there is a screensaver if its paused... But if watching a recorded show and you fall asleep it will go to live tv... Just not sure how long before it does that

 

[electricianjoel]

Picture quality has been greatly improved IMO. A lot better than H2. I use 4K Joey for main TV which is a Samsung 4K unit. H3 on Samsung Plasma. Used to bug me on H2 Joey that PQ was so-so. Not any more