Question... Now that you have had your Hopper

[uponthemountain]

1. What are your favorite features on the Hopper/Joey?


PTAT - no more unresolvable conflicts!
AutoHop - Not having to pick up the remote, while doing other things, to get back to the show
Capacity - Not having to choose between things we want to record

2. What has been your biggest issues with the Hopper/Joey? (If you had install issues you can note them here as well.)


Not being able to see a Save Series Icon in the guide due to PTAT icons on every show.
The Search "feels" week. Need to be able to search for New/Premier on Movie channels
Being able to read the text/titles on the icons in the dvr list.

3. Besides upgrading to a new Hopper with Sling, have you had your Hopper/Joey replaced or had a service call placed? If you have what was the issue and how was it fixed?


No problems.

4. If you could change or add just ONE feature on the Hopper what would it be and why?


I would get a bigger TV so I could read the tiny text on the icons in the DVR list ( 1080i 40" at 8ish feet is just too small for our old eyes ). ... or ... a List View would be nice.

p.s. but thanks for the "we need a new tv" argument support! ;-)

 

[ScottChez]

1. That DLNA video streaming from my PC really works, even with Playon

2. I have Two Hoppers, hard to remember which Hopper has what recording on it

3. Yes, Cold Weather issue where if it got below 20 degrees the Duo Node had issue and some sats stopped working, Dish had to replace LNB due to known defect.

4. Option for Integrated Play List (DVR List) for those with Two Hoppers. (Give the Customer the choice to turn integration on or off via a menu option like what Directv Does today)

 

[DishSubLA]

Answers:
1. Multi-room viewing of all content (HD especially) with all the same UI and features at Joeys as at the Hopper (except PIP); PTAT; Autohop; Guide with logos; Tiles for DVR recordings list; OTA capability; PIP (available at Hopper only); Accessing additional Hopper from either Hopper or Joey; Weather Channel App for local weather;

2. At Hopper only, CC STILL will ONLY display on ONE of the tuners and not others. For example if CC appears on channel I'm viewing, and then I SWAP PIP, the other tuner will NOT display CC. This is a consistent PITA. Further, I MUST be tuned to the tuner displaying CC for the DVR recording to DISPLAY CC on playback. If it is on the other non-CC displaying tuner, the DVR recording will NOT display CC on playback either. The Joeys seem to display CC as it should;
ALSO, sometimes when just tuned to a channel, OR when skip back, the video will break up, and only way to fix is to tune to another channel and then tune back to the original tuner. This happens more often and is really a PITA because if I am watching DELAYED Live video, the fix will dump the buffer and I will have LOST a lot of the program; Also, no way to set a time for UPDATES (check another thread for reasons why this is PITA); Lastly, general bugginess such as inexplicable SLOW operations at times, unexpected reboots, or just won't respond at all as these behaviors occur too frequently.

3. No. No RMA's, or at least, not yet, but given how flaky one of our Hoppers can be, I almost expect to RMA any day. I hope not.

4. One more SAT tuner and ONE more OTA tuner. While there can never be too many tuners, 4 Sat tuners seems to be sweet spot compromise between just enough tuners for the customer to meet just about most households, it is also not so much to cause too much cost to manufacture while TWO OTA tuners addresses the reality of METV, THIS TV, Antenna TV, and COZI TV, MegaHertz World, PBS World, along with a few other available on OTA ONLY channels (except METV in SOME markets) where a customer may have a real need for two simultaneous OTA recordings, and this dovetails right into having EPG data for more OTA channels so that the additional OTA tuner can be of good use. PIP at Joey would be #2 wanted feature.

Let me say overall that I am very pleased with the Hopper system and would highly recommend it. I truly have no regrets getting rid of ViP's and upgrading to Hopper/Joeys. Congratulations to Echostar engineers! This really is the best DVR whole home solution out there today. I expect the engineers to fix most of the problems as time passes, as they have done in the past. I am optimistic. Good job, Dish.

 

[bosstulip]

1. I have one Hopper and two Joeys. I really enjoy the PTAT and the autohop features. Although I am about as quick using the skip feature on the remote as autohop. My autohop does not function until a day after a program was recorded. Would be great if it worked at least after the completion of a program.
2. No problem to speak of.
3. No
4. My desire for more enjoyment using the Hopper is as follows. I need more over the ota turners. One definitely helps, but one or two more would be great in my situation.
Where I live I cannot get HD programing on the PTAT channels. Only CBS network in my community broadcast in HD locally. The way I understand it is that Dish , using the Hopper,will not send the signal back in HD to the PTAT channels unless all four major networks are broadcasting in HD locally.
I believe Direct TV sends it's signal in HD regardless of local stations being HD capable. For this reason I really need more ota turners to get better quality recordings. I still have another year on my contract with Dish and will stay until my contract is up. I know it will probably be the down fall of Dish if I changed my TV network,(smile) but I might have to switch. I know I could get another Hopper or two , and get more OTAs but as you can read , I am challenged both by electronic and $$$$. My retirement checks will only go so far. Thanks Scott for starting this thread.

I

 

[jrp]

1. Multi-tuner, HD through the house.
2. Very infrequent reboots.
3. Also got the Sling Adapter. The first one died, but DISH sent out a new one quickly and without hassle.
4. I think I'd add a tuner (or two), though I've only butted against the tuner limit on extremely rare occasions.

 

[Slimmfatz]

Everything else is perfect to me, but these things are still annoying:
The ridiculous :29/:59 pixellation. Why can't that be fixed?
The fact that you can't change the update time.
Lack of bookmarking. Used that all the time on DTV.
Can't control shows while on the guide screen.
If you're watching a recorded show while it is still recording, you can't resume...you have to start all over. Rough for really long programs such as football or olympics coverage.

LOVE the Hopper though. I will never, ever switch back to DTV if they fix most of these easily fixable things.

 

[JR_Baas]

1. What are your favorite features on the Hopper/Joey?
PTAT

2. What has been your biggest issues with the Hopper/Joey? (If you had install issues you can note them here as well.)
No apps on first hopper installed.
Hopper seems slower than my 722
When bringing up the info screen on an OTA channel, the OTA channel pixlates.

3. Besides upgrading to a new Hopper with Sling, have you had your Hopper/Joey replaced or had a service call placed? If you have what was the issue and how was it fixed?
One hopper replaced because of problem with no apps.

4. If you could change or add just ONE feature on the Hopper what would it be and why?
More Hopper integration. Be able to set timers from one hopper on the other. Be able to pause live tv on one hopper and pick it up on the other.

 

[Barry Erick]

1-HD in more than just the main unit (joeys have HDMI) - PTAT & Auto Hop. Generally love it (until #2 came along)
2-New = Linking problems &**$^%#
3-Expect to have hopper replaced.
4-Don't have anything to change. Loved it up until yesterday when the linking problems to both joeys started.Joeys- external antenna ability (for those serving more than one tv from a joey).

 

[dwarren2]

If you're watching a recorded show while it is still recording, you can't resume...you have to start all over.

I may be wrong, but I would bet that the reason is that the software needs a bookmark as a reference point between the beginning and the end to do a resume.

 

[jackdemcak]

Last month I had Dish install 1 Hopper and 1 Joey. They replaced a 722 using HDMI connection for main TV and component connection for second TV.
1. Favorite Feature: 3 timers with independent viewing controls on two HD TVs.
2. Issues: No RESUME choice on the selection menu for a recorded program.
No ORIGINAL BROADCAST DATE on program guide info.
3. Problems: None other than learning curve for new user interface with a not up-to-date online user manual.
4. Change: Add a classic 722 user interface option for DVR and Program Listing operations. After 10 years of 722 conditioning, some family members struggle to master the new Hopper/Joey user interface.

 

[gilmoreisu]

1. Favorite Features: Large DVR, multiple tuners, HD in every room, quick navigation of the menus (mostly, sometimes guide response to a button push can be slow). Auto hop is great, unfortunately it is only with the PrimeTimeAnytime programs.
2. Biggest issues: My biggest issue is when watching live TV, it struggles to do a 10 second skip. Most of the time it goes 30 second back or more. Strange considering it worked on the old 722 I had.
3. I had to have my hopper replaced. My power went in and out several times over 20 minutes and rebooting all those times fried the HDD. I recommend to anyone where it seems like this is happening to just pull the plug and hope it survives.
4. ONE Feature Change: More tuners please!! Believe it or not, 3 isn't enough.

 

[Time_Shift]

1. Multi-room HD, Bigger HDD, PTAT, "Deleted Recordings" Folder
2. Various bugs/glitches, runs hot
3. No.
4. PBS on PTAT, "My Folders" to function like "Folders by Title"

 

[voripteth]

1. What are your favorite features on the Hopper/Joey?
PTAT since it eliminates most of my programming conflicts and gives me a chance to see shows I don't have timers set for.

2. What has been your biggest issues with the Hopper/Joey? (If you had install issues you can note them here as well.)
Unable to play movies recorded on external drive with a 722.
Trick play functions - (skip forward/back fast forward) often skip to unexpected places in playback.
DVR feels sluggish at times slowly responding to button presses until system is rebooted.
UI annoyances such as non-sticky channel guide filter and external drive selection. Single button for toggle of CC please!
Poor search features on program guide.

3. Besides upgrading to a new Hopper with Sling, have you had your Hopper/Joey replaced or had a service call placed? If you have what was the issue and how was it fixed?
No replacement required so far. I do not use Joey or sling units.

4. If you could change or add just ONE feature on the Hopper what would it be and why?
Improve the search functionality for programs. No limit to search results. Ability to search on review rating. Filter based on language (English / Spanish / etc) Filter based on HD or SD.

 

[calbbs]

1. What are your favorite features on the Hopper/Joey? -- PTAT and Autohop

2. What has been your biggest issues with the Hopper/Joey? (If you had install issues you can note them here as well.) -- Only issue I had was getting the wife to accept the UI changes. Once that happened she is a happy camper now.

3. Besides upgrading to a new Hopper with Sling, have you had your Hopper/Joey replaced or had a service call placed? If you have what was the issue and how was it fixed? -- After two weeks one of my two Hoppers had a hard drive problem and was replaced. That was seven months ago, no problems since(knock on wood).

4. If you could change or add just ONE feature on the Hopper what would it be and why? -- List view option for recorded shows.

 

[Centex]

I have had my hopper system since April of last year--2H3J.

1. What are your favorite features on the Hopper/Joey? I would have to say it it is split between PTAT, and whole home hard drive. I really like the ability to watch the same programming anywhere in the house
2. What has been your biggest issues with the Hopper/Joey? (If you had install issues you can note them here as well.) Occasional recording conflicts, particularly when PTAT is going and we are watching a football game on ESPN
3. Besides upgrading to a new Hopper with Sling, have you had your Hopper/Joey replaced or had a service call placed? If you have what was the issue and how was it fixed? Nothing has been replaced or fixed since the initial install.
4. If you could change or add just ONE feature on the Hopper what would it be and why? Tighter integration on a 2H system. Make a 2H system act as one DVR. Allow Hopper 1 to manage timers, conflicts, tuners, HD space, etc.

ETA: I love this system. When I first got a DVR, the tech said it would "change the way I watched TV". The Hopper system has changed it again. The PTAT allows us to discover new shows and watch High Def throughout the house. Thanks

 

[Cokeswigga]

1. What are your favorite features on the Hopper/Joey?

Hopper sharing

2. What has been your biggest issues with the Hopper/Joey? (If you had install issues you can note them here as well.)

my HDMI matrix switch does not handshake well with the hopper

3. Besides upgrading to a new Hopper with Sling, have you had your Hopper/Joey replaced or had a service call placed? If you have what was the issue and how was it fixed?

No service calls yet

4. If you could change or add just ONE feature on the Hopper what would it be and why?

CHange the RF Remote Antenna thread's back to the RG6 connector so I can extend the range of my remote... I have my hoppers located in a different room.
And make the handshaking work better

 

[Slimmfatz]

One additional thing I'd definitely change is I would NEVER have it ask if you want it to do an update when you're watching a recorded program. If they aren't going to change the update time (for some reason) at least let it be smart enough not to interrupt watching a RECORDED show with a giant dialog box. And then have it keep doing it over and over until you finally say yes.

We are both night owls so this happens to us every single night.

 

[shodobe]

I just had a Hpper and two joeys installed yesterday. I have to say the technician was very good at what he did. Install was flawless, his knowledge was exceptional and he even put booties on which pleased my wife. I love the fact that there is only one DVR which all can access and the HD seems to be a bit better than the 622 I had. I haven't had any problems as of yet with programming and such. It seems very easy if you look for the answers. The Hard Drive seems big enough for my needs even though I have a EHD. So far I have no complaints. Love the look of the guide and overall features. Still exploring all that is there.

 

[Barry Erick]

One week with the linking problem. Today they decide to send hardware. They originally told me it was a known software problem, but why, after 2 months working great, would it be.Same software as day one. Has to be hardware. This issue has brough be almost to tossing the system out. 2 yr committment or not.
Hopper/Joeys.... great concept. But too much at once for Dish? Seems to be. Software is not complete (Add one OT station.. coming soon.. have to scan all). Internet connection iffy. New software has the fix, but was halted for some reason.

 

[rickaren]

One additional thing I'd definitely change is I would NEVER have it ask if you want it to do an update when you're watching a recorded program. If they aren't going to change the update time (for some reason) at least let it be smart enough not to interrupt watching a RECORDED show with a giant dialog box. And then have it keep doing it over and over until you finally say yes.

We are both night owls so this happens to us every single night.

Same Here!