Retailer Chat Recap - Oct 4, 2013

[Scott Greczkowski]

Welcome to another SatelliteGuys Retailer Chat Recap. As always we only report items which may be of interest to you the consumer.

Lets hope there is an update about ESPN on this edition.

And here we go its the retailer chat today with Blake and Brian.

Today they will be talking about Technology, Training, Marketing and Retail service.

They start off talking about programming contract renewals. They say they are unable to talk about them.

Talk moves to the Hopper. They say that the Hopper won another award at CEDIA, they show all the awards the Hopper has won including the SatelliteGuys Award.

Then they try to show a video of new features coming soon to the Hopper, but the video does not play... They talk about how the Hopper will integrate with the Control 4 Home Automation System.

The video now plays...

Some new features shown by Vivek Khemka include An improved On Demand Interface with "Smart Shelfs", Updated Search feature which splits searches up between TV shows, Movies and Channel names. HDMI-CEC which turns your TV on switches to the correct input and turns on the Hopper all by hitting the SAT button. New IP Channels are coming, DISH Kids, HBO and more. It puts on demand in the TV guide (I like this!) Plus DISH Explorer will soon work on the Joeys. Vivek is asked what they have for CES and Vivek says he does not think their CES announcement will disappoint.

 

[Tampa8]

MAKE THEM TALK ABOUT IT!!!

 

[Scott Greczkowski]

Two programming announcements today...
NBA League Pass for $189 Early Bird Speial. Price goes up to $199 on 11/5/2013
The other one is NHL Center Ice with an early bird special of $159.96 if you order by 10/31 or $167.96 after that.

 

[Scott Greczkowski]

We then go onto Retailer Announcements... I dont think there will be any Consumer related things mentioned here.

 

[Scott Greczkowski]

Still just talking retailer stuff..

 

[Scott Greczkowski]

Now talking about Training for retailers...

 

[Scott Greczkowski]

Looks like DISH got Apple to FINALLY allow them to advertise the Free iPad 2 as a Free iPad 2! Up until now, dealers had to pussyfoot around adveretising the free iPad. Now they can just come out and say it... I think that will be a good thing!

 

[Scott Greczkowski]

We are now taking questions and answers which means this chat is done.

Some interesting news on upcoming Hopper Features. I am looking forward to the HDMI-CEC and VOD in the guide features.

I honestly dont know how much more better they can make the Hopper.

 

[navychop]

Deleted. OBE.

 

[Scott Greczkowski]

Fixed.

 

[TheKrell]

I honestly dont know how much more better they can make the Hopper.

Well, now that you mention it... I would like to see full integration so that timers bridge Hoppers, or playback via sling from the EHD. I'd like to see Bluetooth on a Joey, too.

 

[whitewolf8214]

Thanks for covering this Scott!!

 

[MikeD-C05]

We are now taking questions and answers which means this chat is done.

Some interesting news on upcoming Hopper Features. I am looking forward to the HDMI-CEC and VOD in the guide features.

I honestly dont know how much more better they can make the Hopper.

What the hell is hdmi-cec?

 

[dennispap]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HDMI

Consumer Electronics Control (CEC) is an HDMI feature designed to allow the user to command and control up-to 15 CEC-enabled devices, that are connected through HDMI,[72][73] by using only one of their remote controls (for example by controlling a television set, set-top box, and DVD player using only the remote control of the TV).[74] CEC also allows for individual CEC-enabled devices to command and control each other without user intervention.[74][75][76][77][78][79][80]
It is a one-wire bidirectional serial bus that is based on the CENELEC standard AV.link protocol to perform remote control functions.[81] CEC wiring is mandatory, although implementation of CEC in a product is optional.[58] It was defined in HDMI Specification 1.0 and updated in HDMI 1.2, HDMI 1.2a and HDMI 1.3a (which added timer and audio commands to the bus).[74][82][83][84][85] USB to CEC Adapters exist that allow a computer to control CEC enabled devices.[86][87][88][89]
Trade names for CEC are Anynet+ (Samsung), Aquos Link (Sharp), BRAVIA Link and BRAVIA Sync (Sony), HDMI-CEC (Hitachi), E-link (AOC), Kuro Link (Pioneer), CE-Link and Regza Link (Toshiba), RIHD (Remote Interactive over HDMI) (Onkyo), RuncoLink (Runco International), SimpLink (LG), T-Link (ITT), HDAVI Control, EZ-Sync, VIERA Link (Panasonic), EasyLink (Philips), and NetCommand for HDMI (Mitsubishi).[90][91][92][93][94]

 

[dangue]

What the hell is hdmi-cec?

Turning on one component sends a signal via hdmi to turn on other components in your set up (tv to receiver in my case).

Sent from my iPhone using SatelliteGuys

 

[Scott Greczkowski]

It also turns the tv to the correct input.

So pushing one button turns on the receiver, the tv and changes the tv to the correct input.


Posted Via The SatelliteGuys Reader App!

 

[Bobby]

But will it turn off both the receiver and TV with one button?

 

[dishcomm]

Well, now that you mention it... I would like to see full integration so that timers bridge Hoppers, or playback via sling from the EHD. I'd like to see Bluetooth on a Joey, too.

Have a friend who's D* commitment ends in a few months.
He is thinking of going back to Dish..
His main concern is if in a two hopper setup, can the hoppers 'talk' to each other.
BY that I guess he means if a recording made on one hopper, can it be viewed on the other hopper on the account.
So? What's the word?

 

[dishcomm]

It also turns the tv to the correct input.

So pushing one button turns on the receiver, the tv and changes the tv to the correct input.


Posted Via The SatelliteGuys Reader App!

Ahh. The "Senior Citizen and technically challenged button"....

 

[rglore]

Have a friend who's D* commitment ends in a few months. He is thinking of going back to Dish.. His main concern is if in a two hopper setup, can the hoppers 'talk' to each other. BY that I guess he means if a recording made on one hopper, can it be viewed on the other hopper on the account. So? What's the word?

Yes, Joeys and Hoppers see all Hopper's recordings.