Sanity check and advice for new install

[raul.foonman]

Hi,
Moving from RV to a house without wheels so I already have a Dish account and a Wally. Will be going with new equipment in the house. I'm cheap but picky. I wanted to go with a Hopper 3, but then learned about the disappointing $100 "upgrade" fee from Dish. So, I'm thinking of going with a Hopper with Sling to avoid the upgrade fee and then upgrading in the future after Dish removes this upgrade disincentive.

I plan to use splitters to mirror 2 tvs off of the Hopper and 2 tvs off of a Joey. I have some questions:

Does this make sense to get the most bang for the buck?

Which Joey goes with the Hopper with sling?

I've gotten used to the small 52.0 remotes; any problem using them with the Hopper?

The run from the Joey splitter will be long, what is the limit for HDMI cables?

Any recommendations for a good HDMI splitter?

If I buy the Joey, do I still have to pay a monthly fee to Dish?

Thanks so much!!

 

[glynnp]

Did you want a system that works or the "cheap but picky" option?

 

[DWS44]

Are you more "picky" or "cheap"? If you tend more towards the "picky" side, you may want to reconsider that reluctance to that upgrade fee, unless slow performance is not an issue for you. The H3 will be considerably faster in operation than the HWS, and if they give you Joey 1 models with the HWS...well...those things were dogs when they were first released. Getting an H3 also ensures you get Joey 2 models, which are a bit better performance-wise. The 52 remote works fine with ALL of the Hopper and Joey models. Lastly, yes, you pay the same monthly fees for all Dish receivers regardless of whether owned or leased.

 

[ChadT41]

The fee is an active outlet fee. It's the same whether you own or lease the receiver.

The 52.0 works just fine.

You may be better off just getting the H3 now.

 

[charlesrshell]

Think of a Hopper 3 as an early Xmas gift for yourself. I bet your whole family will be much happier with a Hopper 3 system.

 

[ncted]

Have you tried contacting a DIRT member to see if they can "help" you with that upgrade fee?

 

[kwindrem]

The run from the Joey splitter will be long, what is the limit for HDMI cables?

It depends on the cable construction and the bandwidth of the signal (e.g., HD vs UHD (aka 4K) as well as bit depth). Monoprice and RUIPRO sell cables that work up to 18 Gb/s and 50-100' but are expensive ($230 for a 100' RUIPRO).

For lower bandwidths, lower cost cables may work but your experience may vary from manufacturer's claims.

Any recommendations for a good HDMI splitter?

Splitting HDMI can be tricky even with the best splitter. Both TVs need to be capable of the same bandwidth. If they are not, the signal will be the lowest common denominator or worse no signal on the TV with lower capabilities. Since most material off Dish is HD, you should be OK. It's when you get into UHD content that could cause issues.

 

[Jim5506]

I have been using a powered HDMI splitter from MonoPrice.com for several years now with no problems at all.

I once had a 4X1 HDMIswitch that went bad about a month out of warranty and they replaced it anyway.

My splitter feeds an HDFury connected to a Sony D50 1080i projector and a Sanyo 720p HDTV, never have had any problems.

 

[Tampa8]

Keep in mind no matter how you structure it you only will have three tuners. If you are only getting one Hopper consider a little more getting the Hopper 3. While I like my VIP receivers just fine if I was getting one Hopper it would be the 3 with no question. I mention one Hopper because I like a little redundancy so I don't lose all service when/if a receiver goes down. I would consider two Hopper 2's instead of a Hopper 3 for that reason.

 

[raul.foonman]

Thanks so much for all of your help. I'll probably end up with the H3 based upon all of the advice here.

 

[ChadT41]

Keep in mind no matter how you structure it you only will have three tuners. If you are only getting one Hopper consider a little more getting the Hopper 3. While I like my VIP receivers just fine if I was getting one Hopper it would be the 3 with no question. I mention one Hopper because I like a little redundancy so I don't lose all service when/if a receiver goes down. I would consider two Hopper 2's instead of a Hopper 3 for that reason.

Now you can just do 2 Hopper3's.

 

[Tampa8]

Now you can just do 2 Hopper3's.

True but he doesn't want to pay $100 for one so I am guessing he isn't going to pay even more for two.

 

[comfortably_numb]

I didn't pay anything for my Hopper 3 upgrade. It might depend on how close you are to the end of your contract..

Some folks here swear it's based on credit, but Dish only pulled my credit once and that was when I initially signed up. Maybe it has to do with how well you're performed with them since you started your service.

 

[Tampa8]

I didn't pay anything for my Hopper 3 upgrade. It might depend on how close you are to the end of your contract..

Some folks here swear it's based on credit, but Dish only pulled my credit once and that was when I initially signed up. Maybe it has to do with how well you're performed with them since you started your service.

Certainly does play a role.

 

[raul.foonman]

I've been a good boy...

 

[KAB]

I didn't pay anything for my Hopper 3 upgrade. It might depend on how close you are to the end of your contract..

Some folks here swear it's based on credit, but Dish only pulled my credit once and that was when I initially signed up. Maybe it has to do with how well you're performed with them since you started your service.

Seniority, in terms of how long you've been a sub is a BIG, BIG factor...free upgrades, shipping, service calls without being on monthly equipment service plan.

 

[Claude Greiner]

Dude just pay the $100. It's worth it

 

[ChadT41]

Dude just pay the $100. It's worth it

That's the nicest thing you have said about Dish...

 

[charlesrshell]

That's the nicest thing you have said about Dish...

I bet he has a H3 in the closet!

 

[KAB]

I bet he has a H3 in the closet!

Maybe two!