SatelliteGuys FIRST LOOK - DISH's Hopper and Joey

[isaacmorseMI]

Does remote timer setting work on the Hopper? I've seen complaints here about it not working consistently on the ViP models, but I don't know whether the problem lies in the receivers or in Dish's website.

Also, off topic, does the Sling Adapter use the receiver's LAN connection, or do you need a separate one?

It uses the reciever's LAN connection.

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[isaacmorseMI]

I currently have two 612 that I am thinking about upgrading to a hopper and a joey. Few Questions:
1. Will I be loosing one tuner from my current setup if I upgrade? (Max record two shows and watch one)
2. Will Dish Charge to ship back the 612s?
3. Will the monthy DVR fee be $17?
4. I currently have a Dish America package without the protection. Any tips to avoid the $99 fee?

Thanks.

1. Yes. The Hopper has 3 tuners, and two 612s gives you 4.
2. No. The technician will take them with them after the Hopper is installed.
3. Yes.
4. Add the protection plan and then remove it after 4 months.

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[ChetK]

1. Yes. The Hopper has 3 tuners, and two 612s gives you 4.

Here's something I don't understand: In all of the CES YouTube videos (including the video with Scott), the Dish dude says that PTAT only uses one of the three tuners. How is that possible? There's FOUR prime time channels. Can we record all four major networks PLUS two satellite networks simultaneously. While the Hopper and each Joey plays back one recorded show each?

 

[gregleg]

It works because it just dumps the entire transponder to the hard drive, then sorts out the data for the 4 major network channels upon playing it back.

 

[Scott Greczkowski]

It works because it just dumps the entire transponder to the hard drive, then sorts out the data for the 4 major network channels upon playing it back.

Bingo! That is how it works!

 

[mboron]

Thanks for the great review Scott. It will be a great upgrade for me since I'm not a "power user." I currently have just one 622 for the whole house.

 

[jbernardi]

Hi got my hopper and joeys installed today, and I have a question...or maybe a problem, when I go to search for a program to record, I get no results. Any ideas?? Is yours doing this? I called tech support and they had nothing. Just filled out a slip and said it should prob resolve itself in a few days...any help would be appreciated... LOVE it other than this!!!

This happened to me. I was puzzled until I noticed that the yellow button area on screen was set to My Recordings instead of All Media or Program Guide. Changed it to Program Guide and search worked properly.

 

[redantpile]

Hi got my hopper and joeys installed today, and I have a question...or maybe a problem, when I go to search for a program to record, I get no results. Any ideas?? Is yours doing this? I called tech support and they had nothing. Just filled out a slip and said it should prob resolve itself in a few days...any help would be appreciated... LOVE it other than this!!!

Mine is doing the same thing. I also cannot add a timer from the internet or the Ipad app. I can search and add timers from the Android app though. You might try that if you have an Android device.

 

[beardedbosn]

Thanks to Scott for the fine review/tutorial, thanks to the rest of the members for the great discussion, questions and the additional information they pulled out!!

 

[wdavidolipahant]

I am a recent subscriber to Dish. 3 weeks ago I was told that an upgrade to The Hopper was free and I would be notified by email when it was released. Today I noticed the Hopper was out now. So I called and was told it was 200 bucks to upgrade. Then I told him my story (free...) and he said it would be 100 bucks and he could do a $5 a month discount for 1 year. I said ok. He then said wait, it says it will be 300 or 400.... Longer story short; I love my Dish (compared to COX) but I am very frustrated that I was lied to. When I called to sign up (3 weeks ago) I was told they don't know when the Hopper is coming out, but it would be a free upgrade when it did. Sounded like a win/win. Bottom line is it will cost you 300 bucks plus 15 for and upgrade/install.

 

[Allamand]

Thanks to everyone's input in this thread, I called back to Dish and changed my upgrade to TWO Hoppers, for a cost of $100 for each. I now have a 722 and a 612 since Dec of 08 and figure the HD's should be going anytimne, so this is a good time to upgrade. Plus I never had the $6 warranty fee for the last four years, so that money pays for these Hoppers

 

[jacmyoung]

I am currently with DirecTV, have 4 HDDVRs and one HD24, support 5 HDTV sets, all networked. I need to add one more HDTV set in the house. It looks like DirecTV will never be able to provide Sling like capability, so am thinking about switching.

As a new Dish sub, I am trying to find out the cost of starting the service with a two-Hopper setup. Can anyone tell me what will be the inital cost, and monthly equipment/fees (excluding programming costs) with contract?

How many Joeys do I need, and can the two Hoppers be stacked, meaning can any one TV watch any one channel or recording from either one of the Hoppers at any given time?

Thanks!

 

[jbernardi]

Since the DIRT members are currently overwhelmed with work, you might do an online chat at Dish.com to ask what your cost would be with a new Dish subscription.

If all six TVs will be watching different programs at the same time, you would need two Hoppers and four Joeys.

Two Hoppers are not yet integrated - the Hoppers can not see each other, but you can link a Joey to either Hopper and relink as desired. Dish says the Hopper integration is their first priority to be completed with a software update, but no firm date is known.

 

[Ghpr13]

OK. I'm excited about the Hopper, but I do have a quick question. Right now I have a 722k. TV1 is is our main TV, TV2 is our son's TV. The problem I have is when both my son and I are recording programs at the same time, my wife gets all bent because she can't watch "live" TV. With the Hopper/Joey combo, would this solve my problem? Also, would it "future proof" me, if I get another TV for the wife?
BTW: Most of the time that both tuners on the 722k are recording at once, it's usually "Prime Time".
Thanks,
Ghpr13
Still in rehab

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[pe6o]

So I went to install my first Hopper and Joey in my sister in laws house today. 2 days ago attended the DNS training at our local hub. 5 hours later from a 2 room install and the joey will not display any video. The Hopper shows the joey (label Masterbedroom) in its list and the joey shows Home Theatre in its menu. No video. This after the Hopper booting and stating "error 80" smart card does not belong with this receiver. I called tech support and they walk me through the "software issue". Had to reset to default factory settings. Once I did the reset the hopper came to life. As instructed in training I went to the joey and install at that point. Connect the solo node and power on and follow the set up screen. Once I started the on screen help the joey would not go any further. Hours and hours later I gave up. It "searches for available Hopper" both or listed in each other menu as being available but wont access.
I am pro Dish and always will be, (I have both Dish, 922 and Directv, Hr24) but these roll outs are tough sometimes. They told us in training that the joey could take a few hours to activate. I probably wont be installing anymore until they can resolve the activation process. I cant afford to stand in a customers house for a few hours while the joey waits to be born.

1.Make sure you have 1k2 Ea 1k2Wa or Dpp500+ with a new 44 switch
2.Make sure you have two lines (cable has to be 3Ghz)from the lnbf to the solo node.Cable between the node and the Hopper also has to be 3Ghz.
3.Connect the node,the host line goes to the Hopper the Client line goes to the Joey
4.Connect the Hopper and download the software and activate!!!!Downloading the software and activating takes about 20-25 min.Do not do anything with the Joye.You can take it out from the box but do not plug the power cable or the coax cable.
5.When the Hopper is activated you will see the screen with the option to watch live tv then you go to the other room and connect the Joye.It will take about 10 minutes to download and activate.
6.Next time do not sleep in the DNS training and do not do any installs with 2 hoppers and 4 Joyes until you learn everything about the new system.

 

[isaacmorseMI]

OK. I'm excited about the Hopper, but I do have a quick question. Right now I have a 722k. TV1 is is our main TV, TV2 is our son's TV. The problem I have is when both my son and I are recording programs at the same time, my wife gets all bent because she can't watch "live" TV. With the Hopper/Joey combo, would this solve my problem? Also, would it "future proof" me, if I get another TV for the wife?
BTW: Most of the time that both tuners on the 722k are recording at once, it's usually "Prime Time".
Thanks,
Ghpr13
Still in rehab

Sent from my iPad using SatelliteGuys

Yes, because the Hopper has 3 tuners instead of 2. If your wife had an additional TV to watch on with a Joey attached I think that would make her happy.

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[n0qcu]

1.Make sure you have 1k2 Ea 1k2Wa or Dpp500+ with a new 44 switch
2.Make sure you have two lines (cable has to be 3Ghz)from the lnbf to the solo node.Cable between the node and the Hopper also has to be 3Ghz.
3.Connect the node,the host line goes to the Hopper the Client line goes to the Joey
4.Connect the Hopper and download the software and activate!!!!Downloading the software and activating takes about 20-25 min.Do not do anything with the Joye.You can take it out from the box but do not plug the power cable or the coax cable.
5.When the Hopper is activated you will see the screen with the option to watch live tv then you go to the other room and connect the Joye.It will take about 10 minutes to download and activate.
6.Next time do not sleep in the DNS training and do not do any installs with 2 hoppers and 4 Joyes until you learn everything about the new system.

The cable does NOT need to be 3GHz from the LNB only from the node to Hopper.

 

[jacmyoung]

Since the DIRT members are currently overwhelmed with work, you might do an online chat at Dish.com to ask what your cost would be with a new Dish subscription.

If all six TVs will be watching different programs at the same time, you would need two Hoppers and four Joeys.

Two Hoppers are not yet integrated - the Hoppers can not see each other, but you can link a Joey to either Hopper and relink as desired. Dish says the Hopper integration is their first priority to be completed with a software update, but no firm date is known.

Thanks, I called DISH, 2 Hoppers and 4 Joeys will cost me $453 upfront, including Sling service and the first month 250-channel programming, for a 2-year contract.

The one-Hopper 3-Joey setup is much less, only $117 startup including Sling and the first month 250-channel programming. But two other TVs will be left out. The CSR said after being a good sub for 6 months they might consider upgrade to another Hopper for a discount, is this true?

 

[n0qcu]

Thanks, I called DISH, 2 Hoppers and 4 Joeys will cost me $453 upfront, including Sling service and the first month 250-channel programming, for a 2-year contract.

The one-Hopper 3-Joey setup is much less, only $117 startup including Sling and the first month 250-channel programming. But two other TVs will be left out. The CSR said after being a good sub for 6 months they might consider upgrade to another Hopper for a discount, is this true?

If you read some of the threads here about outrages price for upgrades you'll see that it may cost you more rather than less to upgrade to a second Hopper later

 

[pe6o]

The cable does NOT need to be 3GHz from the LNB only from the node to Hopper.

Yes you are right ,Kevin thank you for the correction.I believe the only cables approved by Dish Network are 3Ghz and all cables in DNS department are 3Ghz.