Scott's Hopper Thoughts

[Tampa8]

I understand those that have a 722 with an SD output pay would pay more. That's only one configuration however and does not address having HD at the second TV. If the 722 does what you want, if you are happy with the economic way of watching a second TV, why would you consider a Hopper? Hopper is meant to address getting HD to many TV's. What about the many who have two receivers right now? The hopper set-up is in line with what you would be paying. (I pay $10 for the second TV, I would pay about the same including the $4 whole home fee, and even if that second TV was a Hopper other than the cost of getting a second one, I am getting all the features of the new system, same price as now with more tuners etc..) My point is to keep dwelling on one set-up - with SD for the second TV does not do the Hopper justice... There are plenty of people who the Hopper is aimed at who will not pay more, and could pay less with a third TV.....

 

[CubsWin]

Again a Hopper should come with 1 Joey STANDARD at no extra cost for that Joey.

I agree, and it sounds like most others do as well, but what are the chances that Dish would actually reconsider their pricing decision? Once they start putting that $7 in their pockets, I can't imagine them ever giving it back.

 

[JM42]

I agree, and it sounds like most others do as well, but what are the chances that Dish would actually reconsider their pricing decision? Once they start putting that $7 in their pockets, I can't imagine them ever giving it back.

I have to agree. They may play with the idea via a quarterly promo at some point, but I would be surprised if there was any sort of flat reversal.

 

[dare2be]

I understand those that have a 722 with an SD output pay would pay more. That's only one configuration however and does not address having HD at the second TV. If the 722 does what you want, if you are happy with the economic way of watching a second TV, why would you consider a Hopper? Hopper is meant to address getting HD to many TV's.

There is a serious divide in thinking here between 2 camps: The "HD" folk, and the "DVR" folk. To me, "Whole Home DVR" is just that, a central DVR for all TVs. It's not called "Whole Home HD"

The only way to currently get a whole home single DVR accessible by all TVs in a household is limit yourself to 2 TVs on a dual-tuner ViP DVR. The people who have more than 1 receiver right now, do not have a whole home DVR, so their comparisons to the new Hopper system are apples and oranges. I am considering a Hopper because I have a whole home DVR limited to 2 TVs, and now I can expand that to 3 or more TVs.

(For someone who got tired of all the noise we've been making, why do you keep bringing it up? )

 

[steve4810]

I agree, and it sounds like most others do as well, but what are the chances that Dish would actually reconsider their pricing decision? Once they start putting that $7 in their pockets, I can't imagine them ever giving it back.

But they can do that at with rebates for good customers any time they want. Just turn the rebate for a promotion and shut it down when it's over No official price changes but customers Dish wants to get or wants to keep get the good deal, if their timing is right (or they read SatelliteGuys).

 

[TheKrell]

I have a minor quibble with Scott's post. If I buy a $99 2TB disk then I own it and I get to keep it forever, repurpose it, clean the cat box with it... Whatever! If I spend $99 for a Hopper, though that sounds like a good deal at first, (1) I don't get to keep it since it's not mine and (2) I still get socked with a commitment! (3) And we pay a substantial fee for the hardware plus (4) another substantial fee for the installation.

IMHO hardware subsidies understandably come with commitments, while leased equipments should not. Now I agree with an installation fee, but what's that fee for somebody else's receiver?

 

[dare2be]

Krell, when you lease a car, you can have a $399/mo lease with $0 down, or $299/mo with $2500 down.

Think of the Hopper lease as $99 down, $7 a month, instead of $0 down and $14/mo.

 

[tomcrown1]

Directv won't do that because they are moving toward the same solutuion. I would be shocked if Directv does not start charging an up front fee for additional sat receivers once the RVU boxes come out.

I thought the current solution from Direct is the RVU box which is the HR35. Aim I missing something?

I have read that Direct Tv will come out with their version of a Joey box that will have a build in turner.




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[JM42]

IMHO hardware subsidies understandably come with commitments, while leased equipments should not. Now I agree with an installation fee, but what's that fee for somebody else's receiver?

It's a "lease upgrade" fee. It's like going from an civic to an acord and paying the difference up front. If they didn't collect it up front, they would on the back end. We'd go from a $7 lease fee to a $7 outlet fee + $7 lease or some other such nonsense.

 

[littlebill]

would you explaine what you mean by rewireing,i have a 922 now and if i want a hopper would i need to have new wireing

 

[Scott Greczkowski]

would you explaine what you mean by rewireing,i have a 922 now and if i want a hopper would i need to have new wireing

Because instead of having a wire come from your satellite dish to each of your receivers like it does not the satellite dish is wired to the node, which then goes to your Hopper, also from the node you have a single wire coming out which feeds to your Joeys. Now you can use a regular splitter to split the signal going to each room where the Joey will live.

Very simple setup for new customers who are already wired for cable tv.

 

[littlebill]

thanks...... regards

 

[butters]

Great post Scott. I know I have been a little negative about the fees, but the truth is I have been very excited about the Hopper. It looks like a great product that will work well in my situation. I just get fed up with getting nickled and dimed all the time with fees and in my situation I will be going from two 322's to two Hoppers and two Joeys (and possibly more since my kids are getting older and we will have a guest room). I was expecting the fee structure to be a little more aggressive. The first Joey free would go a long way in making this easier to swallow for me and a lot of other folks. I guess I have to decide if $16 more a month is worth it to me to upgrade.

 

[JM42]

I thought the current solution from Direct the RVU box which is the HR35. Aim I missing something?
I have read that Direct Tv will come out with their version of a Joey box that will have a build in turner.

HR34 is D*'s 5 tuner server. It is out now. It supports RVU clients and D*'s "traditional" MRV, but the only RVU clients right now are samsung TVs.

If you have an HR34, the only D* "client" right now is a standard HD receiver or DVR receiver using the traditional MRV functionality. If using a standard HD receiver as the client you don't get trick play unless you first start recording and view as a DVR event. If your using a DVR you get trick play just like any DVR - but you pay for it up front.

The C31 RVU client is on the horizon. From what I have read it will not have a tuner. It will essentially be like a Joey, getting all it's content from the HR34.

Currently D* is not charging an upfront fee for their H24/H25/etc non-DVR receivers if you get the HR34. I contend (with no basis other than my questionable version of common sense) that once the C31 is out the standard whole home solution will be HR34 w/C31s and if you want an H25/etc sat receiver in additon to the HR34 there will be an upfront charge for it.

 

[John Kotches]

Scott:

The biggest issue (IMO) is getting the second coax runs to/from the hopper nodes. All of the joey wiring would be at the switch already so the splitter connection(s) should be easy to accomplish.

 

[ljdonato]

Great post Scott.
My problem with no VIP is a bit different (I think). I have TONS of recorded shows on my 211. I do not archive shows that I have already watched, it just that I've been swamped with work and no time to watch my shows, so I record them to watch sometime in the near future and delete them. If I upgrade, since 211 EHD are not compatible with Hopper, I will not be able to watch my shows. At least that's what I think, if I am mistaken, please feel free to correct me (is there a way to use a nonactive 211 to watch the EHD shows?).
Other than that, I would upgrade pretty fast.
Also, I would love to have a way to activate and deactivate Joeys on-demand, like, for instance, to have a spare Joey available for a seldom-used guest room, one that I could activate on a monthly basis, for example.

 

[yaz96]

Isn't the 211k an external, user provided hard drive? Why would they care?

The hard drive is not attached, so most people would not take with them, though some might. But it is THEIR external drive, not Dish's internal drive at stake.

 

[cosmo_kramer]

I understand those that have a 722 with an SD output pay would pay more. That's only one configuration however and does not address having HD at the second TV. If the 722 does what you want, if you are happy with the economic way of watching a second TV, why would you consider a Hopper? Hopper is meant to address getting HD to many TV's. What about the many who have two receivers right now? The hopper set-up is in line with what you would be paying. (I pay $10 for the second TV, I would pay about the same including the $4 whole home fee, and even if that second TV was a Hopper other than the cost of getting a second one, I am getting all the features of the new system, same price as now with more tuners etc..) My point is to keep dwelling on one set-up - with SD for the second TV does not do the Hopper justice... There are plenty of people who the Hopper is aimed at who will not pay more, and could pay less with a third TV.....

I'm glad that the fee structure for your setup will be in line with what you're willing to pay. For many of us, it won't.

I do have a third TV (211K) and would be interested to hear how I could pay less with a third TV in the H/J setup. My calculations have me currently paying $13 per month in fees, and would be paying $24 in fees in a Hopper/Joey/Joey setup to service the same number of TVs...

 

[Teehar]

Nice to know that we are not alone on the feeling of the Hopper!I still have hopes that the powers that be are listening and considering what current customers are saying!

Include the fist joey at no additional charge
Allow for mixed setups

and/or lower the joey per month fee to $5

If they could do that I have a feeling that many more customers would jump no pun intended all over the hopper!

 

[powerhouse1960]

To me the fees are OK. but a free joey would help retain customers
what I would really like to see is a post compare the good things vs the bad
your excited to get it but why?
the good stuff i see is hd to all the TVs that's great I want that for sure
pta if it works is a good idea if you watch the big 4
the bad stuff the two hoppers will not see each other and with only 3 tuners the conflicts would make it unusable for me.
if you had a third joey can it access the contents both hoppers I never seen a answer for this.
The real funny thing for me I see a lot of different people post that three tuners is more then the customer needs then post they want two hoppers