My install was scheduled today, and the installers (two guys) showed up and installed the Hopper. Everything went smoothly until the software download where it hung at 82%. Hmm. 82%. That sounds familiar. Where did I see that before? Ah yes--it seems that @jeepers94 had a similar issue that I remember reading.
The installers tried three times to get the software to download, and it hung at 82% each time. They brought in a 2nd Hopper, and again, that one hung at 82%. One of the installers ended up going outside and replaced our older Dish 1000 antenna with a spiffy new black antenna that apparently connects to the satellites differently. It seems that the Hopper couldn't get a good lock on one of the satellites (sorry, I don't remember the details) with the old antenna, however once they installed the new antenna and reset the Hopper, it downloaded successfully. They later did a lock check, and it now seems to lock onto all it needs to successfully.
After that point, the install went quickly, and since I had read the heck out of online reviews, feature guides, watched YouTube videos, etc. I didn't need much instruction, so the installers left me with a nice working Hopper+Sling & 1 Joey.
I hooked up the external USB hard drive that I used to transfer several recordings from my old 722, and they transferred to the Hopper quickly and effortlessly, so now I have some immediate content to work with. Very nice!
Honestly, folks, this DVR so far is the best yet. I've have a rather extensive past with DVRs, so assessing this really is a no-brainer. I've used several ReplayTV models, a MOXI HD DVR, a very horrible Charter Cable DVR, a U-Verse DVR, a SageTV Home Theater PC, and most recently a Dish 722. The Hopper+Sling is fast, responsive, and easy to use. Coming from the 722, the overall functionality is familiar, just with a different user interface. And the interface is very intuitive. I gave the remote to my wife to play around with, and she ended up setting up timers, tweaking settings, and watching recordings without any issue. She's pretty gadget-savvy, but she comes from the "I just want to sit down and watch some TV" camp, so it definitely passed the "wife test" with flying colors.
Also, I am impressed by the speed. Menus pop on the screen, the guide screams up and down, and the overall feel is like a decent PC, not a typical media appliance.
The Joey installed without a hitch on our older SD TV, and the picture looks great. And I just LOVE the red "TV Activity" screen that shows what's going on. Really, how cool is that?!?
Thanks to another thread here, I was able to configure my old extra 722 remote to work with the Hopper, so I just save $10-$20 on a second remote. It's just me and my wife, but it's so convenient that we each have a remote, so this is a nice perk.
Anyway, I'll post updates as I find things I love and hate, so thanks for listening!
-Jim
One Hopper+Sling. One Joey. One happy wife. Life is good.
The installers tried three times to get the software to download, and it hung at 82% each time. They brought in a 2nd Hopper, and again, that one hung at 82%. One of the installers ended up going outside and replaced our older Dish 1000 antenna with a spiffy new black antenna that apparently connects to the satellites differently. It seems that the Hopper couldn't get a good lock on one of the satellites (sorry, I don't remember the details) with the old antenna, however once they installed the new antenna and reset the Hopper, it downloaded successfully. They later did a lock check, and it now seems to lock onto all it needs to successfully.
After that point, the install went quickly, and since I had read the heck out of online reviews, feature guides, watched YouTube videos, etc. I didn't need much instruction, so the installers left me with a nice working Hopper+Sling & 1 Joey.
I hooked up the external USB hard drive that I used to transfer several recordings from my old 722, and they transferred to the Hopper quickly and effortlessly, so now I have some immediate content to work with. Very nice!
Honestly, folks, this DVR so far is the best yet. I've have a rather extensive past with DVRs, so assessing this really is a no-brainer. I've used several ReplayTV models, a MOXI HD DVR, a very horrible Charter Cable DVR, a U-Verse DVR, a SageTV Home Theater PC, and most recently a Dish 722. The Hopper+Sling is fast, responsive, and easy to use. Coming from the 722, the overall functionality is familiar, just with a different user interface. And the interface is very intuitive. I gave the remote to my wife to play around with, and she ended up setting up timers, tweaking settings, and watching recordings without any issue. She's pretty gadget-savvy, but she comes from the "I just want to sit down and watch some TV" camp, so it definitely passed the "wife test" with flying colors.
Also, I am impressed by the speed. Menus pop on the screen, the guide screams up and down, and the overall feel is like a decent PC, not a typical media appliance.
The Joey installed without a hitch on our older SD TV, and the picture looks great. And I just LOVE the red "TV Activity" screen that shows what's going on. Really, how cool is that?!?
Thanks to another thread here, I was able to configure my old extra 722 remote to work with the Hopper, so I just save $10-$20 on a second remote. It's just me and my wife, but it's so convenient that we each have a remote, so this is a nice perk.
Anyway, I'll post updates as I find things I love and hate, so thanks for listening!
-Jim
One Hopper+Sling. One Joey. One happy wife. Life is good.