What to do, what to choose, need a some thoughts answered.

[vaaccess]

OK, I have been reading posts on SatGuys for a few hours and I don't feel any more equipped. So, I will start a thread that is likely repeated a gazillion times. If you regulars know of threads to read, please advise! Don't mean to be a total N00B...

So, I have had FIOS for a few years and love it. But, I am moving out into the sticks and can't get it or Comcast, so I am being forced to go sat, but have never had it before.

The property has an old DirectTV dish, but doubt it is good or worth anything.

I don't watch sports too much and we don't care about 3D and probably won't do any premium channels. We are Nick, HGTV, Primetime peeps when we can watch tv.

We will have three HD TVs in the house and like the idea of whole house DVR, but at the same time I don't want my daughters hogging it so having a dedicated one for the would be fine by me!

I am leaning towards Dish, though several friends say DirectTV is better, but I doubt they are sport nuts.

I am uncertain of the Hopper/Joey setup and its potential limitations? Is their a FAQ on it?

And, unlikely in this forum, but can anyone tell me why I should go with DirectTV over Dish???

Thanks for your help!

 

[3HaloODST]

Sounds like 2 Hoppers and 1 Joey would be perfect. Just gotta get Dish to go along with it. They would rather push 1 Hopper and 2 Joeys. I (think) the way to do it would be tell them you need 4HDTVs, 2H/2J, then when the installer comes, just tell him to take the extra Joey back with him.

 

[PokerMunkee]

A Hopper and 2 Joeys will give you 3 tuners. So each TV could be watching their own channel at any given time, assuming nothing is recording. If you are recording one show, then one of the TVs would have to watch the recording show or something from the DVR. PrimeTime Antyime will record the main networks (ABC, CBS, NBC, FOX) with a single tuner from 8pm-11pm (EST). So during this time, you would have 2 available tuners to watch whatever you want, assuming you aren't recording a non-network channel.

If you get 2 Hoppers and 1 Joey, you will have 6 tuners to choose from. Hopper #1 would go at your main TV (3 tuners), and Hopper #2 would go in your daughter's bedroom. Then the Joey would go in the other daughter's bedroom and be linked to Hopper #2. This would mean the daughters would have their own 3 tuners to share from. This is probably the best setup for you. I believe as a new customer it will cost you around $100 to add a second Hopper (1st one and 1 Joey are free). Your monthly charge will be the same with 2 Hoppers/1 Joey as 1 Hopper/2 Joeys.

Limitations:
- Joeys cannot do PIP (Picture In Picture). Only the Hopper can do PIP.

DISH also has the Sling Adapter. This $30 device plugs in the USB port of the Hopper and allows you to stream live TV or saved shows on your DVR from an Android/iPhone smartphone or a computer (web browser). Doesn't cost anything extra, just the one time fee for the adapter. I believe DirecTV might finally have something similar available but not sure if it's as good. I love this feature and use it quite a bit.

DISH also allows you to plug in an external hard drive to add more space. Some people on here have multiple EHDs via a USB hub.

With DirecTV, you have to have a DVR at each location to have DVR functions (pause, rewind, etc). I believe you can get around this by recording the show, which will allow you to pause/rewind. The Hopper/Joey is just a better Whole Home DVR system, as of right now. DISH's Joeys are tiny thin clients that take no space or power. Very nice to hide behind a wallmounted TV.

 

[vaaccess]

Hmmm...I think two Hoppers and one Joey is the right combo for me. Don't like the extra $100, but it would cost me extra if I had that kind of setup on Direct TV, too.

Regarding the sling, how does it transmit back to the internet from my DVR? Over an Internet connection, or back over the Dish network somehow?

Plus then I can add more Joeys if needed...how many Joeys per hopper?

Also...does the Joey have he same functionality at the TV as the Hopper?

Ps...what is DIRT? I have seen that mentioned in some threads, but don't know what it is specifically...

 

[rocket69]

DTV-If you have the most up to date samsung tvs you could pay $99 and get the hr34 that will do 5 shows at once and can feed 3 extra tvs full dvr support but when 5 shows are recording your stuck watching .

The 2 hoppers and 1 joey would be you best bet with kids in the house to over fill the dvr's. for the max you can have 2 hoppers and 4 joeys on one account.

If you watch any programs off AMC dish will be removing them monday morning but you can sub to the shows from itunes or amazon for much less then paying for a pkg that had amc at one time.

Sling will need your dvr hooked up to a high speed internet 756K min upload and 5mbs upload mim for HD quality

 

[Tampa8]

DIRT are highly trained Dish customer service reps on this forum. They will get you the best answers and results should you have any problems. I would suggest using one of them to get an account if you go with Dish. Note that Direct TV does not have reps here.
From how you describe your TV habits, I would say Dish has more HD channels that you would watch than Direct TV. But you should do a comparison, go to each site and look at the packages and see who is closer to what you want.

You are covering one of the two important things when comparing Dish and Direct, that's equipment. As best you can decide who has what meets your needs the best. The second is the actual programming. Both are have very reliable signals.

By the way, "forced" to satellite? It would be "forced" to cable for me....

 

[PokerMunkee]

Hmmm...I think two Hoppers and one Joey is the right combo for me. Don't like the extra $100, but it would cost me extra if I had that kind of setup on Direct TV, too.

Regarding the sling, how does it transmit back to the internet from my DVR? Over an Internet connection, or back over the Dish network somehow?

Plus then I can add more Joeys if needed...how many Joeys per hopper?

Also...does the Joey have he same functionality at the TV as the Hopper?

Ps...what is DIRT? I have seen that mentioned in some threads, but don't know what it is specifically...

The Hopper will need to connect to the Internet for the Sling Adapter to work. I have 6Mbps/896Kbps DSL and it can do HD so-so. No issue with streaming SD. You really need 1Mbps upload to do HD. Works fine if you are connected to your home network. i've been known to stream a baseball game while sitting on the throne with my phone.


The Joey has the same interface as the Hopper, just PIP won't work. The menu/guide interface is very fast, probably the best available right now. They use the same UHF remotes, which work anywhere in the house.

DISH has AutoHop that skips commercials on anything recorded with PrimeTime Anytime and being viewed the next day. Nifty feature that I'm really liking. DISH is currently being sued over this, so who knows if it will be around in the future.

DISH also has Sirius music channels, which is nice sometimes.

 

[3HaloODST]

the max you can have 2 hoppers and 4 joeys on one account.

Not quite correct. The max is 3 Hoppers and 9 Joeys. 3 Joeys max per Hopper. First 3 Joeys are free. All Joeys after that are $99. First Hopper is free. Second Hopper is $199. In order to get a third Hopper, you must purchase it (MSRP $449, can get it cheaper, I got my third one for $400.) Third Hopper also requires a DPP44 + DPP33 (or another DPP44.) So that's another $100-$200.

The only real way for one to know the upfront costs, is to contact Dish (DIRT.)

 

[vaaccess]

Interestingly, Sirius is actually a strong selling point...

I assume I can add a sling later?

What is the best way to get the best deal when I need to order? I also noticed that I don't seem to be able to force a dual hopper setup with the online order page. Can I add Joeys for free later or should I say I am buying more TVs at order time if I do plan to add more soon?

Almost totally sold on Dish.......can't see a reason not to go this way.

Thanks for the help!

 

[satjay]

You can add sling later, as far as getting the best deal on equipment it's best to get it when your a new customer

 

[satjay]

As far as programming, take a look at guides for each company. I switched from Direct a few months back and have been happy. Good luck with your choice!

 

[JM42]

Hmmm...I think two Hoppers and one Joey is the right combo for me. Don't like the extra $100, but it would cost me extra if I had that kind of setup on Direct TV, too.

I think you're probably right with Dish for your scenario. My take on Dish vs Direct-

Content:
You sound like a Dish customer. If you don't care about sports, generally Dish will be a little less per month. That said, it could always be one of your must have channels is either not on one provider or in a higher tier than than the other provider. Check the channel line ups and generally let that be your primary factor.

You mentioned primetime in the original post. During PTA each Big 4 network is individually viewable from each location without using any additional tuner. I don't know if that helps in the 1H or 2H decision. If the up front cost is not a big stumbling block, I'd go with 2H.

Hardware:
If you want full trick play at all locations, Up front, Dish Hopper will be less expensive than Directv by $300-$400 if you go with 1 Hopper or $100-$200 if you go with 2 Hoppers. As stated previously, with Directv you need a DVR at each location for true trick play.

If you go with the "start recording first" version of Direc trick play with an HR34 and 2 standard HD receivers for TVs 2 and 3, then Dish is $100 less at 1H or $100 more at 2H. A lot of folks are OK with this, personally it drives me nuts.

I have both providers. Both are good. I personally give the edge to Dish DVRs, but it's all very subjective and many prefer Directv. Overall I would call it a draw once you have the features you want from each.

With either provider, if you think an additional TV is in cards relatively soon, it's probably best to go ahead and get what you will want up front. Even if it means paying for a phantom TV for the first few months.

 

[Dirtydan]

Interestingly, Sirius is actually a strong selling point...

I assume I can add a sling later?

What is the best way to get the best deal when I need to order? I also noticed that I don't seem to be able to force a dual hopper setup with the online order page. Can I add Joeys for free later or should I say I am buying more TVs at order time if I do plan to add more soon?

Almost totally sold on Dish.......can't see a reason not to go this way.

Thanks for the help!

Put in a request in the Hopper Upgrade thread, or directly contact a "Dirt" member.

 

[vaaccess]

I understand that I can have a Joey hanging off the back a tv without power or any other cables. Sounds too good to be true, though! Does it work well in practice? I may hang a tv outside where we have a covered deck. Still will get humid, but heat and rain should not be too much of an issue. Will the Joey survive in a climate like that?

 

[sparc]

I understand that I can have a Joey hanging off the back a tv without power or any other cables. Sounds too good to be true, though! Does it work well in practice?

The joey has a power cord that needs to be plugged in or it doesn't work. It will also need some sort of AV cable that connects to your TV like HDMI or composite.

Are you referring to something else?

 

[JM42]

I understand that I can have a Joey hanging off the back a tv without power or any other cables. Sounds too good to be true, though! Does it work well in practice? I may hang a tv outside where we have a covered deck. Still will get humid, but heat and rain should not be too much of an issue. Will the Joey survive in a climate like that?

You can use a Joey wirelessly with the USB wifi adapter. This is not yet officially supported though. It works, I have a Joey running wirelessly with no real issues.

You do need power for the Joey, it will not run off of HDMI power.

Joeys are not designed for outdoor use by any stretch of the imagination. I would not leave one even partially exposed to the elements.

 

[vaaccess]

You can use a Joey wirelessly with the USB wifi adapter. This is not yet officially supported though. It works, I have a Joey running wirelessly with no real issues.

You do need power for the Joey, it will not run off of HDMI power.

Joeys are not designed for outdoor use by any stretch of the imagination. I would not leave one even partially exposed to the elements.

Yeah, I was talking about wifi...thanks...good to know that I can't use it outside. Will have to run a long hdmi I guess.

 

[sperry85]

You can use a Joey wirelessly with the USB wifi adapter. This is not yet officially supported though. It works, I have a Joey running wirelessly with no real issues.

Your Joey will connect to the hopper wirelessly after unplugging it from the wall and plugging it back in? In my experience, the Joey has to be hard wired either by coax or Ethernet to connect to the hopper after losing power, the wifi adapter seems to not connect until the Joey is up and running.

 

[rglore]

Your Joey will connect to the hopper wirelessly after unplugging it from the wall and plugging it back in? In my experience, the Joey has to be hard wired either by coax or Ethernet to connect to the hopper after losing power, the wifi adapter seems to not connect until the Joey is up and running.

My Joey on WiFi only works just fine after power loses, no issues at all.

 

[sperry85]

My Joey on WiFi only works just fine after power loses, no issues at all.

Just to clarify, a USB wifi adapter, or a wireless bridge connected to Joey via Ethernet?