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Dish Network Hopper Whole-Home DVR Records 6 Shows at Once

33K views 48 replies 23 participants last post by  Nate154 
#1 ·
Dish Network Hopper Whole-Home DVR Records 6 Shows at Once

By Lisa Montgomery
The Dish Network Hopper whole-home DVR stores up to 2 TBs of HD programming, recording up to six HD channels at once that can be played back from any room.


Dish Network CEO Joe Clayton said at CES 2012 that the company will unleash a whole new animal in the world of home entertainment, adding that "we are basically relaunching our company."


Dish is launching a new video distribution system. The "Hopper" HD DVR serves as the hub of the network, storing up to 2 terabytes (equal to 2,000 hours of entertainment) of HD content for distribution to as many three "Joeys" (the super-small receiver boxes), which are installed in other rooms of the house.


Clayton made the announcement after he strolled onto the stage with a live baby kangaroo in his arms. It's a DVR that hops from room to room, he said. Clever. The main Hopper and each Joey can play something different (recorded or live), and as many as six shows can be recorded simultaneously, thanks to the three satellite tuners that are built into the Hopper.




By the time the Hooper hits the market (by summertime), Dish will offer 73 channel of music, plus access to Pandora, making it a real contender as a simple, affordable whole-house music and video system. A nice touch is the improved interface that displays the album cover on the TV screen as you navigate your choices.


Another cool feature is PrimeTime Anytime. Instead of pecking your way through a guide to select individual programs to record, this one command records to a single tuner all primetime programming on ABC, CBS, CBS and Fox every night for a week and stores them for eight days after they have aired.

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#27 ·
A method of PTAT recording four major networks at once: it's done to dedicated folder "PTAT" as separate four files (one per channels) 5-6-7 GB with a companion of a file with segmenting: a description of each program start/end etc. When you select to store particular show, the show(s) will be copied to user partition.
 
#28 ·

Quote:
Originally Posted by P Smith /forum/post/22101410


Good news for you: at least S2.12/S2.64 does support h2k-j communication over Ethernet. Tested and using.

Just need to use coax for DL S2.64 to each J before switching to Ethernet.

Very nice. Now is that something special you are doing or can anyone get that setup? I'm really interested in running those over Ethernet.


Is it truely running over IP or is it just using the cable to carry it's own proprietary signal?
 
#30 ·

Quote:
Originally Posted by ctgoodman  /t/1386342/dish-network-hopper-whole-home-dvr-records-6-shows-at-once#post_22102541


Does anyone else know about connecting these over ethernet? I would like to hear from as many people as possible.
If it working, then it's working. Just use the feature.
Why disturb ppl with well known answer?
 
#31 ·

Quote:
Originally Posted by P Smith  /t/1386342/dish-network-hopper-whole-home-dvr-records-6-shows-at-once#post_22104379


If it working, then it's working. Just use the feature.
Why disturb ppl with well known answer?

Well, this is all new to me. I'm trying to gather as much information as I can. I've read some but not enough to be conclusive. From what I've read today connecting the joey's over ethernet is not supported which means it possible may break with an update. I'm embarking on a completely new theater setup and don't want to make expensive mistakes by assuming something works one way and it actually doesn't.
 
#32 ·

Quote:
Originally Posted by ctgoodman  /t/1386342/dish-network-hopper-whole-home-dvr-records-6-shows-at-once/30#post_22107004


Well, this is all new to me. I'm trying to gather as much information as I can. I've read some but not enough to be conclusive. From what I've read today connecting the joey's over ethernet is not supported which means it possible may break with an update. I'm embarking on a completely new theater setup and don't want to make expensive mistakes by assuming something works one way and it actually doesn't.
You are better off running coax, I have been testing running a Joey via Ethernet and a Joey vs Wifi and the best experience I have had is with the coax connection.
 
#33 ·

Quote:
Originally Posted by ctgoodman  /t/1386342/dish-network-hopper-whole-home-dvr-records-6-shows-at-once/30#post_22107004


Well, this is all new to me. I'm trying to gather as much information as I can. I've read some but not enough to be conclusive. From what I've read today connecting the joey's over ethernet is not supported which means it possible may break with an update. I'm embarking on a completely new theater setup and don't want to make expensive mistakes by assuming something works one way and it actually doesn't.

If it is new I don't see the problem. Run coax, cat6, HDMI, every thing you can think of to be safe.
 
#34 ·
Well, every potential location will be getting multiple Cat6. Was contemplating the coax so I figure I will do that as well. Here is my issue with HDMI. I have some runs that are well over 60 feet. So that puts me out of range of the Redmere cables. I'd have to do HDBaseT so I'll probably not run HDMI outside of the theater and run extra Cat6 to display locations in other parts of the house.
 
#35 ·

Quote:
Originally Posted by RickL66  /t/1386342/dish-network-hopper-whole-home-dvr-records-6-shows-at-once#post_21514872


I wish it could record 6 channels anytime.

Really? Why? When was the last time there were six shows that you didn't want to miss on six different channels all at the exact same time? I can not recall a single time it's ever happened for me. If it has happened, you may want to consider that you watch way too much TV. And that's coming from someone who watches way too much TV.
 
#36 ·
I don't get it, REALLY!


I mean, just WHO does DISH think watches, or CARES TO WATCH all four of the "major networks" every night during primetime (and ONLY during primetime)?!?!?


This sounds/looks to me ALMOST like some sort of inside deal DISH has made with "the Big 4" to come out with a new gimmick that serves THEIR interests while simultaneously giving DISH some great new marketing tool.


Now don't get me wrong. I'm a BIG DISH subscriber... Have been for 3 years and 3 months, now. And to get what I needed and wanted out of them, I had to pay $200 extra UPFRONT for the lease of a SECOND VIP 720 HD DVR. Even with two of them, I can record only 4 programs at once, two of which will be recorded in HD, two in SD. BUT I have the freedom and flexibility to record ANY FOUR DAMNED CHANNELS I WANT. And frankly, while there are at least a few shows one each network almost every week that go on one or the other DVR, the OVERWHELMING MAJORITY of what I record comes from either Discovery, Animal Planet, Natgeo/NatgeoWild, the Science Channel, A&E, USA, History, or one of the subscriber channels: HBO/Showtime/Cinemax/Starz.


And while I have SOME SERIOUS ISSUES with my current DVRs (to the point that when I finally get around to calling DISH, if they can't fix them -- at what I'm paying -- I may go ELSEWHERE), I'm certainly NOT going to reduce the number of channels I can record INDEPENDENTLY just so I can have some stupid "Hopper" automatically record all "Big 4" every weeknight from 8-11. What about The CW, for that matter??? This season, 3 of my network shows every week came of that. One didn't make it past its first season (sorry Sarah), but the other two are going strong and will be back again next year.


I'm not happy with OTHER carriers, either (wouldn't consider DirecTV, for instance), but DISH makes some other choices for me that kinda tick me off... For instance, I like in Upstate South Carolina, about 30 miles south of the NC border, in the 35th (or thereabouts) largest broadcast market in the country (was 35th last time I checked -- been a few years). Anyway, a few shows I watch -- like "Nova" -- run on PBS. But rather than givng me public television through the SOUTH CAROLINA network, I get the NORTH CAROLINA network! This really irks me because once in a while the SC network carries state programming I'd ike to see, but I can't (I live "in a hole" where antenna reception is a non-starter). And with SO MANY CHANNELS, if they're going to do the NC PBS thing, why not just include SC, too??? That's what the local cable company does (even though they don't have NEAR the carriage of other things that DISH does, which is why I don't have them for TV any more).


Are they schizoid, or something???


Jeff Hayes
 
#39 ·
I am really enjoying my hopper. My first installer forgot to give a HIC to get home media. Then DISH mailed me a HIC but that only solved the problem in the two JOEYS. Then I figured out I needed 2 USB adapters for the JOEYS and direct connect my router to the HOPPER. The folks at DISH are still working out the kinks on this one.
 
#41 ·

Quote:
Originally Posted by RickL66  /t/1386342/dish-network-hopper-whole-home-dvr-records-6-shows-at-once#post_21514872


Recording 6 channels at once is a catch. It is only a 3 tuner box, but records 4 prime time channels one one tuner, for a total of 6. All other times, it will probably only record 3 shows at the same time. I wish it could record 6 channels anytime.

Bingo! So if you don't watch any shows on any NBC, CBS, ABC or FOX(which I don't) you basically get to record one more channel than a normal DVR box. Big whoop.
 
#42 ·

Quote:
Originally Posted by TheGigaShadow  /t/1386342/dish-network-hopper-whole-home-dvr-records-6-shows-at-once/30#post_22114264


Really? Why? When was the last time there were six shows that you didn't want to miss on six different channels all at the exact same time? I can not recall a single time it's ever happened for me. If it has happened, you may want to consider that you watch way too much TV. And that's coming from someone who watches way too much TV.

Maybe not 6, but there are many times throughout the year that it seems like all the shows I like are on in the same two hour, block 8-10, on the same two nights.. So even with this hopper it would not get everything I need. And if you have a wife that watches a lot of crappy TV shows...it makes it even more difficult. So take that.
 
#43 ·

Quote:
Originally Posted by TheGigaShadow  /t/1386342/dish-network-hopper-whole-home-dvr-records-6-shows-at-once/30#post_22114264


Really? Why? When was the last time there were six shows that you didn't want to miss on six different channels all at the exact same time? I can not recall a single time it's ever happened for me. If it has happened, you may want to consider that you watch way too much TV. And that's coming from someone who watches way too much TV.

It's not just for MY shows. My wife wants to record her shows, my two sons want to record their shows, then my daughter likes to record her shows. Between the five of us, there are times when all of our shows are on at the same time or overlapped. We no longer watch LIVE TV, we watch recorded TV to skip past the commercials.
 
#46 ·
Well, after reading the website, this thread, and spending some time on the phone with Dish I am going to pass on the Hopper. I have 3 DVRs, 5 HDTVs, and while not connected per se in a whole house network I can capture six programs at once without the piggly wiggly Prime Time top 4 network thing. I haven't watched anything on the locals in over a year. When we do, it's like the election returns or the Olympics. Threading all 5 sets together with the Hopper/Joey network cuts me to 3 tuners and makes me pay $11 more a month. I give up whole house functionality.


As my DVRs wear out I'll give it another look, or when 4K programming starts appearing in meaningful quantity.


Very nice over all, would go that way if starting new, but the Hopper/Joey is not enough to displace my old iron. At least not yet.


So do I have it wrong?
 
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