# Does Hopper have screen saver?



## kenif1

I hope there is a screen saver in the new hopper. Seems like such a simple thing, even my wii has a screen saver. Sure would be nice to not worry about leaving the screen paused with the bright white pause bars burning into the screen.
Anyone know about this?


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## Marlin Guy

I haven't seen one.


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## sregener

After five minutes, I saw no screen saver. Turn off your set to save the screen.


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## James Long

When turned "off" the standby screen moves around like a screen saver. One can set an inactivity standby that will put the receiver into "off" mode if left dormant (minimum 2 hours).

When listening to Pandora the screen will darken and the album cover will move around the screen.

When listening to a music channel the screen will also darken after a period of not being controlled.

If you stay in a menu or guide without touching the remote the receiver will return to full screen TV (live TV or paused programming).

The only place I can see where a screen saver is missing is on a pause. One can pause a live program and it will stay that way for an hour (unless interrupted by a timer) ... or a recording will stay paused until the receiver turns off.

I have not left the other apps along long enough to see if they screen save.


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## [email protected] Network

kenif1 said:


> I hope there is a screen saver in the new hopper. Seems like such a simple thing, even my wii has a screen saver. Sure would be nice to not worry about leaving the screen paused with the bright white pause bars burning into the screen.
> Anyone know about this?


If your receiver turns off due to inactivity you will see a floating message that says; "Your Hopper 'Big TV' is currently off. Press Select to watch TV."

This message will change positions every couple of seconds.


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## badit11

We really need a screensaver when in Pause mode. I have often paused live TV to attend to something else and the screen stays static indefinitely. Please Dish, add a screensaver in Pause mode.


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## n0qcu

badit11 said:


> We really need a screensaver when in Pause mode. I have often paused live TV to attend to something else and the screen stays static indefinitely. Please Dish, add a screensaver in Pause mode.


*ONLY if OPTIONAL* some of use do not want any screen savers.


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## Continental Divide

n0qcu said:


> ...some of us do not want any screen savers.


Really? Will you feel the same way when a static image burns permanently into your $3000 plasma display? 



badit11 said:


> Please Dish, add a screensaver in Pause mode.


X2!! Hopefully in the next firmware release (don't hold your breath though...).


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## patmurphey

Do you know of ANY DVR from Dish or Direct, or any cable company, that has a screen saver for pause? (other than the inactivity saver)


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## Continental Divide

Yes. I just got off the D* bandwagon (Hopper install on Memorial Day). My HR20-700 had a screen saver when programming was paused.


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## Laxguy

patmurphey said:


> Do you know of ANY DVR from Dish or Direct, or any cable company, that has a screen saver for pause? (other than the inactivity saver)


Well, where do you draw the line between Pause and Inactivity? My screen saver comes on ~ 5 minutes after pausing on four different DIRECTV® boxes.

If pausing may be extended, and there's no screen saver and you're worried about image retention, you could either turn off the box, not the TV, or switch to a live channel and hit mute.....


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## Continental Divide

Laxguy said:


> If pausing may be extended, and there's no screen saver and you're worried about image retention, you could either turn off the box, not the TV, *or switch to a live channel* and hit mute.....


Well the point of pausing is to return later to that point in the program, yes? The problem with switching to a live channel with the Hopper is there are no dual live buffers, so change the channel and your greeted with a message that says "this request can only be carried out in live mode", and if you continue on to another channel say goodbye to the point in which you paused the other program, and no way to go back.

Lack of dual buffers is one of the D* features I miss most.


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## Jhon69

Continental Divide said:


> Well the point of pausing is to return later to that point in the program, yes? The problem with switching to a live channel with the Hopper is there are no dual live buffers, so change the channel and your greeted with a message that says "this request can only be carried out in live mode", and if you continue on to another channel say goodbye to the point in which you paused the other program, and no way to go back.
> 
> Lack of dual buffers is one of the D* features I miss most.


Did D* ever fix doubleplay?I remember when I had D* you had to press the down arrow twice to activate doubleplay,then if you did not press a button on the remote control the dual buffer turned into a single buffer after 2 hours!.It really sucked after I watched a movie then went to use the dual buffer on my R22,and it wasn't there!.:nono2:


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## patmurphey

Continental Divide said:


> ...Lack of dual buffers is one of the D* features I miss most.


You are misinformed, the Hopper does have the live buffers. You use swap to switch between them.


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## Continental Divide

patmurphey said:


> You are misinformed, the Hopper does have the live buffers. You use swap to switch between them.


Pat, I stand corrected. I'm only on my fifth day living with the Hopper (installed on Memorial Day). The only time I tried the "Swap" button was while watching one of the Joey receivers, and I was greeted by a message stating "this feature not available" which led me to believe that dual buffers weren't available. I just tried the "Swap" feature while watching the Hopper receiver and yes, it does work (nice to know!). It would be nice if it worked on the Joey receivers as well (and I'm wondering why it doesn't).


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## n0qcu

Because only the Hopper can do PIP (access two tuners).

Sent from my DROIDX


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## P Smith

It's matter of SW implementation - nothing preventing J send a request for two stream to h2k - MoCA cable or Ethernet connection would sustain two HD channels. Lets check if the J's CPU support two streams ...


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## James Long

P Smith said:


> It's matter of SW implementation - nothing preventing J send a request for two stream to h2k - MoCA cable or Ethernet connection would sustain two HD channels. Lets check if the J's CPU support two streams ...


Depending on where the brains are it could be one stream ... but I suspect two would be needed with the PIP done on the Joey and not the Hopper. The PIP could be done on the Hopper and have one stream sent to the Joey but there would be lag time. Or the Joeys could have swap only without PIP ... which would save the trouble of implementing PIP on a Joey and still give access to two streams, one at a time over the network.

The biggest issue is tuner capacity. The Hopper is a three tuner receiver with a hopper full of PTA and possibly other programming. If dual buffers were on Hoppers and Joeys one would need more sources. I suppose someone could watch a DVR or PTA recording and swap back to a live show but I don't see people swapping back and forth between two recorded shows.

PIP and swap seem to be features aimed at live television viewing ... with a buffer for when one needs to go back to see something they missed. Without additional live tuner capacity I don't see PIP on the Joey being workable - and there are days I'd like to turn it off completely on my Hopper. (For example, right now my Hopper is using two tuners and one of my Joeys is using the third. I have not watched one minute of that second channel on my Hopper today, but it is burning up a tuner "just in case" I press swap.)


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## P Smith

It would require forming just two streams from h2k to the J who requested these. 
What kind of ? Well, J could ride on any two live tuners - co-view or if h2k idling control two any. Or any combination of DVR events, live and DVR.


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## James Long

P Smith said:


> It would require forming just two streams from h2k to the J who requested these.
> What kind of ? Well, J could ride on any two live tuners - co-view or if h2k idling control two any. Or any combination of DVR events, live and DVR.


There are enough conflicts with a Hopper and one used Joey (my second is generally unused). I would not want to have a Joey trying to use two tuners while my Hopper tried to use two tuners.

I would not mind seeing a mirror mode added to the Joeys ... "show me whatever is on the Hopper screen". It would help with the times my wife and I want to watch the same program together in different rooms. (Odd wording, but we will occasionally watch a program where she goes back and forth between the living room and the kitchen. A mirror mode on the Joey would make this as easy as the Home Distribution RF output on the 622.)


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## patmurphey

A question (I haven't tried it). If you use the red button to join an active tuner on a Hopper from a Joey, do you have access to the buffer?


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## tuxworth




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## tumbleweed

patmurphey said:


> Do you know of ANY DVR from Dish or Direct, or any cable company, that has a screen saver for pause? (other than the inactivity saver)


Yes I just got rid of my DirecTV and the Genie had a screen saver in pause. I really like the Hopper 3 but I wish it had one also.


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