# Hopper Pros & Cons



## kimsshawn

I'm a current DTV subscriber with a contract running out soon. I've been reading these boards trying gauge the feeling of Dish subscribers. Some people are really down on the Hopper, which is my main interest in switching, plus the savings over the next 12 months.

Does this thing work like it's supposed to or does it need some more software updates? I've read that DTV's new HMC is quite buggy and almost impossible to get. I can get the Hopper just by subscribing according to the woman I talked to at Dish last week, they have plenty.

Thanks in advance for the info.


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## boba

kimsshawn said:


> I'm a current DTV subscriber with a contract running out soon. I've been reading these boards trying gauge the feeling of Dish subscribers. Some people are really down on the Hopper, which is my main interest in switching, plus the savings over the next 12 months.
> 
> Does this thing work like it's supposed to or does it need some more software updates? I've read that DTV's new HMC is quite buggy and almost impossible to get. I can get the Hopper just by subscribing according to the woman I talked to at Dish last week, they have plenty.
> 
> Thanks in advance for the info.


I do not have or want a Hopper/Joey but based on my experience as a DISH dealer I would not buy a *"NEW"* DISH receiver for at least 6 months after it's introduction. Historically DISH has taken 6-12 months to get new products working semi smoothly. They rely on *"BETA TESTERS"* discovering the problems and complaining about the bugs.


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## [email protected] Network

I would be happy to answer any questions or concerns that you have about the Hopper. Feel free to send me a PM with any questions that you have. Thanks!


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## 3HaloODST

Hopper/Joey have turned out to be very reliable for me. Initial installation was very painful with the Joeys throwing tantrums but after that there have been no major issues. I find a bug here and there but this is far from an "early adopter" experience.


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## homeron

"boba" said:


> I do not have or want a Hopper/Joey but based on my experience as a DISH dealer I would not buy a "NEW" DISH receiver for at least 6 months after it's introduction. Historically DISH has taken 6-12 months to get new products working semi smoothly. They rely on "BETA TESTERS" discovering the problems and complaining about the bugs.


The beta testers are us subscribers who bought the Hopper and joey systems i've had numerous problems that should've been taken care of before they release the product. The prime time anytime is wonderful and works great my channels are disappearing les often off my favorite guide but I can't use the external drive on the sling like a could on the old 722. After rambling on. I would say the Hopper is a very good system. Especially if you don't mind being a nonpaid beta tester.


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## Stewart Vernon

boba said:


> I do not have or want a Hopper/Joey but based on my experience as a DISH dealer I would not buy a *"NEW"* DISH receiver for at least 6 months after it's introduction. Historically DISH has taken 6-12 months to get new products working semi smoothly. They rely on *"BETA TESTERS"* discovering the problems and complaining about the bugs.


If you can name a technical company that doesn't operate in the same manner... I would love to know about it.

Mot companies do "risk assessment" and release products to customers with some known problems. If we waited for all problems to be fixed, most products would not be on the market yet.


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## boba

Stewart Vernon said:


> If you can name a technical company that doesn't operate in the same manner... I would love to know about it.
> 
> Mot companies do "risk assessment" and release products to customers with some known problems. If we waited for all problems to be fixed, most products would not be on the market yet.


You are right Microsoft is an excellent example always released before it's time.


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## sregener

kimsshawn said:


> I'm a current DTV subscriber with a contract running out soon. I've been reading these boards trying gauge the feeling of Dish subscribers. Some people are really down on the Hopper, which is my main interest in switching, plus the savings over the next 12 months.
> 
> Does this thing work like it's supposed to or does it need some more software updates? I've read that DTV's new HMC is quite buggy and almost impossible to get. I can get the Hopper just by subscribing according to the woman I talked to at Dish last week, they have plenty.


I just switched from DirecTV in April. My situation may not be common, but we're a 1-TV household and we went with the Hopper. So no Joeys for us. Overall, I have been extremely pleased with the Hopper. It works so much better than my pokey HR22-100 did with DirecTV. Fast, fast, fast. Hasn't missed a recording. Tons of hard drive space (more after then 2.09 update came along.)

I've had exactly one issue, where audio cut out during playback of one show. Stopped watching it, audio returned, and went back into the program. Not sure what caused the glitch, but it was an easy fix and didn't take long.

Does the Hopper/Joey need more software updates? Yes! The product needs time and testing in the real world. However, most people seem very happy with it and the company seems very responsive to customer complaints and suggestions. Do I think it is a superior product to the HR34? Almost certainly, and the HR34 has had serious problems for over a year. The Hopper is already ahead, and it's still in the early stages of public testing.

None of that matters if Dish doesn't have the channels you want. But it sounds like that is a non-issue for you, so come on over. The water's fine.


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## Hawgster

Got my system and 2 days after the install Hoppper died, got a new one and have been happy ever since...works great , all we do is watch tv, record when not home and at home, watch recordings and thats about it but never have any problems that I know of except one night I noticed the sound coming and going but thats been awhile back. SO far I`m not complaining


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## oldengineer

I got a 2H/2J upgrade right after they were introduced. In looking at this forum and the satguys site it appears that there are some issues with some setups, but I'm very happy with mine. The Hoppers are whisper quiet, very fast and, for the most part, operate flawlessly. There have been 4 software updates in 45 days so it looks like E* is working hard to make these boxes even better than most of them are.


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## patmurphey

boba said:


> I do not have or want a Hopper/Joey but based on my experience as a DISH dealer I would not buy a *"NEW"* DISH receiver for at least 6 months after it's introduction. Historically DISH has taken 6-12 months to get new products working semi smoothly. They rely on *"BETA TESTERS"* discovering the problems and complaining about the bugs.


As a dealer who doesn't have Hopper/Joey? Maybe you should try this new equipment release before you make those statements. Hopper/Joey is a tremendous, fast and reliable, improvement over the excellent 622/722 boxes - my EXPERIENCE!


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## treecastle

After being with D* since 1996, I switched for a Hopper and 3 Joeys. My experience has been very good, and I do not in any way regret the switch. For me the toughest part of the transition was learning the channel numbers. It's taken almost two months, but I pretty well have that down. I have experienced no problems with the new hardware


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## Marlin Guy

I switched from DirecTV about a month ago, and I have been very pleased with the Hopper/Joey systems.

*Pros:*

GUI & Performance - The Dish system responds instantly to remote commands, and the GUI is FAST. FFWD, Rewind, Skip, etc. work perfectly and are vastly smoother than DirecTV's trickplays.

Primetime Anytime - records CBS, NBC, ABC, and Fox in Primetime using just one of the three tuners.

Minimal Lights - There are two small LED's on the front panel of the DVR. No absurd twirling blue lights that have to be dimmed or disabled.

Settings Backup - You can backup your settings to the remote and to the DVR.

PIP/Swap - Was not on my DirecTV system.

Remote Setup - Onscreen setup for remote makes it easier to program the remote for TVs and other devices.

Multi-Channel Recall - Shows last four channels (can be disabled to toggle between channels)

Sling Adapter - Still needs work, but it's handy to have.

Auto-Hop - (New feature) Now the system will offer to automatically skip commercials when viewing recorded PTAT recordings. It's a beautiful thing.

SRS Tru-Volume Audio - Set volume level on program. Commercials will not exceed that level. Nice!

*
Cons:*

No Standby Buffer - Probably to save power and system resources, but there is no immediately accessible buffer when you come out of standby. The system only records when powered on.

No PC Software Playback - DirecTV2PC was great. Sling can get you there, but not nearly as functional as the Cyberlink software was with DirecTV.
Sling uses the LAN connection when it can.

No Live Buffer While Watching Recorded Programs - The live buffer stops when I switch to recorded content. It would be nice if it continued to buffer. You just have to remember to press the record button if you want to continue to see what's in the buffer.

No skip to tick
No bookmarks (I never used them)

No OTA - but I hear it's coming

No Quick Clicks (Quicktune on DTV) - It was there, but as of my latest software version it has been removed. 

Overall, I'm still infinitely more pleased with the Hopper/Joey system. Mostly because at the end of the day, the core DVR functions beat the pants off of DirecTV's HR series.


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## kimsshawn

Thanks to everyone for your opinions. Got some great info and think I'm jumping aboard.


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## patmurphey

Marlin Guy said:


> ...No Live Buffer While Watching Recorded Programs - The live buffer stops when I switch to recorded content. It would be nice if it continued to buffer. You just have to remember to press the record button if you want to continue to see what's in the buffer...


Use the red button or swap to select a different tuner.


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## renpar61

The biggest limitation for me is the 3 tuners in the Hopper. Before I had a 622 plus 2 receivers for the other 2 TVs, everyone in the house could watch their own show.
Now with Hopper controlling 2 Joeys there is only one tuner available for each TV. With PTAT enabled (great feature) only 2 TVs have a tuner available during prime time, which is mostly the time when everyone is watching something. Therefore if I want to record a movie and watch something else on the main TV, the other 2 TVs in the house are out of luck...
That's why I unfortunately have to keep PTAT disabled


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## Marlin Guy

I agree that PTAT is a bit of a double-edged sword.
It has caused problems for me in the past as well.


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## Marlin Guy

One more con to add as of software version S209 - It seems that Dish has turned off their Quicktune feature, which was previously accessed by pressing the green button. :nono:


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## 3HaloODST

Marlin Guy said:


> One more con to add as of software version S209 - It seems that Dish has turned off their Quicktune feature, which was previously accessed by pressing the green button. :nono:


That Quick Clicks function was pretty useless and it was just something left over from when the ViP 922 had the touchpad remotes.


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## Marlin Guy

3HaloODST said:


> That Quick Clicks function was pretty useless and it was just something left over from when the ViP 922 had the touchpad remotes.


To each their own, but I used it and liked it.


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## patmurphey

renpar61 said:


> The biggest limitation for me is the 3 tuners in the Hopper. Before I had a 622 plus 2 receivers for the other 2 TVs, everyone in the house could watch their own show.
> Now with Hopper controlling 2 Joeys there is only one tuner available for each TV. With PTAT enabled (great feature) only 2 TVs have a tuner available during prime time, which is mostly the time when everyone is watching something. Therefore if I want to record a movie and watch something else on the main TV, the other 2 TVs in the house are out of luck...
> That's why I unfortunately have to keep PTAT disabled


It never occured to you that going from 4 tuners to 3 might cause problems? 2 Hoppers/1Joey would be the correct configuration for your family. Why not contact a DIRT member for help? The montly fees would be the same.


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## renpar61

patmurphey said:


> It never occured to you that going from 4 tuners to 3 might cause problems? 2 Hoppers/1Joey would be the correct configuration for your family. Why not contact a DIRT member for help? The montly fees would be the same.


Honestly it did not occur to me. I wasn't even sure about all the features. What made me jump on the Hpper/Joey was the whole house DVR integration which works in my advantage more than the missing tuner is a loss. I just pointed out the limitation for someone who has to make the decision.

However, as an "early adopter" I had to go through several calls to get the system. First I was told I didn't qualify for the upgrade (been a top tier customer for 8 years, with direct debit, never missed a bill if this is Dish evaluation method...). Next call I was told I did qualify but the minimum configuration was 1 Hopper/3 Joeys and after arguing for 20 mins. to no avail about the impracticality of 4 receivers for only 3 TVs I gave up. Finally I was able to get someone a little more knowledgeable on the chat but I didn't even dare asking for 2 Hoppers... 
I'm not complaining, I thought it was actually hilarious...


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## 3HaloODST

renpar61 said:


> Honestly it did not occur to me. I wasn't even sure about all the features. What made me jump on the Hpper/Joey was the whole house DVR integration which works in my advantage more than the missing tuner is a loss. I just pointed out the limitation for someone who has to make the decision.
> 
> However, as an "early adopter" I had to go through several calls to get the system. First I was told I didn't qualify for the upgrade (been a top tier customer for 8 years, with direct debit, never missed a bill if this is Dish evaluation method...). Next call I was told I did qualify but the minimum configuration was 1 Hopper/3 Joeys and after arguing for 20 mins. to no avail about the impracticality of 4 receivers for only 3 TVs I gave up. Finally I was able to get someone a little more knowledgeable on the chat but I didn't even dare asking for 2 Hoppers...
> I'm not complaining, I thought it was actually hilarious...


Should've used DIRT. Matt made my process painless. The only pain incurred was the initial install when the Joeys were throwing tantrums. Ever since then initial install though, mostly pain-free except for a few minor bugs. Far from an "early adopter" experience here.


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## Marlin Guy

One more BIG Pro that I forgot to mention, because I already take it for granted, is the SRS Tru-volume leveling. I haven't heard an annoyingly loud commercial since day one! :joy:


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## patmurphey

renpar61 said:


> Honestly it did not occur to me. I wasn't even sure about all the features. What made me jump on the Hpper/Joey was the whole house DVR integration which works in my advantage more than the missing tuner is a loss. I just pointed out the limitation for someone who has to make the decision.
> 
> However, as an "early adopter" I had to go through several calls to get the system. First I was told I didn't qualify for the upgrade (been a top tier customer for 8 years, with direct debit, never missed a bill if this is Dish evaluation method...). Next call I was told I did qualify but the minimum configuration was 1 Hopper/3 Joeys and after arguing for 20 mins. to no avail about the impracticality of 4 receivers for only 3 TVs I gave up. Finally I was able to get someone a little more knowledgeable on the chat but I didn't even dare asking for 2 Hoppers...
> I'm not complaining, I thought it was actually hilarious...


I was an early adopter, too, and was forced to get an extra Joey with the 2nd Hopper (2+2, 3 TVs), but it turned out to be a windfall. I don't mind the $7mo. I use the 2nd Joey for access to the other Hopper from my main TV, with a one click HDMI input swap. When Hopper integration happens, I'll either send back the Joey or get another TV.


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## njk986

And now the Auto-hop feature to skip commercials on prime time network recordings!


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## jgcecg

I have a hopper and 1 Joey, installed about 4-20-12.

I am extremely happy with the hopper/joey. It is very fast! Installation was smooth and there have been no major issues. I don't feel like a beta tester. I have had many DVRs over the last 10 years, starting with the DTV Tivo. This is by far the best.

I had a DTV HR22-100, that I upgraded by putting in a 2TB HD. But that made it super slow. Having a 2TB HD also created a very long list of shows, which is a problem. The hopper solves that with folder options. Its interesting that folders have been around for 28 years since the Mac was introduced in 1984 and it took that long for a DVR to have folders.

The only thing I miss from DTV is the Rotten Tomato ratings in the movie section. I also liked the cast and crew option, but these are minor issues.


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## Marlin Guy

As of 5/10/2012, you can add automatic commercial skip for all programs recorded with PTAT (prime time any time).


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## patmurphey

jgcecg said:


> ...I had a DTV HR22-100, that I upgraded by putting in a 2TB HD. But that made it super slow. Having a 2TB HD also created a very long list of shows, which is a problem. The hopper solves that with folder options. Its interesting that folders have been around for 28 years since the Mac was introduced in 1984 and it took that long for a DVR to have folders...


??? VIP DVRs (622, 722, etc.) from Dish had folders.


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## tcatdbs

My 722 ext HD has no folder options. If he's talking internal, then it should have folders.



patmurphey said:


> ??? VIP DVRs (622, 722, etc.) from Dish had folders.


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## n-spring

njk986 said:


> And now the Auto-hop feature to skip commercials on prime time network recordings!





Marlin Guy said:


> As of 5/10/2012, you can add automatic commercial skip for all programs recorded with PTAT (prime time any time).


I must say, I love this new feature. Worth the price of admission IMHO.


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## patmurphey

tcatdbs said:


> My 722 ext HD has no folder options. If he's talking internal, then it should have folders.


I had all my EHD recordings on both a 722 and a 622 in folders by title???


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## tcatdbs

OK, on mine as long as the title is the same, all titles wll go to one folder. But I can't create a new folder like "kids", and put various kids shows in it (like you can on the internal drive). On the ext drive, if I want all my music shows in "Music" I have to change the original title of say, "Rolling Stones..." to "Music", then I have no clue what the show really is. I just can't do on the ext what I can on the int.



patmurphey said:


> I had all my EHD recordings on both a 722 and a 622 in folders by title???


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## 3HaloODST

tcatdbs said:


> OK, on mine as long as the title is the same, all titles wll go to one folder. But I can't create a new folder like "kids", and put various kids shows in it (like you can on the internal drive). On the ext drive, if I want all my music shows in "Music" I have to change the original title of say, "Rolling Stones..." to "Music", then I have no clue what the show really is. I just can't do on the ext what I can on the int.


In the DVR menu, use the green button to select "My Folders" to see your custom folders.


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## frogg

Been with D* since Primestar days, but after seeing H/J in action at my daughter's house, I am about ready to make the switch. I guess the main gripe I would have would be missing the cast/crew info, and if that was added to H/J, I'm on the phone ordering. H/J is light years ahead of D* HRs in every other way, and PQ is as good or better.


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## frogg

Soooo...does anyone know if E* has plans to add cast & crew info to the Hopper?


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## RasputinAXP

Some cast info is usually on there; top 2 or 3 stars at least. Never seen the crew. Really not something I'd use as a make or break thing.


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## frogg

Not a dealbreaker, but nice to have. Leaning toward making the switch from D*.


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## Marlin Guy

I used the feature a few times when on DirecTV, but I really don't miss it at all.


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## frogg

It mainly comes in handy when watching an old movie, and the wife says,"What's that guy's name, and is he still alive?"


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## Marlin Guy

I used it when I saw a hot woman on a show. Then I'd go online and see if there were any pictures of her nekid.


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## frogg

LOL:eek2:


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## frogg

Killer feature-a nekid button.:grin:


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## Marlin Guy

frogg said:


> Killer feature-a nekid button.:grin:


Well, since the green button was disabled.... :lol:


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## gpauljr

Been with DTV for over 10 years. Currently have 9 TV's, 6 DVRs and 3 tuners. Questions are: How many Hoppers can you have and are they all integrated (talk to each other)? Can you add external disk drives for additional storage, and if so how large can they be? Am thinking of switching and am in the process of researching prices, capabilities, etc. Thanks.


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## FilmMixer

"Marlin Guy" said:


> I switched from DirecTV about a month ago, and I have been very pleased with the Hopper/Joey systems.
> 
> Pros:
> 
> PIP/Swap - Was not on my DirecTV system.
> 
> Remote Setup - Onscreen setup for remote makes it easier to program the remote for TVs and other devices.
> 
> Multi-Channel Recall - Shows last four channels (can be disabled to toggle between channels)


Just to clarify..

The DirecTV receivers have these functions...

The HR34 has a PIP feature... And all current DVRs have 2 live buffers, both of which can be paused and swapped, with each other and a recording... Called Double Play..

In regards to the remote setup, both my HR 24 and HR 34 allow you to point the remote at the receiver for programming... They include two way communication..

Finally... If you hit the info button while watching a show, there is indeed a Last 4 drop down where you can view and switch channels to the last four viewed...


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## RasputinAXP

gpauljr said:


> Been with DTV for over 10 years. Currently have 9 TV's, 6 DVRs and 3 tuners. Questions are: How many Hoppers can you have and are they all integrated (talk to each other)? Can you add external disk drives for additional storage, and if so how large can they be? Am thinking of switching and am in the process of researching prices, capabilities, etc. Thanks.


2 Hoppers with 6 tuners amongst them (5 during Prime Time) and I believe up to 3 Joeys per Hopper; you can use any externally-powered USB hard drive up to 1TB (officially, though some of us have apparently done larger). They add to the existing 1TB-per-Hopper storage. There are some 3-Hopper installations but they're very rare.

The dual-Hopper integration isn't available yet but they're saying Real Soon Now, which is probably around the end of summer. You cannot integrate more than 2 Hoppers.


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## gpauljr

Thank you for the information. Will wait until they have better integration. I have plenty of time as I am not real unhappy with my present situation, just looking to make better.


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## P Smith

> Will wait until they have better integration.


Be sure when the integration happened, all quirks and bugs of the mode will be eliminated before you'll dive into it .


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