# Hopper 3 issues.



## R. Harden

I just switched from Direct TV to Dish Net last week, 11/02/18. I have the Hopper 3 with two Joeys. The installer could not use the eastern satellite because of trees, so he pointed the dish antenna to the western satellite. I have newer LG 4K HD TV's. The color has greenish tones and the picture is not sharp. TV adjustments can't clear things up. Also the sound drops volume on commercials and non programming. Both TV's are like this. I have had the Dish Net techs out to my place three times. They replaced an HDMI cable and an optical cable. The picture is still inferior to Direct TV, which we thought was perfect. My digital air to air outdoor antenna has better picture than the Dish Net picture. Has anyone experienced anything like this? If so, what was the fix? If Dish can't figure it out, I'm switching back to Direct TV.


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## RBA

You may have solved the problem, switch back and see if it makes you happier.


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## n0qcu

R. Harden said:


> Also the sound drops volume on commercials and non programming.


You're the first person I've seen complain that the commercials are not as loud as the programming usually it's just the opposite so actually this would make you lucky.


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## R. Harden

RBA said:


> You may have solved the problem, switch back and see if it makes you happier.


Thanks. I only switched from Direct TV to Dish because of cost. Dish gave me a deal and I was with them four years ago, and no issues. Three times they have been here and all they do is check installation and adjust the TV picture setting, then leave. I think the Hopper 3 could be bad. A local Dish Net installer has had a few issues. I'm switching back to Direct. They just gave me a super deal for 12 mouths.


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## R. Harden

n0qcu said:


> You're the first person I've seen complain that the commercials are not as loud as the programming usually it's just the opposite so actually this would make you lucky.


Thanks for the reply. The RFD channel has low volume, Bloomberg also, and many others are the same. Commercials and off broadcast do this at times. The volume can be normal, then drop where we can't hear it. Most of those channels, we don't watch, but still, it's not right. Dish techs were here yesterday, replaced an HDMI cable and a digital audio cable (fiber optics). He adjust the TV picture so dark, we didn't see definition. I set it back and it still looks odd. Greenish cast and very vibrant greens. Blond hair is greenish blond, faces are light olive and gray colors have a green cast. My air to air HD programs are next to perfect, so I don't think my TV's are the issue.


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## FarmerBob

n0qcu said:


> You're the first person I've seen complain that the commercials are not as loud as the programming usually it's just the opposite so actually this would make you lucky.


I've noticed that El Ray is blaring. A good 15dB louder. If only all the rest of the channels were +15dB, I could turn down my AVR to match all the other inputs, i.e: TV, ATV, BDP and Computer feed. AND get it out of the "wide open" range. I've been saying this for years, but now have an example.


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## patmurphey

None of this has anything to do with the Hopper3, it's just the way Dish sends to you what it receives.


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## R. Harden

FarmerBob said:


> I've noticed that El Ray is blaring. A good 15dB louder. If only all the rest of the channels were +15dB, I could turn down my AVR to match all the other inputs, i.e: TV, ATV, BDP and Computer feed. AND get it out of the "wide open" range. I've been saying this for years, but now have an example.





patmurphey said:


> None of this has anything to do with the Hopper3, it's just the way Dish sends to you what it receives.


So are you saying, what I have for a picture, is as good as it gets? Direct TV was much better. Great color and definition. I plan to switch back. I had Dish Net five years ago, and I was happy, but I have better TV's now. I believe you, the signal is causing this.


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## patmurphey

I have never seen your complaints about PQ. I think that I will rely on the leader of the "other" forum, who has both, and says there is very little difference. Enjoy the buyout fee, Genie lack of features, and the Genie user interface debacle.


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## R. Harden

patmurphey said:


> I have never seen your complaints about PQ. I think that I will rely on the leader of the "other" forum, who has both, and says there is very little difference. Enjoy the buyout fee, Genie lack of features, and the Genie user interface debacle.


Direct just offered $300.00 the other day if I come back. That alone is not enough to convince me to switch back, it's the picture quality that is what we don't like, and to pay Dish on a two year contract for an inferior product or signal, is just too long of time. We never had issues with the Genie in the past. I realize the Hopper 3 has more features, and recording time, but when the picture quality so poor, we don't care. I would gladly stay with Dish if they could figure this out, but they haven't. Please check with the person you know on the other forum. I would like his take. Thanks!


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## patmurphey

R. Harden said:


> ...Please check with the person you know on the other forum. I would like his take. Thanks!


Number one, I don't have a problem with PQ. Number two, I just reported what I've read on the other forum, posted by its operator. Management of this forum would not appreciate my posting a link as a result of some past disagreements.


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## R. Harden

patmurphey said:


> Number one, I don't have a problem with PQ. Number two, I just reported what I've read on the other forum, posted by its operator. Management of this forum would not appreciate my posting a link as a result of some past disagreements.


Pat Murphey, please don't get upset, and why? You stated, "I think that I will rely on the leader of the "other" forum, who has both", so I thought you were going ask the leader a question. I misunderstood what you meant.

I thought forums like this was to get others ideas, advice and opinions.


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## James Long

PQ is based on perception. We have people here who have had both and "can't tell the difference" as well as those who believe they can. We have people here who have serious issues with their DIRECTV signals. Perhaps there are personalities that people trust or distrust and some people don't trust themselves and seem to rely on others to tell them if their PQ is good or bad. Or they are looking for confirmation for their opinions. But at the end of the day PQ is in the eye of the beholder.


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## R. Harden

James Long said:


> PQ is based on perception. We have people here who have had both and "can't tell the difference" as well as those who believe they can. We have people here who have serious issues with their DIRECTV signals. Perhaps there are personalities that people trust or distrust and some people don't trust themselves and seem to rely on others to tell them if their PQ is good or bad. Or they are looking for confirmation for their opinions. But at the end of the day PQ is in the eye of the beholder.


I agree with you. PQ is in the eye of the beholder. I can adjust my TV's picture controls for my likes, yet others may think my eye tastes are poor. The picture from Dish Net is inferior to my air to air outdoor antenna, which I can switch in a second. It's easy to compare. Color and definition is much better on air to air, as long I'm comparing an HD to HD signal. Others have watched my TV and commented how poor PQ looks on satellite. It's not just me, it's my wife and others. I hate to sound like a complainer and maybe I am, but the Dish picture is bad compared to what we had with Direct. We are on vacation and the TV PQ at the resort is perfect. It's cable, but perfect. My wife noticed it. When we get back home, I'll give it a second look and then decide. Thanks.
I'm not trying to drag Dish Net down and brag up Direct.


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## tivofan2018

R. Harden said:


> I agree with you. PQ is in the eye of the beholder. I can adjust my TV's picture controls for my likes, yet others may think my eye tastes are poor. The picture from Dish Net is inferior to my air to air outdoor antenna, which I can switch in a second. It's easy to compare. Color and definition is much better on air to air, as long I'm comparing an HD to HD signal. Others have watched my TV and commented how poor PQ looks on satellite. It's not just me, it's my wife and others. I hate to sound like a complainer and maybe I am, but the Dish picture is bad compared to what we had with Direct. We are on vacation and the TV PQ at the resort is perfect. It's cable, but perfect. My wife noticed it. When we get back home, I'll give it a second look and then decide. Thanks.
> I'm not trying to drag Dish Net down and brag up Direct.


i have to agree with you about the PQ being better on OTA vs satellite as satellite compresses there signals to fit as many channels to a transponder as they can cable is worse. the best sources for true HD and 4K are blu ray and OTA


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## olds403

I have had dish for 16 years, first SD, then a 722 for 10 years, moved and upgraded to Hopper 3 in April of this year. I do have to say that I think the picture quality now with the Hopper 3 is less sharp than when I had my 722. (whether that is equipment or signal related I do not know) Both receivers were connected to the same 65 inch Panasonic Plasma (though not at the same time), and I have noticed LESS detail (hair, skin texture, patterns in fabric, etc...) with the new equipment. No changes to anything else in the system.

I will say that it varies by channel, some looking better, with more detail than others. But overall I think the picture quality is less than it was before. Blu-Ray and OTA look amazing on my TV, but the Dish picture is definitely less detailed. I still like Dish as a whole but wish the picture was a little sharper.


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## R. Harden

Olds403, thanks for the comment. Your explanation is very close to what I'm experiencing. Poor detail on faces, hair, patterns, landscaping and a greenish cast to whites and grays. Anything green in color is brighter than normal. I had Dish Net around four years ago and it was very good PQ and our TV's were the older LCD types. 

We just got back from a weeks vacation. We had a Samsung LED TV in our rental, connected to cable. The picture was perfect, both color and detail. Every channel was the same PQ. We went to two local sports bars & grills, one had Direct TV, and the other had Dish Net. Both were close to perfect PQ. The Dish Net was not the Hopper 3. We came home late today and started watching TV and the picture just looks bad. I know it's something to do with Dish Net. I can't get cable where I live, so I'm going back to Direct.


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## R. Harden

Thanks everyone for your comments on my post. I just wanted to know if others out there may be experiencing the same problems I am having. I realize some of you are probably partial to one brand or the other. I'm not, I just want good PQ, no matter what system I have. My Dish Net still drops the volume on several channels, which is annoying. I'm just not happy with looking at what I have for the next two years until the contract runs out.


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## some guy

Just as a thought, you could always run a calibration on your TV and that may improve the appearance.


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## RBA

some guy said:


> Just as a thought, you could always run a calibration on your TV and that may improve the appearance.


Or you can pay the early termination fee (ETF) and switch now. Ask Directv if they will pay your ETF or give you credit towards it.


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## R. Harden

some guy said:


> Just as a thought, you could always run a calibration on your TV and that may improve the appearance.


I did this many times and so did the Dish techs that came to the house. The LG TV has a self calibration setting. It really doesn't help my problem. This PQ issue was never a problem before Dish and this problem doesn't exist on the out door antenna. Dish did do something and the greenish cast is mostly gone, but the PQ is not good. The HD is almost SD. It's grainy and not sharp. A local installer that does both Dish and Direct told me to have Dish replace the Hopper 3. He claims that is my problem. Thanks.


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## R. Harden

RBA said:


> Or you can pay the early termination fee (ETF) and switch now. Ask Directv if they will pay your ETF or give you credit towards it.


I checked this with both companies. Dish will not charge anything because it's been under 30 days since they installed the system. Direct will pay up to $300 for any fees I incur. I would keep Dish if they figure out why the picture is poor.


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## some guy

Do you have another TV you can try hooking up to the H3 to see if the quality is just as terrible? I would get a replacement for sure.


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## R. Harden

James Long said:


> PQ is based on perception. We have people here who have had both and "can't tell the difference" as well as those who believe they can. We have people here who have serious issues with their DIRECTV signals. Perhaps there are personalities that people trust or distrust and some people don't trust themselves and seem to rely on others to tell them if their PQ is good or bad. Or they are looking for confirmation for their opinions. But at the end of the day PQ is in the eye of the beholder.


I talked to a local installer who sells both Dish and Direct. He said the Hopper 3 should be replaced. He installed a Dish system with a Hopper 3 not long ago and he had the same issue I'm having. He switched out the Hopper 3 and the problem went away. What do you think?


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## R. Harden

some guy said:


> Do you have another TV you can try hooking up to the H3 to see if the quality is just as terrible? I would get a replacement for sure.


The Hopper 3 is running three TV's. Two have Joey's. All coax is new. Both TV's are LG HD with 4K, about a year or so old. They both had a perfect picture on Direct before we had Dish installed. My ODA picture is perfect on local stations, both color and HD quality. Blue ray DVD with 4K is perfect also. I'm 100% sure my problem is with the Dish system.


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## some guy

Fair enough...I've seen this reported multiple times and if I recall correctly, an H3 replacement fixed it each time.


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## R. Harden

some guy said:


> Fair enough...I've seen this reported multiple times and if I recall correctly, an H3 replacement fixed it each time.


Thanks for that info. I hope it fixes the problem. I have nothing against Dish or Direct. I just want a good picture.


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## RBA

R. Harden said:


> Thanks for that info. I hope it fixes the problem. I have nothing against Dish or Direct. I just want a good picture.


Have you requested a replacement H3?


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## R. Harden

RBA said:


> Have you requested a replacement H3?


Dish techs are to be here tomorrow, Monday, and replace the H3. I hope it takes care of the issue with PQ.
I can post the results.


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## R. Harden

I said I would report if Dish Net replaced my H3. They did yesterday, Sunday. I was surprised they work Sunday, and I didn't expect them to. I believe the color is better. No greenish cast and the greens are toned down to normal. The picture is still poor as far as HD goes. It's grainy and seems out of focus. Last night, we watched the Bears/Vikings game. I could switch from Dish to my ODA. There was a very noticeable difference in clarity and definition. The color was a bit sharper on the ODA picture. Watching the Dish picture last night cause eye strain when compared to watching the ODA picture. Today, watching FOX Business channel, we were getting pixilation and during commercials, the sound volume is still dropping way low. The Dish tech said my signal is good, but yesterday, when he replaced the H3 unit, it took forever to get the signal bar to go to 50%. I have to call them again. Not happy!


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## some guy

Weird


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## R. Harden

some guy said:


> Weird


Any ideas?


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## some guy

Honestly, I'm not sure. My H3 I had installed about a month ago, went in no problem and all the picture on my Hoppers and Joeys are beautiful. Another replacement? I know that doesn't sound like a good solution, but that's the only other thing I can think.


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## James Long

R. Harden said:


> it took forever to get the signal bar to go to 50%.


For reference, it is not a percentage. The higher the signal the better but you're not going to see 100.


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## R. Harden

some guy said:


> Honestly, I'm not sure. My H3 I had installed about a month ago, went in no problem and all the picture on my Hoppers and Joeys are beautiful. Another replacement? I know that doesn't sound like a good solution, but that's the only other thing I can think.


Thanks. I called the Dish Tech I have been working with. He wasn't there today. He works Tuesdays on, so I'll see what he says tomorrow. Tonight, the picture was pixelating around three to four times an hour. Maybe for 5 to 10 seconds each time.


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## R. Harden

James Long said:


> For reference, it is not a percentage. The higher the signal the better but you're not going to see 100.


Thanks. These are the numbers on my H3 receiver. 110 is 82%, 119 is 65%, 129 is 55%. The tech says these are good numbers. My Dish antenna is pointed to the western arc. The diagnostic screen shows percent and tells me the percent for each satellite.


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## scooper

Saying that is an incomplete picture at best. You have up to 32 transponders on each satellite slot, and just about all of them will be different.
What you posted is ONE transponder on each slot.


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## R. Harden

scooper said:


> Saying that is an incomplete picture at best. You have up to 32 transponders on each satellite slot, and just about all of them will be different.
> What you posted is ONE transponder on each slot.


I did see a box with more info/numbers in it. They are all different, like you say. Do you want these numbers?


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## patmurphey

The numbers are NOT percentage! Digital pictures are on or off, quality is not related to reception numbers.


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## scooper

Unless you're having reception difficulties - not usually necessary.
As patmurphey stated - if you receive it in the green, your picture quality will not change - what the lower numbers mean is how much adverse weather your install can take before it loses reception completely.
And as it's been stated many times in just this thread - it is NOT a percentage, but rather an indicator of signal quality, and Dish calibrates their receiver meters to the same numbers as the professional sat meters that the installers use.


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## R. Harden

patmurphey said:


> The numbers are NOT percentage! Digital pictures are on or off, quality is not related to reception numbers.


The Dish tech was here yesterday. He is their primary tech for trouble shooting a problem. He went to the screen that shows signal strength. The bar on the that screen has percent below it, with a number. That's why I called it percent. The tech called it percent also. He said it reflects the amount of signal strength I'm receiving. He said, even at 55%, I'm receiving a decent signal. He said the western arc satellites provide a slightly, stronger signal than the eastern arc , but because these are older satellites, the signal in HD is not as good as the eastern arc. I'm sure no expert on this. I'm just stating what these techs tell me and Dish techs have told me over the phone.


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## R. Harden

scooper said:


> Unless you're having reception difficulties - not usually necessary.
> As patmurphey stated - if you receive it in the green, your picture quality will not change - what the lower numbers mean is how much adverse weather your install can take before it loses reception completely.
> And as it's been stated many times in just this thread - it is NOT a percentage, but rather an indicator of signal quality, and Dish calibrates their receiver meters to the same numbers as the professional sat meters that the installers use.


Thanks for the reply. I just replied to Pat Murphey, so please read that. Galaxy One, the authorized Dish Net installer, was here again yesterday. My second, replacement receiver was not set up correctly. That, along with a few other issue, was corrected, and the system is much better. The tech said my signal numbers are acceptable, but he would like to come back, move the dish and align it to the eastern arc. He said the HD is better. Like I said, I am no expert on this. I just state what they tell me. I understand about the percent and what you said. Thanks.


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## James Long

The scale on my receiver goes up to 125 and does not say or include a percent symbol. Perhaps DISH made a mistake on the Hopper 3 menus.


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## n0qcu

James Long said:


> The scale on my receiver goes up to 125 and does not say or include a percent symbol. Perhaps DISH made a mistake on the Hopper 3 menus.


Here's a screenshot from my H3 there is no percent.


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## James Long

Same scale ... no percent.


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## Jim5506

Surely someone has tried switching the output from 1080i/p to 720p and/or 480p then back to see if the receiver is stuck on SD.

That should be part of the setup.


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## R. Harden

n0qcu said:


> Here's a screenshot from my H3 there is no percent.
> View attachment 29574


OK, but I was just going by what the tech said. It was him that said percent. What difference does terminology make anyway? I was complaining about bad PC. They replaced the receiver and that helped. They came back the following day and moved the dish antenna. Everything is fine now.


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## R. Harden

Jim5506 said:


> Surely someone has tried switching the output from 1080i/p to 720p and/or 480p then back to see if the receiver is stuck on SD.
> 
> That should be part of the setup.


The techs played with the settings. They replaced the receiver and moved the dish antenna. It works fine now. Thanks


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