Thread: Not happy with the Dish Hopper DVR

three–tuner Whole–Home HD DVR that lets you record up to six live HD channels at once* and stream four HD programs to different TVs simultaneously. No other competitor can offer this!

Hopper - DISH Network

Originally Posted by ScottChez

You are right.

SOLUTION-
with only 3 Tuners and One Tuners doing Prime time this is really ONLY a Two Tuner solution. They need to advertise it as a TWO TV Solution so customers dont get mad later after there locked into a contract and cant watch live TV on there THREE TV Household (household with Two parent and One or more kids)

Now all they need is the Over the Air Turner so people dont get it home, locked in a Contract and then realize they cant watch the 10 other local channels they used to have on Cable as Cable has many of the Digital Sub channels that dish does not carry. They need this Tuner at Release date so when the customer calls in to complain they will have a solution to offer, they could sell it for say $49.99 and it would be an other tuner.

It is a 3-tuner solution. And during PrimeTime, IF, you choose to use that, it becomes a 6 tuner solution in effect. If you never use the PrimeTime feature, then it is always a 3-tuner solution.

Since it hasn't actually shipped yet, the OTA tuner option might be available when it does. We don't know that yet.

Having only 3 tuners is really starting to sink in with me. I am not sure why but I thought the 3 tuners worked more like 6 but at the end of the day the Hopper really only has 1 tuner more that a 722. In a 4 TV household there is no way to watch 4 live programs at the same time without paying for an additional Hopper. And I don't want to hear about OTA as the solution because it is not even supported yet not to mention I am not in a major area that has ton of OTA. If we happen to be recording a show then only TWO of the 4 TVs in my household would be able to watch live TV. This really, really is not good and makes Directs home whole setup with their new 5 tuner receiver sound MUCH better. The only way I see Dish eliminating this issue is if they make adding a second Hopper very easy and VERY REASONABLY priced.

Originally Posted by Slamminc11

oh good, another hopper thread...

Of course you would chime in on a thread that doesn't glorify Dish.....

It's great to get a realistic perspective from a DISH dealer!! (and it's not buried in 20 pages of speculation)

Originally Posted by JimK2

three–tuner Whole–Home HD DVR that lets you record up to six live HD channels at once* and stream four HD programs to different TVs simultaneously. No other competitor can offer this!

Hopper - DISH Network

Not in the recent sense of recording 6 channels. You don't get to choose those 6 HD channels. (you even put the asterisk in, but no disclaimer)

And the 4 streams are not LIVE TV. Do you realize that, Or just repeating "one sheet" info?

Originally Posted by jerryez

I never watch anything live including football. That is why we have DVRs, to skip commercals. So, if you have enough stuff recorded, then the Joeys can watch prerecorded programs, which is what the system was designed for.

How can you be unhappy with something that has not even come out yet? Try it, you might like it.

Good for you. What if everyone wants to watch different shows live, what then?

Originally Posted by lparsons21

It is a 3-tuner solution. And during PrimeTime, IF, you choose to use that, it becomes a 6 tuner solution in effect. If you never use the PrimeTime feature, then it is always a 3-tuner solution.

Scenario, its Saturday afternoon and I am watching Football on ESPN, my wife is watching a cheesy movie on Lifetime Network and we just happen to be recording something on HBO at that time to view later. If my kids decide to watch TV on one of the two other available TVs in my house then they MUST watch ESPN, Lifetime, the HBO movie or something already recorded. They would not be able to watch any other live TV channel, correct? And don't mention OTA, not a solution for us.

Sounds like a single Hopper wouldn't work for you then. Easy, get a 2nd one and since the design is everywhere is the same as everywhere else in the network (except for PIP), it should be just simple as pie.

Originally Posted by lparsons21

Sounds like a single Hopper wouldn't work for you then. Easy, get a 2nd one and since the design is everywhere is the same as everywhere else in the network (except for PIP), it should be just simple as pie.

Agreed. I think it is largely going to come down to pricing, ESPECIALLY for that second Hopper. The purchase cost and monthly fees associates with TWO Hoppers should be comparable to the new SINGLE Direct HR34 receiver sense Directs receiver has 5 tuners built in. I am not going to argue over a total of $5/month more but if I have to pay $400 upfront for the privilege of leasing a second Hopper and then they charge me $17/month for each Hopper then my choice to switch to Direct becomes a no-brainer.