Should I upgrade?

captain_caveman

Active SatelliteGuys Member
Original poster
Mar 26, 2026
17
26
Kentucky
I have had Dish 722k and 222k receivers since around the time they first came out. They still work flawlessly, but I'm starting to wonder whether or not it's time to upgrade. Are there any benefits to upgrading to the Hopper/Wally receivers?
 
I used to have both a Dish VIP211K and a Dish VIP222K. I only kept them because it was fun to have that "retro" feel of the old UI and operation. However, over a year ago, I canceled them and upgraded to a Hopper 3 and two Joey 3 units. I also have a Wally. The bottom line is I will never look back. In my opinion, they are simply better receivers as they are faster and offer so many more features.

I used to run my Family Room HDTV and my Bedroom HDTV off the Dish 222K but the 2nd TV on the 222K can only handle SD. I wanted HD in my Bedroom too so the Joey made sense, as now I have HD feeds to both rooms. The second Joey feeds my Den HDTV.

I have been very happy with the Hopper 3 and 2 Joeys. Never had any issues with any of them, or the Wally for that matter. I may be incorrect but I think the older VIP receivers also do not stream the additional BonusView channels.

I also question as to how much longer Dish will even support their older VIP receivers.
 
I have had Dish 722k and 222k receivers since around the time they first came out. They still work flawlessly, but I'm starting to wonder whether or not it's time to upgrade. Are there any benefits to upgrading to the Hopper/Wally receivers?
At some point, you're gonna be required to anyway if you're gonna stay with dish so you may as well get it over with
 
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No punking from me. I used to be a member here many years ago, mainly in the fta section, but time went by and I stopped using forums. Flash forward, and I joined again this year to ask questions about OTA TV. I only asked about upgrading the 722k and 222k because I'd been thinking about it, and wondered if there were any benefits to doing it now vs later.
 
No punking from me. I used to be a member here many years ago, mainly in the fta section, but time went by and I stopped using forums. Flash forward, and I joined again this year to ask questions about OTA TV. I only asked about upgrading the 722k and 222k because I'd been thinking about it, and wondered if there were any benefits to doing it now vs later.

Fair enough. We've had a couple (or just one) young kids joining trying to get old ViP receivers for some strange reason.

I'm partial to Wally, they are cheap to buy and no DVR fees. I like the updated UI compared to the old ViP and the new remotes. I actually run my entire house off a single Wally, with OTA and streaming no one is watching multiple Dish channels at the same time.
 
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Keep them if you value have everyone dvr separate from each other, if you dont mind everything will be in one DVR or dont have multiple people watch the same timers/recording that like to "delete" them after watch it cause problem for others then go for it is better box I would not say it better in image quality cause that comes down to satallite quality "resolution" and "compression"

I still hate Hopper system to the i day cause I actual think every TV should have it own DVR and timers separate from all the other tv's, The other devices shown on the H3 dvr page should show the all the joey/tv and there dvr in it and Joey/TV other devices should list the H3 and other Joey. Timers should be separate too. H3 have 16 tuners it could easly do this is just need to done by dish first. hell they program to have both ways the way it currently or have setup and each joey acts like on box and has it own dvr and timers that only they see unless the go to other devices.

Or just get bunch wallys and get external storage have one time fee for dvr and 2 tuners?

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Keep them if you value have everyone dvr separate from each other, if you dont mind everything will be in one DVR or dont have multiple people watch the same timers/recording that like to "delete" them after watch it cause problem for others then go for it is better box I would not say it better in image quality cause that comes down to satallite quality "resolution" and "compression"

I still hate Hopper system to the i day cause I actual think every TV should have it own DVR and timers separate from all the other tv's, The other devices shown on the H3 dvr page should show the all the joey/tv and there dvr in it and Joey/TV other devices should list the H3 and other Joey. Timers should be separate too. H3 have 16 tuners it could easly do this is just need to done by dish first. hell they program to have both ways the way it currently or have setup and each joey acts like on box and has it own dvr and timers that only they see unless the go to other devices.

Or just get bunch wallys and get external storage have one time fee for dvr and 2 tuners?
And then you have to view that recorded program on that TV. There is no sharing.
 
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And then you have to view that recorded program on that TV. There is no sharing.
which is the point I want h3 to see joey as separate tvs/dvr recording...


Other devices could show other devices recording it not like h3 lack tuners and could not do this. I dont want see DVR full crap I dont watch and I dont want to have ask did you "watch" this cause I like delete thing after I watched them.

As I said I prefer solo box and I prefer joeys acted like separate box
 
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which is the point I want h3 to see joey as separate tvs/dvr recording...


Other devices could show other devices recording it not like h3 lack tuners and could not do this. I dont want see DVR full crap I dont watch and I dont want to have ask did you "watch" this cause I like delete thing after I watched them.

As I said I prefer solo box and I prefer joeys acted like separate box
That's never gonna happen because it defeats the purpose of the whole home DVR and if you're gonna stay with dish, then you might as well accept it because those VIP boxes are around their last breath
 
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That's never gonna happen because it defeats the purpose of the whole home DVR and if you're gonna stay with dish, then you might as well accept it because those VIP boxes are around their last breath
I dont have to accept that anymore then dish need to accept they are lose more customers then they are gain. and there prices are are helping.and nvm there massive debt as last week dad want to cancel dish, but there contract

Wally with external storage for DVR is next best thing seeing it 1 time fee for dvr activation and 5$ fee month and 2 tuners . would certainly be less costly to have 3 of them and drop hopper 3 system all together. I was never fan Whole house dvr system and I never will be.

Have each program set to records to a users folder. With a Hopper 3 you have 16 tuners. Sp each user can record shows to their own folder, which is almost like having seperate DVR's.

I love the Hopper 3, nothing else even comes close.
This would be fine too IF timers let you specify more then one folder. in the case of multiple people watch the same show, but that is not possible either cause last I check if multiple client make the same timer it just override original and go newly created timers folder that was one my original complaints about HWS and why I switch use to 2 hws with 1 joey per hws. and why h3 setup that way, other then the redundancy purpose

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Wally with external storage for DVR is next best thing seeing it 1 time fee for dvr activation and 5$ fee month and 2 tuners . would certainly be less costly to have 3 of them and drop hopper 3 system all together. I was never fan Whole house dvr system and I never will be.

That really is the way to go from a cost and fee perspective. I pay $51 a month for a Wally with DVR capabilities, Flex Pack + News. Antenna for locals. That's like 1990's basic cable pricing, you won't get that with any other provider.
 
That really is the way to go from a cost and fee perspective. I pay $51 a month for a Wally with DVR capabilities, Flex Pack + News. Antenna for locals. That's like 1990's basic cable pricing, you won't get that with any other provider.
There are options that are less expensive, My Entertainment via DirecTV, includes those News Channels, HBO, Hulu, Disney, only $34.99 a month, then you can use that same antenna for local news,

My News, News Channels with Locals-$39.99 a month.

They include DVR and ability to watch on multiple TVs at once.

 
This would be fine too IF timers let you specify more then one folder. in the case of multiple people watch the same show, but that is not possible either cause last I check if multiple client make the same timer it just override original and go newly created timers folder that was one my original complaints about HWS and why I switch use to 2 hws with 1 joey per hws. and why h3 setup that way, other then the redundancy purpose
The number of people who would want that feature is less than 1%, I'm sure, so why would Dish add something so complicated that almost no one would use?? I can tell you almost no one uses folders at all
 
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The number of people who would want that feature is less than 1%, I'm sure, so why would Dish add something so complicated that almost no one would use?? I can tell you almost no one uses folders at all
I've used folders for years. It makes our Hopper recordings easier to keep our individual recordings easy to separate.

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Got some sad news to share. Claude Greiner died yesterday

ESPN News Packages?