3 tuners don't last long?

[mfoster711]

This will hopefully be my last post before I place my order. Here is a scenario, tell me if I am understanding everything correctly.

Scenario:
- 1 Hopper / 2 Joey install
- PAT enabled
- We have our DVR recordings set to automatically record two extra minutes at the end of shows (which I believe is default setting)
- My daughter setups “Phineas and Ferb” to record at 7:00pm and “Shake It Up” to record at 7:30pm (not major network channels)
- My wife starts watching a movie on Lifetime at 7:00pm

So, if I understand correctly, at 7:30 we run out of tuners and my wife would lose out, at least for two minutes. Is this correct?

The problem in this scenario is that my wife might be 10-15 minutes behind Live TV so when she switches back to Lifetime at 7:32 she actually lost out on 15 minutes of her show. Would it be fair to say that with a 1 Hopper / 2 Joey install that has PTA enabled, if you are not watching one of the major networks during that timeframe then you basically have two tuners to share between 3 TVs which more or less means it would work just like a 722 during this time?

In reality, I actually have a 4th TV and I have been debating if I want to go with
- 2 Hopper / 2 Joey installed now
- 1 Hopper / 3 Joey installed now and upgrade to 2 Hopper / 2 Joey when integration is available
- Wait for integration to be available and go with 2 Hopper / 2 Joey at that time

I am not patient so waiting is not my first choice. I was tempted to go with 1 Hopper / 3 Joey and see if we have issues but after thinking of the above scenario I pretty much convinced myself I need to go with 2 Hopper / 2 Joey and cross my fingers that Dish does not let us all down when it comes to Hopper integration.

 

[MikeD-C05]

That is why I felt like the hopper should of had 6 tuners. Then no wait while watching and also no wait for 2 hopper integration either. If you have Vip receivers like in my house , you are not used to have to wait for anything. I have a 722k with 2 ota tuners so I can watch something live anytime the sat tuners are used up on my ota channels. My son and wife both have 211ks with ota , so my wife watches her HGTV shows and or live stuff on the ota channels. My kid watches his kid shows ,but really doesn't care about ota or broadcast tv, other than Fox Sunday night shows ,which area all animated.

 

[mdram]

sounds like you need 2 hoppers, get them now

the lack of a tuner in a joey is the biggest mistake with this setup

 

[Scherrman]

If lack of tuners is an issue then get a second Hopper. The only challenge at the moment with that is getting Dish to activate 2 Hoppers with only 1 Joey.

 

[patmurphey]

sounds like you need 2 hoppers, get them now

the lack of a tuner in a joey is the biggest mistake with this setup

No, the Joey is very versatile as is, portable to any old wiring, does the job just fine. Yes, 2 Hoppers would be the answer - it looks like it's starting to work for fewer Joeys than Hoppers installations (see the upgrade thread).

 

[mdram]

No, the Joey is very versatile as is, portable to any old wiring, does the job just fine. Yes, 2 Hoppers would be the answer - it looks like it's starting to work for fewer Joeys than Hoppers installations (see the upgrade thread).

hopper dies, no tv

 

[Scherrman]

That's why he said 2 Hoppers would be the answer.

I'm assuming that most people that upgrade to a Hopper and 1 or 2 Joeys had just a dual tuner before. The most common setup for us is a dual tuner with TV2 mirrored to a TV or two. Those people had the same problem when their receiver went out, no TV on every TV. So, my point is, for a lot of people there will not be a difference it the receiver poops out.

 

[Mochuf]

A 3-tuner WHDVR seems like a "day late, dollar short" solution. And here's why. Arris has a new 6-tuner WHDVR, D* has a 5-tuner dvr, Ceton has a 4-tuner cable card device with a 6-tuner on the way, Tivo has a 4-tuner dvr, Silicon Dust has a 6-tuner cable card device. Even Comcast has a 4-tuner dvr on the way. With a 3-tuner Hopper, the Joey should have had a tuner in it. That would have justified the $7 fee attached to it and resolved a lot of conflicts for "power users".

 

[Character Zero]

Well if you did put a tuner in the Joey I would assume it was make the box bigger and I think they were going for a smaller footprint. Also the tuner in the Joey wouldn't have recording or pause functionality (unless they put some flash in there for play/pause) which would make it confusing.

 

[Scherrman]

But the power users can get a second Hopper for $7 a month and have 2 receivers in case one craps out. I really don't see the problem. This has been beat to death on here.

A 3 tuner Hopper will fill the majority of customer's needs. For the ones that need more, Dish gave them the option to add another Hopper. Why should Dish spend the extra money to make a receiver with extra tuners that most customers do not need?

I actually think Dish did it right by given the customer some options. Don't forget, there is nothing stopping Dish from making a 6 tuner Hopper in the future. Once they have the Hopper out for a year and everything is running solid maybe they'll launch a new reciever.

 

[satjay]

I was in a similar case in that I was hesitant to go 1 hopper/two Joey. I am not a power user but had concerns that conflicts could happen plus with future integration of two hoppers cost wise as a new customer I knew this was the time to get a two hopper one Joey install. I called dish and explained to them politely and explained why I wanted two hoppers.

I think it also helped that when I discussed with them that if one hopper went out I would be without tv I think that helped my case, looking forward to my install this Saturday

 

[MikeD-C05]

A 3-tuner WHDVR seems like a "day late, dollar short" solution. And here's why. Arris has a new 6-tuner WHDVR, D* has a 5-tuner dvr, Ceton has a 4-tuner cable card device with a 6-tuner on the way, Tivo has a 4-tuner dvr, Silicon Dust has a 6-tuner cable card device. Even Comcast has a 4-tuner dvr on the way. With a 3-tuner Hopper, the Joey should have had a tuner in it. That would have justified the $7 fee attached to it and resolved a lot of conflicts for "power users".

Exactly my point that the hopper should of had 6 tuners. Power users quickly hit the wall with a single hopper and a couple of joeys.

 

[mdram]

Exactly my point that the hopper should of had 6 tuners. Power users quickly hit the wall with a single hopper and a couple of joeys.

not just power users
even a normal family can

dad watching football
mom watching lifetime
kids watching something kids watch

so sorry you cant record

 

[MikeD-C05]

But the power users can get a second Hopper for $7 a month and have 2 receivers in case one craps out. I really don't see the problem. This has been beat to death on here.

A 3 tuner Hopper will fill the majority of customer's needs. For the ones that need more, Dish gave them the option to add another Hopper. Why should Dish spend the extra money to make a receiver with extra tuners that most customers do not need?

I actually think Dish did it right by given the customer some options. Don't forget, there is nothing stopping Dish from making a 6 tuner Hopper in the future. Once they have the Hopper out for a year and everything is running solid maybe they'll launch a new reciever.

Oh they will in a couple of years and it will be the next thing that you must have. That is DISH's model. They create hype at CES and or Team Summit about the next big thing. Then they put it out to the public ,buggy with lack of all features promised. Work on software to correct it for a year or two. Then when you finally realize that it will never have all that was promised , they are on to the next big thing you have to have again. Lather , rinse ,Repeat . DISH has done this for YEARS, and it should be their mantra.

 

[Mochuf]

But the power users can get a second Hopper for $7 a month and have 2 receivers in case one craps out. I really don't see the problem.

Of course getting a second Hopper also means another $100+ fee that a second or third Joey lacks.

A 3 tuner Hopper will fill the majority of customer's needs. For the ones that need more, Dish gave them the option to add another Hopper. Why should Dish spend the extra money to make a receiver with extra tuners that most customers do not need?

I guess those other manufacturers wasted all that money developing dvrs with all those extra tuners that most people don't need.

I actually think Dish did it right by given the customer some options. Don't forget, there is nothing stopping Dish from making a 6 tuner Hopper in the future. Once they have the Hopper out for a year and everything is running solid maybe they'll launch a new reciever.

With another round of upgrade fees, of course.

 

[wilme2]

I guess those other manufacturers wasted all that money developing dvrs with all those extra tuners that most people don't need.

Depends on how useful the PTAT feature is in reducing the need for more tuners. Not sure how I feel about it, but PTAT is Dish's gamble...

 

[sclaws]

My viewing habits changed with my first DVR (Dish 921--god, that thing was a $$$$ mess with major initial cool factor ) . Our whole family will set any new non-network recordings for their 2nd airing whenever possible, then rely on the DVR for I'd say 90%+ of our viewing. That nicely offsets any tuner-sparring to hours when most of the family is already asleep. Also, PTAT is off for both Hoppers.

Not an excuse for Dish, nor a pro/con for more tuners--just a friendly comment. Carry on

 

[dishfan82]

A lot of movies and shows replay on most stations. If her movie or another show replays then you can schedule it for later. My wife and I record a lot of shows but most are on prime time . Keep in mind that the 6 shows at a time is only during prime time hours. 4 in the major networks and 2 on other stations. The Joeys are nice because the are smaller and in fact so tiny they can be mounted to a wall .

 

[mdram]

A lot of movies and shows replay on most stations. If her movie or another show replays then you can schedule it for later. My wife and I record a lot of shows but most are on prime time . Keep in mind that the 6 shows at a time is only during prime time hours. 4 in the major networks and 2 on other stations. The Joeys are nice because the are smaller and in fact so tiny they can be mounted to a wall .

isnt the h25 about the same size as a joey?

 

[isaacmorseMI]

isnt the h25 about the same size as a joey?

The Joey is smaller.

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