Dish Hopper getting 5 bad reviews to 1 good review

[navychop]

Oh Noes , now I'm going to have to go into teaching mode for my wife. I've had the 722k for about 4 years, and I'm thinking of switching to the HWS for the techie in me . She gets frustrated quickly.....but I taught her how to use the 722k, through time.

Steve

She may find the Hopper EASIER to use.

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[dwarren2]

Oh Noes , now I'm going to have to go into teaching mode for my wife. I've had the 722k for about 4 years, and I'm thinking of switching to the HWS for the techie in me . She gets frustrated quickly.....but I taught her how to use the 722k, through time.

Steve

Don't worry. My technophove wife had no problen switch8ing from the 722 to the Hopper.

 

[eddie willers]

My wife is a tech IDIOT, but she picked up the Hopper with no problem.

Anecdotally (meaning...this is what I observed from years of Home Theater set-ups) I have found that men, while they love this stuff, are mostly clueless when it comes to tech. You can see they are pretending to be listening to you as you explain how everything works while their minds are thinking only one thing ("Give me the remote, give me the remote, Give. Me. The. Remote!!!")

The women seem to be the exact opposite. While they couldn't care less about the new equipment ("wish we'd have gotten that new armoire) they at least listen....and understand.

That is why whenever I had the chance, I made sure the wife was listening in as I explained their new stuff and how the remote worked.

This saves me from him calling me at all hours. The wife will intercede saying, "Don't call him. Eddie TOLD you you press this, this and then this... Sheesh!"

He gets the grief.....not me.

 

[Scherrman]

For me I think the hopper w/sling is good, but dont get to sucked up with their advertising. I am neither happy or dissatisfied, since I got mines off of ebay for 160 brand new. Those people who are dissatisfied and probably paid 400 dollars for it. If I paid the same price, I would be as well because I would except much more out of a $400 receiver.

I really don't think the people who gave the bad reviews actually purchased their receivers.

 

[Jhon69]

Being an IT specialist, I definitely see how most people abhor change or learning different ways to do things. Switching TV providers or equipment falls into this category, and I think that's one reason for many poor reviews. Another is sales reps misstating features, like the one who told me the Hopper had 4 tuners. Also, the Primetime Anytime feature complicates things and takes a while to get used to. It should be made clear that PTA takes one of 3 total tuners. The sales rep or installer should have told me that having 3 joeys hooked to one hopper is most likely problematic in most households. That's how they set me up when I signed up for Dish (my first experience with satellite tv) 2 weeks ago, it didn't take long to realize I must have 2 Hoppers, which I now have and everybody's happy. The one thing I really don't like are the icons for shows, I've never liked icons for anything that could be a list, a text listing with more info is always preferable. Maybe the firmware is designed that way to make it easier to program for other languages. Having no prior experience with anything other than cable tv, and spending 2 weeks familiarizing with it, I really like all the features of the Hopper/Joey system. I give it *****

When you connect a USB OTA tuner module,it does have 4 tuners(3SAT+1OTA).

 

[nmguy]

I really don't think the people who gave the bad reviews actually purchased their receivers.

You mean the reviewers from Directv?

 

[3HaloODST]

Starting to think the OP was a troll post.

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[bwexler]

I find it hard to believe there are too many complaints about the hopper. It is a fantastic piece of equipment. I had no ideal how much I would like PTAT.
If there are any complaints it would be with Dish's On Demand services and their lack of available HD channels. Dish lacks a lot in the on Demand department. Some channels (showtime) are available On Demand but Dish decides not to carry them or has a very limited amount of content. Which I find odd since you have to download everything using a broadband connection. When it comes to HD channels, why would anybody want to watch standard definition? You can't even use the hopper unless you have a HD television. Yet numerous channels are still SD. That I just don't understand.

I do understand. I record everything before I watch it, then I archive it on EHD. I am happy with SD recordings when available and can fit 4 times as many on a disk. I am constantly running into disk full on my main Hopper. The inability to transfer shows that refuse to display on the transfer screen is one of those "nit" problems that annoys me, as does the size of my monthly bill.
unfortunately I have not found anything else that even comes close to competing.

 

[lotsoftime]

Had my HWS for 2 weeks now and am not a happy camper. I am wishing for my 622 back as I had no problems with it. One main reason for the update to hopper was to view 3D movies from Dish and guess what----they have a problem that won't be resolved until Dec. 30th with downloading the 3D movies. Message says the TV is not 3D compactable. Also have stations dropping out of the fav guide and not being able to put them back in w/o redoing the entire fav setup. Last night on Primetime recording it did not record 2 local stations and O, also had the enable drop out and not record at all a couple of days ago. So I guess I am one of those people that don't like the hopper-------rightly so after all the problems. And those are only the ones I have run into so far. I am getting a $5 credit for 3 months because of the 3D thing but when you sign up for something, you expect it to work. I debated about going to U-verse but decided to stick with dish as a customer for 15 years----maybe I shouldn't have stayed as now locked in for 24 months. UNHAPPY

 

[lucky86]

What make and model of TV do you have?

 

[Scherrman]

Does any provider really offer that much with 3D anymore? I'm not sure what the problem is but I don't have much experience with the 3D. I'm assuming you have a 3D TV since that would be necessary for it to work.

 

[lotsoftime]

I'm running a Vizio M3D550SR with the hopper. From everything I read at Dish and in talking with the person I ordered from I should be able to view 3D movies. Originally I just wanted to upgrade to a 922 but was told by 2 csr that they no longer have 922's. Well ok I said but not happy with the extra monthly charges for the hopper. From what I am experiencing as of now, not worth the extra bucks and the headaches that go with the problems. I never spent so much time talking to customer support as I have the last two weeks in the 15 years I've been with Dish. As for 3D, it looks like it is getting more popular from all the 3D TV's I see advertised in the paper. Time will tell I guess. But my concern is not only with not be able to view 3D from Dish, it's also the little things that are happening with the receiver that should have been fixed.

 

[Scott Greczkowski]

It should do 3d with that tv do you have the Hopper hooked directly to the tv? If it's hooked to a surround sound system then it probably won't pass the 3d.


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[navychop]

"As for 3D, it looks like it is getting more popular from all the 3D TV's I see advertised in the paper."

It costs them next to nothing to make a TV 3D capable now. So it's just one more feature on the list. 3D sports channel has been dropped. Hollywood is getting lukewarm about 3D as titles aren't moving like they hoped. Ender's Game was not produced in 3D or post produced in 3D and it's hardly the only one. It hasn't stuck as anything more than a niche - today. After UHDTV becomes more common, with it's inherent improved 3D, I think we may see a renaissance, especially if they can get rid of the glasses.

 

[Mike_H]

Does the hopper have shortcomings? Sure. Does it do some things worse than units before it? Perhaps some. Is it way and above a better device and system? Heck yes. It is the best device out there. For my family of 3 adults with a variety of interests and the way they put popular shows up against each other, having 2 hoppers w/sling and a joey ensures we have the opportunity to see what we want on any of the 3 tvs or our laptops. Even if we don't have the time to watch it.

 

[lotsoftime]

It should do 3d with that tv do you have the Hopper hooked directly to the tv? If it's hooked to a surround sound system then it probably won't pass the 3d.


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Yes the receiver is hooked directly to the TV with HDMI. I'm not sure what the problem is with the software but Dish apparently is aware of it but why is the fix so far away. Is this the first you have heard of the problem Scott?

 

[3HaloODST]

3d is overrated anyway. If anything, enjoy the anticipation, because once you see it and the novelty wears off, it certainly won't be "must-have" by any means.

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[oldengineer]

Miley Cyrus did a concert at the end of her Hanna Montana days that was broadcast in 3D. I imagine the response would be different if they were to do one from her latest tour.

 

[Rangers484]

If I understand, your Hopper is connected to your AV Receiver via HDMI. Your receiver is connected to your TV via HDMI.

Somebody else can chime in who understands this protocol better but in all likelihood the problem is not with your hopper but your AV receiver. It is not passing the 3d through due to HDCP non compliance. Something is being stripped from the hopper output when it passed through the AV Receiver on the way to the TV.

If you want 3D try connecting your hopper directly to the TV with HDMI. You then have to figure out how to get your 5.1DD output to your AV receiver. I use the optical output to accomplish this.

See this for an explanation of what is HDCP is:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/High-bandwidth_Digital_Content_Protection

 

[Barry Erick]

I've had sat systems for decades, from USB which became Directv to DISH for superior pictures. After many receivers, I now have a Hopper and 3 Joey's and they are by far the best receivers I've ever had. From PTAT to apps to being able to JOIN with the red button any tv in any room and to the satellite positions in space, make it so easy to get excellent signals. There is so much that can be done with the system, that can frustrate some who don't want to learn it that they just bad mouth this excellent system. Sure, bad hardware can get out there. Bad wiring can screw the system. RG6 and GOOD RG6. Not cheap RG6 or RG59 that "worked fine for my other receiver. There is good reason that does not work on the hopper/joey and it has to do with the frequency spectrum used.