Hopper Duo Remote Question

[mitchman333]

Ok long time Dish subscriber, who loves, LOVEs my Vip 722 dvr, w/OTA and UHF Pro remotes, that said, I'm afraid my 722 might be slowly dying on me (that's for another post on this forum).

I've been debating a low cost replacement for my current situation, which is a whole house distributed HDMI runs to all TV's, 1 DVR plays on all TV's, UHF Pro remotes control from any room in the house.

Is there anyway a Hopper Duo (no Joey) could replace the 722 config...? I know I'd need to buy an OTA tuner, but the remote is my question, is there any way the Hopper Duo could have a similar UHF Pro type experience...? Basically DVR is in basement, but can be controlled from most other rooms..? Just trying to keep monthly fees as low as possible.

Thank you in advance for any feedback.

- Mitchman

 

[pattykay]

Absolutely yes! All of the newer Hopper remotes are UHF. Since you are wanting to save money, be sure to check out my ad in the Classifieds section here, or just send me a private message. I can get you set up with a Hopper Duo and a spare remote if you would like.

 

[TheKrell]

All of the newer Hopper remotes are UHF.

I thought the 40 and 54 Hopper remotes were using some protocol incompatible with UHF Pro remotes. I'm still using a couple of UHF Pro remotes, but they are in IR mode...

I didn't check out your merch recently. Are you offering a 722? I could offer one of those that got replaced and deactivated once I got my H3. I own it so I still have it.

 

[mitchman333]

I thought the 40 and 54 Hopper remotes were using some protocol incompatible with UHF Pro remotes. I'm still using a couple of UHF Pro remotes, but they are in IR mode...

I didn't check out your merch recently. Are you offering a 722? I could offer one of those that got replaced and deactivated once I got my H3. I own it so I still have it.

Ideally, if I can troubleshoot and fix my Vip 722, I'd love to keep my current setup. It just works perfectly for us. I was trying to think through IF I upgraded to new equipment, what would be the gotchas I have to consider. Really appreciate the quick responses.

 

[pattykay]

I thought the 40 and 54 Hopper remotes were using some protocol incompatible with UHF Pro remotes. I'm still using a couple of UHF Pro remotes, but they are in IR mode...

I meant that the new remotes work through walls, so the experience is the same. I assumed they were UHF. (Note that I specifically did not say UHF Pro. I am well aware of the inability to pair the old UHF Pro remotes to the newer Hopper receivers and vice versa.)

...
I didn't check out your merch recently. Are you offering a 722? I could offer one of those that got replaced and deactivated once I got my H3. I own it so I still have it.

Does that deactivated 722 still work for free preview channels? (It might if it still has the old purple G3 Smart Card in it.) If so, I might be interested in it. The only equivalent receiver model I have available to sell or trade for that is a Hopper Duo. I also still have a purchased 612 and a purchased 211k. I have a couple of 512's, but these days those are mostly just useful for the value of the programming that is already recorded on them.

 

[TheKrell]

Does that deactivated 722 still work for free preview channels? (It might if it still has the old purple G3 Smart Card in it.)

Darned if I know. I suspect it was taken out of service before any kill signal arrived. It was working great before then. The card in it now is white.

 

[dishdude]

I think the Wally might be perfect for you. I recently retired my beloved ViP and replaced it with a Wally, it distributes to the whole house with an HDMI over coax converter. I've been impressed and find it superior to the old ViP I had. You'll have 2 satellite tuners, 2 OTA tuners and streaming capability. You'll also have no monthly DVR fees as an added bonus!

Cost of entry -

Wally - $59 new on eBay
AirTV OTA adapter - $29
One time DVR fee - $40
Hard drive - (I had an old one laying around so just bought an enclosure) $10
50.0 remotes go for about $15 new on eBay
Ethernet adapter $18 from Amazon

$170 and you own all the equipment, have essentially the same capability as you have with the 722 and get rid of the monthly DVR fee.

We never are watching more than one satellite channel at a time, so a hopper is overkill. If the Wally is in use, the other TVs have OTA, a ton of streaming options and access to the live channels on Dish Anywhere.

 

[pattykay]

And now, my counter-argument. (Keep in mind that I used to recommend Wally all of the time. So, I have nothing against the Wally, but I am now in the business of selling my Hopper Duos.)

Wally lacks PIP capability, and also lacks the new Gallery app. Hopper Duo has both of those.

With a subscription to satellite-delivered locals, Hopper Duo can record the four major networks (ABC, CBS, NBC, Fox) simultaneously, using only one tuner. Wally lacks that capability.

Existing recordings can be transferred from ViP DVR's to an external hard drive, and can be played by (and/or transferred to) the Hopper Duo. Those recordings would be incompatible with Wally.

I can beat the prices listed in the post above:

Hopper Duo - I am only asking for $50
OTA adapter - I'll provide that for $20 (the older Hauppauge model though, not the AirTV one)
No upfront $40 DVR fee

Dish no longer charges that fee to new subscribers with Wally. However, they do now have a $7 per month fee for the first receiver. (At least, that is the rate my sister got as a new subscriber this year.) That $7 first receiver fee only applies to Wally, not any model of Hopper. Hopper Duo's DVR fee is $10 monthly. So, a $3 difference for more functionality.​

Hopper Duo has an internal hard drive. So, no expense for external hard drives, unless you want to archive.
54-series remotes - I'm asking $10 each
Hopper Duo has built-in Wi-Fi capability. Wally would require an adapter for Wi-Fi.

So, let's see: $50 + $20 + $10 for one spare remote = $80 upfront, and all of the equipment would still be owned. Dish would collect $3 more per month than what they charge new customers with one Wally. ($10 DVR fee for Hopper Duo vs. $7 first receiver fee for Wally) Hopefully, the Hopper Duo has enough additional capabilities to make the extra monthly money worth it.

 

[mitchman333]

And now, my counter-argument. (Keep in mind that I used to recommend Wally all of the time. So, I have nothing against the Wally, but I am now in the business of selling my Hopper Duos.)

Wally lacks PIP capability, and also lacks the new Gallery app. Hopper Duo has both of those.

With a subscription to satellite-delivered locals, Hopper Duo can record the four major networks (ABC, CBS, NBC, Fox) simultaneously, using only one tuner. Wally lacks that capability.

Existing recordings can be transferred from ViP DVR's to an external hard drive, and can be played by (and/or transferred to) the Hopper Duo. Those recordings would be incompatible with Wally.

I can beat the prices listed in the post above:

Hopper Duo - I am only asking for $50
OTA adapter - I'll provide that for $20 (the older Hauppauge model though, not the AirTV one)
No upfront $40 DVR fee

Dish no longer charges that fee to new subscribers with Wally. However, they do now have a $7 per month fee for the first receiver. (At least, that is the rate my sister got as a new subscriber this year.) That $7 first receiver fee only applies to Wally, not any model of Hopper. Hopper Duo's DVR fee is $10 monthly. So, a $3 difference for more functionality.​

Hopper Duo has an internal hard drive. So, no expense for external hard drives, unless you want to archive.
54-series remotes - I'm asking $10 each
Hopper Duo has built-in Wi-Fi capability. Wally would require an adapter for Wi-Fi.

So, let's see: $50 + $20 + $10 for one spare remote = $80 upfront, and all of the equipment would still be owned. Dish would collect $3 more per month than what they charge new customers with one Wally. ($10 DVR fee for Hopper Duo vs. $7 first receiver fee for Wally) Hopefully, the Hopper Duo has enough additional capabilities to make the extra monthly money worth it.

Amazing, detailed feedback, I will try to go through the various posts. Had no clue I could go outside of Dish on equipment, really appreciate it.

 

[MikeD-C05]

And now, my counter-argument. (Keep in mind that I used to recommend Wally all of the time. So, I have nothing against the Wally, but I am now in the business of selling my Hopper Duos.)

Wally lacks PIP capability, and also lacks the new Gallery app. Hopper Duo has both of those.

With a subscription to satellite-delivered locals, Hopper Duo can record the four major networks (ABC, CBS, NBC, Fox) simultaneously, using only one tuner. Wally lacks that capability.

Existing recordings can be transferred from ViP DVR's to an external hard drive, and can be played by (and/or transferred to) the Hopper Duo. Those recordings would be incompatible with Wally.

I can beat the prices listed in the post above:

Hopper Duo - I am only asking for $50
OTA adapter - I'll provide that for $20 (the older Hauppauge model though, not the AirTV one)
No upfront $40 DVR fee

Dish no longer charges that fee to new subscribers with Wally. However, they do now have a $7 per month fee for the first receiver. (At least, that is the rate my sister got as a new subscriber this year.) That $7 first receiver fee only applies to Wally, not any model of Hopper. Hopper Duo's DVR fee is $10 monthly. So, a $3 difference for more functionality.​

Hopper Duo has an internal hard drive. So, no expense for external hard drives, unless you want to archive.
54-series remotes - I'm asking $10 each
Hopper Duo has built-in Wi-Fi capability. Wally would require an adapter for Wi-Fi.

So, let's see: $50 + $20 + $10 for one spare remote = $80 upfront, and all of the equipment would still be owned. Dish would collect $3 more per month than what they charge new customers with one Wally. ($10 DVR fee for Hopper Duo vs. $7 first receiver fee for Wally) Hopefully, the Hopper Duo has enough additional capabilities to make the extra monthly money worth it.

But it doesn't have Prime time Anytime section but it will record all 4 network channels on one tuner? Sounds like you get the capability even if you don't get the auto skip on commercials.

 

[pattykay]

But it doesn't have Prime time Anytime section but it will record all 4 network channels on one tuner? Sounds like you get the capability even if you don't get the auto skip on commercials.

That is exactly correct. It requires separate timers for each show (just like any Hopper outside of prime time hours) but it works great 24/7.