I'm trying to decide what system to get,I don't think I need the hopper as my wife doesn't care about recording her shows on her TV.Myself, I record everything and would like a large DVR.Also We have a RV we use from time to time and would like to take the DVR along with a portable Dish.The Hopper does sound interesting, would it complicate things taking it with our RV?Direct does not have local HD here in Bakersfield CA.
Hopper or not
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Just keep in mind that the Hopper only works with DPP equipment and you have to install the node as well for it to work in your RV. Also, depending how far you travel, your locals may be on spotbeam and you will lose them if you travel too far.
Thanks for the response.. So, I would be better off not using Hopper for the RV use? Sorry if I sound like a idiot, but this is all new to me, I"ve been on cable for years and have no experance with Sat.
If you want HD at two TV's in the house, the Hopper system is the way to go. If you don't care if the second TV is not in HD, then the VIP722 will be $11 less a month.
Dish makes a specific set-up for the RV, and you can apply for the networks with an RV registration, meaning you can get national ABC, NBC, CBS, and FOX in the RV. Otherwise you won't get your local networks if you travel outside the reach of the satellite for your channels. (Only the four networks work like that, all the other satellite channels can be seen wherever you are as long as you have a sight to the satellite) BTW - you want to make sure whatever you put in the RV is compatible with what is called the EASTERN ARC. Dish has a set of satellites for the Western ARC, and for the Eastern Arc. BUT - if you get the equipment that use the Eastern Arc, then you can also use the Western Arc, there is some equipment that can only use the Western Arc, you don't want that. Why? When camping, it would give you two ways to point the satellite to get a line of sight if you can see both the Western and Eastern Arc.
Dish makes a specific set-up for the RV, and you can apply for the networks with an RV registration, meaning you can get national ABC, NBC, CBS, and FOX in the RV. Otherwise you won't get your local networks if you travel outside the reach of the satellite for your channels. (Only the four networks work like that, all the other satellite channels can be seen wherever you are as long as you have a sight to the satellite) BTW - you want to make sure whatever you put in the RV is compatible with what is called the EASTERN ARC. Dish has a set of satellites for the Western ARC, and for the Eastern Arc. BUT - if you get the equipment that use the Eastern Arc, then you can also use the Western Arc, there is some equipment that can only use the Western Arc, you don't want that. Why? When camping, it would give you two ways to point the satellite to get a line of sight if you can see both the Western and Eastern Arc.
When it comes to multiple LNBF RV automatic dishes, there is the WA and the WA. The LNBF Head is different for the two arcs. For most of the country, the WA is the best option for RVers.
Newer dome dishes with single LNBF heads can be programed for EA or WA. However, after dealing with the Winegard AS-2003, a single LNBF automatic roof dish, you do not want a single LNBF dish and a multiple tuner DVR.
Some automatic dishes can be put into a manual mode and EA satellites can be selected, one at a time. But that is very constrictive. Even a normal single LNBF RV dome can auto-switch between between WA satellites. I have yet to see an automatic single LNBF dish that switches between the EA satellites. They may be one but I haven't seen it.
You could carry an EA and WA dish for a tripod but that is a lot of space. I guess you could even get a WA and EA head for a 1000.4 and disassemble the dish to change heads.
I deal with the WA and have done so in Florida, Maryland, and Pennsylvania.
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As to the Hopper for an RV, we are getting one because we want HD in the bedroom and to have a common recording repository which we don't have with a VIP722K and a VIP612.
The one issue for many RVs will be were the coax feeds from the roof dish (assuming a roof dish) come into the RV. For us, one coax was in the living room and one was in the bedroom. We have a Winegard Trav'ler and the dish is a 1000.2 so we could use single coaxes to the 722K and 612 by using separators.
To use a Hopper, the Solo will have to have both coaxes from the roof dish which means you will have to route one of the coaxes to where the other one is. We had done this when we had just a VIP622 and a Winegard AS-2003 which could not use separators. Depending on your RV, running a new coax from the roof dish or extending one in the RV may be a challenge.
If using a ground tripod, just make sure you have the ability to feed two coax cables into the RV.
If I was moving Hopper equipment back and forth between the RV and a house, I would get an extra Solo and leave it in place in the RV.
The one issue for many RVs will be were the coax feeds from the roof dish (assuming a roof dish) come into the RV. For us, one coax was in the living room and one was in the bedroom. We have a Winegard Trav'ler and the dish is a 1000.2 so we could use single coaxes to the 722K and 612 by using separators.
To use a Hopper, the Solo will have to have both coaxes from the roof dish which means you will have to route one of the coaxes to where the other one is. We had done this when we had just a VIP622 and a Winegard AS-2003 which could not use separators. Depending on your RV, running a new coax from the roof dish or extending one in the RV may be a challenge.
If using a ground tripod, just make sure you have the ability to feed two coax cables into the RV.
If I was moving Hopper equipment back and forth between the RV and a house, I would get an extra Solo and leave it in place in the RV.
Thanks for the reply. We have a 2010 5th wheel, it has a outlet for cable and sat. The sat. will only be for the TV in the living area in the rear. I was wondering if the dish tailgatter cube antenna will work with hopper?
Dish will not allow a hopper/joey and a vip or other receiver on the same account. So it appears that those that rv, camp, have a weekend place and want to up grade to a hopper will need to have a seperate account. Sounds to me like moving the hopper/joey isn't as easy as moving a 722, at least that is what I'm taking from reading the forum....
Ross
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Ross
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Thats what I'm afraid of. Before I sign a 2 year contract I want to know what I'm getting into. Direct does not have HD on locals here in Bakersfield Ca. until July. The only reason I want sat. is to use it in our RV at times, as RV parks have very basic cable.
Since you only want to feed 1 hdtv, I think your better off with a 722k with the ota module. That will give you 2 sat tuners and 2 ota tuners. Cost per month would be your package plus$6/mo dvr fee. With the 4 tuners, you can record a program at the same time your wife is watching live and if live is ota, you could be recording 2 sat and 1 ota feed with the 722k. You can add an external hard drive for unlimited storage. There is no charge to do that for the 722. You can have as many as you want, but only 1 can be connected at one time.
