Regretting Hopper, Maybe Going Back to 722k/211

[Tampa8]

You're telling me that DISH actually Beta tested the 922 before and they still released it? MY GOD! All the problems I had with the 922 over the 10 months I had it and it was actually tested before hand?

DISH should try using some of the subs here on the Satguys website to test their new receivers ,BEFORE they release them into the wild to the general public. We are much better suited to run the boxes through their all their paces ,than some random people DISH selects. NO offense to you or any other beta tester, but seriously, we could do it better. Maybe Scott could use his connections with DISH to set up "cutting Edge " testing like DIRECTV does , using us here on the satguys website. That would be better than letting the general public indentify all the problems over the next year or two . We could identify all of them in the first month and they could fix all them at least 6 months before they release it .

You may never see this again, but I agree with you 100% on both counts.

 

[GaryPen]

You may never see this again, but I agree with you 100% on both counts.

Dr. Samuel Johnson is right about Olson Johnson being right.

 

[GaryPen]

... That experience gave birth to the Hoppers system which seems to be working great for a first release. This stuff happens with technology.

The Hopper has some basic bugs and simple design flaws that should have been identified and fixed before release. Overall, it's pretty decent, and certainly usable. But, I have to wonder exactly how extensive the beta testing and usability research was.

The idea currently floating around this forum that Dish should use SatGuys members as testers is a brilliant one. We found tons of stuff in the first 24-48 hours that seems to have slipped thru the Dish QA process unnoticed. Either Dish QA has serious flaws, or SatGuys members are pretty damn sharp. I have a feeling it's a combination of the two.

 

[356B]

The Hopper has some basic bugs and simple design flaws that should have been identified and fixed before release. Overall, it's pretty decent, and certainly usable. But, I have to wonder exactly how extensive the beta testing and usability research was.

The idea currently floating around this forum that Dish should use SatGuys members as testers is a brilliant one. We found tons of stuff in the first 24-48 hours that seems to have slipped thru the Dish QA process unnoticed. Either Dish QA has serious flaws, or SatGuys members are pretty damn sharp. I have a feeling it's a combination of the two.

I mention this to a DIRT member months ago to no avail....the selection would be a nightmare though, Scott obviously got one early as did others I suspect. In reality most of the comments have been positive if judging by the number of positives to negatives is relevant.
You can't hold happiness and fear in the same hand.....

 

[Scherrman]

I have actually been very impressed with how well the system has worked right out of the gate. i alos don't mind being a BETA tester either. I was a tester for the 922 and even though it wasn't the greatest from the start I still enjoyed it.

 

[Tampa8]

Dr. Samuel Johnson is right about Olson Johnson being right.

Took me a second, I got it.... lol

 

[mdonnelly]

Took me a second, I got it.... lol

Genuine frontier gibberish.

 

[KAB]

Dr. Samuel Johnson is right about Olson Johnson being right.

Thank you, Van!

 

[navychop]

....DISH should try using some of the subs here on the Satguys website to test their new receivers ,BEFORE they release them into the wild to the general public. We are much better suited to run the boxes through their all their paces ,than some random people DISH selects. NO offense to you or any other beta tester, but seriously, we could do it better. Maybe Scott could use his connections with DISH to set up "cutting Edge " testing like DIRECTV does , using us here on the satguys website. That would be better than letting the general public indentify all the problems over the next year or two . We could identify all of them in the first month and they could fix all them at least 6 months before they release it .

I would definitely volunteer for something like that.

....The idea currently floating around this forum that Dish should use SatGuys members as testers is a brilliant one. We found tons of stuff in the first 24-48 hours that seems to have slipped thru the Dish QA process unnoticed. Either Dish QA has serious flaws, or SatGuys members are pretty damn sharp. I have a feeling it's a combination of the two.

I mention this to a DIRT member months ago to no avail....the selection would be a nightmare though, Scott obviously got one early as did others I suspect. In reality most of the comments have been positive if judging by the number of positives to negatives is relevant.
You can't hold happiness and fear in the same hand.....

Post #50.

 

[Chris.praying]

Chris, I would suggest a couple of things for the timers. Short of having two Hoppers, keep in mind most all the cable channels repeat shows the same night. (Technically sometimes the next morning - like 1AM etc..) So for example Pawn Stars for me records on the second time it airs that night. I set up my timers with what I most want to record at the first airing, keeping in mind any programs that do not repeat. PTAT should help with the Network programs for this, as they do not usually repeat soon after the first airing. After the tuners are all used, I go to the next show I want to record, pick to record all new shows, knowing it can't record at the first airing because all the tuners are being used. But I also know, the receiver will rectify that on it's own, by recording that same show when it airs two or three hours later. I routinely have Pawn Stars recording on the second airing because I am recording other things, some that don't repeat soon after the first airing. I then pick one of the tuners/shows recording if all are being used to watch.
I also will say Dish will have an over the air antenna input at some point, hopefully soon. If you have or get an outside (or inside if you are able to use one) antenna this would provide another tuner. There may be times you can make use of that, if there is only one network show you want to record, use the antenna, then you still have three more tuners to use for the cable channels

One more thing, if the problem is not having a free tuner to watch live and just browse around, again instead of recording something at the regular time, set it to record at the same time every week at the later time it repeats leaving a tuner free earlier while you are awake.

Note - as I write this LUCK on HBO is going to record at 12AM, not the first airing. I purposely do that so my wife has a free tuner to watch live or browse around on Sunday nights......Ditto the Long Island Medium.

Tampa8, I'm sure that at times your resolve would work. Let me say I programmed approx 40 timers ( most in series ) the first evening. I'm looking now--- 8 of which are non-prime time hd news stations ( miss them if you miss them )---6 are non-prime time hd weekly shows ( miss them you have to watch on Internet the following Friday) ( if a tuner is available for them then )( some you'll wait till next week to watch)-- sorry it just seems a little out of hand for us to go through this much confusion and inconvenience when we paid good money to upgrade and get less. -- on a side note I would speculate,( and most of the time I stick my foot in my mouth when I do this), that the percentages are higher,with the new software interface,( 722 to a hopper system ) that people are more likely to spend extra money on -- blockbuster -- vod --- and movies. Your correct, there are times when you can figure it out , or the system will automatically do it for you, in some situations, but there are a lot of times you can't. EITHER WAY-- 4 tuners to 3 is not an upgrade. No offense intended, but it's like going the long way home all the time...

Chris

 

[Tampa8]

Then you need a second Hopper. If you had two SD receivers with four tuners, then got one HD receiver with two tuners as an upgrade, would you blame the HD receiver or yourself for not getting a second receiver? Same here, the Hopper has three tuners (four hopefully soon with OTA) That's what it is, one receiver with three tuners, it was that way when you upgraded. If three tuners are not enough, (which is understandable) you need another Hopper. Saying it should, could, would have more tuners won't change anything....
You had two receivers with four tuners, you got one receiver with three tuners. Do the math.

 

[Chris.praying]

Then you need a second Hopper. If you had two SD receivers with four tuners, then got one HD receiver with two tuners as an upgrade, would you blame the HD receiver or yourself for not getting a second receiver? Same here, the Hopper has three tuners (four hopefully soon with OTA) That's what it is, one receiver with three tuners, it was that way when you upgraded. If three tuners are not enough, (which is understandable) you need another Hopper. Saying it should, could, would have more tuners won't change anything....
You had two receivers with four tuners, you got one receiver with three tuners. Do the math.

Dear tampa8,

If you would have read earlier in THIS very same forum I posted yesterday at 4:04 pm, before you rambled- should could would,-- you would see that when I first spoke to cust. Service to inquire about the upgrade-- the lady assured me not once , but several times, that the Joey was capable of rec. 4 prime and 2 hd as well as hopper.--- I know.... Sounds unusual but it's true...remember all calls may be recorded for quality assurance... You may say I should have done my homework, but Internet and forums are sometimes misleading...I wanted to ask prices and functions from the horses mouth( cust service ) before I switched. That's what I did....they're working to resolve the matter...thanks for your concern.

 

[Chris.praying]

Dear tampa8,

If you would have read earlier in THIS very same forum I posted yesterday at 4:04 pm, before you rambled- should could would,-- you would see that when I first spoke to cust. Service to inquire about the upgrade-- the lady assured me not once , but several times, that the Joey was capable of rec. 4 prime and 2 hd as well as hopper.--- I know.... Sounds unusual but it's true...remember all calls may be recorded for quality assurance... You may say I should have done my homework, but Internet and forums are sometimes misleading...I wanted to ask prices and functions from the horses mouth( cust service ) before I switched. That's what I did....they're working to resolve the matter...thanks for your concern.

Ps...by the way my 722's-- were HD recievers with 4 tuners total. Thanks, chris

 

[ronfelder]

If you're talking about Fox 29 in Philly I see nothing wrong on my Hopper or Joey.

 

[ronfelder]

nope. it takes about 15 secondsfor movie authorization.

 

[dwarren2]

To Chris

Don't know if you know this trick. Works on the 722 and heard it works on the Hopper. Press the DVR button 3 times. That should bring up a list of scheduled recordings. If there is a conflict with your sons desires and the recording is on a Dish feed that is not a local you can manually change it to record or skip by moving over to the list, arrow down to the recording and press Info. At the top you will see either Skip or Restore. You can Skip the early recording and the receiver will automatically restore the late(west cost) feed. If there is a show that the receiver wants to skip , you can restore it so it will record. Lots of other things you can do from that screen.

 

[Tampa8]

He's not interested, that's clear. He could have simply gone to the Dish website to see what the Hopper was all about. The Hopper or Joey CAN record four prime time and two additional HD channels..... The CSR is correct. You apparently took that as each independently. That doesn't change at all the need for another Hopper if three tuners (six during prime time) is not enough.

 

[Chris.praying]

To Chris

Don't know if you know this trick. Works on the 722 and heard it works on the Hopper. Press the DVR button 3 times. That should bring up a list of scheduled recordings. If there is a conflict with your sons desires and the recording is on a Dish feed that is not a local you can manually change it to record or skip by moving over to the list, arrow down to the recording and press Info. At the top you will see either Skip or Restore. You can Skip the early recording and the receiver will automatically restore the late(west cost) feed. If there is a show that the receiver wants to skip , you can restore it so it will record. Lots of other things you can do from that screen.

Dwarren2-
Let me say I'm fully aware of the scheduled functions features and changes, but This is the main reason I upgraded, was the fact of not having to resolve so many conflicts. With 3 tuners only , now I will be resolving conflicts more often than before I upgraded. A lot of times , as I mentioned earlier in this same forum, I have some scheduled rec. conflicts that later you can only view later on Internet. Some not at all. I guess I'm ugly, but i'decent with a remote. Lol

Thanks for trying to help, Chris

 

[ronfelder]

As someone said should have read the feautres beforfe going along witht he upgrade. I don't know how long you've been on this board bt i'm sufre everyone here understood that the hopper and only the hopper has tuners and the quantity of tuners is three.

 

[dishfan82]

The hopper is way better than the 722k I had. It has a better ui , faster scrolling , many great features like PTAT , recall last 4 channels and I most like the speed of the hopper when channel changing. Channels show up instant just about. I think by mid summer they will have most if not all the issues fixed. The dish guy who was at my house Saturday said the hopper won't get most of the features like Facebook app and pandora until summer. Like one person said before, most of the shows repeat at later times so you're able to have free tuners available if you wanna watch live tv. Overall I like the hopper it's def an upgrade over the 722k I had.