According to Dish, the Hopper 3 — the latest DVR in Dish’s Sling-powered Hopper series — is seven times more powerful than its current DVR, resulting in a faster and improved interface.
It can also be connected to up to six different “Joey” receivers around your house, meaning a total of seven TV sets can be pulling from the same DVR at the same time.
That’s one of the reasons that the Hopper 3 has the 16 tuners. If each of those TVs has an owner who wants to record something, it never hurts to have a ridiculous number of tuners.
The other big reason for the 16 tuners is a feature that Dish informally dubs “sports bar mode,” which allows users to view up to four programs simultaneously on the same screen.
Where this multi-channel viewing option is a big deal is on 4K ultra-HD sets. The Hopper 3 supports 4K video, which is four times the resolution of current HD TVs. So when you split your 4K screen into four smaller screens, each one will still be showing in full HD.
Speaking of 4K video, Dish is upgrading the Netflix app on the Hopper 3 so that it can access the streaming service’s 4K content. Some of those videos will be broadcast via satellite; some will stream over the Internet.
As an adjunct to the Hopper 3, Dish will also be releasing a small device called the Hopper Go. It’s a portable device that lets you carry around up to 100 hours of recorded content for playing anywhere, even in places where there is no Internet connection.
The Go creates its own WiFi cloud that can be accessed by up to five devices simultaneously. So if your whole family is taking a long train ride, you can each wirelessly stream recorded content to your phones and computers without using anyone else’s WiFi or a cellular connection.
The Hopper 3 is coming out this month. Dish says that eligible new and current customer won’t have to pay an upgrade but it will cost you $15/month.
The Go is coming later in the spring, says Dish. It will sell for a one-time charge of $99.
by Chris Morran via Consumerist
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