CES 2016: DISH unveils Hopper 3, a supercharged STB


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Rebecca Hawkes

| 07 January 2016




DISH Network has unveiled the next generation of its whole-home DVR, Hopper 3, featuring 16 tuners and a raft of advanced features.



Hopper 3 also has 4K content options, including the proprietary Sports Bar Mode, and integration of Netflix into its universal search results.

DISH also announced the pocket-sized HopperGO wireless flash drive, which stores up to 100 hours of recorded content for offline viewing on smartphones and tablets.

“Today we are giving consumers even more choice and control over their viewing experience by introducing the most advanced DVR in the world, while also redefining the mobile viewing experience,” said Vivek Khemka, EVP and CTO, DISH. “Hopper 3 is more than just a DVR; it’s an entertainment hub that supports and centralises the various content types popular today, like streaming apps and Ultra HD, while engineered to adapt with the trends on the horizon, like linear 4K.”

Hopper 3 contains 16 tuners, more than any other DVR in the world. The expansion means that viewers can watch shows in multiple rooms, view live programmes remotely via DISH Anywhere and set multiple recordings, all at the same time and without the need to manage conflicts or cancel timers.

“Consumers may not spend a lot of time thinking about how many tuners they have, but they do care about being able to watch and record all the shows they want to see when they want to see them,” said Khemka. “Having 16 tuners enables us to give our customers a conflict-free viewing experience while also supporting advanced features like our new 4K Sports Bar Mode.”

Speaking of which, Sports Bar Mode, is a multi-channel view that divides the screen into quadrants, each with the ability to display a different programme in 1080. The feature works by decoding any four different HD feeds and displaying them simultaneously.

DISH also announced agreements with Sony Pictures, The Orchard and Mance Media to deliver movies and other 4K content directly to the Hopper 3 and 4K Joey. At launch, customers with these boxes will be able to rent various Sony titles such as the Amazing Spiderman, American Hustle and Smurfs 2” in 4K on-demand.

“The affordability of 4K TVs has increased dramatically, and consumers are hungry for content and features that really showcase the picture and put the technology to work,” said Khemka. “With Sports Bar Mode, we wanted to replicate the fan experience of enjoying several games simultaneously for the home, and combining this feature with our new content offerings gives viewers a rich 4K viewing experience unavailable elsewhere.”

As far as the Netflix integration, customers who search for a TV series will see a list that incorporates episodes from Netflix, DVR recordings, on-demand options and future airings, depending on availability of each. Netflix 4K content will also be available for viewing on the Hopper 3 and 4K Joey.

DISH added Netflix to its Joey clients for second, third and fourth-room viewing in 2015, and the Netflix app debuted on the second-generation Hopper DVR in December 2014.

“The integration of Netflix titles into our search results is one more way we are making the Hopper a true entertainment hub, enabling viewers to easily find the programming they want to watch without having to run multiple searches across platforms,” said Khemka.