Updated: Post edited to clarify that the fee waiver currently applies to new Dish Network customers only.
At CES, Dish Network unveiled its multi-room DVR solution, the Hopper and Joey. True to its word, Dish has announced pricing and availability of the Hopper multi-room HD DVR in the first quarter—and it’s available now! The Hopper is a 3-tuner HD DVR that acts as a hub for remote Joey receivers that can be deployed around the home, connected via Ethernet or MoCA. The Hopper features many of Dish’s signature services, including an innovative new feature, PrimeTime Anytime that records and retains the last eight days’ prime time content from the four major local network affiliates. We dove into the specifics of this feature earlier this year and posted a PrimeTime Anytime video demonstration on our YouTube channel.
The Hopper adds a multi-room service fee of $4 to the existing monthly $6 DVR charge, but this fee is waived for new customers who subscribe to Dish’s America’s Top 200 plan or any higher level plan. Similarly, each Joey will cost you $7 a month, but these, too, are free to new customers subscribed to those higher plans.
Dish is running an entertaining spot that pokes fun at the rather odd product name, and they’ve also posted a number of information videos to their YouTube channel. You can find more information about Hopper at Dish Network.
I’m glad the Hopper is finally here! I’ve been waiting for what seemed like forever for it. I have a good feeling about it. I’ve been playing with a tester Hopper that we have here at DISH where I work, and getting to use it so much made me want one even more. I like that the Hopper and Joeys are small enough to hide, meaning that there is a clean look around the TV. My cousin has been heard a lot about getting DISH and Hopper, and I think he’ll be happy to know that he can get it for free.
Just to be clear, those waived fees you speak of in your post are only waived for “New Customers” only. I have been a Dish customer for years at the 250chanel level, and they would not waive the fees for me. =(
Ooh…thanks for catching that, Tim. I’ll modify the post.
I’ll bet if you complain hard enough about it and threaten to move on they’ll waive them for you. I know most providers will. They love retention.
Adam, its almost like you were reading my mind. 😉
Nope, my Dad is a Dish customer having been a 250 level customer for at least 10 years now and when he tried the “I’ll just leave” routine they were like “Bye, don’t let the doorknob hit you on the way out”.
Wow, that is very discouraging. I could never figure out how a Marketing dept. for a company as big as Dish, could ever think it is OK to treat loyal long term customers, like second class citizens. In my particular case I don’t own a Dish DVR of any kind, so even though I cant get Cable I would Not be opposed to switching to Direct TV. I don’t enjoy begging companies to take my money. O~o #Dish
Been a dish customer for 6+ yrs now and they want $647 to install the hopper?????? Said it’s not available in our area??? what the heck?? Will be calling direct soon!
FYI – I made a little mistake switching from Dish HD DVR’s and HD players. I have 6 televisions that could each watch a separate channel. I thought having a shared dvr for all would be great. So I ‘upgraded’, at my expense, to 2 hoppers and 4 joeys. If I have primetime anytime on, on both hoppers, I am left with 4 tuners shared between 6 televisions. Better example, I have an HBO movie recording on one hopper, Cinemax movie on the other, and both have primetime anytime recording. I am left with 2 tuners for the six TV’s. Once those two are being by someone in the house, the other 4 viewers must watch one of the two movies being recorded, something previously recorded, or the 2 live shows (the live shows are controlled by one viewer, 2nd viewer at their mercy). I feel stupid for not recognizing this, before making the change. I am spending more money, for fewer actual tuners. If your entire house is in agreement on what to watch – this is for you! But, if you were, wouldn’t you only need one TV?
Is there a reason to have the Primetime Anytime on for both Hoppers? Is there a limit to the number of Joeys that can be run from one Hopper? Could you just have one Hopper and 5 Joeys? I’m guessing that the two Hoppers cant watch each other’s content. Is that why you have Primetime Anytime enabled on both of them?
It can be easy to be upset over new customer offers but it is important to remember that each customer is unique, new or existing. Some new customers don’t get free equipment while long term customers can be offered discounts. The best way to find out what you qualify for is to ask. I know that Dish has a great customer response team on Twitter and Facebook, they can take a look at your account and see what can be done.
If you guys are on the fence about the Hopper I say upgrade because Dish keeps improving it. Recently they added Pandora, doubled the HD recording space and they added the Auto Hop commercial skipping feature. I discovered Auto Hop last week after a long night working at Dish. I brought up the Primetime Anytime menu on my Hopper and selected an episode of CSI. I expected it to play like usual, but this time a new menu came up and asked if I wanted to skip the commercials for this episode. I don’t think anyone would say no to that option. From then on I was hooked. TV shows are so much more engrossing and so much more entertaining without the commercials.
That’s so dumb! You’d think they’d wanna keep their loyal customers. This is why I hate contract TV, because once they have you under contract they don’t give a crap about customer service anymore.