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OTA for Hopper?

55K views 368 replies 68 participants last post by  LtMunst 
#1 ·
Has the OTA antenna upgrade been released? I've been laying low so I haven't heard.

Scott
 
#77 ·
Neighbor got the Hopper. Then he found out you CANT watch Star Trek on it as there is no over the air Tuner (OTA) for the hopper yet like on the other Dish DVRs.
He also cant watch PBS in HD and he cant get the local Weather Channel and cant get MyNetwork TV.


All of the above plus Star Trek is on here on sub channels not avl on the SAT

He called and said when he sign they said he got all local channels which it turns out he does not and listed them out.

The CSR said the USB Turner was coming out "Soon" they did not have a date, and then they gave him an other $10 off each month for 6 months for the miss understanding.
 
#79 ·
scottchez said:
Neighbor got the Hopper. Then he found out you CANT watch Star Trek on it as there is no over the air Tuner (OTA) for the hopper yet like on the other Dish DVRs.
He also cant watch PBS in HD and he cant get the local Weather Channel and cant get MyNetwork TV.

All of the above plus Star Trek is on here on sub channels not avl on the SAT

He called and said when he sign they said he got all local channels which it turns out he does not and listed them out.

The CSR said the USB Turner was coming out "Soon" they did not have a date, and then they gave him an other $10 off each month for 6 months for the miss understanding.
For these reasons, the hopper is not for me either.
 
#80 ·
Well, with the return of AMC, Dish is now almost a viable option once again. However, I've been looking at the Genie and it will stream OTA to it's clients. I'm waiting on Dish to give us a USB option for OTA.

Other issues are:

Would need two Hoppers because lack of tuners for Joeys (Genie has 5, Hopper has 3)

OTA must be able to stream to Joeys

Hoppers mush "see" each other and act as one which they currently don't do.

OTA's must appear in the Guide
 
#81 ·
BenJF3 said:
Well, with the return of AMC, Dish is now almost a viable option once again. However, I've been looking at the Genie and it will stream OTA to it's clients. I'm waiting on Dish to give us a USB option for OTA.

Other issues are:

Would need two Hoppers because lack of tuners for Joeys (Genie has 5, Hopper has 3)

OTA must be able to stream to Joeys

Hoppers mush "see" each other and act as one which they currently don't do.

OTA's must appear in the Guide
1. OK. Doesn't sound like an issue.
2. OK. That won't be an issue either; Joeys will see it as another tuner.
3. The only thing they don't do is share timers or mung the entire set of recordings into one list.
4. That's how it works.
 
#82 ·
Thanks for the reply - My issue would be the two Hoppers not seeing each others scheduled recording. In other words, I want the system to behave as a one Hopper system, but with the added tuners the second Hopper brings.

OTA is the bigger issue though and why I posted here. I really like how the D* C31 is able to stream OTA from the Genie. Because E* doesn't provide all my locals, I'd need a good OTA solution.

I'll continue to follow up and watch both. The down with D* is lack of HD networks. I really, REALLY want to dith my Time Warner DVR - It's horrible. The Time Warner service, price and channel selection here is great, but the DVR totally ruins the cable portion of the service.
 
#84 ·
P Smith said:
Seems to me the tune for OTA USB stick should be refined as "Summer 2013".
The Hopper will have a USB tuner in Summer 2013.

It will have a USB tuner in Spring 2013 and Winter 2012-2013. Chances are the Hopper will have the USB tuner in Fall 2012 as well but there is still a chance it won't.
 
#85 ·
That's what I'm afraid of. I wouldn't say it's vaporware because there is already a manual out for it. However, DirecTV has it now and it works with client boxes. I much prefer the Hopper software and Guide as well as the Dish HD line up. More of what I want in HD at a better price. I'll keep following the two and see.
 
#86 ·
Some are thinking the OTA USB tuner is all ready to go. Even the User Guide is out there.
The rumors are the hold up is some kind of FCC approval or Patent approval or something like that.
Dish is very late on this one which could mean may be next year going by there past track record of release dates.

Funny thing is
I was at an other house over the weekend asked them if they were missing the local over the air channels, they said what? I get all the locals.
I then started naming off METV (star trek), PBS in HD, MyNetwork TV, PBS from Iowa, CW in HD, PBS create, PBS Kids, Live Well and the local weather.

He said, "wow, I was tricked. They said I got all the locals when I signed up.
Oh well, with the over 250 channels I guess I never noticed till now, but I am still MAD about missing Star Trek and the local weather channel, you never know when you will want to watch those channels."
 
#88 ·
BenJF3 said:
I want the system to behave as a one Hopper system, but with the added tuners the second Hopper brings.
I'm not convinced that any DVR provider offers this kind of support at this point.

My question to you is do you really watch that much live TV?
 
#89 ·
"harsh" said:
I'm not convinced that any DVR provider offers this kind of support at this point.

My question to you is do you really watch that much live TV?
The Genie supports 5 streams. Dish fudges the number by counting PTAT. I rarely watch live TV, but many others do. The issue with units not seeing each others scheduled recordings is one we face now with the crap Time Warner DVR. Always ending up with duplicates or a wasted tuner because some one thought their show wasn't going to record when it was set on another unit.

The locals issue is mainly because sat companies won't provide us with significantly viewed locals here. I've checked with providers. They'll only provide one set based on zip code.
 
#90 ·
BenJF3 said:
The Genie supports 5 streams. Dish fudges the number by counting PTAT.
It isn't fudging if you can record everything you want to watch. Given the number of people that want multiple Genies, I'm not sure that there is any way to satisfy those who simply want more than there is.
I rarely watch live TV, but many others do.
I just wanted to confirm that this was a red herring. You made it sound like it was a show stopper but if it doesn't impact you...
The issue with units not seeing each others scheduled recordings is one we face now with the crap Time Warner DVR. Always ending up with duplicates or a wasted tuner because some one thought their show wasn't going to record when it was set on another unit.
As I said, you're asking for something that isn't yet supported by anyone. It has been suggested that the Hopper may include such a feature in the future but the Genie users won't know until they allow multiple Genies and at this point, the Genie doesn't appear to consider what other DVRs are recording.
The locals issue is mainly because sat companies won't provide us with significantly viewed locals here. I've checked with providers. They'll only provide one set based on zip code.
I don't argue that it could be important to have OTA (IFF you have reasonable reception). It is one of the reasons that I haven't seriously considered going to a Hopper system.

OTOH, the deal with cable is that they're not always very good with subchannels and you know that they're not going to provide OTA support.
 
#91 ·
No, the live TV isn't the main issue - the OTA is because of where I live and my locals. With others in the house that would tie up available tuners, the Hopper limit could be an issue. That said, I could probably check it out at a local sat dealer. The main thing right now (since AMC is back) is the OTA and how they will handle it. If they can deliver something like D* with OTA streaming to Joey's then it's viable. I'm not much for sports and E* has more channels in HD that I want than D* does.

I appreciate all the info.
 
#92 ·
The other thing we don't know yet... Will a Hopper support more than one OTA adapter?

If you have two Hoppers... you should be able to use 2 OTA adapters (one on each Hopper) and while each Hopper can only see/use one... the Joeys could link to either Hopper and see either...

So with OTA, it looks like 3/1 tuners (SAT/OTA) per Hopper... and then 6/2 total if you have a 2-Hopper config.

That would seem pretty good to me... and when you add in the PTAT scenario where you can record ABC/CBS/FOX/NBC in primetime using just the single tuner... it seems like a lot to me.

It would be nice to have the Hoppers interact and share timer/tuner use info... I suspect they could do that in the future, though we've certainly seen nothing to indicate that they are trying... but even without that, can't people in the home talk to each other and say "I'll record that show, you record the other show"? Do families not talk anymore?

I know I tell my father if I record something he might want to watch... and I can put it on an EHD for him to watch later on his Dish receiver in the other room.
 
#93 ·
Am I not correct that DirecTV's OTA solution does not add a tuner, but would use one of the 5 Genie tuners? A 2 Hopper solution with an added OTA tuner on each and PTAT would be a far more capable system. The canard that a Joey wouldn't function with an OTA tuner as it does with an internal tuner is just that, a canard.
 
#94 ·
Some bad news from other thread here:
chaney said:
FYI to anyone out there with 2 722s and switching to 1H & 3J, you will be losing a tv to be only a mirror at all times or wathing dvr/on demand, many of my customers who i go to install this system as an upgrade have no idea and are pretty pissed when they find out, many cancel or fork out the extra cash for another hopper. Also There will never be an OTA adapter for the Hopper/Joey because it will conflict with PTAT when enabled.
 
#95 ·
P Smith said:
Some bad news from other thread here:

chaney said:
Originally Posted by chaney
FYI to anyone out there with 2 722s and switching to 1H & 3J, you will be losing a tv to be only a mirror at all times or wathing dvr/on demand, many of my customers who i go to install this system as an upgrade have no idea and are pretty pissed when they find out, many cancel or fork out the extra cash for another hopper. Also There will never be an OTA adapter for the Hopper/Joey because it will conflict with PTAT when enabled.
Why would it conflict with PTAT? This is rediculous. PTAT records satellite channels on one transponder using one tuner. Adding an OTA module effects this how? Troll much?
 
#96 ·
It will conflict with PTAT because PTAT will not support the ability to record OTA as part of its function, thus no OTA, also seeing as I do have inside knowledge and have already had a beta test sent out to my field office to test it and see if it was a viable possibillitiy for the H/J and found the said conflict. I'm sure if cust complain enough about the OTA the software engineers could work out the quirks to allow a OTA to be useful but in all honesty, They have been removing OTA from many of the Reman receivers for awhile now and made it a pay option instead of an included piece of equipment. Thus why you have to buy it for a 722 or 922 and not for SD equipment ie 311,322, etc. I'm not trolling im just offer info if you have a prob dont read it
 
#97 ·
Perhaps the firmware version you got was not ready for prime time ... or PTAT. It would explain the delay if DISH has such a bug to work out. I don't have a problem believing that you saw an issue on the one receiver you had with the firmware that was on that receiver. The issue is when one extends the observation to be "There will never be an OTA adapter for the Hopper/Joey because it will conflict with PTAT when enabled." Never is a long time.

Other than that :welcome_s to the forum.
 
#98 ·
That's like saying you can't view other sat channels because PTAT doesn't support non-local channels. Sorry, I think you are mistaken based on pure uneducated assumptions. It would be nice if you didn't try to report it as if this were an official confirmation. They don't call it BETA software for nothing.

Everyone already knows that PTAT will not support OTA, seeing as OTA doesn't have shared transponders.

By the way you are wrong about the SD receivers having OTA. They do not have OTA. you are also wrong about the 722 needing an add-on tuner. It has a built-in OTA tuner. It is the 722k which requires the module. Just because they moved from built-in OTA to modules doesn't mean that they won't have a USB tuner for Hopper (which by the way, already exists.)
 
#99 ·
What James said. Welcome. Sorry for the troll comment, but when you say stuff like "will never be..." it draws a reaction. I still don't see any possible way this could (or at least should) cause a conflict. But I'm no hardware engineer!!
 
#100 ·
I thought Prime Time any time was all based on recording from ONE Transponder all channels, it has nothing to do with recording a set of stations on those stations on that transponder.

Thus, once release and the bug fixed PTAT will work as it knows that transponder to record and it knows what channels in that transponder map to the network for the menu of PTAT.

Now for the big question. Why is the OTA Tuner sooooo late.
I am ready to switch to dish now that AMC is back up. But I want to watch Star Trek on METV (a sub channel) and my local weather (a sub channel) and PBS and the CW in HD, DIsh only has SD
 
#101 ·
"scottchez" said:
I thought Prime Time any time was all based on recording from ONE Transponder all channels, it has nothing to do with recording a set of stations on those stations on that transponder.

Thus, once release and the bug fixed PTAT will work as it knows that transponder to record and it knows what channels in that transponder map to the network for the menu of PTAT.

Now for the big question. Why is the OTA Tuner sooooo late.
I am ready to switch to dish now that AMC is back up. But I want to watch Star Trek on METV (a sub channel) and my local weather (a sub channel) and PBS and the CW in HD, DIsh only has SD
I have heard that Dish is waiting for FCC approval.
 
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