[phrelin]

Also not very happy about total abandoning of the Vip 922. Noticed in the Expanded Block Buster Movie Pass thread that the Vip 922 is not listed in supported reciever/DVRs. Third refurbished 922 already starting to act up.

Steve

Dish won't be "abandoning" the ViP DVR line any time soon. And that includes the 922.

As I've noted many times in this forum:

1. The average household size in this country is around 2.6 and 27% of households are single person (one person) households; when we add in two person households, we're talking about 60%+ with regional and ethnic variations.
2. The under-30 crowd clearly is using "personal devices" such as tablets and smart phones to access video content.

Evaluating these facts, just how many TV's can one expect will be in use at the same time in a one or two person household?

And given that the Slingbox Plays through Boxee Box & Logitech Revue and there's no reason why it couldn't do the same for the Sling enabled ViP DVR's, people in the household watching two TVs at the same time is covered with the Sling feature, while giving full "personal device" access.

While I think many features on the Hopper are interesting, right now I can record four channels simultaneously on my 722 and 612 and it's a rare moment I need any more. And that could be six channels if I could get OTA and 7 channels for those that have a 722(k) or 922. If either my 722 or 612 glitches, I can get a replacement and still record on the other one. The Hopper is a "oh crap there goes all my TV" box.

Whole home TV isn't a technology advance, others have been doing it for years. One tuner - whole transponder - four channel recording is a technology advance once it is available in a debugged, reliable box.

But in the next five years the Hopper cannot represent a good reason for Dish to abandon the ViP DVR series. And I say that meaning "can not." It would defy economic logic. Heck there are millions of SD DVR's still out there.

Only because an idiot is running the company would Dish stop manufacturing 722k's and 922. The problem is, I don't know about the current CEO.

 

[P Smith]

You should remember 721 and 921 (feel any reminiscent numbers ?) cut off. Perhaps we're witnesses of new :down: trend.

 

[356B]

The 722K could go the way of the 622 and soon, supported by unavailable from Dish.
Clearly the Hopper is modeled somewhat off the vip922. The menu is almost identical, the guide is virtually the same as the 922. The guide is quicker and it's a different color.....
It obviously has more bells and whistles (PTA, 2T and Joey) but no built in Sling which is unfortunate, PIP with Hopper but regrettably not with Joey.

Dish seems to be going "all in " on the Hopper. I've read that Dish will disallow mixing any vip's with the Hopper on customer accounts......billing reasons says Dish. Bottom line seems to be if you want it you go "all in" with Dish. I have no idea what tailgaters will be offered or do.

 

[Joe Spears]

Here are the spec sheets:

 

[P Smith]

Joe (Scott ?),

A couple notes to first PDF:
- "1700 DMIPs" is wrong on two counts: it's "1500+ DMIPS";
because a) it's a param of Broadcom BCM7420, not the inflated by dish; b) the acronym is Drystone MIPS (originally an acronym for Microprocessor without Interlocked Pipeline Stages).

 

[phrelin]

You should remember 721 and 921 (feel any reminiscent numbers ?) cut off. Perhaps we're witnesses of new :down: trend.

I remember that the 721 was replaced with a 522 and a 921 with a 622 or 722. But I'm not worried about getting some letter saying they're going to replace my 722 with a Hopper anytime soon.

Except for some firmware glitches, like the recently nightly program guide one due to the marketing-driven Blockbuster menu upgrade, the ViP DVR series are reliable HD workhorses. Yes, the 622 may be getting a little long of tooth, but there's still a lot of them out there

Now if some new format issue - say an "MPEG-X" for 3-D becomes a new compression standard in five-to-ten years - then we might see replacement. But my guess is I'll be dead by then.

 

[dmspen]

OK, what's the HIC for?

 

[butters]

Hopper Internet Connector. I believe it is an add on for those folks that don't have an internet connection available at the location where the Hopper or Joey's are installed???

 

[js0873]

Does anyone know if the hopper/joey combination will still allow you to do the swap function at any of the 4 connected TVs? That is, pause action on the live stream, do a swap to watch something else, and then swap back to the paused action and un-pause it? Also, can you connect up an EHD that has recordings from an existing receiver and move them to the hopper so you don't lose them?

 

[HoTat2]

Hopper Internet Connector. I believe it is an add on for those folks that don't have an internet connection available at the location where the Hopper or Joey's are installed???

Seems basically the same function as DIRECTV's counterpart the "CCK" (Cinema Connection Kit"), which allows in this case the entire Hopper/Joey coax network to access the internet or ethernet home network through a single point.

IOW, its a shared MoCA to ethernet crossover bridge.

 

[P Smith]

Does anyone know if the hopper/joey combination will still allow you to do the swap function at any of the 4 connected TVs? That is, pause action on the live stream, do a swap to watch something else, and then swap back to the paused action and un-pause it? Also, can you connect up an EHD that has recordings from an existing receiver and move them to the hopper so you don't lose them?

As I saw in that demo what Vevek did show to SG, you can pause something running on one [hopper] tuner switch to other device [joey] and pick it from a list of tuner - then it will run simultaneously on both, because of using one same tuner.
EHD moving conditions are the same as for ViP922 (the XiP813 took 922 code with eXtension): [using a hub connect more then one] EHD from all ViP exclude 211/411's EHD.

 

[HoTat2]

I'm also curious as to whether the Hopper/Joey MoCA communication protocol that is used complies with the official RVU alliance so that other manufacturers may incorporate the ability to connect to the Hopper in their different products as well, or is it a strictly proprietary "RVU-like" one which only the Joeys can connect to and understand?

I mean I do see EchoStar listed as a "contributor" to the alliance, but nothing which specifically mentions Dish involved anywhere in it.

 

[Shades228]

I'm also curious as to whether the Hopper/Joey MoCA communication protocol that is used complies with the official RVU alliance so that other manufacturers may incorporate the ability to connect to the Hopper in their different products as well, or is it a strictly proprietary "RVU-like" one which only the Joeys can connect to and understand?

I mean I do see EchoStar listed as a "contributor" to the alliance, but nothing which specifically mentions Dish involved anywhere in it.

DISH doesn't have to be because they don't make the hardware, I'm not sure about the software, so unless they don't have Echostar do their software they wouldn't have to be listed. The companies that make the technology not necessarily the end user company is what would be listed in the alliance.

 

[P Smith]

There was mention - using IP over MoCA; perhaps e|star product Aria would tell you more (same platform and principles as 813/110 pair).

 

[HoTat2]

DISH doesn't have to be because they don't make the hardware, I'm not sure about the software, so unless they don't have Echostar do their software they wouldn't have to be listed. The companies that make the technology not necessarily the end user company is what would be listed in the alliance.

OK, however come to think of it though, in everything Dish has said so far about the Hopper/Joey system I don't recall them ever referring to the term "RVU" when speaking of the type of communication between the Hopper and Joey.

Nothing beyond a bland mention of "MoCA" communication to a "thin client" (the XiP110 "Joey"). So maybe that implies it is a closed proprietary protocol delivering the equivalent functionality of RVU, but intended and understood only by the Joeys.

 

[Shades228]

OK, however come to think of it though, in everything Dish has said so far about the Hopper/Joey system I don't recall them ever referring to the term "RVU" when speaking of the type of communication between the Hopper and Joey.

Nothing beyond a bland mention of "MoCA" communication to a "thin client" (the XiP110 "Joey"). So maybe that implies it is a closed proprietary protocol delivering the equivalent functionality of RVU, but intended and understood only by the Joeys.

I don't think DISH will ever do RVU honestly because they have done everything so far to be different than DIRECTV.

 

[Jim5506]

Does anyone know if the hopper/joey combination will still allow you to do the swap function at any of the 4 connected TVs? That is, pause action on the live stream, do a swap to watch something else, and then swap back to the paused action and un-pause it? Also, can you connect up an EHD that has recordings from an existing receiver and move them to the hopper so you don't lose them?

The Swap should be available wherever the PIP is available.

Didn't I read that PIP is available on all Hoppers and Joey's?

 

[HoTat2]

The Swap should be available wherever the PIP is available.

Didn't I read that PIP is available on all Hoppers and Joey's?

PiP is on the Hopper, but not the Joey.

 

[ukwes21]

Does the new Hopper have a spot for the OTA antenna? I can get more locals from the town farther from me and like those better than my close locals.

 

[HoTat2]

Does the new Hopper have a spot for the OTA antenna? I can get more locals from the town farther from me and like those better than my close locals.

It is strongly rumored to be a USB connected OTA module which in that particular respect makes it like DIRECTV's AM21.

However Dish so far has released no official details for it.