DISH Unveils Hopper 3 with Enhanced 4K Experience; Most Simultaneous Recording, Processing Power of Any DVR; Announces HopperGO for Offline Viewing of Recorded Content
- 4K: Content partnerships for on demand viewing of 4K titles
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Channel Conflict Eliminated: 16 tuners for improved DVR
functionality across the whole home -
Sports Bar Mode: Play four simultaneous, live HD channels on
one 4K screen at home - YouTube: Integration of YouTube coming to Hopper 3
-
HopperGO: First personal mobile video drive for viewing of
DVR-recorded content on the move - Netflix: Incorporated into Hopper universal search results
LAS VEGAS–(BUSINESS WIRE)–DISH Network L.L.C. today unveiled Hopper 3 and HopperGO, each packed
with industry firsts designed to change the way consumers find, record,
stream, watch and transport content. The next generation of the
company’s whole-home DVR, Hopper 3, features 16 tuners, 4K content
options including the proprietary “Sports Bar Mode,” and integration of
Netflix into its universal search results. The pocket-sized HopperGO
wireless flash drive 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,
DISH Executive Vice President and Chief Technology Officer. “Hopper 3 is
more than just a DVR; it’s an entertainment hub that supports and
centralizes 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.”
Industry-leading 16 tuners create conflict-free TV experience
Hopper 3 contains 16 tuners, more than any other DVR in the world. The
expansion makes it easy for viewers to watch shows in multiple rooms,
view live programs 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.”
Sports Bar Mode, content partnerships maximize 4K experience
DISH is the first pay-TV provider to offer the 4K Sports Bar Mode, a
multi-channel view that divides the screen into quadrants, each with the
ability to display a different program in 1080. The feature works by
decoding any four different HD feeds and displaying them simultaneously.
To enrich customers’ 4K experience even further, DISH is announcing
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 on demand
popular Sony titles such as “The Amazing Spiderman,” “American Hustle”
and “Smurfs 2” in 4K.
“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.”
Netflix now integrated into Hopper search
After becoming the first major U.S. pay-TV provider to integrate Netflix
into a set-top box, DISH is taking the experience a step further by
integrating Netflix into universal search results. With this new
functionality, 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,
broadening the selection of Ultra HD content available to customers.
“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.
Netflix inclusion in universal search will be available on both Hopper 2
and Hopper 3.
YouTube integration brings popular videos to the TV screen
In the coming months, DISH will launch YouTube on Hopper 3, bringing
viral videos and content from a new generation of entertainment stars to
the TV screen via a set-top box. YouTube joins several Hopper apps and
features that together bring a range of entertainment options to
customers, including Netflix, Pandora, Vevo, The Weather Channel and
Hopper Arcade.
“Our strategy with Hopper apps is tied to the variety of sources that
consumers access for entertainment and information today, making the
Hopper a one-stop source for popular content,” said Khemka. “The
addition of YouTube fits perfectly with this strategy, bringing the
videos dominating the Internet today to customers’ living rooms, all
without the need to switch inputs or devices.”
Enhanced processing, storage and connectivity to power the whole home
experience
Adding to the conflict-free viewing experience is Hopper 3’s ability to
support up to six Joeys simultaneously, powering a total of seven TVs at
one time. The DVR is compatible with the standard Joey, Wireless Joey
and the soon to be released 4K Joey. DISH is delivering enhanced
connectivity options to drive the whole-home experience, including MoCA
2.0 and Gigabit Ethernet.
Hopper 3 is powered by the fastest set-top box processor available, the
Broadcom 7445, a quad-core Arm processor, giving the new DVR seven times
the speed of Hopper 2. It contains 2 TB of internal storage, enough to
save up to 500 hours of HD content, more than any other pay-TV provider.
Hopper 3 is the first DVR to use USB 3.0 connectivity for external
storage expansion, which allows for transfer speeds ten times faster
than USB 2.0. It features a sleek, modern UI/UX and is navigated using
the Hopper Voice Remote. Hopper 3 will be available in early 2016.
HopperGO personal mobile video drive stores 100 hours of recorded
content
A pioneer in delivering true “TV anywhere,” DISH has offered features
like Hopper Transfers that give customers the ability to transfer
recorded content to mobile devices for nearly a decade. Today the brand
is announcing an even more revolutionary way to transfer, store and
watch recorded content on the move, HopperGO. With HopperGO, every
member of the family can take a favorite program with them on vacation.
The HopperGO experience begins by connecting the compact, lightweight
device to a Hopper 2 or Hopper 3 via USB. The connection both charges
the HopperGO battery (for up to four hours of viewing) and enables users
to move up to 100 hours of recorded content from the DVR to the device’s
64 GB of flash memory.
HopperGO then creates a secure, private Wi-Fi cloud to play back
different transferred shows on up to five devices at once, meaning
several viewers can be watching a different show off HopperGO at the
same time.
“We found that the biggest pain point for consumers in using our Hopper
Transfers feature was running out of space to store movies and shows on
their mobile devices,” said Khemka. “When taking a trip, often you want
to have several entertainment options, and HopperGO gives customers the
ability to transport a variety of content for every member of the
family, without having to worry about running out of storage.”
HopperGO will be available late Q1 for a one-time cost of $99. There are
no monthly fees associated with using the device.
Technical Specs
Hopper 3 is powered by a Broadcom BCM7445
quad-core ARM application processor at 1.5 GHz, 21K DMIPS. It
contains a two TB hard drive for up to 500 hours of high-definition
recording (or 2,000 hours of standard definition recording). For 4K
viewing, the Hopper 3 can decode and output 60 FPS and 10-bit color. It
supports H.264 and H.265 and is compatible with HDMI 2.0 and HDCP 2.2.
It is the first DVR to support USB 3.0. Hopper 3 is compatible with
HDR10/BDA 2.0 encoded streams.
HopperGO has 64 GB of flash memory and connects to Hopper 2 and Hopper 3
via a micro USB.
About the Hopper
Introduced in 2012, the DISH Hopper provides whole-home capabilities and
includes innovative technologies like the PrimeTime Anytime and AutoHop
features, as well as an industry-leading 2 TB of storage. DISH
introduced its Hopper 2 in 2013, adding Slingbox technology-driven DISH
Anywhere functionality, making it possible for consumers to watch live
and recorded content anywhere on Internet-connected tablets, smartphones
and computers. The DISH Anywhere feature includes transfers, which makes
remote viewing possible when no Internet connection is available. Hopper
3 is the most advanced version to date with 16 tuners, 4K integration,
USB 3.0 compatibility, voice control and Netflix incorporated into
search results. The Hopper is the center of the whole-home entertainment
experience and connects to additional TVs via standard Joey, Wireless
Joey and the soon to be released 4K Joey.
About DISH
DISH Network Corp. (NASDAQ:DISH), through its subsidiaries, provides
approximately 13.909 million pay-TV subscribers, as of Sept. 30, 2015,
with the highest-quality programming and technology with the most
choices at the best value. DISH offers a high definition line-up with
more than 200 national HD channels, the most international channels and
award-winning HD and DVR technology. DISH Network Corporation is a
Fortune 250 company. Visit www.dish.com.
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Contacts
DISH Network Corp.
Media Contact
Karen
Modlin, 720-514-5351
news@dish.com
@DISHNews
