Dish Network made a big announcement at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas on Tuesday afternoon. The cable network dived into the DVR scene with the Hopper in 2012 and announced the debut of the next generation: the Hopper 3. Additionally, Dish Network introduced a portable version of their DVR called HopperGo.
The Hopper 3 provides users with the same advantages as the Hopper 2 but with more power. According to Dish Network, the Hopper 3 is 7 times more powerful than the Hopper 2 and twice as powerful as the TiVo.
“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,” said Vivek Khemka, DISH Executive Vice President and Chief Technology Officer.
What’s more, the Hopper 3 will eliminate any recording conflict as it features 16 tuners. “Hopper 3 has 16 tuners so you can record 16 shows at once,” said Khemka. “Goodbye recording conflict.”
One of the more interesting features of the Hopper 3 is its “Sports Bar” mode, which allows the main screen to split into four smaller screens featuring different channels. According to Khemka, this is ideal for breaking news or watching sports footage.
"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,” said Khemka.
HopperGo, on the other hand, offers users with the solution to one of the few problems streaming platforms face: it allows users to carry content with them while they are on the go. This portable Wi-Fi-enabled "mobile video drive” will let the user save up to 100 hours of content that can be viewed on up to six devices.
The Hopper 3 is slated to release in 2016 and will cost $15 a month. The HopperGo will have a one-time fee of $99 and be available in the spring.
