Dish Network Hopper Whole-Home DVR Records 6 Shows at Once
By Lisa Montgomery
The Dish Network Hopper whole-home DVR stores up to 2 TBs of HD programming, recording up to six HD channels at once that can be played back from any room.

Dish Network CEO Joe Clayton said at CES 2012 that the company will unleash a “whole new animal” in the world of home entertainment, adding that "we are basically relaunching our company."

Dish is launching a new video distribution system. The "Hopper" HD DVR serves as the hub of the network, storing up to 2 terabytes (equal to 2,000 hours of entertainment) of HD content for distribution to as many three "Joeys" (the super-small receiver boxes), which are installed in other rooms of the house.

Clayton made the announcement after he strolled onto the stage with a live baby kangaroo in his arms. “It’s a DVR that hops from room to room,” he said. Clever. The main Hopper and each Joey can play something different (recorded or live), and as many as six shows can be recorded simultaneously, thanks to the three satellite tuners that are built into the Hopper.



By the time the Hooper hits the market (by summertime), Dish will offer 73 channel of music, plus access to Pandora, making it a real contender as a simple, affordable whole-house music and video system. A nice touch is the improved interface that displays the album cover on the TV screen as you navigate your choices.

Another cool feature is PrimeTime Anytime. Instead of pecking your way through a guide to select individual programs to record, this one command records to a single tuner all primetime programming on ABC, CBS, CBS and Fox every night for a week and stores them for eight days after they have aired.

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