Tuesday, 10 January 2012
Satellite broadcaster Dish Network says it's launching a high-powered set-top box that can act as the central TV recorder for the whole home.
Other TV providers have so-called "whole-home digital video recorders," but Dish Network Corp. is taking the concept a bit further. The Hopper, for instance, will record each day's lineup of primetime shows on the major broadcast networks.
The "Hopper" box can record six shows simultaneously, and its recordings can be accessed from smaller boxes, called "Joeys," that can be distributed around the house.
The box will be free with a two-year contract, said Vivek Khemka, Dish's vice president of product management.
Dish is giving the press a preview of the Hopper ahead of the International Consumer Electronics Show, which starts Tuesday in Las Vegas.
I think that PrimeTime Anytime is going to be one of the best features of the Hopper. Since it records all four major networks, I will never have to worry about forgetting to record all of my favorite shows on my locals. The feature has its own allotment in the DVR, so I have more than 250 hours of HD recording at my disposal. With two terabytes of space, I hardly think I’ll need to use the Hoppers ability to expand its DVR space by attaching an external hard drive. As I said, I am the most forgetful person in the world, so I think the remote locator feature will be my best friend. I’ve had the opportunity to play with the Hopper and the Joey at work, and there is so much to love on this receiver, I am impatiently waiting for it to arrive! I can’t wait!
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