Dish Network is one of the most popular choices when it comes to satellite and cable providers and boosts their 24/7 service and 99 percent satellite signal reliability. They have four pre-built packages and add-on packages for sports, premium movie channels, and Spanish language programming.
With a powerful DVR with lots of options, and easy-to-use guide, and an app that allows you to watch your recordings and live TV on the go, it’s a popular choice for many.
Get Lots of Features With the Hopper 3 DVR
The Hopper 3 is the latest Dish Network HD DVR and it allows you to record a whopping 16 channels all at once which are stored on its impressive 2 terabytes of storage. This translates into 2,000 hours of recorded TV programs and movies that you can have on your DVR all at once.
This DVR has integrated apps, (Netflix, YouTube, Pandora, and Weather) and has a multi-view mode that lets you watch four channels at the same time.
You’ll only need to have one Hopper and the rest of your TV’s will need to be connected to a Joey receiver, which also comes in a wireless option. It’s much smaller than the DVR and can be tucked away easily.
Browse, Record, and Search With the Channel Guide
The channel guide on the Hopper 3 DVR shows you what’s on now and later on Dish Network. You can customize the appearance of the guide, create favorite lists, and hide duplicate channels all in guide preferences.
There’s also a smart search within the channel guide that searches the guide, DVR, On Demand, and Netflix for what you’re looking for.
PrimeTime Anytime and AutoHop
Dish Network’s Hopper 3 DVR has a feature called PrimeTime Anytime that automatically records the major networks (ABC, CBS, FOX, and NBC) during the three hours of primetime programming every night. It’s on your DVR for up to eight days after the airing and then will be automatically deleted unless you choose to save it.
AutoHop works with PrimeTime Anytime and allows you to skip over all the commercials with a single press of a button when you start a Primetime Anytime recording.
Take Your Shows on the Road With The HopperGO
You can take your shows everywhere you go with the HopperGO that acts like an external hard drive with all your programming on it. It fits in the palm of your hand and lets you watch on up to 5 mobile devices.
You can fit 100 hours of your shows and movies on the HopperGo and it connects with a USB cable to your DVR. Just follow the on-screen directions to choose what content you’d like to move over.
The HopperGo has a built-in battery that lasts four hours and can be charged with a USB cable.
Track Your Favorite Sports Teams With Game Finder
You won’t miss anything with Dish Network’s Game Finder that lets you keep track of games that are on at the same time. You can tag your teams from every major league and conference so you can get alerts for upcoming games and specials.
Access It All Through the Remote
Dish Network’s newest remote control is the 54.0 remote that features voice commands, a remote finder, the ability to customize some of the buttons, and a backlight that you can use to more easily see the buttons.
The side of the remote has buttons that you can use to control your TV and other devices like a Blu-ray player or stereo. The front of the remote has easy to read buttons that include features like view live TV, skip backward, skip forward and recall in addition to all the buttons you would expect to find.
This remote takes two AA batteries and has a light sensor that lengthens battery life while only turning on the backlighting when the remote is picked up or being used.
You can pair the Dish Network remote to a TV or other device by using a Dish remote code that you can find on-screen when you program the remote.
Set Boundaries with Parental Controls
Dish Network’s parental controls let you hide shows according to their rating, lock certain channels, and even hide channels from the guide. You can apply these restrictions to all your TVs or only certain ones.
There’s also a parental guide that for certain movies and TV shows explains why the program has the rating it has and why it could be impressionable on children with ratings in the specific areas of Educational Value, Positive Messages, Sex, Violence, Language, and more.
Watch On Demand with Dish Anywhere
You can take Dish Network anywhere you go with the Dish Anywhere app for iOS, Android, or Kindle Fire HDX. You can watch live TV, your recorded shows, and access 40,000+ On Demand titles.
With the Dish Anywhere app you can watch on your laptop, tablet, or smartphone. You can even pause a recording on one device and start again where you left off on another device or your TV. Also from the app, you can schedule DVR recordings so you can make sure you never miss a thing.
Pay-Per-View Movies and Events
Dish Network offers a wide selection of pay-per-view choices including movies, sports, special events, and adult entertainment.
Free Previews on Dish Network
Every month Dish Network offers monthly free previews of channels that come from different channel packages. They also offer free previews of premium channels like HBO, Cinemax, Showtime, Starz, and more about once every 2-3 months.
During these free previews, you’ll be able to record anything you want to your DVR and watch it later, even after the free preview has ended. Here’s where you can view all the Dish Network free previews and stay updated for when the next one airs.
Service Agreements
Dish Network has all their service agreements online and you can view them anytime. The service agreements specify the length of the contract, price of packages, and fees.
Installation Made Easy
Dish Network’s standard installation is free and includes a recommendation of where to install the satellite dish, the assembly and mounting of the dish, installation of the Dish receiver at each television you’ve included as part of your service, programming of the Dish Network remotes to the receiver and the TVs, and downloading and updating the current receiver software.
You’ll get a 75-minute arrival window and you can even track your technician to see how close they are to you.
You also have the option of getting Dish Smart Home Services and for an extra price they’ll mount TVs, set up a wireless network, and install your home theater system. If you like to camp, there’s also the option of getting a Dish satellite for your RV.
Canceling Dish Network
If you’d like to cancel your Dish Network service you can call them at 888-283-2309 Monday through Friday 7:00 a.m. to 1:00 a.m. ET or Saturday and Sunday 7:30 a.m. to 12:00 a.m. ET.