A Better DVR – Hopper vs Genie

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When comparing satellite and TV providers, Dish Network has continuously proven to be the technology leader. The Hopper DVR, now in its third iteration, making waves in the industry for being the best “cable box” available. This new update, announced at the 2016 CES trade show, allows users to record up to 16 shows or movies simultaneously. And, with the help of additional Joey units, you’ll be able to share that power with up to 3 additional TVs! Even the Hopper 2 left the competition in the dust, but now with 4K Ultra HD support, the choice (and picture) is clearer than ever. While both DISH Network and DIRECTV offer similar types of equipment and hardware, the comparison isn’t even fair. Let’s see how things stack up….
TL;DR: DISH Network has a sizable advantage when it comes to DVR technology.

HDTV

Both DISH Network and DIRECTV offer customers a wide selection of HDTV options; all with award winning signal clarity. HD is the highest quality of picture that you can achieve, and along with HDTV usually comes theater-quality sounds. Both companies will give you local as well as premium channels in HD, but only Dish offers 4K Ultra HD Resolution.

DISH

DISH Network offers FREE HD FOR LIFE. This means that if you choose to go with DISH Network, you will have a lower monthly bill than with DIRECTV. Why pay an additional monthly fee? And, DISH Network offers over 200 HD channels for you to choose from, which  is more than DIRECTV offers, and with Dish’s 2 year Pricelock, your bill won’t go up after the first year.

DIRECTV

DIRECTV charges a monthly fee to get access to their HD channels. With right around 200 channels offered in HD, they offer similar plans to DISH Network but for a higher cost. You can read more about DirecTV’s fee structure here.

DVR

Both DISH and DIRECTV offer their own versions of an at home DVR (from DISH the Hopper, from DIRECTV the Genie), and again they each have their own sets of pros and cons.

Fees

The first thing to consider is the fees associated with the equipment. Both DISH and DIRECTV offer the first receiver for FREE, but for DIRECTV each additional receiver is $5 per month, and for DISH each Joey tuner is $7 a month – you get what you pay for.

The Hopper DVR

The Hopper is widely regarded as the best DVR on the market today. Here are some of the great features that you can have if you decide to go with DISH Network and their award-winning Hopper: The limited capabilities of DirecTV’s Genie DVR, don’t come close to matching the included features of the Hopper, especially the newly revealed Hopper 3 DVR.   Related Posts: