Dish has become an absolute choice for people who need on-demand entertainment and want to record shows and movies. That’s the prime reason for the popularity of Hopper since it works in collaboration with the dish. So, if you’ve to buy the hopper and confused between the options, we have added Hopper with Sling Vs. Hopper 3 in this article to help you out!
Hopper With Sling vs Hopper 3
Hopper 3
This is the latest upgrade by Dish in the DVR system. Hopper 3 is designed to offer UHD ad 4K video support which is something all of us love, right? In addition, it will increase the tuner count by a double fold in the box. This will increase the total tuners to sixteen. With Hopper 3, there will be a full-screen and multi-view sports bar mode for sports enthusiasts.
Also, it will lead to the four-channel configuration. When it comes down to the remote, it has been redesigned, resulting in a slim design. However, one needs to keep in mind that 4K content won’t be available on this box but there is a free upgrade available for the Dish users (it comes with an additional $15 monthly fee, known as the DVR fee).
As far as the design is concerned, it has a black frame design with a red band. This red band is outlined at the front panel and is only there for style purposes. Besides, there are flat sides. As for the front panel, it has a plastic build and the black shiny surface looks pretty amazing. The main device has a flip-down door that opens up to the controls.
When you open this door, there will be a USB port (2.0). Also, the left side of the box has a cable card slot for obvious reasons. Coming to the back panel, it’s loaded the connections, such as audio and video outputs, along with an HDMI port, component output, ethernet ports (x2), USB 3.0 ports (x3), coaxial port, and the phone port.
For the people concerned about the coaxial port, it’s for the insertion of the radio antenna and the connector. The availability of the sports bar allows the users to watch four channels at one time and the menu system is pretty easy to navigate and understand. However, the 4K content is pretty limited since you can only stream Netflix and VOD with 4K configuration.
On the other hand, we are absolutely in love with how Hopper 3 can store the HD content, so you can watch at your leisure. As far as the downsides are concerned, the costs are pretty high, especially when the 4K media availability is that low. Also, it works with the Dish only, so keep in mind these limitations.
Hopper with Sling
For everyone who needs the well-integrated system, Hopper Sling is the ultimate choice and the best thing is that you can skip all those annoying ads. One might think that Hopper with Sling is only a DVR but when you connect it to Super Joey, you can watch two screens at a time while recording three in the background, that’s a satisfying count.
Hopper with Sling can be streamed on iOS as well as Android devices for remote access, and you can watch content anywhere you like. It looks like a regular cable box but it has been designed with three tuners and Wi-Fi compatibility. As far as the ports are concerned, it has ethernet ports, HDMI port, USB 2.0 port, coaxial jack, audio, and video ports.
The channel listings on Hopper with Sling are portrayed in the form of a huge grid and users have the liberty to customize the channels. In addition, you can try displaying the HD channels. As far as the customized channel lists are concerned, you can make four of them and watch them as your mood demands.
With the menu button on the remote, you can access the apps, such as Prime Time, DVR, On-Demand, and more. As for the apps, you can access the game finder, weather channel, and Facebook for people who like to socialize on the big screen. The best thing about the Hopper with Sling is that you can choose the teams and watch your favorite sports.
On the other hand, there is no support for Netflix or YouTube which is a bummer. Also, with the home media application, the storage drives can be connected to your local network for easy access. Lastly, the transfer times are pretty prolonged, so keep these downsides in mind!