DISH Hopper 3 vs. DIRECTV Genie

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• Deals and promotions
• Head-to-head comparison
• Packages and prices
• Specs, and features

When you sign up for DISH or DIRECTV, you’re not just choosing a TV package—you’re choosing a DVR/receiver, which is your portal to all that delicious, mind-rotting TV.

Feature-rich and powerful, the DISH Hopper 3 is consistently named the best TV box in the biz. DIRECTV’s Genie is well-regarded, but not as mighty, and consistently second-banana to the Hopper 3. Keep reading to see how the two devices compare on pricing, storage, tuners, apps, and more.

DISH Hopper 3 vs. DIRECTV Genie pros and cons

DISH and DIRECTV deals and promotions

We all want to save a few bucks or get somethin’ free. Both DISH and DIRECTV have tons of deals and promotions—here are the best ones.

DISH deals

Most of these DISH deals require checking a box under the “Special Offers” section at checkout, but some are automatically applied.

DISH checkout screen with special offers expanded.

• Free premium channels: Order any DISH package and receive three free months of Paramount+ with SHOWTIME®, STARZ®, and the DISH Movie Pack.

That’s not everything—for more sweet DISH deals, including special perks for seniors, active military/veterans, health care workers, and teachers, read our guide to DISH Deals and Promotions.

DIRECTV deals

You’ll be given the option to accept or decline most of these DIRECTV deals at checkout. Some, like the autopay discount, are automatic.

• Free premium channels: Get three free months of Max™, CINEMAX®, MGM+™, Paramount+ with SHOWTIME®, and STARZ®. Note: Except for MGM+, these channels are already included in the Premier All-Included plan ($159.99/mo.)—but DIRECTV will give you MGM+ free for three months.

DIRECTV has more deals too—you’ll find ‘em in our guide to DIRECTV Deals.

Compare the DISH Hopper 3 and DIRECTV Genie head-to-head

Data effective as of post date. Not all offers available in all areas.
* for 24 months plus taxes and fees w/ 24-mo. agmt.; AutoPay and Paperless Bill req’d. Advanced Receiver Service Fee $15/mo. is extra and applies.

The DISH Hopper 3 ($10 a month, 500 hours, 16 simultaneous recordings) is more powerful and feature-rich—not to mention more affordable—than its counterpart. But the DIRECTV Genie DVRs ($15 monthly for either the Genie or Genie 2, up to 450 hours, and up to 7 simultaneous recordings) is pretty powerful, too. It’s also wireless, so you won’t have to deal with cable clutter. One drawback to the Genie 2, however, is its $99 bridge fee (for Wi-Fi setup) due at activation.

Packages and pricing

DISH packages and pricing

Data effective as of post date. Offers and availability may vary by location and are subject to change.
* Packages for existing customers only.
‡ Not included in packages. Requires additional free of $10/mo.
**All offers require credit qualification, 2-year commitment with early termination fee and eAutoPay. Prices include Hopper Duo for qualifying customers.

If you’re budget-conscious, America’s Top 120 is the cheapest DISH plan. Sports fans might want to go with America’s Top 120+, which costs an additional $5.00 a month for the same number of channels—except more of them have the sportsball you crave.

America’s Top 250 ($117.99 per month, 290+ channels) includes free premium channels like MoviePlex, STARZ®, and THE MOVIE CHANNEL^TM. It’s the beefiest—but not the best—DISH package.

We think America’s Top 200 ($107.99 a month, 240+ channels) is better because it has all the popular channels you need for $10.00 less per month. Then you can put the savings toward Max ($15.99 per month) and get live HBO channels, on-demand streaming, and better content. Your total payment will be $123.98 a month, but Top 200 plus Max is better value than America’s Top 250 alone.

Finally, DISH guarantees that its package prices won’t change for 3 years—but DIRECTV guarantees its pricing for only 2 years.

DIRECTV packages and pricing

Data effective as of post date. Offers and availability may vary by location and are subject to change.
‡ Not included in packages. Requires additional free of $15/mo.

DIRECTV’s pricing is much more transparent now that it has a two-year price guarantee—but it’s still too high, especially with the new $15-a-month Advanced Receiver Service Fee for the Genie. If you’re a sports fan, you might be okay with the pricing because DIRECTV is the best TV provider for sports. Otherwise, we think most people will prefer DISH’s transparency, including the longer price guarantee.

Specs and features

Storage

The DISH Hopper 3 has a 2 TB hard drive that can store up to 500 hours of HD movies and shows, which is a lot. If you’re a real TV lover who’s worn off the numbers on your current remote control, you want the Hopper 3.

If you’re one of those “everything in moderation” folks, you’d probably prefer the DIRECTV Genie. The standard Genie has a 1 TB hard drive stores 200 HD hours, which is enough storage for most people. If you watch a lot of TV series, you can always get the Genie 2, which stores 450 HD hours.

Simultaneous recordings

The DISH Hopper 3 destroys DIRECTV’s Genie in this category, recording up to 16 movies or shows at a time, whereas the Genie and Genie 2 record only 5 or 7 programs, respectively. Where’s your magic now, Genie?

Then again, who can find 16 things to watch in the same time slot, even with hundreds of channels? If you can, please teach us your ways. But if you’re in the moderation crowd and think that the Genie’s 5–7 simultaneous recordings are just right—way to be practical, Goldilocks.

Multiroom viewing

Both the DISH Hopper 3 and DIRECTV Genie are “whole-home DVRs,” meaning they can connect with additional receivers so you can watch your TV service on multiple TVs in your house. It’s a great option, for sure, but it can get expensive—especially at signup.

DISH Joey receiver fees

Data effective as of post date. Offers and availability may vary by location and are subject to change.

When you sign up for DISH TV service with the Hopper 3 and add Joeys to your service, you’ll pay a monthly rental fee plus hefty, one-time, up-front “leased receiver fees (LRFs)” depending on how many—and which kind—of Joeys you add.

For standard Joeys, you’ll pay a $50 fee to hook up four TVs (one Hopper 3 plus three standard Joeys). But the fees for the wireless Joey ($25) and 4K Joey ($50) apply to each device you get. So a four-TV home with wireless or 4K Joeys will cost you $100–$200 in leased receiver fees due at signup, then $15 a month in rental fees. Yikes.

DIRECTV Genie Mini receiver fees

Data effective as of post date. Offers and availability may vary by location and are subject to change.

For both the standard and wireless Genie Minis, you’ll pay a $49 activation fee per device after the fourth . So a six-TV home would require six devices: one main Genie (included in your package) and five Genie Minis. That means you’ll pay $98 in cash-grab activation fees, then $7 per month for five Genie Minis (totalling $35 a month).

And, you guessed it: the Genie Mini Wireless has an additional $99 bridge fee due at signup.

Good grief, DISH and DIRECTV.

Built-in streaming TV apps

Oddly, the DISH Hopper 3 comes with built-in streaming TV apps like Amazon Prime Video, Netflix, Pandora, YouTube, and YouTube Kids.

The DIRECTV Genie has Max, iHeartRadio, Netflix, Pandora, and more. But sports fans will really dig Score Guide, which provides scores, standings, and game schedules for all major sports, including college sports.

So, in this category, we think the Hopper 3 is best if you use Amazon Prime Video. The Genie is best if you prefer Max and want access to the Genie’s sportsball-enhancing Score Guide app (which is so on-brand for DIRECTV, the best TV provider for sports).

Special features

What other neat tricks can the Hopper 3 and Genie do? Here are some of our favorites from each device.

DISH Hopper 3 cool stuff

• PrimeTime Anytime: Records all primetime shows on ABC, CBS, FOX, and NBC using only one of the Hopper 3’s 16 tuners.
• AutoHop: Automatically skips commercials in PrimeTime Anytime recordings from ABC, CBS, FOX, and NBC.
• Quad split-screen: Displays four programs at once

DIRECTV Genie cool stuff

• 72-hour Rewind: Helps you catch shows you forgot to record
• Mix channels: Special kids, news, and sports channels that allow you to watch up to 6 programs at once

Remotes

With the DISH Hopper 3, you get the DISH Voice Remote with Google Assistant. It has soft, backlit buttons and a remote locator feature. And if the remote locator doesn’t work for some reason, or your remote breaks, you can use your phone as your remote with the DISH Anywhere app.

The DIRECTV Genie remote does everything the Hopper 3 does (including using the DIRECTV app to control your Genie), but its voice control function is limited and requires a separate Alexa device to work.

Mobile apps

Speaking of the DISH and DIRECTV mobile apps, here’s what they can do and how to get ‘em.

Data effective as of post date. Offers and availability may vary by location and are subject to change.

DIRECTV, obviously, is more generous with streams. But DISH Anywhere has better parental controls, which is why we named DISH the best TV provider for kids.

Final take

Didn’t we tell ya? The DISH Hopper 3 wins. It’s superior to DIRECTV’s Genie in price, storage, and simultaneous recordings—but basically equal when it comes to built-in streaming TV apps. DISH is also the best overall TV service with more affordable pricing, a 3-year price guarantee, and a superior, full-featured mobile app with excellent parental controls.

But if all you want is the best TV providers for sports so you can DVR all the live games, sports documentaries, talk shows, and more, DIRECTV’s Genie will grant that wish.

DISH Hopper 3 vs. DIRECTV Genie FAQ

Methodology

Our experts did dozens of hours of hands-on testing and crunched the numbers, rating the DISH Hopper 3 and DIRECTV Genie on bang for your buck, reliability, features, and customer satisfaction. Then we matched up the satellite TV titans head to head to give a clearer picture of their strengths and weaknesses. For more information on our methodology, check out our How We Rank page.