DISH’s two-year price guarantee is a pretty cool perk, especially considering that DIRECTV will lock you in for two years but then kick your monthly bill up by nearly $20 after the first 12 months.
Sure, DISH’s price will go up after those two years, but at least it’s upfront about it. Also, if you add a second service to your package during that time, it won’t affect your initial pricing.
DISH also includes six months of free DISH Protect coverage (usually $9.99 a month) for new subscribers. It essentially gets you quicker access to technicians in the field and “more experienced agents” on the phone. We think customers should get that kind of treatment without paying extra, but that’s just us.
DISH Network TV equipment
No matter which DISH package you go with, you get a satellite receiver for the outside of your home—there’s no avoiding that aesthetic intrusion. What it connects to inside your abode, however, varies a bit with DISH.
The basic model included with DISH packages America’s Top 120 and above is the Hopper Duo DVR, a receiver that can record two channels simultaneously (when paired with an auxiliary Joey receiver) and store up to 125 hours of HD recordings. It’s also compatible with Amazon Alexa and comes with apps like Netflix built in (well, if you can’t fight ‘em).
There are other DISH boxes, including the Wally, which is just an old-school receiver with no recording capability. But the one worth raving about is the undisputed King of All DVRs, the DIRECTV Genie Killer: the one and only Hopper 3.
(Not to further blow your mind, but the Hopper 3 can also do quad split-screen, allowing you to watch four shows or games at once. Yes, really.)
If you have a TV in more than one room, you’ll want a Joey, a small receiver powered by the Hopper. It gives you all the HD functionality of the main DVR/receiver; kind of a “satellite” to the satellite service. DISH’s Joeys come in four varieties:
- Joey, which is connected by coaxial cable and compatible with all Hoppers.
- Super Joey, which can record eight channels simultaneously, independent of the Hopper.
- 4K Joey, which supports 4K resolution and Bluetooth connectivity.
- Wireless Joey, which connects, as per the name, wirelessly.
Hoppers and Joeys come with DISH Voice Remote controls, which features backlit keys (handy), a remote locator (even handier), and programmable shortcut keys (handiest of all). Remote models with built-in Google Assistant are also available.
Finally, there’s DISH Anywhere app for iOS and Android, which allows you to watch live and recorded content away from home—but it’s optimized for use with DVRs equipped with Sling TV (the streaming TV service owned by DISH). Non-Slingers have access to on-demand DISH shows and movies only. Bonus: the app can function as a remote for Hoppers and Joeys.