Dish Network (NASDAQ: DISH) has begun shipping its Wireless Joey video distribution system, which connects to the company's Hopper whole-home DVR and up to three wireless client receivers that connect TVs to the home. The unit, which will cost customers $7 a month plus a one-time fee of $50, works just like the wired version allowing users to stream, skip, fast forward ad pause programming. The video streamed from the Hopper to the DVR is the same MPEG-4 video that comes directly from the satellite, according to TechHive.
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The wireless Joey. (Image source: Dish) |
The Wireless Joey and its client devices do not require a technician to install them requiring users to connect AC power outlet to one of the Ethernet ports on the back of the Hopper. Each Wireless Joey client connects to the TV using an HDMI cable, and it will automatically connect to the Hopper as soon as the Wireless Joey is plugged into an AC outlet. Earlier this year, Dish introduced a virtual Joey companion app for Playstation 3 and 4 owners to watch live TV, on demand, and digital video recordings stored on their existing Hopper receiver.
Meanwhille, Vivek Khemka, Dish's senior vice president of product management, told Bloomberg News that the satellite company would be interested in bidding on the rights to broadcast the National Football League's Sunday games if rival DirecTV (NASDAQ: DTV) fails to renew its deal.
"It's the only exclusive still left for TV content,", said told the news agency. "I'd be an idiot to say I didn't want it."
DirecTV has had exclusive rights to the "NFL Sunday Ticket" since 1994. The current $4 billion contract expires at the end of this year and is considered a must-have for AT&T (NYSE: T), which has retained the right to back out of its acquisition of DirecTV if the contract isn't renewed. If the talks with DirecTV fail, NFL will shop the package elsewhere and could separate the TV rights from the web rights, which is something Dish would be interested in, Khemka told Bloomberg.
For more:
- TechHive has this story
- HighDef Digest has this story
- Bloomberg has this story
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