EKB: CES 2012 Coverage

The 2012 International CES is being held January 10-13 at the Las Vegas Convention Center.

Dish Network Press Conference

Joe Clayton comes to the stage with his new friend, a live baby kangaroo. He talks about how dish will be all new: technology, receivers, service, logo, even a CEO.

After stating he wants to emulate the cellular providers by getting customers excited about receivers by giving them a name (Hopper as opposed to model # XiP813), he later said, when talking about usability, that “viewers don't care about the STB itself.”

Sirius will get 9 new Latino music channels bringing the lineup to 73. Sirius channels will move to channels 099-04 (where “-xx” is the Sirius number) on the Hopper with 99 being a collapsible list, and show album covers.

National advertising will emphasize variety, innovation and value offered by Dish and the Hopper product.

VP of Comm Stephanie Pence: People are watching TV in more way across multiple platforms. At least 70% of homes have at least one HDTV, with 50% of those having 2 or more. 53% of prime time recordings are from the big 4 networks.

Vivek Khemka introduces Hopper. Most powerful Broadcom 7420 processor, 7200RPM 2TB HDD. Supports both satellite and IPTV. Bluetooth allows you to use headphones. EPG has logos and super-fast scrolling. Sling Adapter lets you extend viewing to a tablet or PC. Instant access to the whole prime-time lineup.

Dave Shull, SVP Programming: SiriusXM has been enhanced with album covers and 9 Latino channels for a total of 73. Signed a deal with Univision to add more titles to Blockbuster @Home. Hundreds of TV shows from HBO and others delivered over satellite with excellent picture quality and no buffering - Netflix can't do that. Dish Test Drive gives a 24-hour sampling of Dish content.

Clayton announces with partner ViaSat 12MBPS speed, bundled Dish+broadband starting at $79.99/mo. Expanded in the summer after Hughes launches a new satellite.

Joeys have equally fast processor. Can pause live TV in any room and continue in any other room. Relaunching our company and re-energizing the brand.

CEO Joe Clayton with joey

Joe with kangaroos

Hopper EPG

Hopper menu

Hopper DVR slide

PrimeTime Anytime setup screen

Joey mascot

Blockbuster @ Home Logo

SatelliteGuys award to DIRT

New Dish logo

Dish Unplugged, VOD w/o internet

DISH's Blockbuster @Home Kids screenshot

Hopper mascot in hallway

Hopper logo

Hopper and Joey front

Hopper and Joey back

Hopper house

Hopper house internet functions

Joey logo

Re-inventing the company

Sirius channel logos

SiriusXM
guide

SiriusXM album art on Hopper

Tailgater shell and interior

Award for the Hopper

Dish Network Booth

More was learned about the Hopper and Joey system from product demonstrations. These names will replace XiP13 and XiP110 respectively. PrimeTime Anytime (PTAT) programming can't be watched live, but can be almost live by starting over through the DVR list. PTAT programs may be saved to the user's DVR area, and will have the same start early / end late padding as DVR events. The PTAT setup screen has a button for a video tutorial. If a user attempts to watch a channel live while the 3 tuners are in use, he will be shown how they are being used and be presented with other options. No OTA tuner will be offered at release, and the type and number remain undetermined. The eSATA port will not be active on release. Speaking of release, the date most often mentioned was a somewhat vague 1Q11 and there was no information on the fee structure.

The Tailgater works with the 211 (after getting production software via a regular dish) as well as the 211k receivers.

The rumored “612c” is not in production and may not be called that when/if it is. It will be a 622 locked in Single Mode and billed as an HD Solo DVR (much like the 512 is based on the 522).

The Dish+broadband bundle will be available 2-1-12. After partner WildBlue was bought by ViaSat, the residential satellite internet service was renamed exede. All service tiers get the same speed (12 Mbps down, 3 Mbps up) but are charged on amount of use.

Multi-room A/V Innovations award for Hopper

Dish booth, left end

Dish booth, right end

Hughes and Exede

Hopper big doll

Vertical Joey on stand

Joey and 40.0 remote

Hopper front view

40.0 remote for both Hopper & Joey

PrimeTime Anytime DVR list

PrimeTime Anytime keep a program

Viewing options when Hopper tuners are busy

Hopper DVR list with PTAT folder

Hopper PTAT list showing network folders

Hopper EPG

Vertical Joey back

Hopper back panel

Hopper front panel

Hopper panel close-up

Hopper DVR menu

Hopper Seek & Record

Tailgater insides, rear

Tailgater insides, side

Tailgater

Tailgater is powered by the receiver over coax

Presenters talk about Tailgater and Hopper

Hopper apps menu

Hopper's 4-channel recall

Sling Booth

No new Sling equipment to show this year as they've been focusing on adding playback to more devices. They demo'd an app still in development that will load a video from your DVR to your iOS or Android device from within your home network (DVR and device have to be on the same sub-net, no USB transfers). Recent EchoStar acquisition Hughes Satellite had a small presence on the back side of the booth.

Sling booth, right side

Sling booth, back side, Hughes

Sling booth, front

Sling to cellular phones

Sling HD Pro, back

EchoStar Aria cable box, HD & sling-loaded...

...could be the HC-620DRS but has no markings

DVR list viewed on device

Select a show, press Download

Confirm

Progress meter

Show is in device's videos

Dish at CES

Hopper by Dish

Hopper banner in grand lobby entry

ViP722 front panel

ViP722 panel doors

Marvell uses 722k to demo Google

MoCA bridge for Dish & EchoStar

MoCA bridge

MoCA bridge, rear close-up

MoCA 2.0, see Col B throughput

DPP33 switch

DPP44 switch

DPP Twin ports

DPP Twin

EA LNB assembly

EA LNB assembly ports

Various 3DTV Technologies

Sony's 4x demo panel showed more background detail

Glasses-free 3D Sony VAIO

Sony 46" 4x 3dTV

3D STB converter

Toshiba 3D Full HD

Toshiba Quad Full HD

LG 3D wall

LG 55" OLED 3D

Panasonic 3D Full HD demo wall

3D@Home Tech Zone

View 3D on a regular laptop

Around the Show

Panasonic lithium home batteries

Panasonic fuel cell demonstration

All kinds of fun things to see

Panasonic's
stage

ion's portable LP player (return to late '70's?)

Motorola's Xyboard tablet in 8.2" and 10.?"

dts 11.1 demo in larger booth/theater

Haier transparent TV for store, bar windows

Life forms big

...and small (sorry, no Snooki)

Vehicles

2013 Ford Fusion under wraps

2013 Ford Fusion Energi plug-in electric

2013 Ford Fusion revealed

The Audi booth is very bright and very white

Audi Urban 2-seater concept

Ford EVOS
concept

Ford EVOS concept, sporty coupe?

Ford EVOS concept, nope it's a 4-door

Ford EVOS concept dash

Ford EVOS concept console

We have to send him home in this car!

Scion iQ has a rear “seat”

Tesla electric sedan

The Venue and Surrounding Sights

The Venetian not quite ready Sunday evening

LV Convention Center, obstructed by LVH

Road under/between Central & South Halls

The Strip seen from the Stratosphere

Paradise Blvd seen from the Stratosphere

Stratosphere
from the ground

Top of the World revolving restaurant

Then it angles down and rolls over the edge

Between North and Central halls

The view while waiting for the Dolby demo

South Hall, upper level

Shuttle buses by South Hall

Spotted outside the Hard Rock Hotel