Dish Network said it has completed the deployment of a software upgrade for its top-shelf Hopper HD-DVR that adds several features, including one that shares some similarities with Time Warner Cable’s Start Over service.
That Hopper's new restart feature lets customers watch select shows already in progress from the beginning, so long as it's a program that's in Dish’s VOD library. The update automatically identifies if a live TV program is offered via VOD and alerts customers with an on-screen graphic.
Another update focuses on the binge-viewing craze. When customers are done watching a TV show on the DVR or via VOD, Hopper will present a pop-up offering direct access with up to four subsequent episodes in the series that are available. Comcast, by the way, is letting X1 customers test out a similar feature that encourages binge-viewing.
The final Hopper feature that’s part of the upgrade is one-button access to the closed captioning feature. Customers can toggle back and forth using the green button on the Dish remote, rather than having to drill through the box’s settings.
