The DISH Hopper is turning out to be one multimedia machine. Back in May, the company added Alexa-based voice control to the multiroom DVR. Now DISH Network is adding another perk to the box: multiroom music.
DISH Music is now available to all subscribers with a Hopper 2 or Hopper 3 DVR. The hook on this mobile app is that it's powered by DTS Play-Fi, so you can use iOS and Android devices to stream music to any audio system hooked up to Hoppers and Joeys, as well as other compatible speakers, anywhere in the house.
Because it uses DTS Play-Fi, users can mix and match speakers from several different manufacturers, including Aerix, Anthem, Arcam, Definitive Technology, Klipsch, MartinLogan, McIntosh, Paradigm, Phorus, Polk Audio, Rotel, Sonus Faber, Thiel Audio, and Wren. Just make sure they are compatible with DTS Play-Fi. Elite, Integra, Pioneer, Onkyo, Soundcast, SVS Sound, and others will be releasing compatible products soon.
Otherwise, DISH customers just need to download the free DISH Music app. From there, DISH Music will turn each Hopper DVR and Joey into music zones. You can then use the app to choose to sync music across several rooms or play different content in different zones. Connected TVs will display metadata with artists, song titles, and music service info.
Currently, DISH Music is compatible with Amazon Music, iHeartRadio, Napster, Pandora, SiriusXM, and TIDAL. (Subscriptions and/or fees may apply.) Of course, you can also stream all of your personal music from networked devices, such as smartphones, tablets, and DLNA media servers.
"It can be both difficult and expensive to achieve synchronized and high-quality whole-home audio," said Niraj Desai, vice president of product management at DISH. "DISH Music is a great whole-home sound solution designed to meet the needs of our customers, as it works with existing audio equipment and is available at no additional cost."
The DISH Music app is now available through the Apple App Store, the Google Play Store, and Amazon's app marketplace.
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