YouTube Dishes Out Hopper3 Access

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As of Oct. 21, users of DISH Network‘s Hopper 3 DVR can now easily bring viral videos and original content to their TV screen, thanks to a new YouTube app available through set-top boxes.


Similar to last week’s announcement that individuals with an iOS-powered device now have the option to stream Facebook videos through Apple TV or Google Chromecast, the YouTube app allows Hopper 3 users to access their favorite TV shows and the internet’s most popular videos without changing inputs or devices.

Such flexibility is at the heart of the efforts by FCC Chairman Tom Wheeler to revolutionize the set-top box.

With this update, Dish takes a step ahead of AT&T’s DirecTV, its chief rival, as the only nationwide pay-TV provider in the U.S. to deliver YouTube via set-top box.

YouTube joins several Hopper apps that together bring a range of entertainment options to customers, including Netflix, Pandora, Vevo and The Weather Channel.

“We designed Hopper 3 to be much more than a conventional set-top box,” said Niraj Desai, Dish’s VP/Product Management. “By aggregating apps like YouTube and Netflix with live linear television, Hopper 3 is capable of serving as a household’s comprehensive entertainment hub.”

The YouTube app on Hopper 3 can be accessed from channel 371 or by selecting the “Apps” button on the remote control. Customers can also use the YouTube app on mobile devices to cast videos directly to their Hopper 3.