DISH’s new Hopper whole-home DVR system now offers users access to the Pandora music service at no extra charge. Pandora, a popular online music streaming service, allows users to create personalized radio stations to stream the music of their choice.
The Hopper now allows users to access Pandora where users can log into their existing Pandora account or create a new account and enable them to search for music and create their personalized radio stations and listen to them through their televisions.
Obviously, this is a development that will benefit owners of home theater systems who enjoy high-quality sound and music when watching TV.
Accessing Pandora through The Hopper requires that it be connected to the internet.
"Pandora adds new dimension to the Hopper experience," according to Vivek Khemka, vice president of product management at DISH. "This partnership is another example of how we are working to make Hopper the entertainment platform of choice for America’s homes."
This kind of marriage of television technology with the internet is definitely something that viewers like myself welcome. Although I have watched TV shows and movies on my PC via DISH’s Blockbuster @Home service, I’m still kind of “old school” when it comes to television viewing and I much prefer watching my HD television in my living room from the comfort of my recliner.
For his part, Ian Geller, vice president of Business Development at Pandora, had this to say regarding this new development: "We’re thrilled that DISH is making Pandora available to their customers on a great new platform like the Hopper. More than a third of all radio listening takes place in the home and Pandora delivered through the Hopper allows everyone in the family to easily access and enjoy music they love through their personalized radio stations."
It will be interesting to see what other new agreements DISH may forge with other content providers in the future to expand their options for subscribers.
