The Dish Music app uses DTS Play-Fi to turn your Hopper DVRs into multiroom streamers

By Brendan Hesse Published June 22, 2017

dish music app dts play fi multiroom streaming hoppergo — Image used with permission by copyright holder

Dish Network is getting into the increasingly crowded multiroom audio game. On Thursday the company announced a new DTS Play-Fi-powered app, Dish Music, which enables Dish subscribers to use their Hopper DVRs and Joey devices as hubs for streaming audio throughout the home through TVs or home theater systems. The app is a free addition available on iOS and Android devices.

With the Dish music app, users will be able to sync music playback on TVs connected to Hopper 2 and Hopper 3 DVRs as well as any connected Joey boxes — automatically transforming a home with multiple TVs into a multiroom speaker setup.

Recommended Videos

That said, users will have plenty of other options for adding sound throughout the home beyond their TVs. Built on DTS Play-Fi streaming technology, any of the long-list of DTS Play Fi-enabled speakers and devices will also work with the app, including wireless speakers from the likes of Klipsch, Martin Logan, Pioneer, and many others.

Image used with permission by copyright holder

The Dish Music interface works similarly to the Play-Fi app, as well as other multiroom streaming systems. Users can create “zones” that include one or more playback devices, or select different audio sources to play in different rooms. With Play-Fi in hand, you can stream from your personal library directly on an iOS or Android device, a DLNA media server, or from Amazon Music, Tidal, Pandora, iHeartRadio, Napster, Sirius XM, or Spotify Connect.

Please enable Javascript to view this content

Dish Music will also display information like artist name or song title on the TV, and will indicate which source the music is being streamed from.

While multiroom streaming is far from new, being able to use your DVR to connect is a pretty novel idea, quickly allowing Dish subscribers to setup music throughout the home, without the need for buying new equipment.

If you’re new to multiroom streaming, you can check out our buying guide on wireless speakers, which includes a detailed explanation of multiroom setups, as well as other ways to stream music throughout the home.

Those looking to try the Dish Music App now can find it on the Apple App store, Google Play Store, or Amazon app marketplace.

Topics

Former Digital Trends Contributor

Brendan has written about a wide swath of topics, including music, fitness and nutrition, and pop culture, but tech was…

Audio / Video

Sonos Arc vs. Sonos Arc Ultra: Is the next-gen worth the splurge?

Sonos Arc Ultra.

The Sonos Arc has long stood as the flagship soundbar from the American networked audio giant. Upon its release in 2020, the Arc established itself as one of the most feature-rich products in its category. It was Sonos's first soundbar to support Dolby Atmos, which was a significant step forward at the time.

Four years later, the Sonos Arc Ultra was released, intended to take up the mantle of a premium flagship soundbar. The Arc Ultra represents the next generation for Sonos, features breakthrough technologies like "Sound Motion," and adds Bluetooth support for the first time in any Sonos soundbar.

Audio / Video

You Asked: What’s the most impressive thing you saw at CES?

You Asked CES Editors Cut

On today’s special edition of You Asked, we tracked down each of our editors and put them on the spot to find out what they thought was the most impressive thing they saw at CES 2025 in Early January. Let’s find out what they had to say.
Panasonic Z95B

There’s been some really cool TV tech at CES, but the thing I’m most excited about is the new Panasonic Z95B. Instead of the regular OLED display structure we’ve seen in recent years with MLA technology, this uses a four-layer panel structure. It features individual red, green, and blue layers (two of the latter) for the emissive light.

Audio / Video

Fiio brought its adorable KA15 DAC/amp to CES 2025 and now I want one

Fiio KA15 mobile headphone DAC/amp.

I admit it: Even though my job means I'm supposed to be laser-focused on sound quality, usability, value for money, and durability, every now and then, I see an audio product that I want to own simply because it looks awesome. That was my reaction at CES 2025 when I laid eyes on Fiio's KA15 -- a tiny mobile headphone DAC/amp that sells for $110 (though as of today's date, it's down to $90 on Amazon).

Specs-wise, this little all-aluminum, baby blue and silver gadget -- which also comes in a much more serious Midnight Black color -- covers everything you could want in a headphone DAC: support for PCM decoding up to 32-bit/768kHz, plus native DSD decoding up to DSD256, dual Cirrus Logic CS43198 DACs, a companion app and web interface that gives you access to a 10-band parametric equalizer, 4.4mm balanced and 3.5mm unbalanced headphone jacks, an ultra-low THD of 0.0004%, and up to 560 milliwatts of power per channel (when in desktop mode). Perfect for getting the most out of your lossless and hi-res audio sources via wired headphones or IEMs.