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Dish courts cord cutters, offers free HopperGo pocket DVR to new sign-ups

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Even as Dish is making life easier for cord cutters with its Sling TV streaming service, the company is still doing everything it can to attract users to its satellite TV service. With Black Friday sales beginning to ramp up, the company is offering a new deal that could make the decision to sign up for its satellite service a whole lot easier: a free HopperGo pocket DVR.

Released near the beginning of the year, the HopperGo isn’t a DVR itself, but it does let you watch your DVR recordings anytime, anywhere. The device plugs into a standard Dish DVR like the Hopper 2 or Hopper 3 via USB. Once connected, it downloads your recordings and allows you to carry up to 100 hours of content with you.

The HopperGo creates its own wireless network that your mobile device can connect to in order to let you view content, meaning no space on your phone or tablet is used, and you don’t have to worry about using up your cellular data. The built-in battery allows the HopperGo to operate for up to four hours, and up to five devices can connect at once. Once it’s time to power up, the device can be charged via any standard USB port.

The portable, battery-powered DVR usually retails for $100, but Dish is offering new sign-ups to get the device for free by using the code “FreeHopperGO.” The offer is available to customers who sign up for Dish’s Flex Pack or any other base programming package. Of course, you’ll also need an actual DVR in order to record your favorite shows, like the company’s top-of-the-line Hopper 3.

The HopperGo promotion kicks off Monday and will run through December 11. For more information on the deal, see the Dish Network website. If you’d rather give your friends or family the gift of cutting the cord, the Dish-owned Sling TV is now selling gift cards as well.

Kris Wouk
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Kris Wouk is a tech writer, gadget reviewer, blogger, and whatever it's called when someone makes videos for the web. In his…
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