If you’re a Dish Network subscriber who uses a smart TV or other device powered by Android TV, your life is about to get a lot easier. On Wednesday, May 2, Dish announced that the free Dish Anywhere app is now available on the Android TV platform.
Dish Anywhere has been available for mobile devices since 2013, letting subscribers watch live TV, their DVR records, and on-demand content on the go. It’s not limited either: 100 percent of the content available in your subscription is available via the app, so you don’t need to worry about the selection being restricted depending on where you are when you watch. The new Android TV app provides a 10-foot viewing experience, meaning that the user interface is readable and easy to use from your couch.
“Media players provide easy access to video content, so it’s no wonder one-third of U.S. broadband households own these devices,” Dish’s vice president of product management, Niraj Desai, said in a statement.” By expanding the Dish Anywhere app to Android TV, we’re giving our customers more ways to view their content on devices they already own, at no additional cost.”
In order to watch live, recorded, or on-demand content via Dish Anywhere, you’ll need a supported set-top box model. The Hopper 3, Hopper with Sling, and first-generation Hopper or compatible VIP receivers connected to a Sling Adapter are all supported. Even if you don’t have any compatible hardware, you can still watch on-demand content through Dish Anywhere, as long as you’re a current subscriber.
Supported Android TV devices including smart TVs running on the platform from Sony and Sharp, as well as media players like the AirTV Player, Xiaomi Mi Box, and Nvidia Shield TV. Dish Anywhere is also available on the Dish Evolve set-top box, which you’ll find in some hotel rooms. This is handy, as it lets you watch your DVR recordings directly on on the hotel room TV.
The Dish Anywhere app is a free download on the Google Play Store, and is also available for Amazon Fire TV devices. If this has you considering Dish but you’re currently with a competing service, take a look at our comparison of Dish Network and DirecTV.