DISH connects Hopper platform to Control4 home automation system

DISH Hopper to support Control4 home automation systems

DENVER — CEDIA EXPO 2013 — At the 2013 CEDIA Expo, DISH Network Corporation (NASDAQ: DISH) (NASDAQ: DISH) today announced plans to integrate Control4 (NASDAQ: CTRL) home automation technology with its award-winning Hopper® Whole-Home HD DVR system. As a result, the Hopper platform will soon be controlled by the popular Control4® system commonly found both in high-end and mainstream home automation installations. The move follows DISH’s July announcement that it will share Application Programming Interface (API) programming instructions for the Hopper with selected companies. DISH will implement Control4’s Simple Device Discovery Protocol (SDDP), making it even easier for automation installers to fully integrate the capabilities of the DISH Hopper receiver and service. DISH is exhibiting Control4 and other home automation solutions in booth 2340 of the CEDIA Expo this week at the Colorado Convention Center in Denver.

“Working with a home automation leader like Control4 is only the first step, and it’s also the direct result of our decision announced in July to open the Hopper platform and its capabilities to more companies. Our decision to work with industry leaders in the home automation industry ensures that automation systems have the ability to control the Hopper over an Internet Protocol network,” said Vivek Khemka, DISH senior vice president, Product Management. “Here at CEDIA Expo, we are offering a glimpse of what consumers may see in the future and what new capabilities high-end installers can offer,” Khemka said.

“The Control4 open platform is designed to enable dealers to integrate any digital device in the home into a Control4 automation system. By integrating SDDP into the DISH Hopper receiver along with DISH’s shared APIs, installation and programming of this popular DVR and service is radically simplified. Now the homeowner can access and enjoy their favorite programming, see what’s ‘now playing’ and get access to the guide with their Control4 remote, touchscreen or smart phone app,” said Eric Anderson, Control4 senior vice president, Products. “This represents the beginning of a deeper integration and therefore much richer experience for consumers with the new expanded APIs. And there is more to come,” he said.

DISH intends to keep leading the industry in offering more and better consumer choice and control. The integration will start with showcasing full Hopper remote control tuning capability. As the integrators become more familiar with the Hopper’s API, their apps and devices will be able to access the full range of Hopper features – not just channel changing and the program guide – such as the capability to manage DVR recordings, browse the entire Video-On-Demand catalog, and the ability to purchase Pay-Per-View content.

Among the key features of DISH’s “Second Screen” API available for use by home automation systems:

• Third-party device pairing for home automation remotes that can emulate a DISH remote control key press;
• Access to key system settings and Electronic Program Guide queries for the current program, as well as details of a particular event;
• Channel Changing, including tuning and usage information on all Hopper tuners;
• DVR commands, to search recorded content and list DVR information, start and stop playback, schedule recordings, and fully access unique Hopper features such as PrimeTime Anytime™ and AutoHop™;
• Ability to purchase Pay-Per-View and On-Demand content.