Englewood, Colo. – Dish rolled out Thursday an update for its Dish Anywhere app on iPad, Android and Kindle tablets, providing an enhanced user interface for the second-screen feature.
Dish said the update and additional new capabilities will make the service easier to use and more compelling to browse for programming.
With the addition, the Dish Anywhere interface is now more image centric, using large programming thumbnails on a flat, dark background, the company said.
Dish Anywhere is one of Dish’s new services designed to give subscribers more freedom to view subscribed content, live, recorded and streamed, both inside and outside the home.
Hopper with Sling gives Dish subscribers the ability to view live, recorded and Video On Demand content at home or on-the-go from their mobile devices.
“Dish Anywhere has been embraced by Dish customers as the premier platform for watching television shows while on the go,” said Vivek Khemka, Dish product management senior VP. “This is a powerful upgrade; the app’s streamlined design creates a user-friendly experience while giving consumers a dynamic way to engage and discover new programs.”
The updated version of Dish Anywhere is available on iPads, Android and Kindle tablets at no cost. It is expected to rollout to iPhone and Android smart phones later this year.
The feature enables customers to discover new shows based on what they are currently watching and what they have previously viewed.
The service provides a “Watchlist” that lets viewers add shows and movies consolidating desired TV programs into an easily-accessible queue for future viewing.
A “Recents” function is a drop down menu that gives customers the ability to quickly resume recently viewed recordings and Video On Demand titles.
A “Media page” aggregates information from the Guide, DVR recordings and Video On Demand into one place.
“What’s Hot” expands from the Hopper and Dish Explorer to Dish Anywhere offering an easy-to-find selection of the most popular programs based on real-time data from viewers.
Programs can be filtered by local or national viewership and different genres.
A “Remote” function lets users control the TV from their tablet using a built-in Dish remote with commands for on/off, channel selection, volume, Hopper menu access, and recorded program playback.
