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.
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.
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.
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.
