Technically you can switch (upgrade) from Genie-2 (HS17) to a Genie (HR54 is the 3rd generation). It will come with a 24 month service agreement. If it has been at least 24 months since your last upgrade, then it should be a free upgrade. This is dependent their system allows the order and they have any in stock (DirecTV was pushed heavily to the Genie-2 so earlier boxes are harder to come by).
Since you brought it up in your starting post, Gemini (C71KW) is a Client, like the 4K Mini Genie (C61K). Difference is the Gemini is capable of wired and wireless, plus having a dual status of being a streaming box (think like Roku, Firestick, etc.). That is why I believe it wasn't called a Mini Genie itself.
The Genie line can use any Mini Genie Client you already have, though it would go on a TV itself. Remember it has 5 tuners and 1TB space compared to the 7 tuners and 2TB of the Genie-2 you currently have. Technically you can have regular HDDVRs (i.e. HR24) instead of Clients on the other TVs to get more tuners and recording space, plus independent reliability, but as mentioned above they are harder to come by. Also each HDDVR would be $199 one-time lease cost as even if you have a free upgrade available, it only covers the first box on the order.
Wired to wireless, or the other way around, is an upgrade. An upgrade is changing a box to another line. So a wired Mini Genie C41 to a wireless Mini Genie C41W would be an upgrade as an example.
However, having 4 boxes go bad together doesn't make sense. Wired to wireless wouldn't fix that. The Genie-2 is the brain for those 4 boxes, so if it has issues then that affects all of them. If nothing else is going on, then replacing the Genie-2 either by warranty replacement or upgrade should fix the issue.
So right now the tower is overheating and we called directv but before that 4 of the wired boxes went out and directv replaced the 4 wired boxes we have 8 tvs theses wired boxes were from 2012 so maybe that had something to do with it
Though it was able to pair with 8 Clients, only up to 7 can be in use together (because of the 7 tuners for watching and/or recording). That is one more TV than it supports at full max capacity. That may be part of the issue. But if all 4 Clients replaced under warranty got it working again, I am concerned the issue would just start all over as the root cause was not taken care of.
This is where the regular Genie line shines. You can mix recievers/HDDVRs with Clients to not have all eggs in one basket, or overtaxing the server. Since you have 8, I take it you are on the legacy account system as the new one limits to 8 devices (counting the Genie-2 as one of them).
Be prepared that even if you get the Genie you would need 4 dedicated receivers ($99) or HDDVRs ($199) as it can only use up to 3 Clients at one time. Only Clients have a wireless version, and since you're already wired that would be a downgrade in reliability. So switching to the regular Genie line would not be cheap, but would address a lot of the headache with your current setup.
(as a note recordings on the Genie-2 would not transfer)
Getting a replacement Genie-2 under the warranty is definitely a start. I am just concerned that even if that was having issues, to have 4 Clients go out on you at the same time might point to an additional issue (power or the cabling). Let us know how it goes.
If it were within budget I would go to a Genie with HDDVRs to get rid of any server caused problems and allow more flexibility with tuners and recording space for everyone. But understandable not going that route as that would be (after free upgrade to Genie if you qualify) up to around $1,400 if you did all 7 others as regular HDDVRs.
Directv is sending us a new tower but they might have just lost a customer because they did not want us to go back to the normal genie but evan if we did our DirecTV technician hates our house because had to replace the dish, the coax, the switch, the power inserter and the 4 wireless receiver from wired
Warranty replacement is same model line, so you cannot replace Genie-2 to Genie for that reason.
It might be their system is set not to upgrade back to the regular Genie line. They were pushed heavily by AT&T into an all-in-one setup. I am hoping that with AT&T getting out of the TV service that DirecTV will return to customer flexible options. But too early to tell.
No guarantee you get the same tech. But going back to the regular Genie should just be a drop ship option as you're already setup for Genie/Genie-2 with SWM. Though replacing wired Clients to wireless is a downgrade in my book. They have less range (even less when not open air with walls) and prone to interference like any other wireless device.
Hopefully the replacement works. If so then I would keep an eye out for any new equipment options down the road. But if you still have trouble, call DirecTV and at the voice system say "cancel' which should route you directly. You can let the cancellation/retention agent know that because of the constant issues of the HS17 setup you need to go to a regular Genie with dedicated HDDVRs (at least so you are no more than 3 Clients) to remain a customer. Either way good luck.
Note: Only the Genie-2 has the wireless video bridge (WVB) built-in. Regular Genie line would need an external one on the coax if you still wanted to use any wireless Clients.
shannon02
ACE - Expert
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21K Messages
3 days ago
The Gemini is a client so you can't use it as a server. You should be able to get one but DTV may make it hard.
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milo88to
6 Messages
3 days ago
no I asked if we could downgrade from the tower and we don't want the gemani
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litzdog911
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46.4K Messages
3 days ago
Call DirecTV and ask. But it's unlikely. The HR54s are becoming limited as all newer installations use the HS17 Tower.
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Juniper
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22.9K Messages
3 days ago
Technically you can switch (upgrade) from Genie-2 (HS17) to a Genie (HR54 is the 3rd generation). It will come with a 24 month service agreement. If it has been at least 24 months since your last upgrade, then it should be a free upgrade. This is dependent their system allows the order and they have any in stock (DirecTV was pushed heavily to the Genie-2 so earlier boxes are harder to come by).
Since you brought it up in your starting post, Gemini (C71KW) is a Client, like the 4K Mini Genie (C61K). Difference is the Gemini is capable of wired and wireless, plus having a dual status of being a streaming box (think like Roku, Firestick, etc.). That is why I believe it wasn't called a Mini Genie itself.
The Genie line can use any Mini Genie Client you already have, though it would go on a TV itself. Remember it has 5 tuners and 1TB space compared to the 7 tuners and 2TB of the Genie-2 you currently have. Technically you can have regular HDDVRs (i.e. HR24) instead of Clients on the other TVs to get more tuners and recording space, plus independent reliability, but as mentioned above they are harder to come by. Also each HDDVR would be $199 one-time lease cost as even if you have a free upgrade available, it only covers the first box on the order.
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milo88to
6 Messages
3 days ago
I know unrelated but does replaceing 4 wired boxes to 4 wireless because they stoped working count as an upgrade
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Juniper
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22.9K Messages
3 days ago
Wired to wireless, or the other way around, is an upgrade. An upgrade is changing a box to another line. So a wired Mini Genie C41 to a wireless Mini Genie C41W would be an upgrade as an example.
However, having 4 boxes go bad together doesn't make sense. Wired to wireless wouldn't fix that. The Genie-2 is the brain for those 4 boxes, so if it has issues then that affects all of them. If nothing else is going on, then replacing the Genie-2 either by warranty replacement or upgrade should fix the issue.
Exactly what issues are you having?
(edited)
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milo88to
6 Messages
3 days ago
So right now the tower is overheating and we called directv but before that 4 of the wired boxes went out and directv replaced the 4 wired boxes we have 8 tvs theses wired boxes were from 2012 so maybe that had something to do with it
(edited)
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Juniper
ACE - Expert
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22.9K Messages
3 days ago
You have a Genie-2 with 8 TVs? So 8 Clients?
Though it was able to pair with 8 Clients, only up to 7 can be in use together (because of the 7 tuners for watching and/or recording). That is one more TV than it supports at full max capacity. That may be part of the issue. But if all 4 Clients replaced under warranty got it working again, I am concerned the issue would just start all over as the root cause was not taken care of.
This is where the regular Genie line shines. You can mix recievers/HDDVRs with Clients to not have all eggs in one basket, or overtaxing the server. Since you have 8, I take it you are on the legacy account system as the new one limits to 8 devices (counting the Genie-2 as one of them).
Be prepared that even if you get the Genie you would need 4 dedicated receivers ($99) or HDDVRs ($199) as it can only use up to 3 Clients at one time. Only Clients have a wireless version, and since you're already wired that would be a downgrade in reliability. So switching to the regular Genie line would not be cheap, but would address a lot of the headache with your current setup.
(as a note recordings on the Genie-2 would not transfer)
(edited)
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shannon02
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21K Messages
3 days ago
Could be the emergency cooling fan is not working on the HS17 as it shouldn't be overheating running 7 clients.
(edited)
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milo88to
6 Messages
2 days ago
We called directv and they said they would send us a new genie 2
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litzdog911
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46.4K Messages
2 days ago
That's what I would expect them to do.
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Juniper
ACE - Expert
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22.9K Messages
2 days ago
Getting a replacement Genie-2 under the warranty is definitely a start. I am just concerned that even if that was having issues, to have 4 Clients go out on you at the same time might point to an additional issue (power or the cabling). Let us know how it goes.
If it were within budget I would go to a Genie with HDDVRs to get rid of any server caused problems and allow more flexibility with tuners and recording space for everyone. But understandable not going that route as that would be (after free upgrade to Genie if you qualify) up to around $1,400 if you did all 7 others as regular HDDVRs.
(edited)
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milo88to
6 Messages
1 day ago
Directv is sending us a new tower but they might have just lost a customer because they did not want us to go back to the normal genie but evan if we did our DirecTV technician hates our house because had to replace the dish, the coax, the switch, the power inserter and the 4 wireless receiver from wired
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Juniper
ACE - Expert
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22.9K Messages
21 hours ago
Warranty replacement is same model line, so you cannot replace Genie-2 to Genie for that reason.
It might be their system is set not to upgrade back to the regular Genie line. They were pushed heavily by AT&T into an all-in-one setup. I am hoping that with AT&T getting out of the TV service that DirecTV will return to customer flexible options. But too early to tell.
No guarantee you get the same tech. But going back to the regular Genie should just be a drop ship option as you're already setup for Genie/Genie-2 with SWM. Though replacing wired Clients to wireless is a downgrade in my book. They have less range (even less when not open air with walls) and prone to interference like any other wireless device.
Hopefully the replacement works. If so then I would keep an eye out for any new equipment options down the road. But if you still have trouble, call DirecTV and at the voice system say "cancel' which should route you directly. You can let the cancellation/retention agent know that because of the constant issues of the HS17 setup you need to go to a regular Genie with dedicated HDDVRs (at least so you are no more than 3 Clients) to remain a customer. Either way good luck.
Note: Only the Genie-2 has the wireless video bridge (WVB) built-in. Regular Genie line would need an external one on the coax if you still wanted to use any wireless Clients.
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