Genie 2 and Genie Mini performance

The Genie-2 (HS17) will be wired itself as there is no wireless from the receiving dish.

The wireless to any wireless Mini Genies you have is up to 80 feet under ideal conditions. Walls, other signals, etc. can degrade that. Since your boxes are wired already, going to wireless seems to be a downgrade. This is the same as if you had an external WVB with your HR44 to connect to a wireless Mini.

The total amount of tuners you have will stay the same. The Genie-2 will give you 500GB more total recording space, but that is a hard cap since it doesn't support external hard drives like your two boxes.

The Genie-2/Mini Genie setup hasn't made any great strides. Unless you are wanting both TVs to use a 4K channel at the same time (which is limited content) then you are essentially not gaining anything with the Genie-2. Also since it forbids HDDVRs, only allowing Clients, it makes the entire setup reliant on a single box instead of each being dedicated for individual options. A all eggs in one basket concern.

@Juniper Thanks for sharing your insights. @mboutlier, you can check ‎All About the Genie 2 | DIRECTV Community Forums to read more. Roland, DIRECTV Community Specialist

I should have added that we have the whole-home DVR service.  There is a DECA module with our basement receiver (HR22).  We are able to watch recorded content at either TV.  There is a lag, though.  Is there a similar lag with the Genie 2?  Because of this lag, we try to only record a program on the receiver where we will watch it.

All Genies require Whole Home service and AFAIK there is always a slight lag in streaming between the minis and H/HR receivers and since the Minis have no tuners or hard drive all recording is done on the Genie. The DECA Home Connector removes the internet signal from the coax to feed the Ethernet port on the HR22.

@mboutlier 

If your DECA attached to your HR22 -is WHITE -then It's 1.0 MOCO (WHITE) were the first ones out - I post this link as an Example of the third Generation DECA -I suggest Getting calling D*TV if you have the protection plan and request a Third gen one be sent -It's a Change out, That may be you LAG issue --If it's NOT a White Deca then NEVER mind. You can find them on Amazon or Ebay.

2 Pack - DirecTV Broadband Deca Ethernet to Coaxial Adapter - Third Generation | eBay

@mboutlier 

I should have added that we have the whole-home DVR service.

The Genie (HR44 in your case) is DirecTV's Advanced Whole Home HDDVR. This means that Whole Home DVR service is required, no way around that.

Only if you had an earlier setup, say an HR24 and HR22, that you optionally upgraded to Whole Home (so before the Genie existed) would that have needed to be added.

Just a clarification to better understand your setup.

@goldw1800 Our DECA is not white.  It is black, but doesn't look like the 3rd Gen.

@Juniper Would you recommend we change from the HR44 and HR22 that we have an go with two HR54s instead of going with the Genie 2 and 2 Minis?  Note that we could put the Genie 2 next to one of the Minis.  We also record a lot of the programs we watch, so we use the DVRS a lot...probably a lot more than we watch live TV.  We are ok with the current space on the DVRs as well as the recording limitations.  I don't think there is a cost difference between the options.  Is there anything about the Genie 2 that improves the overall experience?  I'm not sure which way to go.

The HS-17 does no direct connect to any TV as it has no HDMI port.

HR54 Allows you to Record 4K D*TV Channels -(D*tv) 4k Service is free Adding a Gemini to any 4K TV will Display 4k content. 

If your Deca is Not white --then no worries

@mboutlier 

You cannot have two HR54s or any other combination of main Genies. They are built as a server so do not work together. As such only a single Genie is allowed on an account.

If your are fine with the recording space of your current setup, why are you interested in the Genie-2? In some aspects it is a downgrade to what you currently have.