Welcome to the DIRECTV Community Forums

New to the Community? Visit the Community How-To and Guidelines to get started.

Tuesday, May 26th, 2020 7:13 PM

Genie 2 installation

I am moving to a new construction home that will have incoming coax from outside for satellite and internet. These lines will go to a distribution box which connects to the rooms in the house. If a genie 2 is installed with a wired system, how does that work? Does the genie 2 go at the distribution panel or can it be centrally located in the family room? How would it work if I had both wired and wireless clients? Would the wired clients be able to access the DVR of the genie 2?

Thanks for any help. I’m trying to get a good understanding if this so I can make sure the right prewiring is done.

ACE - Expert

 • 

22.8K Messages

5 years ago

If you don't already have a Genie-2 (HS17), do NOT get it as it is a restrictive system only allowing Clients which hard caps capability. Plus it means a single point of failure for the entire setup.

Install coax to every location that will have a TV, and one extra for where the Genie-2 is located (as unlike a traditional receiver or client it doesn't go on a TV). DirecTV supports RG6 solid coper core and each box should be within 150 feet of coax length from the dish.

As a note your internet and DirecTV will use separate coax as DirecTV is not an internet provider so is not designed to filter the internet that comes from outside the home before it gets to your router.

The max range of a wireless Client is 80 feet to the wireless video bridge (WVB), be it the built-in one of the Genie-2 or an external on the setup. As walls and other devices can affect the signal decreasing the range, wired is still preferred over wireless.

If you use On Demand, consider having the Genie-2 (or regular Genie) near your router to have a wired connection to internet.

Thanks for the reply. I have DTV in my current house but its a wired whole home DVR system. I think my main receiver is the old HR44.

Currently the prewiring will be RG6 coax and Cat 6 to each room with a 2nd set to the family room which is where the main tv will be. Sounds like I might need a 3rd set depending on if we end up with Genie 2. The other set is where I was thinking of putting the router.

This house will have a relatively large footprint so I also had a concern with the coverage of the Genie 2. I have some friends with the sytem and they love it.

ACE - Expert

 • 

22.8K Messages

The Genie-2 (HS17) is a downgrade to a regular Genie (such as your HR44).

Genie and 2 HDDVRs are 9 tuners. Not dependent on each other, but still share recordings.

Genie-2 FORBIDS HDDVRs, hard capping at 7 tuners. It only allows Clients. Doesn't go on a TV so is one more box installed than you have TVs. All Clients are dependent on it for processing, and if it has an issue then all your TVs go down because Clients cannot work by themselves.

So your HR44 is a more capable and reliable setup then restricting yourself to the Genie-2. It is the one equipment model I actually consider a failing because of the limiting design that was done on purpose.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
(Included after every post)
I am a customer, not an employee. This is a public forum.
For official support call DirecTV 1-800-531-5000, DIRECTV STREAM 1-888-429-4023
www.directv.com 

(AT&T has sold off their share in DirecTV)

Award for Community Excellence Achiever*
*I am not a DIRECTV employee, and the views and opinions expressed on this forum are purely my own. Any product claim, statistic, quote, or other representation about a product or service should be verified with the manufacturer, provider, or party.

Is that the case even considering my current set up with the HR 44 on the main tv with the 3 wired clients in other rooms? They all feed off the HR44’s DVR I thought?

ACE - Expert

 • 

22.8K Messages

Yes each Client steals a tuner from your HR44. That is how Clients work.

But with the HR44 you have the option to replace a Client with an HDDVR, or even add one for another TV. An HDDVR has 2 tuners and 500GB recording space.

There is no monthly cost difference between a Client and a HDDVR, as you pay the $7 for the authorized TV either way. So HDDVRs give you more bang for your buck and a safer setup that you don't put all your eggs in one basket.

And since Clients may only use 1 tuner each, the Genie-2 doesn't have the Picture in Picture (PiP) feature, if that matters for you.

That is why I personally suggest that if you have a free upgrade, then instead of getting the Genie-2 to replace one of your Clients with an HDDVR.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
(Included after every post)
I am a customer, not an employee. This is a public forum.
For official support call DirecTV 1-800-531-5000, DIRECTV STREAM 1-888-429-4023
www.directv.com 

(AT&T has sold off their share in DirecTV)

Award for Community Excellence Achiever*
*I am not a DIRECTV employee, and the views and opinions expressed on this forum are purely my own. Any product claim, statistic, quote, or other representation about a product or service should be verified with the manufacturer, provider, or party.

I guess that would be the issue. We like being able to watch DVR shows from any room, not just the room it was recorded.


NEED HELP?