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Two HR24s and a HR21 for your third?

What you could consider for future is upgrading just the HR21 to a Genie. That would get most likely an HR54 (small chance of HR44). Simply put that is a 5 tuner HDDVR with 1TB recording space. Your HR24s have 500GB and your HR21 has 320GB (as HR22 is when they started with the 500). As a Genie can only use SWM, not the older multiswitch, this requires the tech to update your cabling and possibly a new dish (depending which one you have now) all as part of the standard install.

Only suggesting so that you don't deal with a tuner conflict from new connections messing with a legacy setup. If you choose to upgrade, do not replace the other HDDVRs and certainly do not get the Genie-2 (HS17) or you will downgrade overall capability. If you don't use On Demand, you can leave the whole setup disconnected from the internet. Otherwise, the Genie serves as the connection for all boxes (so any other connections you disconnect). If you don't properly have Whole Home DVR already it is $3 monthly, otherwise your total bill remains unchanged.

And if you do go with the upgrade, make sure to be caught up with recordings on that HR21 as they will not copy to the replacement.

I've had Directv since the 90's.  I'm aware of what they offer.  One reason I don't want the Genie, which they keep pushing, is because of the DVR.  As I understand it, everyone sees all the recordings, when on the stand alone, you have the option not to with Whole Home.   I use two receivers myself to record shows that are on at the same time.  Which is why I pay the extra money for Whole Home .  Another person uses the other receiver.  

Directv should be paying you...you've given more info then they're reps are capable of....LOL

As I understand it, everyone sees all the recordings, when on the stand alone, you have the option not to with Whole Home.

Whole Home works the same whether you have the Genie or not. You can hide one from the others if you so choose.

The issue is when someone has Mini Genie Clients instead of HDDVRs. Those are extensions of the Genie. Essentially making all those TVs connected to the same box. As long as you don't replace HDDVRs with Clients, then you are good. That is one of the big reasons to avoid the Genie-2 (HS17) as only allows Clients.

Whole Home is not so you can record multiple shows. That is so what you record on one box can be watched on another. Without Whole Home you still have DVR service. All DVRs have minimum 2 tuners. Sounds like you should never have gotten Whole Home as you don't use it.

I know what Whole Home is. I never said it was for recording.  You must not have understood the sentence you quoted.  I do use Whole Home.  I have two receivers I record off of.  So, the Whole Home allows me to view the programs on the other receiver from my living room.  That's the purpose, correct?

I used the word "see" in my sentence you quoted, meaning "view".  Are you saying Genie has the same feature?  What's the cost per mini Genie?

You only see the recordings of the other boxes with Whole Home. Without it, each box can only see its own recordings.

Genie is DirecTV's Advanced Whole Home HDDVR. It requires Whole Home DVR as that is what it is built for. Non-Genie setups like yours, Whole Home DVR is optional (at least on grandfathered accounts before they changed the setup in late 2015).

You pay $10 for HD, $10 DVR, $3 Whole Home DVR as your receiver services. You also pay $7 for each additional TV beyond the first. Full receiver/HDDVR or Mini Genie Client makes no difference. The cost is the same for the monthly bill.

Without a free upgrade, the one-time lease costs for the boxes are: HD non-DVR $99; HDDVR $199; Genie $299; Mini Genie Client $99; Genie-2 $399.

I would suggest avoiding Mini Genie Clients as they would be a downgrade. Genie has 5 tuners and each regular HDDVR has 2. You have 6 tuners now and replacing the HR21 with a Genie would put you at 9 total. If you were to replace all 3 boxes with Genie and 2 Mini Genie Clients that would put you at 5 as Clients have none of their own.

Replacing one box with the Genie is an upgrade. Replacing others with Mini Genie Clients would be an overall downgrade.

In any case, you have a good setup allready. Since you have Whole Home DVR then you should be on SWM as that is a requirement. As long as all 3 boxes are working as they should, then no big rush for the Genie.

If experience running out of space too quickly or find 2 tuners per box isn't enough with overlapping recordings, then I would go with the Genie. As mentioned, only replace the HR21 as not only the older model but has a smaller hard drive compared to the other two. No difference in monthly cost since you are already paying for Whole Home DVR, but there would be the 24 month service agreement as normal with any upgrade.

Do not replace either HR24 with a Genie upgrade as it works with other HDDVRs (HR20 thru HR24, and special R22). Avoid Mini Genie Clients as those would cause the issues you are concerned about as well as downgrade the overall tuner and recording space avaialble.

I am writing concerning the #'s of calls I have made about my previous equipment and having multiple issues with your customer service.  I would like to real person that speaks English properly and someone to personally check that I do have an appointment for help and that it is marked for immediate help.

I am getting close to moving my account too a different company if I can't speak with someone who is human and speaks proper English.

@Rikke 

Not our customer service any more than yours. This is a public forum of other customers. For official support you call DirecTV.

Of course, whom you speak with will be human. The automated system, Interactive Voice Recognition (IVR), think of as the doorman/receptionist. If it cannot help you with simple answers, it is intended to route you to the correct department based on keywords you say.

As for "proper" English, that is subjective. Never mind the perception you need to speak with someone in England as opposed to "Americanized" Englsih, but the United States is too large a land mass to have a nationwide "proper" version of the language. Different States, or just regions of the country will have their own accents, dialect, local terms, etc. that sometimes can make it difficult to understand if you are from a part of the country that is vastly different.

When you call, you get the next agent available. If you have trouble communicating with them, then call back and try again. Same as any other company as you cannot request anything personal about the agent. If that doesn't work for you, the alternative is going without pay TV and just using a traditional antenna as then you don't have to worry about speaking to anyone.

I use the HR24 for the main TV's and the HR21 as a spare, just to record programs that are on the same time I'm recording something on my HR24..  I've never ran out of space.  So, there's no need for me to replace the HR21 unless something happens to it.  

Rikke, I've had a lot of issues with customer service.  They're always promising things they can't deliver.   When they say "no worries", I know they're going to screw something up.

@jerryb33 

If the boxes work find and space as well as tuners are not an issue, definitely leave the setup as is. But if that HR21 ever starts to go out, instead of a warranty replacement I would consider upgrading it to a Genie (keeping your HR24s) just to get the most out of what you're already paying.

Just make sure to avoid the Genie-2 (HS17) since it is overall a downgrade compared to what you have now.

Thanks for your help, Juniper.

You're welcome.

Sometimes keeping an older setup is the best way to go. And if you ever need to change, or just reconsider options, you have the info on what would optimize what you use instead of getting more (and possibly sub-optimal) from an overzealous agent.