Replacement HR44 Receiver Seems Quite OLD. Is this routine?

Thanks for your quick reply, Shannon. OK, so refurbished is the norm. But, among those "refurbs", is an original manufactured date as long ago as 2015 also the norm? And, I wonder, are HR44 receivers still being manufactured today?

Shannon, I didn't see your second sentence initially. If it's surprising to you that I was sent an HR44, are you suggesting that I "should have" received something better? If so, which specific receiver(s) would be reasonable to expect to receive? Or, is this a "you will take what you are given, and you will LIKE IT" situation? Thanks again.

DTV orders XXX amount of receivers once made they move on to the next model and don't make any more older models.  DTV doesn't allow you to pick what model you get as a replacement it is the next model in line. The HR54 is the last model made before the HS17 Genie2 came out.

There is never a guarantee of brand new. And they aren't pumping out new ones fast off an assembly line. So refurbished is the norm.

Warranty replacement is same model or newer (of the same line). The HR34 has long been discontinued and is well known for system being slow and overheating issues. Yours being reliable is very rare. The later generations were redesigned with faster processor and a better cooling design.

Satellite tech doesn't advance quickly. So in general models are viable for years. Even when they are no longer returnable, they can still be sent out while still available. So receiving the HR44 was a valid option (even though stock of those are probably low).

Be lucky you got a regular Genie at all. After AT&T acquired DirecTV they have been pushing heavily into the Genie-2 (HS17). That is the latest (but certainly NOT the greatest) model. It is a different line of equipment so is not a warranty replacement for your HR34, but that could change when they are out of any of the original Genie line. It is not yet known since AT&T sold off 30% of DirecTV what direction the new co-owner will take with equipment.

Long story short. You got the right option and there is no way to change/request to a different warranty replacement.

Alternatively you could see about an "upgrade" but depends on the models of your other boxes, or if you have a 4K TV, for that to be a good option for you.

Thank you, Juniper, for your very clear explanation and information. Having browsed the forums before posting this question, I've seen your numerous intelligent and knowledgeable comments, and I was hoping you would respond to my question.

Your comments (and Shannon's) have led me to feel, while not euphoric, at least better about the replacement I've received and to understand that this is typical procedure. And, since a well-done refurb can result in a unit that is equivalent to nearly new, I suppose I shouldn't be thinking of the "new" HR44 as being almost 9 years old. Apparently I was fortunate in the reliability of the old HR34 and, not having any other unit to compare it to, it's seemed adequately speedy to me, but your comments suggest that I should see improved speed and performance with the "new" receiver, which will be nice.

Regarding the "upgrade" alternative, there's only one TV in the house and it's not 4K, so there are no other boxes, and it would seem that the "upgrade" would not be a useful option for me. Would you agree? If I was interested, however, would the "upgrade" be to the Genie-2 HS17, which you obviously are not a fan of, which I think is why you put "upgrade" in quotes?

It's truly priceless to be able to receive thoughtful, very well-informed and (seemingly) unbiased information in this forum. Kudos to you, Shannon and the other "ACE Experts" for be so willing to spend considerable time helping others.

As long as it is done right, refurbish is fine as the whole purpose is returning to like-new condition to do what it is supposed to. My full-time job (which has nothing to do with my hobby here in the forum) deals with a lot of refurbished equipment that for awhile has been poor. But they recently changed the vendor responsible for it, so hoping quality picks up.

I'm still using my HR44 along with my HR24s. The only tangible benefit of the HR54 over it would be supporting the 4K client, but at the cost of no front panel controls.

Yes one of the reasons I put "upgrade" in quotes was not being a fan of being forced to a client only system. Also that is the official term for getting a box from a different line of equipment, even if it is not more capable to what you have. Going from an HDDVR to an HD non-DVR would be an "upgrade" order (though you do technically gain Autotune by sacrificing recording).

Having just a single TV, then the Genie-2 (HS17) might be considered. It has 7 tuners and 2TB recording space, compared to the 5 tuner and 1TB of the Genie. This means you can record more at the same time and keep more of them. It is a Headless Server, meaning it doesn't go on a TV itself so would feed a 2nd box (Mini Genie Client) on the TV. Clients being extensions of the main box, have no tuners or recording space of their own (which is why I keep the 2 tuners  and 500GB space that my HR24s each have). But for a single TV home, you would just be sacrificing the Picture in Picture (PiP) feature.

If you do decide on that upgrade, it comes with a 24 month service agreement. No change to monthly bill cost as not changing number of TVs and you already have the highest level of equipment services. There has been a rare issue where the system counted it toward the TVs in error, so absolutely review the next couple of bills to verify there is not a TV/client fee (or if there is that there is a monthly credit in the same amount). Though I would suggest looking into the upcoming price adjustments before deciding.

There would be a $3.00 Whole Home fee added to the bill if you go to the HS17 Genie2.

@shannon02 

The OP has the HR34, warranty replaced to the HR44, so they already have Whole Home DVR. Upgrading to the Genie-2 wouldn't add another fee on top of it.

More high-quality, thorough info and thoughts, Juniper. Thanks yet again!

May I ask you to elaborate on your comment about "looking into the upcoming price adjustments before deciding"? I did see the notification from DirecTV about the price increases, and it appears my current package bill will be going up ~$10, which (Edited per community guidelines) .... but percentage-wise is less than what 's happening in the grocery stores weekly these days. Were you suggesting that going with the "upgrade" and getting locked into another 24 month contract would allow me to avoid the price increase(s) for 2 years, assuming I acted quickly before the increase goes into effect?

Upgrades come with a 24 month service agreement. Once installed/activated there is no buyers remorse on it.

Normally the annual price adjustment is in January (with notification in December), but we are getting an early one. Hopefully that doesn't mean we see it at the normal time as well.

So want you to be aware and ok with new costs before committing to the new agreement. The agreement does not protect you as prices are subject to change at any time (but thankfully are not often).

Oops! Being a newbie, I didn't realize that the very mildly profane and now-excised word I tried to use in my prior post to describe the coming price increase violated community guidelines. I'm just a grateful stranger here who's been treated very kindly by the long-time residents, and it certainly wasn't my intention to offend or transgress, so sorry about that.

Thanks for the clarification and heads-up, Juniper. I was mistakenly thinking that any new contract agreement locks in one's current pricing and is immune from price increases for the duration, as is the case for new customers who receive the introductory promo rates. At least I think that's the case, though I certainly could be wrong.

Just to provide closure:  I've decided to accept the HR44, have activated it, and am relatively pleased and satisfied with it. It might be a bit faster than the 34, but can't say it's real noticeable. As would be expected, no evidence so far of any of the failing symptoms the old 34 was showing, and I don't anticipate any appearing for a reasonable time period. Thanks again for the help with my understanding and decision-making. It's been a pleasure.

DTV is no longer offering the 1 yr discount but is offering a 2yr price lock for new customers then you pay the going rate when it ends.