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Seeking Insights into Genie Upgrade Strategy (includes question re: HR24 playback with no dish connection)
Hello,
I would appreciate the insight's of those who have experience.
I am seeking to upgrade to a Genie configuration (w/o 4k). Currently I have 2 HR24s and 2 H24s. My research says that I can upgrade to a Genie HR54 and keep one or both HR24 plus mix in a client(s). I also understand an upgrade to a Genie2 negates the use of one or more HR24. My dilemma is this; we have a ton of shows on the HR24s and will loose them with a Genie 2 or with HR54 all client conversion. Ok here is what I would like to understand.
Losing the recordings aside, would you recommend the Genie or Genie2?
If Genie HR54; would you ditch the HR24s?
If Genie 2; can I ask to keep the HR24 for a short period of time to watch the backlog of recordings? Could I watch these recordings without the DVR being connected to the SWM?
Lastly, can the either Genie be a self install? We really want to avoid outsiders in the bubble. :)
Thanks for any help here.
Brian
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Official Solution
Juniper
ACE - Expert
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22.9K Messages
4 years ago
Genie-2 (HS17) only allows Clients.
Hard cap of 7 tuners.
No Picture in Picture (PiP) feature.
One point of failure, it goes down then all your TVs are dead.
Is not compatible with the Local Channel Connector (LCC) that is in testing.
Reliability is improved since launch, but has lingering post launch bugs.
One more box than you have TVs installed.
Recent issue of counting towards your TV fees.
Genie, Mini Genie Client, and 2 HDDVRs gives you 9 tuners.
Genie goes down, only the Client goes down.
Keep H24 instead of Client, have 1 more tuner and can still watch the recordings.
Since no HDDVRs replaced, you keep all your existing recordings.
Only Mini Genie Clients have a wireless version (C41W and C61W).
Requires wireless video bridge (WVB) on the coax to serve as antenna. ($99)
There is no Client that is both wired and wireless.
Wireless is less reliable than wired per nature of technology.
WVB has up to 80 foot range if under perfect conditions.
The Genie-2 is the only model with a WVB built-in.
Even if you choose to have a wireless Mini Genie Client, stick with the regular Genie and 2 HDDVRs for the rest of the setup. Most reliable and capable setup instead of the Genie-2 and 4 Mini Genie Clients which has limitations and not yet reached a fully reliable state.
(edited)
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shannon02
ACE - Expert
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21K Messages
4 years ago
AFAIK the HS17 Genie2 will deactivate all H and HR receivers so you will not be able to use them. The HR24s will work for an unknown period of time without being connected to the dish. Minis are bricks without the Genie so if it goes down all TVs with minis go down also.
*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.
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Juniper
ACE - Expert
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22.9K Messages
4 years ago
Great questions and you are on track.
The Genie-2 (HS17) forbids everything but Clients, so would replace all your boxes. Do not get this model.
Upgrade to a Genie. You will get 2nd/3rd generation (HR44/HR54) depending on stock. Only replace your non-DVRs (H24s) with Genie and Mini Genie Client. You keep both HR24s. If you don't already have it, this adds the $3 Whole Home DVR to your monthly bill.
Will be a tech install.
(edited)
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(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)
*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.
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Sardine
New Member
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3 Messages
4 years ago
Thanks for the replies!
Reading elsewhere and your responses, it appears that everyone is avoiding the Genie2. Did I interpret your responses correctly? Outside of loosing current recordings. Is the reason, because it is a single point of failure? Reliability? Not as advertised? Other?
With the HR44/54 setup I understand the client is wired unless you add a bridge to facilitate wireless. Do I have this correct? Are there any concerns with going wireless?
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shannon02
ACE - Expert
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21K Messages
4 years ago
The HS17 Genie2 is as reliable as anything with a spinning hard drive, may run for years or go out next week.
There are still some bugs in the software that only seem to pop up for a few people. Yes it is a single point of failure system.
We recommend wired whenever possible as we get a lot of posts about the mini dropping connections and other problems but others have no problems with wireless. The range of the WVB is around 80' in free air walls and other obstructions reduce it.
*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.
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Sardine
New Member
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3 Messages
4 years ago
Juniper,
Thank you for the very complete answer and you educated and solidified my train of thought.
Much Appreciated!
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Juniper
ACE - Expert
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22.9K Messages
4 years ago
@Sardine
You are very welcome. In a 1:1 comparison, the Genie-2 (HS17) does appear more powerful, but once you are 2 or 3 TVs then the regular Genie line with full receivers (and perhaps even a Client mixed in) becomes the better option.
Though I am very disappointed with the Genie-2 design, I will provide one last bit of info I neglected earlier to be fair.
The 3rd generation Genie (HR54) supports a single 4K Client (C61K) at a time using a 4K channel. If you only have one TV at all, this means you pay as if you had 2 TVs as both connections are on the same one.
Genie-2 (HS17) supports 2 of the 4K Clients at the same time using a 4K channel. If you only have 1 TV, since it doesn't go on a TV itself it should only bill as if you had one TV (outside of the billing issue I mentioned earlier).
So a 1 or 2 TV household, particularly if they are both 4K TVs, would be the sweet spot for the Genie-2 if it was proven reliable.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
(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)
*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.
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