Upgrade from SD to HD without DVR

The Whole Home would be an option even without any H25 as the HR24s can use it. What gets me is the DVR services are $0 and they still have D12s which suggests it wasn't a normal MPEG swap, otherwise D12s would be gone and the $0 would be for HD (if they didn't already have it).

Since it is listed on the bill, they got some special promotion a while back. Perhaps a partial swap? Hopefully it doesn't prevent swapping the remainder and require an upgrade instead otherwise that would cause a $13 increase in the bill.

Thanks all for the input.

From reading the info I have received it appears as though,If I do nothing, my HD boxes will still work and the SD boxes will lose channels. Is that correct?

If I swap genie and mini genie for the SD boxes, will I need an installation and can use both HD an Genie on my current HD satellite and swm?

Either way monthly bill does not go up? No installation cost, No contract.

Does the swap MPEG offer expire and how will I know when my time is up to swap SD boxes? After all I have HD,Whole Home DVR, DVR and promotions on the DVR.

If you do nothing, the SD boxes will stop working eventually once the shutdown reaches them.

Swap to a Genie is not self-install. If no appointment is set during the order, then agent didn't catch an issue in the order (known issue, occasionally the system will default to drop ship in error). Just something to watch out for so you don't have to callback later for a fix.

If you have HD, DVR, and Whole Home DVR and not changing number of TVs then normally bill doesn't go up. However, you have promos making some of that free "until your next upgrade". Just request MPEG swap, do not mention "upgrade" when you call. Check order confirmation to double check that it was placed as a MPEG swap (no new service agreement, no listing of monthly charges).

The receiver services you are getting for free are essentially indefinite, "until your next upgrade". So in theory there is no expiration unless DirecTV changes something years down the road.

There is no known expiration date for the MPEG swap offer. However, once SD boxes are automatically deactivated then there is no box available to swap anymore. Wish they had set an exact date when they sent out those notices. But I guess with how slow this is going, customers have had plenty of time. The phase out was announced around a decade ago and started on time in April 2019. Should have already finished but both the pandemic and some sort of internal challenges has slowed the process for it complete across the board.

So time to make a decision. Swap D12s or use them until you can no longer.

Swap will need tech install.

Say and verify MPEG swap, not upgrade, to keep your free receiver services.

Check order confirmation so that it is as expected.

Expect this is the last equipment change, other than warranty replacement, that keeps those free services as anything else in future should be an upgrade.

Thanks. "Swap will need tech install." ....swm,etc? HD boxes still work standalone with my HD dish and HD DVR/ whole house works via swm?

Will I have 2 DVRs the Genie and the HDDVR? If yes how do the 2 DVRs work with the HD and the mini genie?

"swap vs upgrade" check  order confirmation? Isn't that too late....I want to see the order in writing before I agree to anything.....Over the years ATT (directv) quite often makes promises via verbal and via chat that later are reneged by other agents or the system. Not trust worthy. How can I get order in writing before I agree to anything. Why don't they send a proposal that we can read and question prior to OK?

"Swap D12s or use them until you can no longer." So that is what will happen if I do nothing......my HDs will continue to work for ever and SDs will eventually not work?

Tech install is required as you don't already have a Genie. This is to make sure all SWM connections are proper, though D12 works on SWM it isn't compatible with Multi Room Viewing (MRV, that DirecTV calls Whole Home DVR). Also to make sure your setup can support the total number of tuners in the end.

The only box that cannot work standalone would be the one Mini Genie Client you end up with. That is an extension of the main Genie. Your existing HD/HDDVR boxes function as normal.

There is no order in writing before it exists. You aren't doing this in a store but over the phone with DirecTV. You have until you are installed and activated to modify the order or back out of it completely. This is why with an upgrade the 24 month agreement doesn't start until the day the new box is put in.

AT&T no longer manages DirecTV as they passed on that responsibility to the new co-owner. But the rules for swaps and upgrades remains the same. I do agree not to use the "chat" option on their website as it is not regular support, too much bad info comes from it, and transcripts are not saved to the account.

DirecTV has never had a "proposal" to send first. The procedures for swaps and upgrades are the same as they were years before AT&T acquired them. What happens is you sign the handheld upon tech install verifying order is accepted and installed to your satisfaction.

Cannot speak to "forever". But your HD boxes will continue to work until either the boxes fail or there is ever a MPEG-4 shutdown. Your SD boxes would continue to work until the MPEG-2 shutdown reaches them.

Thanks for all the info.....

Is the Genie a DVR? If so, will I then have 2 DVRs,,my current HDDVR( HR24-500) and the Genie?

Directv is Satellite. Must Genies be connected to internet and are Genie's connected to each other via wifi.....my home wifi , genie's own wifi? Will the Genie be using my home wifi data?

Yes Genies are DVRs,  DTV works without internet but you will not be able to pay for PPV using the remote, get On Demand or use start from the beginning.  While there is a WiFi option to connect the Genie to the Mini clients using their own WiFi network not your home network, you should use the coax that you already have.

Genie (HR34, HR44, HR54) is DirecTV's Advanced Whole Home HDDVR. Like your HR24 it requires you to have HD and DVR service, but also Whole Home DVR (non-Genie setups Whole Home is optional).

H = HD

R = DVR (recorder)

No DirecTV box requires internet. It is service by satellite. The new boxes still connect by coax.

There is an optional wireless version of the Mini Genie Clients, but as you still must still have the wireless video bridge (WVB, the antenna that connects them) on the coax, it defeats the purpose for a single Mini Genie.

Thanks... If I swap my SDs for a Genie and min Genie and continue using my HD boxes (H25 and HR24) , I will have 2 DVRs? Can the DVR recordings be viewed on all boxes (HD and Genie)? 

Yes, that is what Whole Home does.  You will need to make sure that playlist sharing is setup on the HR24.

Genie, Mini Genie, HR24, and H25.

You have two HDDVRs.

All boxes can watch what is on either HDDVR.

The Mini Genie will use 1 of the 5 tuners the Genie has since it is a Client (extension of the Genie) instead of a receiver.