Cost of upgrading system when/if necessary

not sure if you saw my post.  isn't helpful for $s, but might help w/what you will get.

latest version of Genie? thinking of turning in the old receiver (prior to Genie) | DIRECTV Community Forums

@wme1221 

Only the Genie-2 (HS17) will not work with your boxes as only allows Mini Genie Clients.

The regular Genie line (HR34, HR44, HR54) works with your boxes. As long as they still have them, just upgrade your non-DVR to a Genie. Do NOT replace your HDDVRs.

Upgrade will come with 24 month service agreement. It will also add in the $3 Whole Home DVR service if you don't already have it.

As long as it has been over 2 years of active service since your last upgrade, with account in good standing, upgrade itself should be free. Normally this only covers a single box. But upgrading to your first "Genie" usually includes up to so many Clients on that one order. Again, I highly suggest against a setup with Clients. A regular Genie with 2 HDDVRs is more reliable and has more capability than a Client-only setup.

Call 1-800-531-5000 and find your answer --it cost nothing to ask 

I upgraded the H24 to an HR54. I'm really going to like it! I already had the protection plan, so the upgrade was free with a 2-year commitment.

If it has been over 2 years of active service within account in good standing since your last upgrade/additional TV, then upgrade would be free even without the protection plan.

Protection plan covers service calls ($99), delivery of replacement boxes ($19.95), and remotes ($15, though cheaper through other retailers like Wal-Mart or Amazon).

You pay for the protection plan whether you use it or not. AT $8.99 a month ($107.88 a year), to use it often enough to make it a good value would mean something is very wrong with your setup. The only way I see that it helps is for those that don't do well with reserve funds so find it easier to have a small known cost in the monthly bill even if they always pay for it whether needed or not.

Just my thoughts on the protection plan. But H24 to a Genie is a good upgrade.

i was thankful for protection plan after lightning struck close by.  DTV replaced all but the inside wiring.  I luckily still had warranty coverage on internet Gateway, AV receiver,  and printer. had to replace ethernet port in PC and use a different HDMI port in my TV. 

@wme1221 would be interested to know how much your DTV bill goes up.   hmmm

@Juniper   interesting you say remotes cost....perhaps the policy changed.   i had been told that replacement remotes were free if one had the protection plan.

They are free with the protection plan, without the protection plan DTV charges $15 but they are cheaper online.

@merlin88merlin 

would be interested to know how much your DTV bill goes up.   hmmm

As the OP had an HD non-DVR and two HDDVRs, the only way the bill goes up is $3 for Whole Home DVR if they don't already have it. The Genie uses all the services they already have.

interesting you say remotes cost....perhaps the policy changed.   i had been told that replacement remotes were free if one had the protection plan.

If you don't have the protection plan is when remotes are $15 (cheaper through other retailers). I was comparing the one-time costs without the protection plan, showing why I don't believe it to be a good value.

I already had whole-home DVR.

I already had whole-home DVR.

Then replacing the non-DVR with a Genie is no difference in monthly cost. Just verify on the bill the number of TVs remains the same, to be sure it wasn't activated as an additional.

As the Genie will be the more capable HDDVR, I would consider it going on the TV that is used the most and have your HR24s on the other 2 TVs.