DIRECTV EQUIPMENT

What models do you have now?

An HR54 or HS17 Genie DVR/Server along with a 4K-compatible Genie Client is required for the few 4K channels that DirecTV provides. 

I have an HR24-500, HR23-700, D12-300, HR22-100 and H25-250.   

You can get a free MPEG-2 necessary swap from the D12 to an HR54 Genie DVR. Since your D12 is only capable of receiving SD/MPEG-2 feeds that are being shut down as we speak, it is mandatory to get the D12 replaced. Getting this replaced is free of charge and won’t extend your contract, as it is a necessity to continue receiving service on this extra receiver. 
As far as getting 4K, you’d need a C61K Genie client along with the HR54. I suggest replacing your HR23 or HR22 receiver for the C61K 4K client. Note that any recordings specifically on your HR23/HR22 will be unrecoverable if you decide to swap one of these for a 4K C61K client.

All broadcast channels that DTV gets only use 720 or 1080i, the only 1080p are a few PPV movies.

I called customer support and the representative could not provide any details to upgrade my equipment.  It seems to be a black hole regarding what I would be getting with an upgrade.  The customer service person would only say it would be free with a two-year contract or $499 up front.  Any advise on how to get through to to a knowledgable rep. to get some details?

You seem to have been a customer for a while, based on your hardware.

Call them and ask for the "retention department" then tell them you are considering quitting since your stuff is so old, but the other people would not offer you anything.

the ordinary customer service people cannot make any deals or accomodations

They will give you something if you tell them you are looking to go to a different provider. I have been a customer since the late 80's and they told me I could get free hardware upgrades every 2 years if I stamped my feet.

Greg

Over 20 years, I'll give it a try thanks!

DTV is only installing HS17 Genie2 and minis.  The HS17 is capped at 7 tuners with a 2TB hard drive and will not allow any other DTV receivers only minis.

DTV didn't exist until 1994.

I believe that we first subscribed to DTV in 2000 when we moved to rural Missouri and continued with DTV when we moved to Nebraska in 2003.  We've been happy, however, we are way overdue for an upgrade (2009).  Do you know how the HS17 Genie 2 and minis have been working?

I  have an HR24 and a THR22 and will not update to any Genie as the Genies removed the ability for Pandora to play while watching another channel which I use when the Dodgers are on Fox or ESPN or any other channel that I don't like the announcers.

Sorry, confused my anniversary date with my directv date... it was a few years before the new house at the end of 1997, so I must have been a pretty new adopter. What a difference it made! Been with them ever since. Recently they told me my account was 23 years old, so  I must have changed account numbers at some point.

In any case I upgraded from an old DVR and a standalone box to the current system, nice once I worked the bugs out. Miss the old simplicity and reliability, but the newer featurs and the Android integration has been worth it.

Greg

Shannon, I swear that I ran the pandora app, and it continued to run when I changed to either a different app or the satellite.... this is on a Gemini not a Genie Mini

I can test it out if you are interested.

My brother started with DTV around 1994 an got an Hxx receiver and a TiVo recorder with an IR blaster to change the DTV receiver channels.

It is watching a channel while Pandora is playing, when the Genies first came out that was no longer the case as there were post here complaining about it.