Need to Verify if Directv Receiver is Useable

TexasBrit, thanks much for the information. The "unreliability" I was referring to is a couple of things: sometimes my old D12-700 just shuts off with no warning, but then comes back later (a heat cutout issue, perhaps?) Then sometimes the Guide is unpopulated (and re-populates with a reset) and once the image was even black and white when I turned it on (also corrected by reset)! All signs of a failing receiver, I think.

Overall, I have been debating about changing to a different way of receiving content than Directv (after 20 years), so am not quite ready now to make the jump to Directv HD, but glad to hear about the swapout program which I was unaware of.  Thus, I was looking at an inexpensive, short-term fix for some better reliability. I will give them a call to see what they say, as you suggest...

call them and tell them your d12 needs replacing because most of the time it won't even power on, and see what they offer you. Normally they would just send you a new d12 but given the status of SD that does not make sense. Whate ever you do, do NOT agree to an "upgrade". The CSR would want you to do that because they get credit, whereas for an MPEG2 replacement they get nothing.

Do you have any other receivers?

Unfortunately, have no other receivers. This one does work most of the time—it’s just frustrating when it doesn’t. I called Directv, and the guy I talked to proposed an upgrade to a Genie to solve my problem as you predicted he would. He would not entertain checking the ID number of a proposed purchased used D12 receiver to see if it is still “owned” by Directv and therefore not reuseable. When I asked about access cards, he checked with another person and was told that Directv would issue, for a fee, a new access card for a D12 receiver, even though, as he repeatedly stated, Directv won’t provide or enable these SD receivers anymore because they are trying to phase out SD.  So, if his stance is correct, from a logic standpoint, I could only conclude that they would issue a new access card only for my current receiver already tied to my account, which, of course is of no help. When I asked him why Directv would care if I bought a receiver from a person who owned it (from a time before Directv’s leasing program) and merely swapped it out for mine and purchased a new access card for it from Directv, he really didn’t have an answer other than that Directv just won’t do this. It was apparent from the conversation that Directv won't do anything to enable SD users to continue on. So, I thanked him for the information, and went on my way.  I'm back to re-evaluating whether to do the switch to HD through their swap-out program, or go with another provider.