R22s, Swap vs. Upgrade, Old TV

Very glad you checked in the forum first. The R22 is a special model. Even many legacy DirecTV agents weren't familiar with it, never mind since the acquisition by AT&T.

If those are your only 2 boxes, then yes call DirecTV and request a MPEG swap. Do not even breath the word "upgrade". That will avoid the 24 month service agreement and 'should' result in an ongoing (unknown how long) credit for the $10 HD service.

1. Call DirecTV request a MPEG swap. This will result in a Genie (likely HR54). Only 1 box is required to be swapped. However agent over the phone, and even tech, may still try to push the Mini Genie. Say no to the Mini.

2. Yes, DirecTV boxes can still output to older TVs. Newest boxes use a 10-pin dongle that outputs to the Red/White/Yellow. Shouldn't be a concern as you put the new box on the flat screen.

3. Yes, still use the R22. Make sure in the Display settings that Guide HD Channels stays to "Hide HD Channels" since the CRT cannot use them. Plus HD programming takes up more recording space. If/When you replace that CRT, swap to an HDMI cable and swap a couple settings to use the full service.

4. The MPEG swap only has one possible choice. Genie (last model HR54) or the Genie-2 (HS17). Genie allows you to keep an R22. The Genie-2 being a server tower (doesnt go on a TV itself), only allows clients on each TV so would replace both your boxes.

5. If you get the regular Genie line you can keep an R22, but not with the Genie-2.

6. Your setup would need to update the cabling and dish to Single Wire Multiswitch (SWM). With SWM it is a single cable to each box, regardless of how many tuners. Most likely this will require an entire new dish as well (assuming you have an 18" round), not just replacing the LNB.

A note, recordings do not transfer from a replaced box. So I would be comfortably caught up first on one of them.

The R22 is a special model as it can be turned into an MPEG4 receiver when an MPEG4 receiver is added to the account.  DTV may be able to replace one of the R22 with an HR54 Genie that will add $3 for Whole Home.  The HR54 will need the composite 10 pin din cable to provide the red/white audio yellow video RCA connectors, the tech may have one on the truck.  The coax will probably be reusable and the tech will change the LNB on the dish arm or install a new dish.  You own the dish so it is up to you to remove the old dish

I would connect the HR54 to the flatscreen by HDMI and leave the remaining R22 with the Red/White/Yellow for the CRT. Keep each on the best connection for box and TV per your current setup.

You can ask if the tech would leave an HDMI cable, for replacing the CRT later. Not a guarantee as they are only obligated to install for what you have, but doesn't hurt to ask.

Thank you for the comments from everyone.

I had a couple of follow-up questions.

1) Is the HR54 box one with a DVR?  (We are wanting to continue using a box with a DVR.)

2) We currently have an 18" x 19.5" high RCA dish supplying our DirecTV signal through coax cables, according to my measurements--one of the boxes on its system info screen says this is an 18" x 20" dish.  If we keep one R22 and swap out the other one (for an HR54, assuming it does have the DVR), will the dish need to be replaced as well as the cables?  (One comment made it sound like the cables could possibly still be used, maybe even the dish, if the LNB was just replaced.)

3) We are in the Midwest and the dish is pointed at the south or southwestern sky.  Will this be where the new dish points, assuming we need a new one?

4) If the dish does need to be replaced, can the stand be reusable, just putting on a new dish itself, or does the whole stand and dish go together and both would be replaced? (The dish is on our deck and I am hoping any new hardware needed out there could still be in that location versus on the roof--would be nice to not have to screw new holes again into the deck wood for a new stand once more.)

Thank you again for your comments, and I look forward to any help that can be provided with these questions.

1. Yes, the HR54 is an HD DVR Genie with five turners and 1TB storage. It is essentially an R22 but with 2.5x the tuners and more recording space.

2. The 18x20 or 18 inch dish itself CANNOT be used at all. It can only receive MPEG2/SD content which is being phased out as we speak. The dish AND the cables need to be replaced. You will be upgraded to SWM and only ONE cable per receiver is needed as compared to two cables for two tuners with your R22s.

3. Yes, DIRECTV slimline dishes are aimed exactly where your old 18 or 18x20 inch dish was. Rather than pointing directly at 101 degree satellite, it now needs 99 and 103 which are pretty much very close together. There absolutely will NOT be a difference in dish direction.

4. No, the mast, pole, dish, and LNB all need replacing. The technician will install a whole new dish assembly, new SWM LNB, new 2 inch pole as the 18 and 18x20 inch dishes use 1.66 inches, and new holes. Four additional screws are required for the monopole IF the mount is NOT a stub mount. Now, there ARE such mounts that work on railings, on the floor, on the eave, etc. I can’t guarantee to you that the technician will mount the dish to a deck as there may be better options (like mounting to the eave.)

@markjamesn 

Most boxes follow the same model number grouping.

D = SD non-DVR

R = SDDVR

H = HD nonDVR

HR = HDDVR

So the 3rd generation Genie (HR54) is an HDDVR. But it has 5 tuners and 1TB recording space, which is more than an R22. Good thing it works with R22s so you could keep one of them on that old CRT.

Thanks again for the comments to my questions.

The older 18 x 20" dish we are using on the deck right now is sitting on the deck floor, barely off the ground, so I am assuming it is a "stub mount" the dish is on.

Is there a possibility the stub mount itself there now might accommodate the new dish, or, that its holes already there might accept any new stub mount needed?

Thank you again for the help.

Sorry, no. The 18x20 inch dish uses a 1.66’ pole (I stated this before in my long paragraph #4) 

The holes may be able to be reused but again the technician might find a better spot for the new dish that is more secure than a deck. 

DTV can use a sled mount and not need any holes.

Okay, thank you for this info.

Another question or two popped up for me.  I am planning on calling the old DirecTV number this week to ask about the swapping as we've talked about on here.

We actually have two R22s and a D12-100 (which I thought I would just let go without replacing, but I have several reasons to have it replaced)--it would be nice to be able to keep both R22s and do the swap for the D12, all of this being wired, not wireless.

Maybe it helps to share that we have had DirecTV since 1996 as well, in case any grandfathered plan scenarios enter into any of this.

1) Can I request a swap for the D12 and have it be a DVR too, or will that somehow be an upgrade with a contract involved?  (The TV this is on is an old CRT one.)

2) What is a good unit that will be wired (not wireless) to ask to swap the D12 for?  (Again this is for an old CRT TV.)

3) Once the R22s get the HD signal, I am hoping my older mom, whom I help out, will still be able to press the red button on her RC65 remote on the Weather Channel to get local weather--will that still work like that for her?  (She is familiar with that remote--one reason I do not want to swap that R22 for anything else--and the other R22 which I use primarily has a lot of recorded shows I would rather not let go of.)

4) Also, if for some reason I needed or wanted to get an HD DVR from Solid Signal, like the HR24, how would I communicate this to DirecTV?

Thanks again for any help that can be provided.

1. Request MEPG swap of D12. Should get Genie (HR44 or HR54 depending on stock). Do NOT replace R22s. They work with the Genie. Do not say "upgrade" as that is what comes with 24 month service agreement.

2. Suggested to keep an R22 on the old CRT TV. This is because the hard drive is smaller than the Genie's and SD recordings take less space than HD.

3. R22s should function the same, but with a higher quality picture on the one that is updated to HD settings. Also there are a few channels only in HD. Remember recordings can fill up quicker with the HD quality.

4. HDDVR (HR24) is $199 for the one-time lease cost. This will come with 24 month service agreement. You would call DirecTV and likely speak to the Access Card Distribution Team (ACDT) to activate it, or order a new access card if needed.

I appreciate this info and the help again.

I have things set in motion to get an HR54 for the swap.

Thank you again.

I received an HR54 in my swapping out of the D12 instead of upgrading, with a new dish installed, with the two old R22s now seeing HD channels.  However, with all RG6 wiring (originally from DirecTV) inside the house and the new wiring outside, I have experienced an intermittent freezing for one to two seconds on every Turner Classic Movies movie (HD or otherwise) since the update in early October (I believe) on all three receivers, and just over the Thanksgiving free preview weekend for movie channels, about every other show or movie that I saw on Starz or HBO had some second or two of freezing on the R22 I watch the most downstairs--the DirecTV tech says the older R22s can create issues with the newer boxes and themselves where (because of the way they are all networked together via the splitter) freezing like this might occur.

Is this true, does it sound legitimate?  (I am going to test watching another movie or two on the HR54 on a movie channel which we got a discount on this week to see if the freezing occurs.)

Any thoughts or opinions would be appreciated--he ruled out the wiring since he tested it with his meter while he was here and said the wiring DirecTV installs has always been the copper core versus copper clad.

Thanks for any help that can be provided.

It is unlikely one receiver would cause freezing on another. This is happening on live TV and not recordings?  I would check all connections to make they are tight and there is no obstruction in the line of sight of the dish.