Has the HR44 solved the problems with Genie freezing up?

[TominKY]

Thinking about switching from DISH to DirecTV, especially if DISH does not want to step up to the plate and come close to matching the offer DTV made for their Genie. Have been comparing Genie to Hopper, and they are similar in many ways, but I am concerned about the many complaints out there about technical issues with the Genie, particularly with pictures freezing up, client tuners not communicating with the main receiver, frequent reboots, etc. Was most of that early growing pains with a new system, or is it a continuing problem? It seems that a lot of the issues were with the earlier HR34 receiver - wondering if the issues have been resolved with the newer HR44, or does this unit have the same issues?

Thanks for any help / advice you all can provide!

 

[HIFI]

I have installed both and continue to install the 44 every day. The 44 is much more stable and responsive than the 34.
(with any luck Hutch will drop in here and add his two cents too.

 

[gadgtfreek]

My HR44 has been pretty good. Recently they had a SW update in October than broke some video playback reliability, but it seems to be fixed in 797/799 which is the new SW. Overall Im happy with it, it is just you never know what you are gonna experience when Directv releases new SW.

 

[JEFFinINDY]

I haven't had any problems with my HR44/200 and my H25 client. I had an HR34 before that and didn't have any issues with it either, other than it was a bit sluggish. The HR44 is nice.

 

[TominKY]

Thanks for the replies!

I have a couple more questions. Currently, I have several TV's in the finished basement - one is HD, and the others are SD. Upstairs I have 4 more TV's, all HD capable. Everything in the house is currently connected via co-ax. Not sure if it is all RG6 or if there is some RG59 mixed in - all the walls in the basement are drywalled and not really accessible to check most of it. I am planning to put the main HR 34 or 44 in the basement, use the HDMI output on that to the HD TV near it, then feed the remaining SD TV's in the basement through the co-ax cables with the composite hookup on the Genie feeding a RF modulator. That covers the basement. For the upstairs, I will have two of the Genie "clients" - one for the HD TV in the bedroom, and another for the family room TV (soon to be upgraded to a new HD unit). That unit may also be used to feed the kitchen TV that shares and adjacent wall, probably with an HDMI cable. We don't really care if these two are mirrored and have the same content - same goes for all the basement TV's. Does this sound like a viable plan? Any hurdles I haven't thought of?

Also, does the Genie use IR remotes that you have to point at the receiver, or are they RF units?

Thanks for the help!

 

[HIFI]

they can be used in RF mode and the mirrored basement tv's will show a cables not HD compatible screen anytime you're in the guide but will drop off back to programming usually in about 30 seconds.

 

[TominKY]

they can be used in RF mode and the mirrored basement tv's will show a cables not HD compatible screen anytime you're in the guide but will drop off back to programming usually in about 30 seconds.

HIFI, can you elaborate a little bit on your answer? Not sure I understand what you are saying about the mirrored TV's. I read something onn another forum that seemed to indicate that I might have problems if I have a SD TV and and HD TV hooked up to the same mini client at the same time.

I read where the DISH Hopper allows either RG6 or RG59 coax to be used between the main DVR and the client (Joey) boxes. Can RG59 be used between the Genie and its clients, or does it have to be RG6? I am not positive it this house had RG6 installed in the walls when they ran it originally way back in the 90's.

Thanks!

 

[Jimbo]

HIFI, can you elaborate a little bit on your answer? Not sure I understand what you are saying about the mirrored TV's. I read something onn another forum that seemed to indicate that I might have problems if I have a SD TV and and HD TV hooked up to the same mini client at the same time.

I read where the DISH Hopper allows either RG6 or RG59 coax to be used between the main DVR and the client (Joey) boxes. Can RG59 be used between the Genie and its clients, or does it have to be RG6? I am not positive it this house had RG6 installed in the walls when they ran it originally way back in the 90's.

Thanks!

You'll be fine with a mix, RG6 is what is desired, but they don't need to tear the drywall down to replace your existing coax.

 

[TominKY]

One more question:

I read elsewhere on the forums that you cannot pause live TV when viewing a TV that is attached to a client (mini). Is this correct? If so, to me that kind of defeats one of the big attractions of the DVR - if the phone rings or something like that, I want to pause the TV, or maybe back up to see something again. Is there any work-around for this?

This could be a show-stopper for me, because most of our viewing will probably be done on the upstairs TV that will be attached to the mini.

 

[Jimbo]

One more question:

I read elsewhere on the forums that you cannot pause live TV when viewing a TV that is attached to a client (mini). Is this correct? If so, to me that kind of defeats one of the big attractions of the DVR - if the phone rings or something like that, I want to pause the TV, or maybe back up to see something again. Is there any work-around for this?

This could be a show-stopper for me, because most of our viewing will probably be done on the upstairs TV that will be attached to the mini.

The work around that would be to get a actual DVR instead of a client.

 

[TominKY]

The work around that would be to get a actual DVR instead of a client.

Wouldn't that cost extra?

 

[HIFI]

The clients are an extension of the genie, you will have full dvr use at the client locations so long as you are using a mini genie and not just an HD receiver.

 

[TominKY]

The clients are an extension of the genie, you will have full dvr use at the client locations so long as you are using a mini genie and not just an HD receiver.

That's the way I would expect it to work, and also the way DISH's mini clients work as far as I know, but Jimbo's response above seems to indicate otherwise. Doesn't really make sense to me that DirecTV would set it up that way, since the technology is obviously there if DISH is doing it. I may be getting confused by the "mini" and the H25. I always thought the "mini" and the H25 were the same thing, but the link below seems to indicate that they are two different things. It also says that the actual genie "client" allows full DVR functionality, including rewind, pause etc. BUT, it does not say if that works with live TV.

http://forums.directv.com/thread/11248127

Can someone help clear this up for me? I have to make my decision by tomorrow morning on whether to go with the Genie or DISH's Hopper. Thanks!

 

[flyfish99]

I have the Genie with one client, (mini genie). The mini has the same functionality as the genie, both on live and recorded TV.

 

[HIFI]

I have the Genie with one client, (mini genie). The mini has the same functionality as the genie, both on live and recorded TV.

:up

 

[TominKY]

Found another link that gives a good side by side breakdown of the H25 receiver versus the Genie client C31. Looks like if I want to pause live TV and have full DVR functionality, I need to go with the C31 instead of the H25. However, the fly in my ointment is that the C31 does not have any component outputs to allow me to also hook up a standard def TV to the same tuner. This is my situation in our family room / kitchen. I want to use the same unit to mirror the kitchen TV on SD to the FR TV, which will be HD. Was hoping to just use an RF Modulator and the component outputs to get this done.

Is there another receiver / tuner that will serve this purpose besides the H25 or C31?

Link => http://forums.solidsignal.com/showthread.php/2242-H25-vs-C31-which-is-best-for-you

 

[ejb1980]

It is untrue that the client can't pause live TV. The client can do everything that the main Genie can do, except 3D. It just does it all a little slower!

 

[TominKY]

It is untrue that the client can't pause live TV. The client can do everything that the main Genie can do, except 3D. It just does it all a little slower!

Hi ejb, yes, I think that other link that I posted has confirmed this for me. I think the client you are referring to is the C31, correct? However, this solves my Live TV DVR issue, but it creates another issue for connecting my additional SD TV because the C31 only has the single HDMI output on the back. Guess I just can't have the best of both worlds.

 

[TominKY]

OK, I called DTV tech support, and was told that they have an adapter that plugs into the 10 pin connector on the back of the mini client, which will convert to a component hookup that I can then feed into an RF modulator to handle my mirroring issue with the TV in the kitchen. Has anyone heard of or used one of these? Thanks!

 

[HIFI]

OK, I called DTV tech support, and was told that they have an adapter that plugs into the 10 pin connector on the back of the mini client, which will convert to a component hookup that I can then feed into an RF modulator to handle my mirroring issue with the TV in the kitchen. Has anyone heard of or used one of these? Thanks!

use them every day as most households still have standard tube tv's in at least one location.