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I am not a Direct TV (DTV) customer but am trying to help an existing long-term Direct TV Satellite customer that is not tech savvy.

I believe they first went to DTV as they had the best sports offerings. They subscribed to NFL, NBA, MLB, and a Sports package.

They moved five years ago, so the satellite dish is five years old.

Last year I helped them get set up with the NFL Sunday Ticket + RedZone from YouTube.

They are in a large house now, with lots of TV's. They have a mixed bag of services but can only watch one DTV channel at a time, although it can be displayed on multiple TVs using an existing Control4 system, that they hate. Also, being a large house, that was already wired with CAT6, they would prefer to not use WiFi for TV services.

I am exploring alternative configurations that remove Control4 from the equation and get them multiple DTV channels simultaneously.

Option 1) Stay on DTV satellite
Let's assume the satellite dish is current. If not, it will be upgraded as needed.

My understanding is that the dish delivers channels via coax to either a Genie (HR54), or a Genie 2 (HS17).

The house is wired with CAT6, but not coax. I have been told that they can put Gemini boxes at each TV and then have each TV on a different channel (or streaming app), if desired. And that older, or non-tech savvy people generally like the "cable-box" feel of the Gemini and its remote. (Cost $7/mo + $49/one-time fee for each Gemini.)

I have been told that the Gemini can be connected to the Genie (or Genie 2) with CAT6 directly, and no coax. Others have said DTV does not support CAT6 and you need coax + DECA to connect the Gemini using the ethernet port. Which is correct?

Also, the Genie 2 only supports eight Gemini boxes, and seven simultaneous connections. If you want more TVs, you cannot add a second Genie 2. How would you connect TVs 9 and 10?

I was also told (by a DTV salesperson) that the Gemini doesn't work well with 4K. For 4K, they recommended a stand-alone HD receiver. Is this correct? And does this require a coax run?

I was also told that if the satellite is impacted by weather, that the system would be able to use the internet to continue receiving the channels. But only three simultaneous streams from the internet.

Option 2) DTV Streaming

I was told Streaming has all the same programming, except no Music station. That is not an issue.

Aside from not needing a dish on the roof, would the boxes and wires in the house be the same?

Is the total experience the same, better, or worse?

If they put in a fiber internet connection, would there be any latency issues as compared to the satellite?

Option 3) DTV Internet

Is this different that Option 2 – DTV Streaming?


Is DTV really the best service provider for a non-tech savvy person? They are familiar with the cable-box paradigm – giving them a remote with channel numbers, a channel guide, and then the modern addition of apps (e.g. Netflix, Prime, YouTube). However, it appears that since NFL moved to YouTube, and all the other sports packages can be licensed without DTV, what is the DTV advantage, if any?

I know there are a lot of questions above. And that is after many hours of reading forums, DTV and other websites, and talking to salespeople. But there is nothing like the actual people that have and use the system to tell it like it is. Your help is very much appreciated. Thank you.