new to DirecTV (things I miss on Dish)

[gopcs]

I had been a Dish customer for 5 years. I switched to DirecTV to save a little money.
After being on DirecTV for 2 weeks, here are a few observations.

Things I liked about the Hopper (not on Genie):
Netflix app built-in
Prime Time Anytime
"Fast" fast-forward
Dish Anywhere - watch my recorded programs on ipad
3 video outputs: HDMI, Component and Composite (Genie dongle is component or composite, not both)
Bluetooth for private listening


Things I like about the Genie (not on Hopper):
Record up to 5 programs at one time, any time

DirecTV is supposed to have the GenieGO available this year?
Are there unique features on DirecTV that I don't know about?

 

[rad]

You might be able to find an external GenieGo still available from a 3rd party like Solid Signal until they enable the rumored internal GenieGo. I'd grab it now if you can get it. You can also hook an external Slingbox to the Genie to watch recordings. If you don't mind live channels the DIRECTV app has a bunch of live channels you can stream.
You can set up a season pass for a new program that doesn't appear in the guide yet, like Better Call Saul.
A number of channels have restart on them, you turn to a program 45 minutes into it, if you have an internet connected setup you can start viewing it from the beginning.
Use Smart Search and do a keyword search for 30skip, all programs. Then when you hit the skip button it skips 30 seconds vs the default slip.
In the guide if you scroll left to the channel name and then hit info you get a listing of the next six programs.
Press the down arrow on the remote enables double play, swap between two the two tuners a and not lose the buffer.
Press the up arrow and get quick tune.

 

[Jimbo]

You might be able to find an external GenieGo still available from a 3rd party like Solid Signal until they enable the rumored internal GenieGo. I'd grab it now if you can get it. You can also hook an external Slingbox to the Genie to watch recordings. If you don't mind live channels the DIRECTV app has a bunch of live channels you can stream.
You can set up a season pass for a new program that doesn't appear in the guide yet, like Better Call Saul.
A number of channels have restart on them, you turn to a program 45 minutes into it, if you have an internet connected setup you can start viewing it from the beginning.
Use Smart Search and do a keyword search for 30skip, all programs. Then when you hit the skip button it skips 30 seconds vs the default slip.
In the guide if you scroll left to the channel name and then hit info you get a listing of the next six programs.
Press the down arrow on the remote enables double play, swap between two the two tuners a and not lose the buffer.
Press the up arrow and get quick tune.

I thought when you highlighted the channel in the guide and hit info it gave you the next 24 hrs ?
Has this changed ?

 

[rad]

I thought when you highlighted the channel in the guide and hit info it gave you the next 24 hrs ?
Has this changed ?

It only have six lines of display, you can scroll down for more.

 

[ejb1980]

What do you mean by "fast fast forward" - are you familiar with the 30 skip feature?

 

[mdram]

i have actually grown to lke the 30slip over 30skip
i sometimes go back to see a commercial for a new show it went past so i can set a timer if need be

 

[Jimbo]

It only have six lines of display, you can scroll down for more.

Ok, I just checked and Yes it only shows 6 like Rad said, but you can scroll for more ... I thought it went for 24 hours, but its way more, possibly for the duration of the 14 day guide.

 

[jcrandall]

You might be able to find an external GenieGo still available from a 3rd party like Solid Signal until they enable the rumored internal GenieGo. I'd grab it now if you can get it.

I would hold off on buying a Genie Go. The technology is being integrated in to the HR44/HR54 line Genie.

Once they have the software and decide how to enable it (service activation, is there a fee, etc), it would be easier than buying the external unit.

I think it will be a free service, but there could be a small monthly fee. If it were $3 for example, it would take more than 3 years to offset the $99 purchase of a Genie Go.

 

[rad]

I would hold off on buying a Genie Go. The technology is being integrated in to the HR44/HR54 line Genie.

Once they have the software and decide how to enable it (service activation, is there a fee, etc), it would be easier than buying the external unit.

I think it will be a free service, but there could be a small monthly fee. If it were $3 for example, it would take more than 3 years to offset the $99 purchase of a Genie Go.

So I guess then the OP needs to decide if they'd want a solution now (if they can still find one) or hope that DIRECTV releases the update 'soon'. Plus people always seem to b*tch about how slow DIRECTV STB's are so why steal processor cycles transcoding things when you can get an external unit that doesn't take cycles, you can also add a USB external drive to the GG not taking space from the Genie.

 

[jcrandall]

So I guess then the OP needs to decide if they'd want a solution now (if they can still find one) or hope that DIRECTV releases the update 'soon'. Plus people always seem to b*tch about how slow DIRECTV STB's are so why steal processor cycles transcoding things when you can get an external unit that doesn't take cycles, you can also add a USB external drive to the GG not taking space from the Genie.

These are fair points, I would just add another thought:

The feature is in internal testing and with them no longer selling the external unit I think soon is a reasonable thought, that said it could still be 6+ months.

On the external unit preventing the receiver from doing the transcoding (reducing processor load), I would speculate that the external unit may be disabled when they add the feature into the receiver.
I've not heard anything one way or the other, just thought it could be preference to the internal process.

 

[CSM]

DTV does have an IPAD App. I don't think you can watch recorded shows on it only live right?

 

[jcrandall]

DTV does have an IPAD App. I don't think you can watch recorded shows on it only live right?

Watching recorded would be the Genie Go function. As Rad mentioned you can still get them online, generally $99 or less.

From what I've heard the built-in function would be sometime this summer at the earliest.