Thinking of adding a Genie client.... advice?

[cparker]

Wife wants a flat panel above the fridge in the kitchen. Flat panel = easy (because it's small.... 29" or so), making a cabinet.... not so easy but I've made the entire kitchen full of cabinets so one more shouldn't be horrible. Now..... receiver.... she wants it connected to satellite so I need a receiver. I currently have an HR24 in the bedroom and an HR34 in the living room. MRV is set up and works most of the time. Is the Genie client the smallest box they have? And is it a good choice?

I am asking because I'm not thrilled with the HR34. It replaced an HR24 and my HR24s were extremely reliable. The HR34 has issues with recordings.... SOME recordings, not all, but at least once a week my wife will be watching a recorded program and it will just stop. Picture freezes. No sound, but the odd thing is the little timer bar at the bottom can be see to be still counting as though it's playing. Once it freezes, there's no recovering that program. I can't find a pattern. It's not a certain channel. It's not a certain time slot. It's truly random. But it's pissing her off and you know that's not a good thing.

That's a different issue though... for this post, should I just call and order a genie client? (is that a C31?). I'm assuming they'll have an installer come out and run the cable (easy access from basement). I'd like to keep it small and hoping it has an RF remote as I want to tuck it behind the TV. And what does it add to my monthly bill? Is there an "additional receiver" fee?

Thanks

 

[Mr Tony]

the client has a $6 fee just like any other Directv receiver

 

[directvfreak]

I haven't had any recording issues with my HR34. I can't recall a program that hasn't recorded correctly or in its entirety. The C31 client is the smallest receiver DirecTV has. If you want to avoid using the HR34, you can purchase an H25 at the same cost (upfront and money). The H25 is slightly larger than a C31 but has a tuner built in.
Another thing to consider is do you have an available SWM slot? If not, you may be best off with a C31 client.

 

[cparker]

In my basement, not far from where I'd come up with a cable to the kitchen TV, I have a SWM power inserter (I assume it's a power inserter as it's plugged in to 110v and looks like a little power supply) and that inserter is also plugged into a device labeled "multiswitch" with 8 ports on it. 3 ports are in use. One to each of my receivers and one used by the power inserter. That sound right? Wait... no... one cable goes into my wiring closet to my DECA....

one cable from dish to multiswitch... 3 devices connected to multiswitch, power inserter, HR24, HR34. A second cable from the power inserter goes into my closet to the DECA which is, of course, plugged into my router.

Do they send the C31 as a customer install? Or are they going to require that I set up an installer visit?
Does a C31 come WITH an RF remote or do you have to request one and is that an additional cost?


When connecting a new device to the multiswitch, is there a particular order in which things get turned on or off? I mean, should I be powering everything off before plugging a new cable into that multiswitch? (I'm just thinking.... power inserter, hot plugging a cable into it... no I'm not stupid, I just haven't done this before )