Yeah I know it's been a while

[Bodo Fenrirsson]

I see this site hasn't changed and you guys are still great about helping out. I talked with a DTV sales rep but still have a few questions:
1) If I get the "Premier package, will they automatically include the latest receivers, which I guess is the HR-44 Genie along with all the required little Geniettes?
2) I'm still confused about what's available to all TVs. We have 2 HD TVs and 4 regular TVs, plus various computers, smart-phones, tablets, etc. It sounded like he said all devices could pretty much watch anything, anytime without restrictions. Is that true?
3) Will my TiVo Premier be of any use after I switch or should I sell it?
Thanks again guys.

1) Not necessarily,they'll give you what they have in stock. Are you asking for a 2-tuner HD DVR in addition to the Genie?
2) What you can do as far as the Genie goes is to make sure that it is noted on the work order that you want a HR44 Genie. When the installer calls before he arrives,make sure that the HR44 is on the work order & in the truck with him. How many C31/41 Clients did you ask for?. I think 3 is the max with a Genie. Like I said earlier,you can also get a HD receiver in addition to your Genie,HD DVR(if you ordered one),& 3(?) Clients. Like the HD DVR,the HD receiver that you may get is subject to what they have on hand.
3) If you have an OTA antenna set up,you can always use your TiVo Premier exclusively for that.

That's pretty much why if there is a particular model of DVR or receiver from DTV that I want,I'll order it from a 3rd party source like Solid Signal or eBay.

 

[waltinvt]

Great idea of using the TiVo for my OTA channels. I hadn't thought of that.

 

[waltinvt]

Side question about DTV's internet. The sales rep priced me up for a combination package of TV + Internet but I wasn't able to write down everything he said. I know he mentioned "T-1" and I believe they do it through AT&T or Verizon for my zip code. He said it's as good as my current cable modem which is a 20MB tier. That's the one that worries me a little. I thought the only other broadband up here was DSL and that it wasn't as good as Cable but maybe things have changed.

At any given time in addition to DTV programming, my kids might have two PS3s playing online, 2 or 3 computers online, maybe another TV or handheld watching Netflix and someone on their smartphone or ITouch checking their email. I'm not kidding. We don't do much up here in VT but we do use our broadband!

 

[Bodo Fenrirsson]

Side question about DTV's internet. The sales rep priced me up for a combination package of TV + Internet but I wasn't able to write down everything he said. I know he mentioned "T-1" and I believe they do it through AT&T or Verizon for my zip code. He said it's as good as my current cable modem which is a 20MB tier. That's the one that worries me a little. I thought the only other broadband up here was DSL and that it wasn't as good as Cable but maybe things have changed.

At any given time in addition to DTV programming, my kids might have two PS3s playing online, 2 or 3 computers online, maybe another TV or handheld watching Netflix and someone on their smartphone or ITouch checking their email. I'm not kidding. We don't do much up here in VT but we do use our broadband!

Keep your cable internet.

 

[Bodo Fenrirsson]

I have AT&T 6.0 Fast DSL & that is the only DSL worth having.

 

[zim2dive]

Keep your cable internet.

+1.

T1 sounds really fancy, but is only 1.544 Mbps..... <10% of the speed you have now

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/T-carrier

FWIW, I've never seen a "bundle" deal which was better than what you can get buying separately from multiple sources.

 

[waltinvt]

I hate being a nube at something. It's hard to know when you're getting the runaround. Anyway, I took the plunge and tried to keep in mind everything I'd read and what you guys told me but alas I had to compromise a bit. After 2 CSRs I couldn't understand (my fault - not theirs. Old war injury makes hearing accents difficult for me), I got to an upper tier guy in N.C. Maybe a 6 TV install and Premiere programming helped. Regardless, he seemed fairly honest because he told me right off to keep my Charter cable internet, as it was better than what they could provide.

First glitch: No HR-44 for my area of Vt yet, so getting HR-34. He insisted "only difference" is internal WiFi and they include some sort of cinema" switch. I insisted I'd been down this path before and wanted to start out with the latest available equipment, so in compromise I can get a free upgrade to the HR44 when they're available up here.

Next glitch was since I want a 6 TV install and all capable of watch / record diff shows at same time, I had to purchase 2 extra HD receivers. It will be interesting to see how this all goes down but I'm determined to stay unstressed and optimistic. Time will tell.

One thing I'm still not clear on is the install. I have good Ethernet (Cat 6 or 5.5) connections to the two main rooms where the HDTVs are, direct to a Netgear N3700 dual band router. The other 4 locations are kids bedrooms with regular TVs. My question is will they have to run any hard-wiring other than from the dish to the HR34? Does everything else use WiFi and if so, does the HR34 create it's own or do they use mine?

Thanks for all your help and patience guys.

 

[Bodo Fenrirsson]

I hate being a nube at something. It's hard to know when you're getting the runaround. Anyway, I took the plunge and tried to keep in mind everything I'd read and what you guys told me but alas I had to compromise a bit. After 2 CSRs I couldn't understand (my fault - not theirs. Old war injury makes hearing accents difficult for me), I got to an upper tier guy in N.C. Maybe a 6 TV install and Premiere programming helped. Regardless, he seemed fairly honest because he told me right off to keep my Charter cable internet, as it was better than what they could provide.

First glitch: No HR-44 for my area of Vt yet, so getting HR-34. He insisted "only difference" is internal WiFi and they include some sort of cinema" switch. I insisted I'd been down this path before and wanted to start out with the latest available equipment, so in compromise I can get a free upgrade to the HR44 when they're available up here.

Next glitch was since I want a 6 TV install and all capable of watch / record diff shows at same time, I had to purchase 2 extra HD receivers. It will be interesting to see how this all goes down but I'm determined to stay unstressed and optimistic. Time will tell.

One thing I'm still not clear on is the install. I have good Ethernet (Cat 6 or 5.5) connections to the two main rooms where the HDTVs are, direct to a Netgear N3700 dual band router. The other 4 locations are kids bedrooms with regular TVs. My question is will they have to run any hard-wiring other than from the dish to the HR34? Does everything else use WiFi and if so, does the HR34 create it's own or do they use mine?

Thanks for all your help and patience guys.

They'll need to run RG6 3Ghz cable from your satellite dish to your house,then to your HR34,HD receivers,& any clients that you have. My dish is on my roof,so I don't know what kind of RG6 burial cable they use if you have your dish installed in your yard instead,but what they usually do is use black RG6 cable outdoors & then white RG6 cable indoors. Since you'll only need one cable from your Charter switch/splitter box to go to your internet modem & router,maybe the installer can use the assess points that the other cables go through if he has to lay new cable without having to drill new holes. The good thing is that your HR34 acts as the Cinema Connection Kit for your whole set up(important if you were to get a HD DVR,not so important for HD receivers) & is the only receiver that you have that will need to be hooked up to the internet by ethernet cable. The rest of your receivers will receive internet connection(again,only important if you get a HD DVR) through the coaxial cable under DECA(DTV's version of MoCA). All HD receivers & Genie Clients need to be hard wired to coaxial cable to receive programming. If your HR34 does not have ethernet access by either a switch or router,they'll need to hook up a Cinema Connection Kit close to your router(& lay extra cable for it) that will look like this http://www.solidsignal.com/pview.as...nema-connection-kit-w/-power-supply-(deca2pr) ,or this http://www.solidsignal.com/pview.asp?p=decabb1r0&d=directv-cinema-connection-kit-(decabb1r0) ,or a wireless version that looks like this http://www.solidsignal.com/pview.as...w-wireless-deca-cinema-connection-kit-(cck-w) .

 

[waltinvt]

Here's where I show my ignorance. With all I've read now I'm starting to worry that what's coming and what the CSR and I talked about may not be the same. I wanted all six TV locations to be able to watch / record their own programing with the usual pause, rw, ff, skip functions.

The written workorder they emailed says I'm getting one DirectTV Genie ($299-299 = free) with 3 DirectTV Genie Minis ($297-297 = free) + 2 DirectTV HD receiver (at $99 ea = $198). Verbally he said something about a "cinema connection kit" but that's not on the work order. My total up front cost with tax is $244.86. Can what I want be done with that?

I would assume for a new install, they would run the appropriate cable(s) from the dish(s) to the main HR-34 receiver but can't the other 5 TV locations be done via WiFi ? One of the things I was hoping to be rid of was the mess of coax & splitters currently going all over the house to get cable to the other rooms. Also four of the locations do have Ethernet access and the others have solid WiFi from my homw network. My existing cable modem internet which is staying has a docsys 3 modem and I added a dual band Gigabit router if that means anything.

Again, sorry for being so unfamiliar with all this and I do appreciate the help.

 

[Bodo Fenrirsson]

Here's where I show my ignorance. With all I've read now I'm starting to worry that what's coming and what the CSR and I talked about may not be the same. I wanted all six TV locations to be able to watch / record their own programing with the usual pause, rw, ff, skip functions.

The written workorder they emailed says I'm getting one DirectTV Genie ($299-299 = free) with 3 DirectTV Genie Minis ($297-297 = free) + 2 DirectTV HD receiver (at $99 ea = $198). Verbally he said something about a "cinema connection kit" but that's not on the work order. My total up front cost with tax is $244.86. Can what I want be done with that?

I would assume for a new install, they would run the appropriate cable(s) from the dish(s) to the main HR-34 receiver but can't the other 5 TV locations be done via WiFi ? One of the things I was hoping to be rid of was the mess of coax & splitters currently going all over the house to get cable to the other rooms. Also four of the locations do have Ethernet access and the others have solid WiFi from my homw network. My existing cable modem internet which is staying has a docsys 3 modem and I added a dual band Gigabit router if that means anything.

Again, sorry for being so unfamiliar with all this and I do appreciate the help.

The clients that supposedly will be wireless will come out in 2014. Only the Genie or cinema connection kit needs Ethernet connection. All of the clients & HD receivers will receive internet connection from the coaxial cable. You still need coaxial cables to connect to your clients & HD receivers. The HD receivers can only set up shows to be recorded by the Genie. They cannot pause,rewind,fast forward,or skip live programming. The clients,as extensions of the Genie can.

 

[Ronnie-]

For full dvr functionality on each tv you would need clients or another hd-dvr in addition to the genie. The regular hd receivers will allow you to play back recorded content, but not pause, rewind, or ffw live tv.

Posted Using The New SatelliteGuys Reader App!

 

[waltinvt]

Package showed up today and contrary to the original work order, it does have the HR-44. Also 3 @ C-71 700 + 2 @ H-25 MPs.
The CSR I talked to today said let them do the install and then after that at some point, if I still want, I can call and replace one or both of the H25s with HD DVRs and they'll probably cut me a discount.

 

[Bodo Fenrirsson]

Package showed up today and contrary to the original work order, it does have the HR-44. Also 3 @ C-71 700 + 2 @ H-25 MPs.
The CSR I talked to today said let them do the install and then after that at some point, if I still want, I can call and replace one or both of the H25s with HD DVRs and they'll probably cut me a discount.

Do you mean C41 Client? The H25's are really good & compact. You can get an antenna to attach to it so that you can control your remote with RF instead of IR. That helps a lot if you want to put it out of site. You could exchange one H25 for a HD DVR(hopefully a HR24,that's the best 2-tuner DVR that DTV has).That'll max you out to 8 tuners without having to have a SWM16 multi-switch installed.

After you get everything set up,be sure to visit the DIRECTV CE forum.

 

[waltinvt]

Do you mean C41 Client? The H25's are really good & compact. You can get an antenna to attach to it so that you can control your remote with RF instead of IR. That helps a lot if you want to put it out of site. You could exchange one H25 for a HD DVR(hopefully a HR24,that's the best 2-tuner DVR that DTV has).That'll max you out to 8 tuners without having to have a SWM16 multi-switch installed.

After you get everything set up,be sure to visit the DIRECTV CE forum.

My bad. The 3 clients are actually C31 NC 700.
So I take it an HD DVR has 2 tuners, to come up with 8 total if I replaced one of the H25s with it?
Is it also true that the HDD storage of an HD DVR will combine with that of the HR 44's HDD into one playlist that can be seen / accessed by all the units?

 

[Bodo Fenrirsson]

My bad. The 3 clients are actually C31 NC 700.
So I take it an HD DVR has 2 tuners, to come up with 8 total if I replaced one of the H25s with it?
Is it also true that the HDD storage of an HD DVR will combine with that of the HR 44's HDD into one playlist that can be seen / accessed by all the units?

Yes the HD DVR has 2 tuners. Under Whole Home DVR the recorded programs will be under one list,but the HDD storage is separate.

 

[waltinvt]

They came and installed dish on roof, the HR44 in living room and one C31 in family room. He activated the other two C31s and one of the H25s but they have not been installed yet - as no coax run to respective bedrooms. He ran out of time but said he'd come back if I don't get them installed first.

My questions:
The 8 port switch is near the dish and currently has three coax runs attached to it. One to the HR44 in the LR, one to a C31 in the FR and the 3rd to a bed room but not attached to receiver yet. The remaining TVs are all older, non-HD type. Do I need to run a separate coax from the roof switch to each client or can I run one to the first bedroom and split off to adjacent bedrooms?