Directv Genie and RV

Depends on how you argue it with them. I had this exact conversation with them yesterday. They are giving me a genie and 2 clients for free. In return I said I am keeping my stand-alone receiver and returning an SD receiver, and I told them I am keeping it to be able to break it out and take camping. They said that wouldn't work, I said yes it will, and they said OK.. :)

They offered Genie to me. I declined because if the Genie mother box ever dies you are out of luck until you get another one. Plus it costs more per month.

I opted for SWM conversion with three standalone SWM DVRs and one HD non DVR.
The installer sold me a SWM LNB, pore inserter, two diplexxers and splitter so I could convert my RV.
I wanted the house and RV to be identical so I don't change rcvr settings.

Converted the TVs to HD flat panels.

The diplexars let me use the factory cable run from the front to the rare for both sat and OTA to the back tv.

I also bought a Winegard Sensar Pro OTA signal meter and amp that I really like.

I leave two tuners in the RV and two in the house.

I have swm genie system at home with 2 clients ( one is a DVR). I use these two clients in my rv (via a slimline 3 multi switch lnb dish setup) with no problem. I do have to change the settings to multiswitch in the dish set up menu when running them in the rv. Also, one of my receivers the HR24700 requires a Bband converter to use with the multiswitch dish.
Another option would be to convert my rv set up to swm but that would require additional investment for rv equipment.

I just did exactly what you're asking about, so I can tell you how it works. We got the Genie system and a new dvr. We have 4 boxes in the house but only mainly use two. They took my old dvr and put it in the bedroom, so I can access the main Genie from there and also record 2 more channels in that room and I can access that room from the main unit. The one box I want to take out in the rv (a spare bedroom) cannot be a genie unit so they had to leave one of my original boxes, I take that one out and have used it once already and it works ok, but that box has no access to the Genie box but will get all my regular channels by itself, whether at home or in the rv. We don't have HD in the rv so its just a regular box. When I take it to the rv I have to go to the setup menu and reset it for the antenna out there but it only takes a minute.

Bottom line, if I had it to do over I think I'd NOT get the genie system unless you really need to record more than two at a time and want to watch your recordings from another room. No advantage other than that that I can see. They also gave me a small box to enable downloading of movies over my wifi but we have Netflix so I don't even use it. I only installed all the stuff because all the equipment was free and the charge is only $3/month extra.

I wanted the Genie since my current DVR is always hovering around 15% usable space remaining. Sounds like I should be able to get the Genie and keep the old box for the RV without getting another account. Thanks for all the great input.

frankharwood wrote:
I wanted the Genie since my current DVR is always hovering around 15% usable space remaining. Sounds like I should be able to get the Genie and keep the old box for the RV without getting another account. Thanks for all the great input.

Please let us know how this works. I just ordered DirecTV today and will have a Genie. I will be looking to get a dish and a receiver for the RV, so I will be very interested.

Cale

For what its worth we just had a Genie and one client installed to go with our three other receivers. $50 installation and free stuff. Two days later the Genie quit. A WEEK to get them back out! I was furious! I ran a cable from a spitter and hooked up the other receivers where the Genie******was. 15 year customer and NEVER had a problem until the magical Genie appeared. I told them to bring along regular receivers in case I wasnt happy with their service call.
P.S. If you didnt know it if the main Genie quits ALL related Genie components quit. So if you change make sure you keep at least one standard receiver.

ChopperBill wrote:
For what its worth we just had a Genie and one client installed to go with our three other receivers. $50 installation and free stuff. Two days later the Genie quit. A WEEK to get them back out! I was furious! I ran a cable from a spitter and hooked up the other receivers where the Genie******was. 15 year customer and NEVER had a problem until the magical Genie appeared. I told them to bring along regular receivers in case I wasnt happy with their service call.
P.S. If you didnt know it if the main Genie quits ALL related Genie components quit. So if you change make sure you keep at least one standard receiver.

With this known information, would it be too much to ask the installer to let me have a stand alone receiver (no DVR....). Would they be likely to do it? It has been about 10 years since I had DirecTV, so I am sure a lot has changed, but I never had a problem with them. As a matter of fact, when we moved overseas, we found six receivers in the floor of our coat closet, I guess we kept getting "free" equipment, but never used it....

Cale

Another option is to install a SWM dish in the RV then you can move the Genie from the house to the RV.

Be advised that there are some areas on the country where DTV does not transmit SD local channels, all local channels are HD. Hence no local reception unless you have HD.

My setup: Home HD Slimline 5, RV HD RF Mogul SWM and SD 18" portable dish. One HR24 receiver used on all 3 dishes.

And there are setup differences between all three. Not sure if we'll continue to carry the portable dish. We went to Alaska this summer and left it home for the extra space and didn't miss it.

Sometimes having a portable dish in the RV is useful. Of course we could buy a HD portable dish.