Directv Genie inMH

[aboeck3]

Has anyone installed the Directv Genie system in their MH? I have a factory installed HDMI Matrix system that leaves something to be desired.

[RayChez]

I have the same set up Don has and no problem with Direct TV. I have the Genie in the Den, a mini Genie in the bedroom and a previous DVR on the coach. The only thing though that Direct TV would not let their tech's install it on the coach. They would furnish the equipment but I had to install it on the coach, which was very simple. I pay an extra six dollars for the DVR on the coach.

[Bob_AnnaMarie]

Don,
All I can say is "WOW"! I guess the only "truth" here is that DirecTV it terribly inconsistent. I have followed forum posts about DirecTV over the past four years and viewed complaint after complaint about DirecTV's lack of support for RVers. Your post is the first I have heard about their tech support actually knowing how to connect to RV equipment. While it is good to hear they could provide you support, something in me says "you got lucky".

I'm glad you had such a good experience.
Bob

[DSDP_Don]

Bob.....I agree and disagree. I currently have a Genie in the house and a previous generation DVR in the motor home. They're listed with DirecTV as Family Room and Motor Home. I've upgraded the motor home unit several times over the years and they've always known that it was being used in the motor home. I even had tech support help me set up my new Winegard HD Sat in the motor home.

I think their issue is that a house only needs one Genie. If they can get past that issue, they may open up to providing two. As many may know, the older models use to have a lot of issues with locking and freezing. When a newer model would come out and I was due for an upgrade, they would still send you an older style. I got fed up with this and bought my last DVR from a private company. I then complained to DirecTV about not being able to get a current model without buying it myself. They agreed and gave me back my purchase price in credit toward my account. I plan on trying to do the same if they don't allow a second Genie.

[Bob_AnnaMarie]

Don.. OK now I understand. I can tell you that the Sahara will probably freeze over before DirecTV will do what you want. This goes back to the "old piracy days" when an installer would get extended programming authorizations for one location and install other receivers with this same authorization at other locations. They call this "stacking". Some "families" still try to do this even today. DirecTV Terms of Service clearly prohibit this kind of setup.

This has broadened over time to include any receivers at multiple locations so technically if you go on vacation and take a DirecTV receiver along and you leave someone at home and you both watch TV you are "stacking" and violating the TOS. But, there is no way DirecTV can track this so it is essentially unenforceable. By the same token, if you take one or more receivers along on a trip and no one is home watching you are not stacking. But, you are not really complying with TOS since you are not at your subscription address. DirecTV knows this happens and clearly has a policy of staying silent on this type of usage. (Except on our last trip, which was 7 weeks, we did get a letter in the mail asking me to reactivate my network connection for "better" service. I had disconnected everything when we left home. So, they do watch your connections.)

What you will probably have to do is wait until it is OK to have two Genies on the same contract and just take one with you when you travel.

Bob

[RayChez]

I have a Genie and a Mini Genie with Direct TV.

[DSDP_Don]

Bob....I understand what you're saying, but I'm asking DirecTV to provide two Genies for two different locations on one contract.

[pee-paw]

Yes, I have the Genie setup in my motorhome. I have the HR44 genie and the wireless video bridge up front, the C41 mini client in the bedroom. Also have a DTV HD dish w/swm technology and power inserter connected between dish and bridge. I would recommend a heavy duty tripod like tv4rv.com sells. I take this setup from my stick house with me in motorhome.

This setup works beautifully. However, it does take time to remove from home and setup in RV. But if you love HD televsion, it's worth it.

[Bob_AnnaMarie]

Keith,
The basic answer is "yes" you probably can add SWM to your KVH dish (although you will be limited to Standard Definition reception rather than High Definition). The conversion will require the purchase of a SWM8 box. You can google "how to add SWM to my KVH xxx dish". You need to insert the exact model of your KVH dish in that query.

As far as not working back home, your Genie should find your home SWM dish on reboot (pressing the red button next to the access card). Be sure that your Power Inserter is plugged in.
Bob

[kdk]

I upgraded to a Genie when my old HR24 two channel receiver quit recording. At that time I was hooked up to a SWM dish, but a month later I dry camped for a couple weeks and then found out the Genie would not work with my KVH roof top dish. Called and was told to bad that I was now under a new 2 year contract and could not send it back for another 2 channel receiver. Oh well lesson learned. Then when I got home it would not work the the dish on my house as well and again was told to bad, just pay for a service call $95.00 to have a new dish installed. I said you new what equipment I had and this Genie would not work with it. Again to bad, so I put my service on "Vacation" for 6 months and hooked up to cable for the summer.
Now does any body know if a Kvh can be made to work with a Genie?

Blessings; Keith

[Bob_AnnaMarie]

Don,
It may still take some time for DirecTV to allow more than one Genie per home. The limitation was really the original SWM head that only supports 8 tuners and the Genie has 5 tuners. So you could not physically attach two Genies to this SWM head. (Yes, you could insert a SWM16 box, but that was more expense and additional cabling for DirecTV.) They have now introduced a SWM13 head that would support at least two Genies. So the ability to connect more receivers is there, but it will probably take some time for this new technology to roll out.
Bob

[DSDP_Don]

I'm waiting for DirecTV to change policy. They only allow one Genie per contract/house. I read recently that they may change that policy soon. If they do, I'll be installing a Genie in my MH. I like that they are faster, smaller and obviously can record more shows at once.

I think for those that have the account just for their MH, the Genie would solve some issues by allowing a second wireless connection in some of the older motor homes that aren't set up with HDMI.

[donn0128]

Wired or wireless? The wireless genie is probably the easiest to instal. One wire from the antenna in to a splitter, from there to the genie and the video bridge. The only serious problem, the bridge needs to be about 6 feet away from the genie.