Genie Gen 3 HR54-500 vs. Genie 2

Hello @gingie7, we're ready to help you choose the best device. Genie 2 (HS17) is the entertainment hub of the home and shares content seamlessly with active clients. Recordings are lost when a customer swaps a Genie/HD DVR for the Genie 2. Since the Genie 2 doesn't attach to a TV, when swapping a Genie or HD DVR for the Genie 2, please order a Wireless Genie Mini to replace the Genie or HD DVR. The HS17 has built-in Wi-Fi, power inserter, and WVB. The HS17 can support up to 8 RVU clients simultaneously, 2 of which can be 4K streams. Store over 450 hours of HD content. Store up to 125 hours of 4K programming. This makes it a perfect upgrade from the HR54 you're using now. We can help you with the upgrade, check your PM to continue Luis, DIRECTV Community Specialist

The HR54 gets the 4K channels but you need a C61K/C71WK mini to watch them.

With all it's warts, I prefer the Genie 2 and Gemini combination. The integration of Android TV and the up-to-date-ness really help.

Also it avoids having to switch between the TV or other device for the streaming apps, which makes the remote control situation much nicer, I have a single remote that controls the TV, apps, receiver, blu ray, VCR (!!), etc.

It also can record more simultaneously.

It's also where all the new development is going, i.e. my opinion is that bugs will be fixed more often than older products.

Greg

Agreed, I only "need" 2 "receivers", and normally never more than 4 simultaneous recordings. It's just me, wife, and cat (he watches NASCAR)..

I internally stream/distribute the Mini to the secondary rooms in the house, and output the Gemini to the main viewing room and patio.

By sending channel 3 over the old coax infratructure, and streaming the mini's hdmi over my home network, I cover all the bases, several remotes "reach" the Mini which is in my garage (where  satellite feed and the "home" of the existing cable plant are).

If you need 9 tuners I for sure agree, and also, with more than 3 or so clients, it would make me nervous about the single point of failure in a Genie 2, plus running out of storage (removing the esata was not nice)

Greg

I think the Android TV, and more expensive clients will be the future.

You and I think alike on reliability, but I have a complete backup for TV, Internet, TV apps, etc. Basically i have (at least) 2 of everything, even AC generators.

Also, I guess you could not have 2 Genie 2's, because of the WVB issues, although theoretically you should be able to... but then would there be issues with 2 Genie 2's both connected by coax to the lnb? Should not be technically impossible.... just speculating...

Has anyone ever tried?

Greg

DTV only allows 1 Genie on the account.  They tried adding another with their beta testers and found to many problems so only 1 allowed.

Yeah, I get the "party line", but asking more of a technical question, not what DTV allows.

More along the lines that maybe in the future they would allow several Genie 2-Mini or Genie 2-Gemini "pairs" in a household.

(remember when I first came on this forum you guys gave me a hard time about not doing things in a supported manner, let's stick to theoretical and interesting conversations)

***WARNING*** greg is asking a theoretical question, do not try  this at home !!!!

;-)

Don't want to argue, but there is probably a way, useing WBVs and keeping them separate, you can change their names and passwords I believe, so you would have separate wireless networks between the "two" systems.... but it was just speculation, and might not work, but TECHNOLOGICALLY it could be allowed EASILY if DTV wanted to support it.

I thought I gave enough caveats about "just speculating" but I guess not.

Greg

You can't change the password because there is no way to access it. I'm not sure if there is even one as the WVB and minis connect without entering anything.

@shannon:by the way, a simple search will reveal the password on a wvb... no more arguing, perhaps some research?

@juniper, my speculation is that larger or more "storage hungry" implementations could be done, and while using 2 boxes instead of a single DVR, with some simple software changes no reason why you could not have multiple Genie 2, and thus the overall aggregate storage space.

The WVB's have standard IP addresses, use standard 80MHz WiFi 5GHz channels and also have regular SSID's

Mine is on channel 64 at the moment

No physical reason you could not have multiple WVB wireless networks, mine is at address 169.254.7.211

Greg

@Juniper , I currently have Genie Gen 3 HR54-200, two HDDVR HR24-500, a C61K and a C61W, with no 4K TV.  I do have  3-8 multiswitch, with 2 feeds to each location except for the C61W.  I just got two 4K TV's, plan to put at C61K location and one of HDDVR location.  How should I upgrade the system? Go to Genie 2, swap out the two HDDVR's with two C61K's and add another C61K? Stay with HR54, swap one HDDVR with C61K, add storage to HR54 to record more 4K programs but suffer with only one 4K at a time?  Any other options?  Thanks in advance for your help!

Thank you Juniper.  That makes sense.  Didn't know my 4-5 years old setup is better than the latest.  DirecTV needs to step up on their STB development.  

@gregeusa 

I've tried SSH'ing into a WVB to make changes without a success. The default passwords online either don't work anymore or DIRECTV has fixed a bug over the years that has allowed anyone to gain access to a WVB. There was a security problem years ago and the WVB received new software to resolve it.

makes sense, once people found the "hidden" network, of course they tried to hack into it. probably had an easy to guess password, and of course if this was invented 6 years ago, "finding" the password is simple, since it was probably wep...

Currently the encryption on the WVB is WPA2, but my sniffer also indicates the AP has WPS... so someone might have exploited the WPS function, or perhaps it came up in WPS active when first powered on from a reset.

Greg