Adding a second DVR

You can't buy them as they are lease only, AFAIK weakness activates them but you should check first.  Solid signal is another online DTV retailer.  You need to set it up to not share the playlist.

Thank you shannon02. 

DirecTV states that they no longer have any HR24's to lease.

I have checked with Weaknees and Solid Signal as well and they tell me since my account is direct with DirecTV, DirecTV won't activate a purchased HR24 DVR.  Nor can WK or Solid Signal add it to my DTV account. 

DirecTV, at the time of installation, assured me that I could add an additional DVR at any later date to do what I need.  They were apparantly wrong and now I'm locked in for two years.

@k100rs 

Because AT&T was heavily pushing DirecTV to a one-size-fits-all-and-they-will-like-it setup (client-only), HR24s have become difficult to come by. Some have stood by their request and gotten agent over the phone to place the order, so unclear if they are out of stock or just have the culture of trying to get everyone on a client-only system.

When I log into my account, the option to order an HDDVR is there. Though it doesn't show the free upgrade it should (as has been well over 24 months since my last box), just the one-time lease cost of $199. The dedicated tuners, recording space, and doesn't go down if the Genie does, makes that still completely worth it to me over a Mini Genie.

So I would callback. When you get the voice system say "cancel" which will route you to their retention/cancellation department. Inform them in order to stay with DirecTV your additional TV must be an HDDVR.

On each DVR (HR54, HR24, etc.) you can set it to not share the recording list with other receivers/HDDVRs. The Mini Genies will always see what is on the main Genie since they are extensions of it. You can also turn off remote deletion, just so you only delete from the box the recordings are on.

You can filter the recording list to just what is on that box as well. Still can see each other, but helps make it a little more convenient.

The only way for the additional HDDVR to have absolutely no sharing with your Genie (or other HDDVRs if you upgraded any H25s), is to have it on a separate dish as it would be physically on a completely separate set of cabling. This is common for external buildings like a detached garage or guest house. Can technically be done on the same building, but would certainly be a rare setup. In any case a 2nd dish setup is custom so would have additional cost to tech (same building or not).

Juniper,

Thank you for the detailed reply.  I will try to get an HR24 through the Retention Department.  They always seem much more knowledgeable.

Again, thank you.

@Juniper 

I too would like to have a dedicated HR24. I have an HR54-500 Genie and two C41-100 clients. I would like to replace one C41 client with an HR24. When I go into my account I see I can buy/add an "HD DVR" for $199.  I assume this is the HR24?

Fee Question: Is the $15 advanced receiver fee going to be added for the HR24 too or will the $15 I'm paying for the HR54 cover the entire house?

Process Question: When I "replace" a C41 with another C41 the Genie handles the process, giving the new client the same name and settings as the old box. Can I tell the Genie to "replace" a C41 with an HR24 in the same manner? Or will I have to add the HR24 as a 3rd client, then remove the C41 and call DTV to tell them to remove it from my account?

Thanks!

@User5 

The $199 is the one-time lease cost of a regular HDDVR. I would expect it to be an HR24 as earlier models have been gone for years. The issue is the HR24 has been getting harder to obtain as AT&T pushed them away from them to a full Genie setup.

The $15 receiver services covers DVR and Whole Home DVR for the entire account. It is not charged per box. As you are replacing a box, not adding another TV, there is no change to monthly cost.

I have heard of challenges with DirecTV activating regular HDDVRs obtained from their 3rd party authorized retailers because of the shift to Genie-only setups. I don't personally have experience with this so couldn't advise. One thing that could be considered is as through DirecTV is the same cost, you could then deactivated the Client no longer needed. An extra step instead of a straight swap, but would have a bit more certainty as it would be ordered directly so shouldn't have an activation problem.

When you deactivate the client you need to go into the Genie and add/remove clients to remove the one no longer needed.

The HR24 is not a client. It is a standalone HDDVR so you are not adding/removing it to the Genie. They will communicate with each other to see recordings.

If you go with adding HR24 as additional, if through DirecTV, that requires tech install. The tech may be able to deactivate the client on your request so the TV fees equal out all being same day. Otherwise if you remove client on another day then you would just have a prorated difference ($7 TV fee is about $0.23 per day on a 30 day bill cycle).

I really want the new co-owner to come out with a newer HDDVR that is built SWM-only and on the new software to work with the current generation Genies from the get-go. But so far there has been no peep on an invention of an HR25 or other line, just Client-only systems.

If you go with adding HR24 as additional, if through DirecTV, that requires tech install.

Why is a tech needed?  What changes will they make?

If the box is for an additional TV they need to send a tech to wire coax to that room. They have no way to verify with the order if the room is already wired or if in good condition or hooked up properly.

As a replacement then it is drop shipped, unless the 2 tuners of the HDDVR go above your capability. As the only dedicated box you have is the HR54, you are going from 5 to 7 tuners so a replacement order wouldn't expect a tech (as you already would be within SWM-8 either way).

User5,

Here's what I went through the last three weeks with DirecTV. 

Three DTV technician service calls and two service calls when nobody showed up.

After hours on the phone with all levels at DTV, including the retention department, I actually had an HR24 DVR in my hands at one point.  The installer handed it to me and took the peel-off label containing the serial number and access card number with him.  Twenty minutes later he called me and told me he needed the DVR back as he had tried everything he knew to get it commissioned but failed.  He told me he would wait if I wanted to call in and try to persuade someone to authorize the DVR.  So, I tried again.  After being escalated three levels, that manager told me that they are absolutely instructed not to commission DVR's other than Genie systems.  The few HR24's they have in inventory now are strictly for replacing HR24's that fail.

I don't believe HR24's have been manufactured since 2014.  Not that it matters.  And I might be wrong.

So now I'm accepting an H25 receiver and have the component video dongle in hopes of finding and easy DVR that accepts component video inputs.  I'm not optimistic.

I hope you have better luck!

This was a huge failing of AT&T forcing DirecTV to a Genie-only setup. Some people, like my household, were in need of more dedicated tuners than the hard cap of 7 the Genie-2 has. Plus having individual hard drives to each have our own recording list, plus one box fails doesn't kill the entire setup.

We need customer flexible options with dedicated boxes. Stop with the one-size-fits-all-and-you-will-like-it-because-we-order-you-to that AT&T has followed with this. Please let the new co-owner improve this part of DirecTV.