Keeping R22 & asking for H25 for bedroom, (no need for DVR), will we need any other equipment? What to expect when he gets here? Plz!

Hi Zenith, we appreciate you being keen on your upcoming technician appointment. Yes, you could change the resolution to 480p before recording to save your memory space. For the upcoming technician appointment with installing the R22 receiver, any adjustments that need to be done, including drilling holes, connecting new cables and wires, etc., will be decided by the technician dispatched to your location. This is why a person above 18 should be present during the appointment for any changes to be made at the home for the installation. Manage your technician appointment on this link: https://www.directv.com/support/article/000081148
Vince, DIRECTV Community Specialist

If you have at least one H or HR model on another TV then you can keep the R22. This is because that special model by itself is SD-only, but with a dedicated HD box the MPEG-4 capability is authorized.

HD recordings do take up more space, so if you want to leave it on SD-only channels that is up to you. It will still pull in the MPEG-4 feeds that carry both HD and SD. Just make sure the guide settings stay on "Hide HD Channels" not "Hide SD Duplicates".

Is the R22 your only box and you are adding a 2nd TV, or do you have another box that you are looking to update? This can affect your options.

Make sure to request the mandatory MPEG swap for the one box. Do not say upgrade. The difference is the swap would credit the $10 HD service (indefinitely, essentially until you actually do an upgrade) where an upgrade is optional which would not have the credit and also come with a 24 month service agreement.

There is no guarantee of exact model number. If you get an HD non-DVR it may be H24 or H25 depending on stock (all earlier models are long gone).

Be aware that the MPEG swap is normally for a Genie setup, which would add $3 for Whole Home DVR (allows each box to see the recordings of the others). Some have been able to get the swap for a non-DVR, but it hasn't been easy. All 3 generations of Genie work with the R22, but the Genie-2 (HS17) forbids everything but Clients which would mean replacing that R22.

Regardless which way you decide to go, make sure to read through the order confirmation to be sure all is as expected before your appointment. That way you could ask questions, or modify or cancel the order as needed.