There was a time when this D11 receiver was state of the art. Today it looks like a refugee from another time, but there was a time that people lusted after it. It was a faster, more nimble version of the D10 that DIRECTV debuted a year or so earlier, and there are probably still a few hundred thousand of them in use today, over a decade after launch.
And it’s going away.
You’ve heard me talking about how DIRECTV is stopping pretty much all of its standard-definition broadcasting in 2019. Details are still slender, but when DIRECTV’s last satellite at the 119 location goes end-of-life, over 1,000 local and national standard definition channels are expected to stop broadcasting as well. And that means the end of that D11, which can’t receive high-definition broadcasts or even standard-definition broadcasts in the most current format.
That’s not all, though. Currently DIRECTV lists over 60 receivers on its current list; essentially every receiver since the D10 and H20, as well as outliers like the THR22 Tivo and the HR21 Pro. That’s a lot of software development and a lot of support. That all costs money, and it gets to the point where it’s cheaper to offer people free equipment than keep supporting the older stuff.
If you have a standard-definition receiver, no matter what it is, it’s time to upgrade. (Actually it was time to upgrade two years ago but I’m not judging.) So if you have model D10, D11, or D12, or anything older, you should be actively looking for an upgrade.
If you have an H10, H20, HR20, or HR34 high-definition receiver, It’s time to upgrade. Actually, any silver receiver should be upgraded. While people have been holding onto HR20 DVRs due to their built-in antenna modules, it’s time to realize that the HR20 doesn’t have enough power for DIRECTV’s new features. It’s going to be left behind in the next series of updates.
The same is true of the HR34. The original Genie was never the fastest box in the fleet, and it’s now so slow that it really represents a limitation to the DIRECTV experience. It’s due to be left behind in the next update round as well.
So what’s left?
The future DIRECTV lineup will consist of the H25 receiver, the HR24 DVR, HR44 and HR54 Genies, and the HS17 Genie 2. The client boxes for Genie will also be supported for the long term as they work with any DIRECTV Genie. By supporting a smaller number of boxes, new features can be rolled out faster and more reliably.
What about the DIRECTV H24?
I’m pleased to say that yes, for the foreseeable future, DIRECTV’s H24 receiver will still be supported. Customers with older dishes or those who have single-satellite mobile dishes love this receiver because it is the only one in the line that supports a dish without DIRECTV’s SWM technology. It’s still going to be around, although it should be pointed out that H24s haven’t been made in about five years so anything you get is going to be a refurbished unit.
If you don’t have the most current hardware, we can help! Give Solid Signal a call at 888-233-7563 and our experts can help you get upgraded! In many cases, upgrades are at low or no cost… and our technicians have access to the same systems as DIRECTV, without the massive number of customer service reps. Our reps are fully trained in ways that DIRECTV’s own CSRs aren’t. We pride ourselves on making it easy for you!
