DIRECTV’s huge new software update for mobile devices brings big new capabilities for users of the latest DIRECTV Genie DVRs. If you have a Genie model HR44 or HR54, you can now stream programs recorded on your home DVR and offload those programs to your mobile device so you can view them without a cellular connection. DIRECTV had this capability in the past but you needed a separate box called GenieGO, which cost extra money. Now the capability is built in!
I’ve crafted a little review that shows how it all works, and honestly it works very well! Of course it’s available in PDF format and it shows you every little detail.
I’ve personally been involved with DIRECTV’s efforts in offloading and streaming for a long time, starting with the Nomad device launched in 2011. In fact, I was involved in testing that product for quite a while before it launched. DIRECTV hasn’t always had the most success with this product but I have to say that this is a real improvement from other efforts. The big difference is the “auto-prepare” feature that means every program on your playlist is ready to go almost instantly, and you can download an hour of DIRECTV programming onto your tablet in just about a minute. Also, no extra app is involved, it’s completely integrated into the DIRECTV app you already have.
For those people who are still using a GenieGO product, you can set up the Mobile DVR software to use your GenieGO or the Genie DVR but not both, and honestly it makes more sense to use the Genie DVR. If you do want to keep your GenieGO device working however, it will still work for the long term and won’t be any different than it is now.
All in all I’m very pleased with what DIRECTV is providing here and the best part of course is that it’s completely free… and you can’t beat that!
