Should you upgrade your DIRECTV equipment?

Is your DVR still silver in color? Do you still have an old standard-def receiver in your guest room? You might have been thinking about upgrading lately, but you weren’t sure if this was the time. Let The Solid Signal Blog lay it all out for you so you can make an informed decision.

DVRs that get better and better

DIRECTV’s newest DVR, the Genie 2, is hands down its best yet. Not only does it have four times the recording capacity of your older DVR, but it also uses less power, requires fewer “black boxes” around it, and keeps the wiring simple with the ability to have up to 5 wireless clients. That means less coax and more ability to move boxes from room to room if you have guests. You can actually have DIRECTV service in up to 7 rooms using just this one box and tiny silent client boxes. Best of all they all act like DVRs.

The days of hearing the hard drive chirping in the bedroom are gone. With Genie mini clients, the box is small and silent. It can be mounted easily on the back of the TV so you don’t even see it, and every DIRECTV box comes with an RF remote that lets you aim through walls and doors. Forget about the old days of pointing the remote “just so.”

Don’t believe the naysayers

Sure, the news is all about how pay-TV is shrinking, how satellite is taking in on the chin, and all of that. Look, I won’t tell you otherwise. Satellite TV services showed the biggest losses of any pay-TV provider in the last year. But then, they had so many more customers to lose. DIRECTV was the only service to consistently grow for the past several years, and yes it looks like the overall trend in cord-cutting is catching up with them. Or is it?

AT&T’s pay TV division has both DIRECTV and U-Verse TV, and it’s quite possible that shrinking subscriber numbers have more to do with U-Verse than satellite. Even if DIRECTV’s numbers are shrinking, they remain the largest pay-TV provider in the world.

Best channel selection

There’s no other provider that comes close to DIRECTV when it comes to channel selection. Sure it’s true — many people watch the top 25 channels almost 100% of the time. That’s why services like DIRECTV NOW are so successful. They offer the very popular stuff and that’s enough for a lot of people. But is it enough for you?

Do you want the sports programs you can’t get anywhere else?  DIRECTV’s exclusive packages like NFL Sunday Ticket give you the games you can’t catch online. These packages may seem pricey but they’re a lot less than going to the games. Superfans demand this kind of content, and only DIRECTV provides it.

Do you want international programming? Whether you come from Asia, South America, or somewhere else, you’ll find international programs on DIRECTV from your home country, in your home language. You just won’t find it online, at any price.

Is 4K more your speed? DIRECTV has more live 4K programs than anyone, plus a selection of 4K pay-per-view and other programs you just can’t get from cable. Plus, DIRECTV 4K is always delivered at the best quality. Streaming 4K can drop to HD quality at any moment.

Let’s talk about the contract

It is absolutely true that getting an equipment upgrade will put you into a new two-year contract. It seems no one likes contracts anymore. Hey, I hear you. It should be all about choice and making the best deal at the moment. Cable companies like to tell you that they’re no-contract, but the truth is you usually do need to commit to some sort of deal to get the best pricing or the new hardware. DIRECTV isn’t alone here, no matter how much other companies want you to think they are.

Love the bundle? Stay with DIRECTV!

It’s very enticing to look at a “triple play” bundle that combines landline phone, TV, and internet into a really attractive price. I know that. But did you know that you can bundle with DIRECTV? If you already have AT&T wireless service, home phone or home internet, there are fantastic deals. In fact AT&T customers get discounts on DIRECTV service and can stream DIRECTV video free of charge without impacting their data plans.

If you do have a different internet or wireless provider, you’re not out of luck. There are plenty of bundle deals available for other providers too. There’s only one way to know if you’re eligible…

Call Solid Signal today

One call to 888-233-7563 will get you to an expert who can talk about all your options for upgrading. You may be eligible for discounted or free equipment, and you may even get free installation. No one but Solid Signal can get you the exact equipment you want, and our computers are completely linked with DIRECTV’s so we can offer the same upgrade offers they do. It’s a win-win-win!

About the Author

Stuart Sweet
Stuart Sweet is the editor-in-chief of The Solid Signal Blog and a "master plumber" at Signal Group, LLC. He is the author of over 10,000 articles and longform tutorials including many posted here. Reach him by clicking on "Contact the Editor" at the bottom of this page.