Should you avoid the HS17 Genie 2?

I recently ran into a facebook comment where someone said,

A tech told me to avoid the Genie 2 at all costs. Said there were nothing but problems with it.

I don’t know why someone would say something like that on Facebook. I’m glad he didn’t give the tech’s name because that person probably would have gotten in trouble. But, it’s worth talking about.

What’s so different about the Genie 2?

Genie 2 is really a different beast, even compared to other Genies. Why? It’s a pure “server.” While DIRECTV always wanted you to think of your HR34, HR44, or HR54 as a server, the truth is most people thought of it as a super DVR that could also use client boxes. Genie 2 doesn’t have a video output. It’s designed to sit quietly out of the way while the client boxes handle all the work. Genie 2 does the work of a DVR, a server, a wireless video bridge, a power inserter and a Wi-Fi adapter, but it doesn’t show live TV.

Is that really such a bad thing?

No, it’s not. Some folks have said that the speed of the clients isn’t as high as the speed of the HR54. I have to say, that doesn’t really hold true all the time. The client boxes are very dependent on the length of the cable or the strength of the wireless signal. If you put a client right next to the HS17 Genie 2 it performs incredibly fast, actually. It’s been years since I’ve heard someone complain about the performance of the client boxes, as long as they are properly installed. This is even more true now that DIRECTV’s Gemini gives wired or wireless performance in the same box.

Is the Genie 2 less reliable?

I have been using DIRECTV DVRs now for about 20 years. I’ve had good ones and bad ones, and honestly I’ve had about fifteen of them. Not because they failed but because I kept upgrading. I’ve had my favorites over the years, but in terms of reliability I have to say every DVR I’ve had my hands on since about 2010 has been rock solid out of the box. This includes the Genie 2 which, as I write this, is sitting to the right of me performing flawlessly and has been up and running for several years.

IMPORTANT: The two times you would want to avoid a Genie 2

I tell our customers with RVs that they should avoid the Genie 2 and opt instead for an HR54 DVR. If you have a Genie install, you can’t have any other standalone receivers on the account. That means you can’t take a receiver with you into your RV, and you can’t expand your home TV system past 7 rooms. So if you’re looking for something very custom like a man cave, you’ll want an HR54 because that will let you add additional receivers to your account.

Why would a tech complain about the Genie 2?

I think a lot of the complaints about Genie 2 come from the install process. It’s actually easier to install a Genie 2 than it is to install any other 7-room-capable system, but you have to know how to do it. You need to know how to install and align the 4K dish. It helps to have access to the app that DIRECTV-certified techs use for installation. Overall the process is different. If you’re not up on the latest DIRECTV technology it’s going to be a little harder.

At the end of the day, there’s no reason to avoid the Genie 2 unless you have an RV or want to expand your DIRECTV system past 7 rooms. If that’s the case, you’ll want to talk to the experts at Signal Connect to plan your installation. Our team has decades of experience with special satellite installations. No one does it better! Email us at [email protected] during East Coast business hours, or fill out the form below and we’ll get back to you!