DIRECTV was one of the first companies of any kind to offer 4K programming. While 4K is much more common now, DIRECTV is still the only provider of any kind to offer three live 4K channels. That’s driven a lot of people to the service, and it’s one of the reasons DIRECTV is still the largest pay-TV provider in the world.
However, there are some things you need to know about DIRECTV’s 4K implementation. They shouldn’t give you reason for concern, but they are something to know. (Of course, this article is accurate as I’m writing it in early 2023, and things may change in the future.)
You can only watch 4K content on a 4K Genie Client.
The 4K Genie Mini Client is the only device where you can watch 4K DIRECTV satellite content. (The DIRECTV Stream box does support 4K in theory, but there isn’t any content yet.) This includes not only live 4K programs but pay-per-view and DIRECTV Cinema content in 4K.
In order for you to watch 4K, you must have a 4K Genie Mini connected to a supported 4K TV. You must use a high-speed HDMI cable, and it’s best not to use “just any old” cable unless you know it supports high speeds. Your 4K TV must support HDMI 2.0. If you want HDR content, it must also support HLG HDR. However, none of this will tend to be a problem. Pretty much every 4K TV made since 2016 and nearly every HDMI cable will meet this standard one way or another.
You can’t watch 4K content on the HR54 DVR, but you can record it and watch it on the Genie client
I will completely admit that I think DIRECTV made a mistake when they didn’t include 4K capability in their HR54 DVR. But that’s all in the past. The decision was made a long time ago, and we’re all just living with it.
What I’m saying is that even though you can see the 4K channels in the guide on your DVR, and you can set up recordings, you can’t watch that content on anything but the 4K Genie client. This isn’t a problem if you have a Genie 2 and all your clients are 4K capable, but if you’re using the older system you can only watch one 4K stream at a time and it has to be on the 4K client.
There’s no way to “downsample” that 4K content so it will play on your HR54 DVR or HD client
Simple as that, it can’t be done. It’s just not part of the HR54’s chipset. The HR54 and Genie 2 systems can receive 4K signals and send them to the 4K client, that’s pretty much it.
If you try to watch 4K content on an HD device you’ll get a message that it can’t be done. In some cases such as live sports, you may get a message that the same content is available on another channel. From there you can tune to it. However if you record the same sports content it may not be available in HD when you go to watch it.
WARNING: Some scheduled recordings may default to 4K.
If you are using DIRECTV’s “My Teams” function to automatically record your team’s games, it may default to the 4K recording rather than the HD one. Unfortunately there’s no setting that can change this behavior. If you’re watching the game after it’s ended, you may have only the 4K recording and no other way to watch.
The solution for this is to monitor your Upcoming Recordings list. Look for recordings on channels 104, 105, and 106. If you see one in the list, highlight it and press SELECT. You should be able to see “Other Showings” and choose an HD showing if it’s available.
Yes, I know this is a lot of work. I agree it should be easier. But in the end, this is what you have right now. If you don’t want to miss out on a game, it’s worth taking a few minutes to look.
You could choose the “nuclear option” of getting rid of your 4K clients and replacing them with HD ones. This will generally keep the 4K content from recording at all, but that’s a pretty big sacrifice.
Will this ever change?
Now that’s the question. I do expect that at some point for all clients to be 4K capable. But I don’t expect another DVR like the HR54 where you can record and watch on the same device. The state of the art is a home server like the Genie 2. This device does all the recordings for you. All the viewing is done using clients.
In the meantime, if you’re ready to change or upgrade your DIRECTV service, you don’t have to wait through long call center queues. Call the experts at Solid Signal! Our corporate offices in the Detroit area are full of people who are ready to help. We believe in real customer service. We don’t believe in reading scripts or sending you to overseas call centers. Find out for yourself! Call us at 888-233-7563. We’re here during East Coast business hours. If it’s after hours, fill out the form below. We’ll get back to you, usually within one business day.
