NOT JUST YOU: HR34 Genies are getting awfully slow

It was “the thing to have” in 2012. But things change. This HR34 Genie was the popular toy for DIRECTV enthusiasts in the Christmas ’12 season, easily blowing away the 2-tuner DVR that came before. It’s been a workhorse for DIRECTV, but if you have one you might notice that it’s seeming a little slower than it used to.

It’s not just your imagination.

Unfortunately, just like computers, DVRs get slower with time. Updates and new features tax the CPU and disks sometimes get a little flaky. Parts begin to weark. The culprit with DIRECTV has always been the software; bug fixes tend to slow things down meaning that the bright shiny fast toy you had five years ago can seem aged and slow today.

The reports of slow HR34s are too numerous to ignore. I’ve read about it on several forums including DIRECTV’s own official one. It’s possible that the engineering staff at DIRECTV’s hidden Southern California facility could work to improve things as they have before, but if you’re still using an HR34, it might be time to upgrade.

The new hotness is this HR54 Genie. It does everything the HR34 Genie does and more – it’s much faster, starting up in about one-quarter the time. It also has the capability to record live 4K when DIRECTV rolls it out (a new dish will also be required at that time.) Not only that, it’s smaller, quieter, and uses less power. This is the DVR you want right now.

Yeah, I have to point out that you will start a new 2-year contract by activating a new receiver but don’t let that slow you down — if you love the great programs on DIRECTV why should you even think about whether or not you’ll stay two more years?

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.