Don’t miss this important step. If you’re adding a DIRECTV 4K Genie Mini Client (C61K) to your home system, make sure it’s compatible with your TV before activating it. If there’s a problem, it’s a lot easier to return a client box if it hasn’t been fully activated.
DIRECTV 4K clients will only work with TVs that support both the HDMI 2.0 and HDCP 2.2 standards, and the HDMI cable you use must be high-speed certified. If all of these things aren’t there, you simply won’t get 4K service, even if you have a 4K TV. While pretty much every 4K TV you buy today meets these standards, anything made in 2016 and earlier might not. That’s why it’s important to test.
Connect the Genie Mini Client to your TV with the HDMI cable you’re planning on using. Turn the TV on, then turn on the Genie Mini Client. It’s important that the coaxial cable not be connected at this stage.
If your TV meets all the standards, you’ll see a screen like the one at the top of this article. The most important thing is the line that says, “This TV supports DIRECTV 4K service.”
If your TV isn’t compatible, the text will be in red and you’ll see it say “This TV does not support DIRECTV 4K service.”
It may seem surprising to you that the screen that comes up isn’t in 4K. Your TV may report it as 1080i. That’s so that if the TV isn’t compatible, you can still see the message. If this screen says that the TV supports 4K service, it will automatically be enabled when tuning to a DIRECTV 4K channel.
If your TV does not support DIRECTV 4K, it could be due to a cable. That would be the first thing to try to replace. If you are interested in getting a new TV, you can do that, or as long as the client is not activated you can return it. If it has been activated, it may be subject to a hefty early termination fee if you disconnect it, and that’s why this test is so important.
