Hi again, it’s time for another episode of “what’s that bizarre and confusing industry term?” It’s the game show where we talk about all the weird terms and acronyms that you’ll find as a home theater hobbyist.
OK, that’s kind of a flip way to start a tutorial like this one. But it’s true. There is a never-ending supply of technobabble surrounding home theater, with new terms popping up on enthusiast sites and subreddits all the time. Occasionally, you get a term like “colocated” that actually comes from the manufacturer. That doesn’t necessarily make it easier to understand, but perhaps it means that the term is a little more important because you as a professional might be asked about it.
This is the case with “colocated,” a term that applies to DIRECTV’s latest satellite box, the Gemini. You can also see this spelled as “collocated,” which I think is a more correct version of that word. But I see the version with one L more often and maybe because it looks like it should be the right spelling.
So what does “colocated” or “collocated” mean here?
Let’s say you have an older HR44 or HR54 Genie. A lot of people prefer this to the Genie 2 because it lets you add a standalone receiver which you can put in your RV (for example.) But then, you want to have all the great features of Gemini. You’re told you can’t add them straight to the Genie DVR, you need a standalone box.
DIRECTV has given a folks a pathway to add the Gemini easily right next to the Genie DVR. You simply disconnect the HDMI cable from the Genie, connect the Gemini via Ethernet, and connect the HDMI cable to the Gemini instead. Here’s a diagram from DIRECTV that shows what I’m talking about:
This simple installation saves space and keeps your wiring clean. The Gemini works quickly because it has a straight connection right into the Genie. This gives you all the benefit of a Gemini without a lot of extraneous wires. (Although, one thing about that diagram: it doesn’t show that the Genie still needs to be plugged into power. It does.)
Is this a popular choice?
Colocation is a pretty good choice for those people with HR44 and HR54 Genies. Those folks are in the minority of DIRECTV customers, and not all of them are getting into the Gemini yet. So it’s not very common to see this option yet. But, it’s going to be more and more common as people learn what a great little box the Gemini is.
There’s a trick, though. In order for you to colocate your Gemini, it needs to be set up in DIRECTV’s systems properly. That means you need to get someone on the other end of the phone who knows what they’re doing. You need an expert, someone who’s done this kind of special setup over and over. You need to talk to the folks at Solid Signal.
Solid Signal is your Gemini leader. We have helped thousands of people like you install and configure their own Geminis. We can make sure that DIRECTV’s systems are set up so your Gemini works the way you want it to. We’ll be here for your questions, too.
Call the experts at Solid Signal 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 right back to you.
