Flipping to Genie with DirecTV

[simsfmly]

Finally pulled the trigger on upgrading my HD DVR and HD non DVR to a Genie with wireless mini's (one for the BR, one for the basement). Gets installed in two days.

A little worried since I'm in Ohio now vs. Texas/Florida/Arizona where the installers are pretty fluent in RV installations. We'll see how that goes.

For those of you who have this setup, tell me I'm going to be happy.

A question for any of you who have this set up. Shouldn't I be able to hard wire my bedroom TV directly to the antenna now vs. the wire swapping in the front closet with the jumper wires?

 

[Nabo]

Jim Beletti has, if I remember correctly, the Genie in his Landmark 365. Maybe he will chime in and can answer some of your questions.

 

[cookie]

I have the Genie at home and take it along when we are on the road. However, it is not wireless but it is still awesome. You will be happy.
You should have been able to wire your bedroom TV to the antenna all along, so there is no reason why you can't now.

Peace
Dave

 

[jassson007]

I too just had the Genie installed but did not go wireless either. Took me two installers and a lengthy conversation with directv to get it done but they finally got it done. I never had Dvr and now that we do we love it. I don't watch ota TV as I get locals via my dish but I don't see why you can't set it up the way you want to as you will have the wireless bridge. Let us know if you have any issues.


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[danemayer]

A question for any of you who have this set up. Shouldn't I be able to hard wire my bedroom TV directly to the antenna now vs. the wire swapping in the front closet with the jumper wires?

Bob,

It depends where they put the receiver. If they put it near the TV and connect via HDMI the answer is yes. If they put it in the closet and connect via COAX, no.

 

[simsfmly]

You should have been able to wire your bedroom TV to the antenna all along, so there is no reason why you can't now.

Dave, Always had to switch coax in the front closet to get the antenna on the bedroom TV since the coax to the DirecTV had a little jumper in there. There's two outputs in the closet from the UDC (sat and ant), one over top of the TV. I have to choose in the closet which coax to jump to the line that goes to the TV.

Agree with Dan (and who wouldn't? He's the smartest man on the forum), that if they put the Genie in the Living Room which they should since that's where my Swm is, then my wireless in the BR should allow me to coax to the TV for the antenna and leave it that way.

Only is an issue when we're on the road, stopping for a night or two, and I don't call DirecTV to update my locals.

- - - Updated - - -

I never had Dvr and now that we do we love it.

It's the best invention since the wheel. Almost can't watch live TV with commercials any more.

 

[lynndiwagoner]

Get a Directv AM21 adapter to add local channels to your receiver and guide. You can record just like sat channels. Get one used off of eBay for pretty cheap. Google it. ..

Here's onehttp://www.solidsignal.com/pview.asp?p=am21

 

[klindgren]

Simsfmly,

We had our direct tv hard wired. All I do is pull the genie out of the house and plug it into the main tv in our Landmark 365. Take all of two minutes to attach the coax and HDMI cables. Do the same thing on the two minis (one in bedroom and one in outside entertainment. When I get to the campground I set up my direct tv dish and my antenna. I get the local channels on my antenna and the direct tv for programing. All I need to do to switch between the two is to (using the tv remote) set my "input" to either TV or HDMI. Works for me and I don't have to pay Direct TV additional money to get NY or LA major networks. I get all the local news weather and sports I want.

 

[porthole]

I don't call DirecTV to update my locals.

In two years of use I have yet to call DTV for station coverage. But for me, local is NYC

I added the DTV OTA tuner, did it for the times when I was not able to or did not want to set the portable up.
Works OK, but now with a dish on the roof it may get little use.

 

[simsfmly]

Simsfmly,

We had our direct tv hard wired. All I do is pull the genie out of the house and plug it into the main tv in our Landmark 365. Take all of two minutes to attach the coax and HDMI cables. Do the same thing on the two minis (one in bedroom and one in outside entertainment. When I get to the campground I set up my direct tv dish and my antenna. I get the local channels on my antenna and the direct tv for programing. All I need to do to switch between the two is to (using the tv remote) set my "input" to either TV or HDMI. Works for me and I don't have to pay Direct TV additional money to get NY or LA major networks. I get all the local news weather and sports I want.

Thanks for your reply, Keith. We full time, so this IS our house. Also, when you travel outside of 200 mile circle, you lose your locals.

I guess what some of you must not have is the set up I have in my BR of my BH 3670. My antenna goes right into my living room TV. For some reason, in my bedroom front closet there is a coax output for my sat and one for my ant. Then, there's a little 1' coax that jumps it to the one coax that goes to my BR TV.

Even though its a 2013 model, I think it was still wired for a box to sit in the closet that took two coax in and one coax out to TV. Only thing I can figure.

 

[danemayer]

Bob,

Post #7 suggested getting an AM21 receiver. It captures the over the air antenna signals and integrates them into your satellite receiver so they show up on the Directv menu along with program guide info for those channels. The AM21 and your mini receiver could both go in your closet and combine the signals, outputting a combined output to the TV connector.

The AM21 works with the following list of receivers - if you have one of these in the bedroom it will probably solve your problem. I think you can buy it directly from Directv for $50.

• For C31, C41, H21, H23, H24, H25, HR20, HR21, HR22, HR23, HR24, HR34, HR44, and THR22 (TiVo).
  
  One possible additional limitation: if you don't have a satellite signal, you'll have an error code on the TV and I'm not sure whether you'll be able to exit out of that and tune into the local channels.

 

[jassson007]

Mine is same way Bob. Not sure what they were thinking either.

Dan the only way it would work putting receiver in the closet is if it had a coax out on it or his closet had a hdmi cable drop. Mine doesn't and I assume Bob's doesn't either.


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[danemayer]

The AM21 output goes to the Directv receiver. The receiver output goes to the TV connector.

 

[hriker]

Bob,

My 2011 Landmark is setup the same way with the jumper in the bedroom closet. I solved the problem by running a coax cable directly from the closet thru the washer/dryer area and down under the bedroom window and under the dresser into the clothes cabinet and up to the top of the dresser. There is a wire and plumbing chase that runs under the bedroom window you can access in the washer/dryer area and it goes directly under the dresser. It works great and I never changed a jumper cable. I knew immediately I was not doing that and found a way to get around it. I had to drill one hole in the closet and a couple in that clothes cabinet but it worked and was easy to do. If you pull out the bottom drawer of the dresser you will find a panel laying on top of wires. That's where that chase goes under the dresser. I hope this helps. If you need pictures let me know.

 

[porthole]

• 
  One possible additional limitation: if you don't have a satellite signal, you'll have an error code on the TV and I'm not sure whether you'll be able to exit out of that and tune into the local channels.

The AM21 output goes to the Directv receiver. The receiver output goes to the TV connector.

You have to keep hitting buttons until you manage to get to the setup screen. Pain in the butt when you start out with no signal and the receiver keeps choking looking for it.

The AM21 AC power goes to the outlet. The DTV receiver then plugs into the AM21 for AC. The AM21 comes with the power cords required.
The AM21 then is connected to the receiver via a USB cord.

The AM21 is controlled by the receiver. No power button as well.

Once the AM21 is connected, the receiver will automatically show the OTA antenna availability on the setup menu. The SAT setup will change from SAT to SAT & antenna.
Once your antenna is aimed, the menu will allow you to start searching for OTA signals.
Anything your antenna will pickup will then be on the guide once it populates with programming.

And, your choices will be like using the OTA without the DVR. Channels may come up as 2 4 7 7.1 7.3 18.4 35.1 35.2 etc

 

[cookie]

The AM21 AC power goes to the outlet. The DTV receiver then plugs into the AM21 for AC. The AM21 comes with the power cords required.
The AM21 then is connected to the receiver via a USB cord.

The AM21 is controlled by the receiver. No power button as well.

My receiver (HR44-200) will not plug into my AM21 using the cords provided. They both have to plug into the wall receptacle, but everything works the same as Porthole describes.

Peace
Dave

 

[simsfmly]

The AM21 output goes to the Directv receiver. The receiver output goes to the TV connector.

And that's what Jason is saying. The receiver output to TV would have to be an HDMI drop but it's coax. That's why closet isn't an option.

I'll let everybody know how the wireless mini genie works (or doesn't).


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[porthole]

And that's what Jason is saying. The receiver output to TV would have to be an HDMI drop but it's coax. That's why closet isn't an option.

I'll let everybody know how the wireless mini genie works (or doesn't).


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I'm confused - are you saying that your DTV receiver/DVR or Genie client do not have an HDMI output?
Or, that your TV doesn't have a HDMI input?

Both seem unlikely.

The "coax" on the receiver is input from the SAT dish.

 

[porthole]

My receiver (HR44-200) will not plug into my AM21 using the cords provided. They both have to plug into the wall receptacle, but everything works the same as Porthole describes.

Peace
Dave

Dave, the receiver you have now, is that the separate power brick type? That would explain the difference.

Here is the back of my AM21.

Top to bottom

1) Fixed power in from outlet
2) Jumper power out to receiver (same connector on both ends)
3) USB out
4) Jumper power to receiver (from #2)
5) Antenna coax in

 

[danemayer]

The cable running from his closet to TV is coax, not HDMI.