Explain Directv to me

[DawnM]

We used to have Directv, but apparently our experience/receivers are antiquated and I am trying to figure out the newer system.

What is a Genie? And what is a Genie mini?

Can I get ONE main Genie and use Genie minis to each additional TV and not need individual DVRs then? Or is the main Genie not hooked up to a TV at all and I would need Genie minies on each TV I want to use?

I am looking at the Costco deal and the Genie is free and the Genie minis are all free.......so is that all I would need if I sign up again?

And then is each Genie and Genie mini charged $6 per item as the boxes use to be?

Are these wireless or wired? Can I have a TV set up where there is no cable cord running or do I need cable wiring to hook it up?

Thank you!,

Dawn

 

[Fire14]

From what I understand and know. You need 1 main genie for main Tv and mini genies for all other tvs. I am not sure but I'd think you would need wired to main genie and the mini would be wireless. As for fees I'm not sure but that should be listed on site.

 

[DawnM]

No, not all fees are listed on the site and Genie minis are NOT wireless.

I just called.

The woman was SO annoying. Wouldn't answer anything until she had ALL my info in the computer and then wouldn't answer questions I had asked 3 times over because she was so bent on getting a sale. Kept pushing and pushing to get me signed up RIGHT NOW.

Said I am not eligible for the Costco $200 credit. I am quite sure that is because they can't give it to me from the Directv office. I don't believe a word she says.

I finally just hung up on her.

My antenna is looking better and better.

Dawn

 

[Fire14]

Ok guess I was misinformed also sorry for trying to help.

 

[DawnM]

the thing that makes me the maddest is that she kept telling me I was getting this deal or that deal but refused to tell me how much it would cost after 12 months of these great deals.

She quoted me $69.99 without taxes and fees, so I am assuming $75 to $80.

But after 12 months that will go up over $100 I am sure.

One genie and 3 genie minis.

 

[BellePrincessBelle]

you can price everything out on the directv webiste. It will also tell you the cost from months 1-12 & 12-24. I've had overall good customer service from them over the last 15 years. 1 minor glitch in which we left for 3 years but they are so much better than our 1 other TV choice, so I went back.

 

[ThisIsJason]

You would be better off just ordering from DirecTV, if you still want it. When you put what you want in your shopping cart is a tab near the top can be opened and you can see what your will will be over 24 months (just make sure to take the movie package price off if you plan to drop them after the three-free months, it keeps them on).

But with the Genie, and minis. The Genie itself is your 5 tuners. Each mini does not have one, it takes a tuner from the Genie itself.
So with what you want:
Two recording going, three minis could be used.
Two recording going but also watching live TV, two mini could be used.
Three recording going, two minis could be used.
Three recoding going but also watching live TV, one mini could be used.
Five recordings, no minis, nor watching another channel on the Genie.

If you plan on recording quite a bit you might want to change (if you order) one of the minis to a regular box, or another DVR.

 

[ski_mom]

You would be better off just ordering from DirecTV, if you still want it. When you put what you want in your shopping cart is a tab near the top can be opened and you can see what your will will be over 24 months (just make sure to take the movie package price off if you plan to drop them after the three-free months, it keeps them on).

But with the Genie, and minis. The Genie itself is your 5 tuners. Each mini does not have one, it takes a tuner from the Genie itself.
So with what you want:
Two recording going, three minis could be used.
Two recording going but also watching live TV, two mini could be used.
Three recording going, two minis could be used.
Three recoding going but also watching live TV, one mini could be used.
Five recordings, no minis, nor watching another channel on the Genie.

If you plan on recording quite a bit you might want to change (if you order) one of the minis to a regular box, or another DVR.

So then do all of the minis use the recorded shows off of the genie?

So, we could record 5 shows at the same time and watch them from any of the minis?

That sounds really good to me. What would be the purpose of anothe regular box or another DVR? What is the difference in them?

 

[ThisIsJason]

So then do all of the minis use the recorded shows off of the genie?

So, we could record 5 shows at the same time and watch them from any of the minis?

That sounds really good to me. What would be the purpose of anothe regular box or another DVR? What is the difference in them?

Yes, the minis use the recorded shows off the Genie, it can also be used to watch live TV (but takes a tuner from the Genie).

You got it. You could have 5 shows recording (Disney, FOX, HGTV, History, and HBO). Genie could be watching FOX, while mini1 is watching History, mini2 is watching Disney and mini3 is watching something recorded last week.

A regular box is just that. It does not rely on another box for its service (like the minis do off the Genie). A regular DVR only two tuners in it, both of which can be networked to watch stuff off the Genie (whole-home DVR they call it). It would just be if you want standalone box/tuner for each TV.

Like myself, I do not have any minis (they were not out last year when the Genie came out), but have a: Genie (5 tuners), 2 DVRs (4 tuners total), along with a regular box. So I can record up to 9 programs at once, and then watch something else live off the regular box (10 tuners total in the house). Doesn't matter where it was recorded, I can access it, even with the standard receiver.

 

[ski_mom]

Yes, the minis use the recorded shows off the Genie, it can also be used to watch live TV (but takes a tuner from the Genie).

You got it. You could have 5 shows recording (Disney, FOX, HGTV, History, and HBO). Genie could be watching FOX, while mini1 is watching History, mini2 is watching Disney and mini3 is watching something recorded last week.

A regular box is just that. It does not rely on another box for its service (like the minis do off the Genie). A regular DVR only two tuners in it, both of which can be networked to watch stuff off the Genie (whole-home DVR they call it). It would just be if you want standalone box/tuner for each TV.

Like myself, I do not have any minis (they were not out last year when the Genie came out), but have a: Genie (5 tuners), 2 DVRs (4 tuners total), along with a regular box. So I can record up to 9 programs at once, and then watch something else live off the regular box (10 tuners total in the house). Doesn't matter where it was recorded, I can access it, even with the standard receiver.

Thanks for the quick answer! I'll definately have to look into it. It sounds like the possibilities are just about endless!

 

[hsmamato2]

if it;s anything like the dish hopper promos, then I think you pay per box,plus fees for that special 'multi room' box.... I did some reading before we cut our satellite out, and with all the fees added monthly, there were no good deals.... especially considering we basically watch one tv anyway..... but we're going techno-backward in our house anyway rotfl:LOL) and loving it! I like to think of our choices as 'cool-retro-vintage' LOL

 

[Ragnrok23]

Pretty much there are tons of ways to get discounts for close to 2 years (to offset the nickle and diming in the price)

For doing paperless billing/automatic payments- I get $20/mth off the bill for 20 months (might be 24)- this offsets the "advance receiver fee (DVR)

When I signed up, they had a promotion that was $10 off for the first year. $5 off the 2nd year

I was also able to stack and AAA discount- $10 month for 20 months

Some people have even been able to stack a refferal discount on top of that- $10/mth for 10 months

On top of that, I got all premium channels free for 3 months and Sunday ticket for free for the first year


Also if you get the Genie and mini genies- each addition mini genie is $6/mth

 

[DawnM]

Thank you all.

I am still looking into it and go back and forth.

I will ask about the AAA discount, I didn't know that was a discount.

I will also not go through the 800 number. I will sign up either through Costco.com or at Costco for the $200 gift card.

The woman on the phone at Directv told me I don't qualify because that $200 is for transferring from another provider. However, I don't see anything about that on the Costco site. I think she just couldn't give me the Costco deal and was really pushing for me to sign up RIGHT THEN.

I think we would be fine with one genie and 3 or 4 genie minis as we won't have a need to record 5 shows at once. According to the Costco website I can get one genie and 3 genie minis for no cost and then pay $49 for the 4th genie mini.

I just wish they were wireless and you could move them around.

Dawn

 

[Ragnrok23]

Thank you all.

I am still looking into it and go back and forth.

I will ask about the AAA discount, I didn't know that was a discount.

I will also not go through the 800 number. I will sign up either through Costco.com or at Costco for the $200 gift card.

The woman on the phone at Directv told me I don't qualify because that $200 is for transferring from another provider. However, I don't see anything about that on the Costco site. I think she just couldn't give me the Costco deal and was really pushing for me to sign up RIGHT THEN.

I think we would be fine with one genie and 3 or 4 genie minis as we won't have a need to record 5 shows at once. According to the Costco website I can get one genie and 3 genie minis for no cost and then pay $49 for the 4th genie mini.

I just wish they were wireless and you could move them around.

Dawn

I forgot to add- the mini genies only require a cable outlet- when they split the signal from the dish, they have a special splitter that is kinda like an in home network that allows your boxs to talk to each other

if you go to slickdeals.net there is a thread about how to maximize the promos (and in what order you have to add them on)

 

[ThisIsJason]

I will also not go through the 800 number. I will sign up either through Costco.com or at Costco for the $200 gift card.

The woman on the phone at Directv told me I don't qualify because that $200 is for transferring from another provider. However, I don't see anything about that on the Costco site. I think she just couldn't give me the Costco deal and was really pushing for me to sign up RIGHT THEN.


Dawn

Wait. Who did you call? If you called DirecTV the first time themselves, you CAN'T get the Costco discount, because DirecTV doesn't see that. Costco is using a sub-contractor for those deals, and installer, not DirecTV. The DirecTV "takes over" the payment account (not that simple but it works out something like that).

If you talked with Costco from the start, its on them.

 

[Bell30012]

All I need to know about DirecTV is that they have a contract and when it rains hard, you lose picture. Worst twelve months of my television viewing past.

 

[BellePrincessBelle]

All I need to know about DirecTV is that they have a contract and when it rains hard, you lose picture. Worst twelve months of my television viewing past.

In the last 15 years I have only lost the signal 5 times & all of those were when snow built up. A quick brush with a broom resolved it. Even during the blizzard we had a signal. With cable on the other hand we lost the signal in a slight breeze.

 

[DawnM]

I called the 800 number, which I thought was Costco's number but it turned out to be Directv.

Dawn

Wait. Who did you call? If you called DirecTV the first time themselves, you CAN'T get the Costco discount, because DirecTV doesn't see that. Costco is using a sub-contractor for those deals, and installer, not DirecTV. The DirecTV "takes over" the payment account (not that simple but it works out something like that).

If you talked with Costco from the start, its on them.