# Genie performance vs. older receivers



## Dazed & Confused (Jun 13, 2007)

Just curious about The Genie and channel change response times. I have the first HD receiver I ever got, an HR20-100 from 2007 as my main receiver. It is still the fastest one I have. :lol:

I have an HR22 in the bedroom, which operates at glacial speeds.

If I call Directv and lean on them for a newer Genie, will I be able to change channels without having to take a nap in between changes?


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## jimmie57 (Jun 26, 2010)

This is for the HRXX receivers.

Several things might help.
1. Go to channel 1 and let it sit there for 1 minute
2. Menu, Settings, Display, Preferences, Scrolling Effects : OFF
3. Menu, Settings, Display, Video, Native : OFF : In resolutions choose only 720p if that is what your TV is or 1080i.
4. Make sure to press the Exit button when you are on a sports channel that has the interactive scoreguide if you do not use it. if you do use it, press the Exit button before leaving the channel. This turns that program off. It will come back when you go to the sports channel again.
5. Menu, Settings, Reset, Restart Receiver
6. If you have not done so make a Favorites list and eliminate tons of unneeded data that loads each time you press the Guide button. This will also get rid of some of those banner ads.

There is a new version of software that is rolling out now that is being reported that 8 second channel changes are now 3 seconds. I do not have it yet.


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## Dazed & Confused (Jun 13, 2007)

jimmie57 said:


> This is for the HRXX receivers.
> 
> Several things might help.
> 1. Go to channel 1 and let it sit there for 1 minute
> ...


I think I have jumped through all those hoops you have mentioned, but I want the 8 second to 3 second change. Anybody know the version number?


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## jimmie57 (Jun 26, 2010)

http://www.dbstalk.com/showthread.php?t=210833


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## acostapimps (Nov 6, 2011)

What I find it funny is that whenever the DVR starts recording anything it would lag for a while with guide,menu,channel changes etc, or not messing with the DVR for a while also lags especially with guide list and playlist but my trick for better response would be quickly flip the channels pressing the channel button really fast, while also pressing the guide button and scroll really fast because apparently DVR is in sleep mode and has a hard time waking up


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## tomski35 (Sep 7, 2007)

"jimmie57" said:


> This is for the HRXX receivers.
> 
> Several things might help.
> 1. Go to channel 1 and let it sit there for 1 minute
> ...


Why should anyone have to go through all that **** to get a box that they've paid $200 to plus a monthly fee to rent so it will work?! I don't get this. And then I hear rumors of software that will get Chanel changes down to a lightning fast 3 seconds but of course I don't have it. This is crazy.


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## dpeters11 (May 30, 2007)

I've had to reboot a $15k computer to get it functional again. It's software. To develop bug free complex software is extremely expensive and never done for this type of application.

It doesn't necessarily affect everyone the same way. Myself, I almost never change channels so would never know if it was slow.


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## tomski35 (Sep 7, 2007)

If they focused on performance, they could fix this. A DVR doesn't need Pandora, apps, score guide,etc. it's all bull**** that gets on the way of the actual functionality. You shouldn't need to delete the majority of your recordings to improve performance.


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## dpeters11 (May 30, 2007)

Pandora, apps etc don't use resources if you don't use them.


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## tomski35 (Sep 7, 2007)

The previous comment was about software development. My comment was directed at that. Their coders as focused on fluff instead of performance.


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## Jodean (Jul 17, 2010)

the hr34 is.....well.....slow....

I got so used to HR24 amd H25 setups, now that they are all genie and clients, man its like using a HR23, the slowest worst dvr ever made!

This is really annoying showing customers how slow the hr34 is, then the clients are even worse.

I do NOT recommend clients to anyone unless you for sure need the pause live tv function. I personally would do without live pause, and use H25's that are the quickest receiver out there.

Then the clients they added the VERY WAY TOO annoyingly loud BONG BONG that blows the tv speakers( the client bong is way more annoying and 10 times louder than the normal directv BONG) if you get ahead of the super slow client. Must have been a speaker company that added that feature, blow all the tv speakers so they need new ones, I cant imagine this sound over a 100w per channel surround sound. Really? are you kidding me? Please turn that feature off!!!! or at least default to annoying sounds to OFF please.

Anyhow the hr34 does not page down in the guide, it kinda skips, freezes, or skips the animation all together, the other receivers show nice flowing skip up or down.

Its been two months and i still and not used to the slowness of the genie client, constantly BONG BONG waiting for client to catch up. Some times they almost lock up and you get BONG BONG BONG BONG BONG BONG BONG BONG BONG BONG BONG BONG super awesome during and install!


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## Tom_S (Apr 9, 2002)

My HR34 is almost as fast as my HR24. And double-play is an order of magnitude faster with the HR34. I love it and would never go back.


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## lincolnnellie (Sep 4, 2007)

My HR34 is pretty darn quick. I am happy so far.


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## Xsabresx (Oct 8, 2007)

dpeters11 said:


> I've had to reboot a $15k computer to get it functional again. It's software. To develop bug free complex software is extremely expensive and never done for this type of application.


Yeah but you dont have to do it weekly like you have to with the HR's.


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## dpeters11 (May 30, 2007)

I don't have to with my DVR either.


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## Xsabresx (Oct 8, 2007)

but the OP was asking about "vs. older receivers"

Ever since the HDGUI the HR20, HR21 and HR23 are dogs. Rebooting once a week seems to help but before long they have bogged down again and need a reboot and a NVRAM clear, etc


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## inkahauts (Nov 13, 2006)

"Jodean" said:


> the hr34 is.....well.....slow....
> 
> I got so used to HR24 amd H25 setups, now that they are all genie and clients, man its like using a HR23, the slowest worst dvr ever made!
> 
> ...


While its not lightning, its sure faster than an HR21 - 23. Why is it you always have some many issues with hardware?

And you can change the sound level for the bongs, and mine is no different on the HR34 than any other receivers.


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## TMan (Oct 31, 2007)

"Jodean" said:


> the clients they added the VERY WAY TOO annoyingly loud BONG BONG that blows the tv speakers( the client bong is way more annoying and 10 times louder than the normal directv BONG) if you get ahead of the super slow client. Must have been a speaker company that added that feature, blow all the tv speakers so they need new ones, I cant imagine this sound over a 100w per channel surround sound. Really? are you kidding me? Please turn that feature off!!!! or at least default to annoying sounds to OFF please.
> 
> Its been two months and i still and not used to the slowness of the genie client, constantly BONG BONG waiting for client to catch up. Some times they almost lock up and you get BONG BONG BONG BONG BONG BONG BONG BONG BONG BONG BONG BONG super awesome during and install!


My C31 units did that for a couple days when I first got them. Then they figured out how to make a proper gentle sound effect.

Completely absurd that they could do this in the first place.

Who designs this stuff? It all seems rushed to market with piss poor quality quality control. The Genie system barely feels like it's out of beta.


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## Podkayne (Nov 1, 2007)

Just upgraded from HR20-100 to Genie, with the former now semi-retired while we just watch what we had previously recorded. An H25 does great duty as a "client" on a bedroom TV. The HR20-100 was "double pig-dog slow", and is now just "slow", which after the HDGUI download is the best it ever could get. The Genie, by comparison, has been a joy. Most all functions are smoother and annoying delays much less frequent.


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## TDK1044 (Apr 8, 2010)

I just upgraded to an HR34 having previously had three HR24 DVRs, and I find the response time to be about the same. Channel changes happen in two to three seconds, and the FF and 30 second skip functions are actually faster with the HR34 because I'm not driving a recording made on a DVR in another room, which used to produce a second or two of lag before anything happened.


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## Dahammer (Aug 15, 2011)

My Genie is set as recommended by Jimmie above, and it takes exactly 4.5 seconds from the time I push the channel up/down button until the picture is on the TV.


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## PHL (Jul 15, 2004)

Just got my HR34 a couple of weeks ago. It is not significantly slower than the HR24 it replaced. However, that could be because it still has 84% free space. Channel changes are roughly the same, as far as I can tell. I'm not too sure as I rarely watch live TV. Overall menu response is maybe a little bit slower, but certainly acceptable. 

It might also make a difference that I don't have any client boxes (only other *peer* HR24's), so the HR34 doesn't have to serve up content to them most of the time. This might be the biggest factor since there seems to be a lot of variance in the experiences out there. Realistically, only 2 TV's are used at any given time, and only rarely is more than 1 show being streamed over my whole-home network. 80-90% of the time, only 1 TV is being watched, period.


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## damondlt (Feb 27, 2006)

I have no complaints about my HR34 fairly quick.
My HR23, is a snail, even after all those steps. Its been like this since day one.


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