# How good is the wireless Genie?



## danman71 (Nov 21, 2006)

My Directv contract is expired. I have an old wired whole home DVR setup. When I reup, I was thinking about changing to the Genie and the wireless Genie's for the additional TV. How good is the quality on the wireless Genie? Any interference or problems compared to the wired Genie?


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## dpeters11 (May 30, 2007)

Personally, I'd consider keeping your HR20 and adding the Genie on it's own without a client. The wireless clients do work, but it's dependent on distance, building material etc. 

Of course you don't have to reup, it would happen if you move to a Genie but certainly not required.


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## peds48 (Jan 11, 2008)

danman71 said:


> I have an old wired whole home DVR setup.


Wireless should only be used when running a wired is extremely difficult or for a portable set up. If wiring is already in place, it makes zero sense to go wireless


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## Radio Enginerd (Oct 5, 2006)

dpeters11 said:


> Personally, I'd consider keeping your HR20 and adding the Genie on it's own without a client. The wireless clients do work, but it's dependent on distance, building material etc.
> 
> Of course you don't have to reup, it would happen if you move to a Genie but certainly not required.


I did exactly this. I highly recommend adding a Genie to a system that already has 1 (or many) HR series DVR's.


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## Radio Enginerd (Oct 5, 2006)

peds48 said:


> Wireless should only be used when running a wired is extremely difficult or for a portable set up. If wiring is already in place, it makes zero sense to go wireless


I agree 100% with this statement as well. Wireless does not equal better. A wired whole home setup is not considered "old".


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## Sgtsbabygirl1 (Dec 15, 2014)

I completely agree. The only time that I advocate a wireless mini is when you have a setup like two guest rooms when you rarely use either of them and one would suffice, or if you have a patio, etc that you only use on occasion. Even then, a wired would work, but for some reason I have more trouble selling customers on moving a wired receiver.


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## peds48 (Jan 11, 2008)

Sgtsbabygirl1 said:


> but for some reason I have more trouble selling customers on moving a wired receiver.


You shouldn't be "selling" to customers the idea that they can move wired receiver around. I get this all time. If they are "smart" enough they will figure it out on their own, they ones that are not, should not be tempted.


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## Sgtsbabygirl1 (Dec 15, 2014)

As long as it's not the receiver with the pi, AND that line was activated the last time we were out there, I was always told you could move them occasionally. 


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## peds48 (Jan 11, 2008)

Sgtsbabygirl1 said:


> As long as it's not the receiver with the pi, AND that line was activated the last time we were out there, I was always told you could move them occasionally.
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


Nope, incorrect. SWM system do not have any unused lines as all outputs from the spitter must be terminated. Terminating coax lines does not pass muster because you have to rely on customer to re-termiante the other one not being used. Bottom line is that "regular" customers are not supposed to be told that they can move receivers around.


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## Sgtsbabygirl1 (Dec 15, 2014)

Cool. You learn something every day. This is why I hate that non tech departments take tech calls. 


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## AmazinglySmooth (Oct 25, 2014)

I have 2 wireless Genies (C41W). I think they work great. They operate on the 5GHz wireless band so it helps to have fewer walls, but I am enjoying them. I felt like the install was much easier and faster with the wireless. If you are concerned about problems, just sign up for the premium support option for a few months.


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## dpeters11 (May 30, 2007)

There is no doubt that there are situations where they work very well. Unfortunately there are so many variables it's hard to recommend as we have no idea if it actually would work well or not.


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## Jacob Braun (Oct 6, 2011)

I'm pretty happy with my two. I had a wired client in the kitchen and an HR24 in my living room. The cable to the kitchen location looked awful so I just removed it when I got the wireless. Also the coax in the living room didn't look great so I just terminated the port and now everything looks pretty good!
I have had no issues with wireless whatsoever. YMMV.


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## CTJon (Feb 5, 2007)

Sure wired may be "better" techically but if you don't have the correct wiring where you want the TV - they are a great solution. Mine works great.


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## peds48 (Jan 11, 2008)

CTJon said:


> Sure wired may be "better" techically but if you don't have the correct wiring where you want the TV - they are a great solution. Mine works great.


But if you can get the correct wire there, that would be a more "elegant" solution


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## Phil T (Mar 25, 2002)

FYI, my wireless C41W just had its first anniversary with no issues. I have moved the TV around to different bedrooms. Keeps the wife happy to. She did not like all the RG6 running around the baseboards with the old setup.


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## mmomega (Jul 8, 2013)

I'll chime in with my experience as well with the C41W which thus far has been all positive.

While I may have a very small amount of lag from pressing a button on the remote to it showing on the TV, this is not really that bad or that big of a deal to me personally. I understand the distance and walls and can understand why it is not instantaneous and no one who has ever come over to watch tv out on the back patio has ever commented on lag. 

Other than this, the picture quality is great and the convenience is great. 

I am usually a proponent of hardwiring everything and I do in my house but where and how i have this particular area setup, going wireless made more sense to me "if it worked well". 
Had the wireless system not been as good as it is I would have found a way to hardwire.


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## fleckrj (Sep 4, 2009)

I have had one wireless Genie mini for about 9 months and have not had any problems with it. I see no difference on that TV compared to any of the ones that are hard wired.

Prior to upgrading to the HR44, I had OTA diplexed into the SWiM 8, and I did not have whole home DVR or DECA. When I upgraded, having OTA on the same coax was no longer possible. It was no problem running a second coax to three of my TV locations, but the fourth location would have been nearly impossible. I did not want to give up OTA at that location, because WRAL frequently relegates the top tier (i.e., the CBS game of the week) SEC basketball games to 5.2 so they can show a second or third tier (i.e., a game that ESPN and Fox Sports does not want) ACC game on 5.1, so a wireless Genie Mini for that location made sense.

I put the HR44 on the second floor so it was closest to the wireless Genie Mini, a H24 on the first floor, and my old HR21 in the basement. The only problem I had was that the WiFi signal where the HR44 was located was not very strong, since it was in the farthest location from either of my two wireless routers. This was easily remedied by connecting the HR24 to the internet using a band stop filter and the wireless CCK that I already had and disabling the wireless internet connection on the HR44. All receivers are connected to the internet through the coax.

If I could have gotten a second coax to the location where I have the Genie Mini, I would have hard wired the Genie Mini, but the wireless version has worked very well. I have not had any interference from portable phones, cell phones, or my wireless routers, one of which is in the same room as the wireless Genie Mini.


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## peds48 (Jan 11, 2008)

mmomega said:


> I'll chime in with my experience as well with the C41W which thus far has been all positive.
> 
> While I may have a very small amount of lag from pressing a button on the remote to it showing on the TV, this is not really that bad or that big of a deal to me personally. I understand the distance and walls and can understand why it is not instantaneous and no one who has ever come over to watch tv out on the back patio has ever commented on lag.
> 
> ...


AS long as the C41W is used in the "correct" fashion, (for example a portable set up, a location that is not the primary or even secondary, {a guest bedroom}), the C41W should do wonders.


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## peds48 (Jan 11, 2008)

fleckrj said:


> I have had one wireless Genie mini for about 9 months and have not had any problems with it. I see no difference on that TV compared to any of the ones that are hard wired.
> 
> Prior to upgrading to the HR44, I had OTA diplexed into the SWiM 8, and I did not have whole home DVR or DECA. When I upgraded, having OTA on the same coax was no longer possible. It was no problem running a second coax to three of my TV locations, but the fourth location would have been nearly impossible. I did not want to give up OTA at that location, because WRAL frequently relegates the top tier (i.e., the CBS game of the week) SEC basketball games to 5.2 so they can show a second or third tier (i.e., a game that ESPN and Fox Sports does not want) ACC game on 5.1, so a wireless Genie Mini for that location made sense.
> 
> ...


I see a few "issues" with your set up. First the HR44 has nothing to do with the C41W location as far as wireless is concerned. You can place the Wireless Video Bridge (not the HR44) in a spot where the C41W would get a strong connection. This location can be where the HR44 is or where ever you have a receiver that would be closest to the C41W or even a location with no receiver at all, but you would need a coax cable.

Also, you don't need a BSF on the HR24 to use the CCK-W, you can just use the pass through off the CCK-W and connect both with coax


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## fleckrj (Sep 4, 2009)

peds48 said:


> I see a few "issues" with your set up. First the HR44 has nothing to do with the C41W location as far as wireless is concerned. You can place the Wireless Video Bridge (not the HR44) in a spot where the C41W would get a strong connection. This location can be where the HR44 is or where ever you have a receiver that would be closest to the C41W or even a location with no receiver at all, but you would need a coax cable.
> 
> Also, you don't need a BSF on the HR24 to use the CCK-W, you can just use the pass through off the CCK-W and connect both with coax


The issue is with my description, and not my setup. The closest place to the C41W with a live coax to which the Wireless Video Bridge can be attached is the same location where the HR44 is located, so yes, the coax goes from the SWiM to the Wireless Video Bridge to the HR44 in that room.

As to whether the BSF is needed on the HR24 to use the CCK-W, I believe it was you and VeryOldSchool who gave me the advice that I should use a BSF, and I took you at your word.


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## peds48 (Jan 11, 2008)

fleckrj said:


> The issue is with my description, and not my setup.


And we can only go by what you described. :righton:


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## peds48 (Jan 11, 2008)

fleckrj said:


> As to whether the BSF is needed on the HR24 to use the CCK-W, I believe it was you and VeryOldSchool who gave me the advice that I should use a BSF, and I took you at your word.


That was because you had an HR21 there which was missing a DECA. Since now (it appears) that you have an HR24 and the HR24 has a DECA built in, you can now go back to as "it was designed"


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## fleckrj (Sep 4, 2009)

peds48 said:


> That was because you had an HR21 there which was missing a DECA. Since now (it appears) that you have an HR24 and the HR24 has a DECA built in, you can now go back to as "it was designed"


No. I mistyped again. I have an H24 and an HR21, but the H24 is not close to either router. The CCK-W is connected to the HR21 with the BSF, because the HR21 is in the same room as one of the routers.


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## peds48 (Jan 11, 2008)

fleckrj said:


> No. I mistyped again.


Oh my goodness...... :bang

!rolling !rolling

Then never mind.....


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## Bill Broderick (Aug 25, 2006)

peds48 said:


> Oh my goodness...... :bang
> 
> !rolling !rolling
> 
> Then never mind.....


What's the matter? You're not good enough to base your answers on what people mean rather than what they write? Maybe that's the reason why you haven't received that promotion to "Super Duper Master Tech" yet.


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## Dan B (Mar 6, 2007)

We have two complaints with ours. The response to the remote control is very poor. It works about 1 in 3 attempts. The other thing is that you can not have a seperate playlist for the client, which results in somebody deleting someone else's program on occasion. Other than that, it works like any other receiver.


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## fleckrj (Sep 4, 2009)

Dan B said:


> We have two complaints with ours. The response to the remote control is very poor. It works about 1 in 3 attempts. The other thing is that you can not have a seperate playlist for the client, which results in somebody deleting someone else's program on occasion. Other than that, it works like any other receiver.


I have not had an issue with the remote, and the play list issue is the same regardless of whether it is a wired or wireless client.


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## Dan B (Mar 6, 2007)

fleckrj said:


> I have not had an issue with the remote, and the play list issue is the same regardless of whether it is a wired or wireless client.


I wonder what is causing my remote problems then. Maybe I should ask for a replacement.

The playlists are available if you use a DVR instead of genie, correct?


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## peds48 (Jan 11, 2008)

Dan B said:


> The playlists are available if you use a DVR instead of genie, correct?


Yes


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## Hoffer (Jun 18, 2007)

I have 2 wireless minis in my house. I think they work just as good as my main Genie. For years, I thought about putting a receiver in other rooms of my house, but I just didn't want to run the wiring. When I first heard about the wireless clients, I knew that was for me.


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