# New Genie/Mini-Genie Installation w/Issus on 2 TV's



## kxaz145 (May 1, 2008)

I asked for and received a free Genie upgrade since I hadn't received anything in a while, yeah, new two year commitment. I have 6 TV's in my home/4 season room, and garage. They sent a Genie HDVR and 3 wired Mini-Genie's. Let me start by saying I installed the majority of the coax in the home back in the day of 'roll your own'. The advent of HD DVR's has spawned some modifications and the partial bypassing of two old SD antennas and one was totally removed. The last one was driving one SD receiver in a guest bedroom. Main TV in the den just upgraded to a Sony 65" 4K HD w/new Samsung 2.1 sound bar with wireless sub-woofer. The sound bar has HDMI switching that routes audio to the sound bar or not, depending on source. In addition, two Samsung 26" LED HD sets, one Visio 22" LED HD, and my old Samsung 56" DLP HD with VDI input. All other TV's support HDMI inputs.

Tech swapped out my 21-500 HDVR (I think) with the Genie and it fired up fine. Next he swapped out a HD receiver connected to the oldest Samsung 26" HD LED TV. Received a message "HDVI content can not be displayed, try connecting component video cables". During troubleshooting steps during many more hours that mini was connected to other TV's and it worked fine. Another mini would be connected to this TV and work fine for a minute, then display the same message. In order to get it working the "8-pin DIN cable with red/white/yellow cable" finally had to be swapped with the composite video red/white/yellow cable in order to work.

I had been using a HDMI to VDI cable to connect my original HDVR to the Samsung 56" DLP w/VDI input. It was replaced by the Sony and moved to the guest bedroom and connected to a mini-Geni. It would never connect successfully and had to be changed to the 8-pin DIN to component cable in order to work. Not a big deal because the picture quality is not bad. 

I don't have the Samsung model number with me as I'm keying this, but suspect the TV has an older HDMI input that doesn't support the newer one on the Genie. Has anyone else run into this issue? I suppose the fix will be to upgrade that TV at some point.

At one point during the troubleshooting the tech swapped the Genie HDVR with the wireless model and ended up leaving it connected. This might be beneficial in the future. A supervisor ended up completing the installation and provided me with 3 new Genie remotes and replacing the older remotes for the remaining receivers. I tried using one of the new remotes, but ran out of time and swapped back to an older version. It will take me some time to learn me thinks.

You techies will be able to explain about the "powered signal black box" connected inside between the antenna and the Genie HDVR. The tech said it would help prevent some rain fade? Another new installation item is that one cable does it all now. I had had an 8-port multi-switch installed previously; that was changed to a 5 port and another piece of equipment installed, too. I didn't catch what the function was on that. Coaxial splitters were utilized to bypass the final old antenna dish and that one will be coming down, too. This is a good thing as my wife refers to me as 'cord man' when she notices the coax strung around the house. A lot of that will be removed now...

JimB


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## peds48 (Jan 11, 2008)

The "powered signal black box" is what powers the LNB/multiswitch. Back in the old days the receivers sued to power them, now the new SWM stuff need a little bit of more juice than the current receivers can provide, thus the need for external power supply


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## carl6 (Nov 16, 2005)

Any HD television should have been connected with the blue/green/red component video, not yellow composite video cable from a Client adapter cable. You are only getting an SD signal if in fact the installer used the yellow connection. The addition red/white (in either composite or component) is for audio. So the correct solution if they could not get hdmi to work would have been to go with component video. (Unless the TV does not have component video input.)

I personally agree with you regarding the newer remotes, but many people like them (especially if they start out with them as opposed to converting over).


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## harsh (Jun 15, 2003)

Please be careful about tossing about acronyms. Your HDVI probably should have been HDCP (or the word protected) and your VDI references should have been DVI. Noting specifically which model Genie (HR44 as opposed expecting us to figure it out from the "wireless model" reference) also shortens up the time we spend trying to figure out what hardware is in play.

There's a fair chance that TVs, projectors and monitors without HDMI inputs aren't HDCP capable (although it is by no means a certainty as HDCP was designed around DVI).


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## kxaz145 (May 1, 2008)

peds48 said:


> The "powered signal black box" is what powers the LNB/multiswitch. Back in the old days the receivers sued to power them, now the new SWM stuff need a little bit of more juice than the current receivers can provide, thus the need for external power supply


Thanks for the reply carl6, it will be curious to see what happens during a storm


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## kxaz145 (May 1, 2008)

harsh said:


> Please be careful about tossing about acronyms. Your HDVI probably should have been HDCP (or the word protected) and your VDI references should have been DVI. Noting specifically which model Genie (HR44 as opposed expecting us to figure it out from the "wireless model" reference) also shortens up the time we spend trying to figure out what hardware is in play.
> 
> There's a fair chance that TVs, projectors and monitors without HDMI inputs aren't HDCP capable (although it is by no means a certainty as HDCP was designed around DVI).


I stand chastised harsh, I don't post much, but read a lot. I know help can't be provided without the details. The Genie is an HR44-700. I'm an IT guy and crammed VDI into HDMI by accident. I did enough research last night to find I may be able to upgrade the firmware in the Samsung to possibly allow full HDMI connectivity. Both the TV's in question are Samsung and I will pursue those issues in another forum. Thanks for your responses!


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## Laxguy (Dec 2, 2010)

Very curious about the use of composite— a big no-no in my book. The picture on that TV must be awful, no? 
Updating firmware a very good plan!

I have put all my older remotes in a drawer. I now have just three main TVs, and I have come to really like the RC7x remotes a lot. After a bit, you can operate them in the dark, no problem. Trying to use different remotes is.... Trying!

Hope it all gets straightened out for you!


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## kxaz145 (May 1, 2008)

Laxguy said:


> Very curious about the use of composite- a big no-no in my book. The picture on that TV must be awful, no?
> Updating firmware a very good plan!
> 
> I have put all my older remotes in a drawer. I now have just three main TVs, and I have come to really like the RC7x remotes a lot. After a bit, you can operate them in the dark, no problem. Trying to use different remotes is.... Trying!
> ...


Close, but no cigar on the firmware upgrade. I wrote down all the details of the Samsung (Model LNR2668WX/XAA) and Version and Serial Number; contacted Samsung tech support this morning. Alas, there isn't an upgrade available for this model. Would it be a total waste of time t contact DTV? They hauled off the DTV HD receiver that was working and I'm left with a SD picture.

Trying to use the new remote every night to gain familiarity, some functions still alluding me


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## jimmie57 (Jun 26, 2010)

kxaz145 said:


> Close, but no cigar on the firmware upgrade. I wrote down all the details of the Samsung (Model LNR2668WX/XAA) and Version and Serial Number; contacted Samsung tech support this morning. Alas, there isn't an upgrade available for this model. Would it be a total waste of time t contact DTV? They hauled off the DTV HD receiver that was working and I'm left with a SD picture.
> 
> Trying to use the new remote every night to gain familiarity, some functions still alluding me


http://www.solidsignal.com/pview.asp?mc=02&p=H2510PIN&d=DIRECTV-10-Pin-to-Component-Dongle-H25--Genie-Mini-Clients(H2510PIN)&c=Satellite Components&sku=

Call DTV and tell them you need one of these for that TV. That will allow you to hook it up with the component connection and you can play everything except for a 1080p PPV movie. I have my TV hooked up using the Component cables and do not have any problems.

Carl posted to use the Component cable hookup earlier.


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## Bill Broderick (Aug 25, 2006)

Unless the Component jacks on the small TV were already being used, I'm perplexed as to why the tech would have installed composite cables on the 26" LED, and component cables on the 56" DLP. He should have used component cables for both if HDMI wasn't working.


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## kxaz145 (May 1, 2008)

jimmie57 said:


> http://www.solidsignal.com/pview.asp?mc=02&p=H2510PIN&d=DIRECTV-10-Pin-to-Component-Dongle-H25--Genie-Mini-Clients(H2510PIN)&c=Satellite Components&sku=
> 
> Call DTV and tell them you need one of these for that TV. That will allow you to hook it up with the component connection and you can play everything except for a 1080p PPV movie. I have my TV hooked up using the Component cables and do not have any problems.
> 
> Carl posted to use the Component cable hookup earlier.


Carl,

Thanks for this item and I called as you suggested. The guy wanted to charge me for the cable and shipping until I talked him out of it. Cable was shipped overnight and installed with no further issues. Component signal much better than the composite!

Only one gripe left and it involves reception of local over the air signals and the loss of functionality of my AM-21. It doesn't connect to the HR44-700 Genie. This may be OK if the rain fade issue is not as severe as in the past.

JimB


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## peds48 (Jan 11, 2008)

The AM21 can definitely be connected to the HR44. you will need to use a separate power cord, but it works 


Sent from my iPhone 6 using Tapatalk


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## kxaz145 (May 1, 2008)

Peds, thanks for your advice. The installer had mentioned that he didn't know what an AM-21 was but that he had plugged everything into the HR44 from the 'old' DVR. I checked and the USB cable was not plugged in. Did that and a prompt to run setup popped up on the screen, said OK and entered zip code. The locals were back in the guide after a few minutes.


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## Laxguy (Dec 2, 2010)

Awesome! Glad to hear that's set.


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## peds48 (Jan 11, 2008)

Awesome thanks for the update. 

Not surprised the tech had no idea about the am21 since they are not installed by Directv in most markets. 


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