Help me select a new DVR. I hate the "autoplay" of the Genie HR54

The only way to get around what you have is to go backwards to an HR24 which is much slower and only has 2 tuners.
Do you have an old RC6x model remote ? If yes, try using the stop button on it or the exit button. It should work the same as it did on your old receivers.
See if it will cure your problem.

 

IIRC the autoplay feature started before AT&T took over. It wasn't liked too much then and many called out DTV from copying Netflix with that feature.

Unfortunately we have it with no way to disable it.

 

I have an HR44, and it has the same issue with auto-play. I absolutely despise it and the new GUI. The only way around it is an HR24, plus with the HR24 you get the good old GUI which is so much quicker and less button presses to accomplish the same task on a 44. I've just about had it with DTV since ATT took the reins.

Sent from my SM-G955U using Tapatalk

 

I have an HR54, C61K and an HR24 in the TV room. I almost always use the HR24 to watch recorded material. The only exception is 4K recordings of course. The HR24 speed is not so good but it outweighs having to deal with the terrible GUI on the others.

If I was the OP I would add an HR24 and use it for playback.

 

I'd much rather use a 24 for viewing too. Nothing wrong with my 44 except for the GUI. Why the developers had to change the GUI that much is beyond me. My 44 is simply the best DVR I've ever used but that GUI ruins the experience. And D* has the nerve to call the Genies an "upgrade". Take that GUI away and let the Genie's revert to a GUI that is identical to the 24's GUI and the Genies would be damn near perfect. I think.

Rich

 

I too had a HR24. I recently finally got sick of it and upgraded to the HR54. The auto play is a bit of an annoyance, but nothing of the level OP is implying . I'd say taking 30 seconds to respond to a button press on the HR24 was a much bigger annoyance.

Rich has solved that problem by putting an SSD into it, so you can go that route to "speed it up" if the auto-play annoys you that much, but you'd lose 3 tuners.

Re: falling back to an HR24, since you just activated a HR54, remember, you are under a 1 yr (or possibly 2 yr) contract, so you're unlikely to get a free HR24. You'd have to buy one at full MSRP since people have been reporting that AT&T doesn't activate eBay boxes anymore. Supposedly they will if its a NIB with a NIB access card, but some people have said they weren't even able to activate those. YMMV.

You'd have to buy one direct from DirecTV or an authorized dealer like Solid Signal. $200.

Plus you'll lose the ability to record 4K.

 

If you are going to just use it for playback wouldn't an H24 be much better. My son's is much faster than my HR24 ?

 

Does your son have the original HDD in that 24?

Rich

 

My HR24 does have the original drive in it.
My son's H24 has no HDD and it responds so much faster. His channel changes are instant.

 

I'd like to see a comparison of those two devices with a new HDD in or on the HR24. That would prove a point, perhaps.

Rich

 

Yes it would prove that they are probably just as fast, especially if you put in an SSD drive. It really does not matter anyway. I like having all DVR's. I use some for backups of critical series in case the HD in one bites the dust. Also I am so spoiled now that I just cannot watch a show if I have to sit through the commercials.

 

Yup. My HR24 literally took 30+ seconds to respond to a button press intermittently.

You might want to try out Rich's thing, he's been happy with the results. He indicates when you put in a BRAND NEW drive, it speeds things up considerably, especially if you use an SSD. For me, I didn't want to invest the money/effort into a 10 yr+ old box, but auto play doesn't bug me though .

Unless you watch sports, there isn't really any 4K content on DirecTV anyways, so I wouldn't really factor that into your decision.

 

I do not have an HR54 but, the H24 uses the same software as the HR24 and I see no reason for it not to work the same when connected to the HR54.

 

I used to think having an all in one server/gateway would be cool but what happens when the whole thing breaks and you can’t watch TV or surf the web? Also after seeing the Altice One problems on Youtube that doesn’t look good. I also don’t think having the wireless video bridge built into the HS-17 since they say you can’t have your gateway next to it due to wireless interference.

 

With an HR54 and an H24 if the 54 breaks the 24 has it's own tuner and still watch live TV.

 

The HR-54 has the power inserter built in and if you don’t have an external power inserter hooked up to the HR-54 and the HR-54 breaks what about powering the dish?