Appending DVR to your DIRECTV satellite TV service may be useful since it allows you to record shows and movies to watch at a later time. In this case, knowing the options is necessary to decide whether to add a DVR and the costs that go with it. DIRECTV currently provides three main DVR receivers to its customers with different capabilities and costs associated with them.
The most fundamental DIRECTV DVR model is the DIRECTV HD DVR (Model Genie HR54). This receiver can record up to 200 hours of SD programming or 100 hours of HD shows. The Genie HR54 DVR is limited to connecting only one television set in your home to the DIRECTV satellite feed and network. For the Genie HR54 DVR the customer has to pay an initial fee of $100 and the leasing fee of $10 every month to be added to your DIRECTV bill. Therefore, the basic Genie DVR in the first year would cost $220 in total.
If you wish to record shows on not just one TV but on other TVs in your house, then you could opt for the DIRECTVs Whole-Home HD DVR. The current Whole-Home DVR model that is available is the Genie HR44. This allows you to link as many as eight TVs in the house and move recordings to any of the linked TVs from the DVR. It can store up to 200 hours of SD (standard definition) or 100 hours of HD (high definition) programming.
The initial cost of leasing Genie HR44 is one hundred dollars. It also comes with a $15 per month lease fee when you add it to your account. Also, you have to lease additional HD receivers in case you have any other TV which you would like to connect to the system and this comes at the cost of one. Each additional HD receiver costs $7 per month. If you wished to have DVR services for four televisions the first year cost would be $364 ($100 for the installation and $15 DVR fee and $7 for three additional receivers monthly).
The Genie Mini is another advanced DVR and media player provided by DIRECTV. It costs an extra $100 up-front and $7 a month to add the compact Genie Mini device that lets one TV access the Whole-Home HD DVR system. It allows you to view all the shows recorded using Genie DVR without having to install a full receiver for each television. To add a Genie Mini for 3 more TVs rather than HD receivers, it would be $340 for the first year.
One important thing to consider is that, DIRECTV often comes with a 2-year agreement on new DVR service. If you wanted to cancel within the first 2 years of the contract there was an early termination fee of $10 per month that was left in the contract. However, getting a new one for existing DIRECTV clients – adding Genie DVR or Genie Mini does not mean that the client has to begin a new 2-year contract again.
As for the costs, it is important to remember that leasing the DVR equipment implies that you do not own it. If you cancel DIRECTV service completely, you need to return the DVR receivers and if you fail to do so, you will be charged extra. However, if you continue to subscribe to the service and have TV, then you can replace your DIRECTV HD DVR every two years for free.
In summary, here are the first year costs to add different DIRECTV DVR options:In summary, here are the first year costs to add different DIRECTV DVR options:
With 1 TV connected: The total amount spent for this category is $220.
With 4 TVs connected: $364
Including DVR access from DIRECTV does come at a certain cost, however. But do not forget the pleasure and comfort that accompanies the ability to record movies, TV shows, and sports events to watch them at your own convenience. If you decide to go for the upgrade, thus appreciating the various receivers and costs, it is possible to select the right dvr package within the home needs and financial capacity.