There are several cable companies whose boxes include a “lost remote” mode. I’ll admit that the feature is pretty cool. Press a button on the main box and the remote will give off a shrill sound, or flash lights, or vibrate. It’s a good idea considering the epidemic of losing remotes in couch cushions that we’ve been living with for nearly half a century. You could consider this sort of thing an early form of the “find my phone” function that we all have on our devices now.
Unfortunately it’s not something that’s crossed over to the DIRECTV universe, and I don’t know why. It’s such a good idea, even though I admit it would add to the manufacturing cost of the remote. I haven’t heard anyone at DIRECTV talking about it either, so if something like this does happen it’s going to be years in the future. It takes a long time to award manufacturing contracts, get FCC approval, all that stuff.
So, if DIRECTV doesn’t make it easy for you to find your remote, the second best thing is to have multiple remotes on hand. Your friends at Solid Signal have the solution, with a remote that is so inexpensive you can afford to get original manufacturer quality instead of a third-party knockoff. This remote feels good in the hand and has features other remotes just don’t.
Why use a genuine DIRECTV remote?
There’s a cool feature to DIRECTV remotes that you won’t find in any other remote at this price range: The ability to point through walls and doors. Every new DIRECTV Genie remote will work with Genie DVRs and clients in RF mode, meaning that you can point the remote at the TV even if the DVR is in a completely different direction. Setup is easy too. (Check out our tutorial to learn more.) This makes them much better than a remote you’ll get at the local drugstore, and it gives you a lot of flexibility when placing your receiver.
For example, you can put the Genie Mini Client on the back of the TV and never see it, and with the remote’s RF capability, everything still works. With drugstore remotes, it doesn’t work. If your client boxes and Genie DVR were installed by a DIRECTV technician you’re probably using this feature now and you don’t even realize it. The Genie remote seamlessly switches back and forth between two modes, so it can still use infrared to control your TV or sound system. The Genie DVR and client will pick up remote signals from either infrared or RF, so really the best part of this is that your system “just works.”
Another feature that the DIRECTV remotes have is a low battery indicator. The remote’s power light will start to flash when the batteries are running out. This gives you a day or so warning so you can make sure you have batteries in the house. With most DIRECTV Genie equipment, you’ll also get an onscreen warning.
Get DIRECTV accessories from Solid Signal
I can’t guarantee that DIRECTV will ever add a “lost remote” capability, so for now it’s a good idea to just pick up these remotes while they’re cheap. It’s just common sense. You can find remotes, as well as all the same accessories that DIRECTV techs carry, when you shop at Solid Signal. Not sure what you need? Contact us! We’re here for you during East Coast business hours. Just call 888-233-7563. If it’s after hours, fill out the form below and we’ll get back to you. It usually takes less than one business day.
