Hey there Solid SIgnal fans! Now’s your chance to have your voice heard. Literally. I’d like to know what you think about voice control on DIRECTV. Now’s the time, as I know that the folks in DIRECTV HQ really want to know what people are thinking about this particular feature.
It’s been there for a long time
DIRECTV first added voice control to its receivers back in 2013, believe it or not. I reviewed the functionality at the time, and you can still read that review. It was a sort of weird hybrid way of doing it, though. You needed an iPhone and the DIRECTV app, and while you talked into the phone, the results came up on the TV. Still for 2013 it was pretty cool, at least I thought so at the time.
The voice function of the DIRECTV app went away… at some point. I’ll admit I don’t know when because I didn’t use it terribly often. But it didn’t matter because DIRECTV added an Alexa skill. Here again though, it was a bit of a hybrid system. You needed an Echo Dot near the TV and then you had to install the skill yourself.
True voice control for DIRECTV hardware “sort of” arrived in 2020. The DIRECTV C71KW box is designed only for DIRECTV Stream and it features a voice-enabled remote. That remote doesn’t work with any other DIRECTV box, though, meaning that satellite customers can’t use its voice functionality.
“The other guys”
Whether you’re using a streaming box, cable, or satellite from DISH, it seems like the other guys have had voice control for a while. None of those companies is going to release the confidential research it takes to know whether or not people use it, though. Clearly the folks at DIRECTV didn’t think it was a big enough need to build it into the satellite system, and I’m sure they had some very good data.
But, maybe things are changing. Maybe this is being seen as a “must have” for all pay-TV installations of any kind. Truth is, I don’t know. That’s why I’m asking the smartest group out there… Solid Signal Blog readers. What do you think? If your DIRECTV box had a voice remote, would you use it?
Let me know. And remember, there are a lot of DIRECTV folks who read this blog. They’re reading this article, and I’m sure they’re listening to what you have to say. Leave a comment below and chances are, it will get to the right place.
Oh, and by the way, if you need the best in DIRECTV accessories, be sure to shop at SolidSignal.com or call us at 888-233-7563 with questions.
