Now that it’s been out for a while, a lot of people are finding that they actually like the Genie Remote. Way back in 2014 when it came out it was criticized by the DIRECTV faithful. See, it was called too small. They said it lacked key buttons like STOP and BACK. Today practically everyone finds that the remote’s friendly size and layout are just what they’ve been looking for. All the “action” buttons are in easy reach and the rockers for volume and channel are much more friendly. Add to that the fact that its battery life is superb and that every Genie Remote has built-in RF capability and autoprogramming when used with a Genie DVR or client, and it’s beginning to seem like a real winner.
Except that one thing.
Except… (imagine an ominous sound here) when you want to turn only one component on and off. Unlike the older-version remote, the Genie Remote doesn’t have a dedicated power button for turning on only one component. This comes in handy if you happen to have missed pointing the remote right at the TV, and it’s still on after you turn the DVR off. I wouldn’t exactly call this a glaring omission, but it’s something.
One way around the problem
If the DVR is still on when the TV is off, there’s a simple solution: Point the remote away from the TV and if it’s a Genie DVR that’s programmed to use RF, it will still work even if you point the remote 180 degrees in the wrong direction. That ought to do it for you.
If the TV is still on while the DVR is off, there’s an unpleasant truth: You will actually have to get up and turn the TV off on its front panel (which these days, is usually on the side or back.) Or you could dig through the junk drawer and find the original TV remote, which is probably more trouble than it’s worth.
The only hope for avoiding the true horror of actually having to get up out of your chair is if the TV itself has an app that can be used on your smartphone to control it. Those apps don’t always let you turn the TV on, but they usually allow you to turn it off.
And still the faithful say…
Oh, DIRECTV, how could you do this to us? How could you actually require us to stand up in order to control our consumer electronics? We’re not cavemen here… we are evolved beings of the 21st century and as such we are unaccustomed to having to exercise manual control over things we hold dear! What a travesty!
Yes, I’m exaggerating for effect. This is the very definition of a “first-world problem,” don’t you think? That said, there probably could have been some way to deal with this on the remote. One more button probably wouldn’t have killed them.
If you want to have more control over your devices, there are a few options. You can turn on HDMI control if all of your devices support it. We have a nice in-depth tutorial here to help. Or you can get an IP remote app for your phone if your devices support that. Or, failing all of that, get an infrared universal remote. Since no one really wants them anymore, they’re cheaper than ever. Pick the one you want, and program it to do what you want. It’s never been easier.
