Hate the new HR44 remote? Use the old one instead

You’re not the only one who doesn’t like the RC71 remote that ships with the new HR44 and C41 boxes from DIRECTV. The new remote has received its share of criticism from the power user community because it lacks many of the buttons we are used to from the old RC65 remote.

The good news is that any white DIRECTV remote — even the older ones from the mid-2000s — will work with the new receivers. Use an older remote and here’s what you’ll get back:

  • {PLAY} button brings up the time bar without pausing
  • Color buttons all work
  • {STOP} button stops a playback in progress and deletes to-do list items
  • {ACTIVE} button goes straight to the DIRECTV Active Channel
  • More codes for TVs and other components
  • Direct control of TV and AV devices using the top slider

You’ll also get the comfort of using a remote that’s become familiar to you throughout the years.

Sadly, there are a few things you will lose if you use that white DIRECTV remote:

  • Self-programming functions. You will have to key in codes to program the remote.
  • RF function. This is the big one… the new boxes won’t work in RF mode unless they are using a new remote.
  • Rocker switches for volume and channel. This is the best part of the new design and the easiest to get used to.

You can use the RC71 remote side by side with the older remotes… you can even program the RC71 to use RF while still using the older remote in IR. The new boxes will take both commands at the same time.

So… sit back enjoy the remote you really want to use without worrying about learning a new one!

About the Author

Stuart Sweet
Stuart Sweet is the editor-in-chief of The Solid Signal Blog and a "master plumber" at Signal Group, LLC. He is the author of over 10,000 articles and longform tutorials including many posted here. Reach him by clicking on "Contact the Editor" at the bottom of this page.