DIRECTV’s Gemini, whether in its satellite version or internet version, is capturing the country’s interest. It’s a really unique option in the pay-TV world. Other pay-TV providers have streaming addons, but this is the only box that does the streaming processing on the actual device. Other services, like DISH, use a central host to do a lot of the heavy lifting. In the live streaming world, Gemini for Internet offers a great way for longtime pay-TV customers to transfer over to streaming without losing a friendly remote or a comfortable user experience.
The remote is also a big hit. It communicates over Bluetooth (and infrared, if you’d prefer) for easy pairing and easy use. It has a voice control button driven by Google. And, it’s simpler, lighter, and more comfortable to use than any previous DIRECTV remote. But there seems to be some question as to whether or not it’s backlit.
Quick answer: yes it is backlit.
The remote has a gentle white backlight. It’s not as bright as previous remotes, but it is there. Unlike previous DIRECTV remotes, there is no dedicated backlight button, but pressing any button other than the voice button turns on the backlight immediately.
Here’s the receipt:
This is a completely unretouched photo of a Gemini remote on top of my washing machine. It’s blurry, because it was a three second exposure in near total darkness using my phone. I’m sure I could get a more visually pleasing photo, but that’s not the point. This is a backlit remote, plain and simple.
The backlighting comes on automatically any time a button is pressed, with the exception of the voice button. Pressing the voice button does not trigger the backlight for some reason, although clearly as you can see the voice button does have a backlight.
There is no manual control for the backlight, no way to set the duration of the light. Also note that the channel and volume rockers are not lit at all, much like the Genie remote. You can barely see them in the photo.
Chances are you won’t notice the backlight if you’re in a decently lit room. I think that anyone who has said there isn’t a backlight just didn’t look at the remote in a darkened area. With an average amount of light in the room, you really can’t see the backlight. That’s actually an improvement over the previous generation remotes which tended to have somewhat washed out letters if looked at in a lit room.
Get your Gemini from Solid Signal
When you’re ready to upgrade to the power of DIRECTV’s Gemini, you’ll want an expert. There are two flavors of Gemini. One works with the Genie DVR and satellite service, while the other one only requires an internet connection. You can’t change the boxes from one to the other, despite the fact that they look identical. So, you need to get things right to begin with. If you start with the wrong device, you can have a lot of problem getting the right one.
Call the experts at Signal Connect and we’ll help you figure out what you need. We won’t let you go wrong. We’re here for you during East Coast business hours at 888-233-7563. If it’s after hours, don’t go to DIRECTV’s overseas call centers. Most of those folks have never even seen a Gemini. Instead, fill out the form below and we’ll get back to you quickly!
