It’s official. DIRECTV’s Gemini for Satellite is a hit. This little box lets you watch satellite TV and your favorite apps all on one box. That’s something DIRECTV customers have been wanting for years. The Gemini also comes with a voice-enabled remote that’s easy to use, and that’s something our customers have wanted for a long time.
When the Gemini launched, our most commonly asked question from upgraders was, “Can I use my old remote with it?” The answer, by the way, is yes you can as long as it’s in infrared mode. But that question was quickly eclipsed by another set of questions like “Where did the button for (X) go on my Gemini remote?”
People like the new remote, you see. It’s light and feels good in your hand. Even if you don’t want the voice command part it’s still a darn nice remote. But it does have fewer buttons than the older DIRECTV remotes. Some of them are just renamed. For example, the button that used to say INFO now just has three dots […]. But what about the buttons to go back 10 seconds and go forward 30 seconds? Those seem to have disappeared completely.
Here’s where you’ll find them
There’s a bit of trickery afoot in the new remote. If you want to skip forward 30 seconds, press the RIGHT ARROW button while watching live TV. If you want to skip back 10 seconds (in other words replay) press the LEFT ARROW button while watching live TV.
In order for this to work, the top info bar (the one that has the name of the program and stuff) can’t show. If the top info bar shows, the arrow buttons will act as left and right buttons for that bar. If it is on the screen, just press the EXIT button to get rid of it before trying to go forward or backward in time.
Having one button that works differently in different cases might not seem like the best way of doing things. I’ve found that once you get used to it, it makes a lot more sense. And, I was able to get used to it in about a day.
Ready for your Gemini upgrade?
If you’re still using older Genie clients, you might just want to think about the new Gemini. It can be used wired or wireless, and in many cases can go right into the place where your old Genie clients were without any additional wiring. You can even use your old power supply so you don’t have to dig it out from behind the dresser.
When you’re ready to upgrade, you won’t want to call DIRECTV’s call center. They’re not equipped to handle these upgrades. They’re focused on getting new customers into the Gemini, not on existing customers. Getting your Gemini upgrade can be a little complicated, but the experts at Solid Signal will make it easy for you. Just call us at 888-233-7563 during East Coast business hours. Our activation experts will take care of everything. Have additional questions? No problem! Fill out the form below. We’ll get right back to you quickly.
