So you just got that brand new HR44 Genie and its slick little RC71 Genie Remote. You sit down, you watch a recording and… hey, where’s the stop button! You want to go back to live TV, but without a stop button, you’re completely befuddled!
Don’t worry, my friend. The RC71 remote is small but mighty, and you have an option just waiting for you. Instead of {STOP}, press {EXIT} or the left arrow instead. {EXIT} returns you to live TV and the left arrow takes you back to the last menu you were in. Really, it’s just the same as using the stop button, right?
DIRECTV did a lot of research and found that many people found the old DIRECTV remote confusing. They designed the RC71 to make it easy for people to know what to do, with a big prominent record button and easy-to-push rockers for the volume and channel. They made the buttons feel differently in your hands, and put the most frequently used ones — {MENU}, {GUIDE}, and {LIST} right up top.
Getting rid of redundant buttons was always in the works. {FORMAT} and {ACTIVE} were easier to get to from the menu, that’s what people said and so DIRECTV took them off the remote. The color buttons weren’t really used to their full potential, so DIRECTV took all but the red one (which is used for ScoreGuide) off the remote. The result is a remote that is both lighter and more powerful.
Still, it’s not for everyone. Remember, if you’re willing to sacrifice RF mode capability, you can always go back to the old style remote. You’re set either way.
