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This one goes out to those relatively few people who don't like the new Gemini remote. I get it, folks, it's a new thing. And maybe it's not your cup of tea. If you've been using an older DIRECTV remote or a universal remote for a long time, you're comfortable with it. But, there are some things you'll need to be aware of.

1. You'll need to use the remote in IR mode.

Universal remotes and the older DIRECTV remotes can communicate with the Gemini in IR mode only. They're not compatible with the Gemini's Bluetooth technology. That means you may have to point the remote a little more carefully. If you have an existing remote, you may need to reset it so it uses infrared, not RF. Here's a tutorial to help you do that.

2. Some of the buttons may be a little different.

If you look at this extensive article, you'll see that all the buttons you use on the Gemini remote are also on older remotes. They just might not have the same names. It takes a little getting used to but it becomes second nature very quickly if you are accustomed to the older remote.

However, there are three buttons that don't act like they used to, and that's the real purpose of this article.

3. The RED, PLAY, and STOP buttons don't do anything anymore

The RED button used to launch interactive features, and it also helped you delete programs within the playlist. Now it doesn't do either of those things. The PLAY and STOP buttons on your old remote don't do anything at all, and that can be a little confusing at first. Here's the rundown.

You used to use a different button to delete a recording than you used to record it. That's changed.

I personally never liked that DIRECTV remotes had a RED button and then they had a RECORD button that was orange. When people see a red dot, they think "Record," right? I know I do. Now, there is one button, a red dot, and it's used to record AND delete a recording. It's actually better. Just forget that the red button on your remote even exists. Use the record button.

The PLAY button has been replaced by the PAUSE button. I know, it's confusing.

This is actually a change that happened with the last-generation Genie remotes. They replaced the separate PLAY and PAUSE buttons with a single button that both PLAYed and PAUSEd. The code from the old PAUSE button was used for this. It was kind of cool that you could press the PLAY button and see where you were in a recording. That function has been taken away.

If you have an older remote, use the PAUSE button any time you would use either the PLAY or PAUSE buttons. Just forget the PLAY button is even there.

The STOP button doesn't stop anything. You use EXIT instead.

Again, this is a change that happened with the Genie remote back in 2014. That remote removed the STOP button and replaced its function with the EXIT button. You could still use the STOP button on Genie clients, but you can't use it on a Gemini. It just doesn't work.

This is another case where what they did makes sense moving forward, but it leaves some users behind.

Is there hope of fixing this?

I think it's possible that DIRECTV will restore the function of the PLAY and STOP button at some point, but it could be a while. I think the RED button is gone for good, though.

In the meantime, if you want to upgrade to the DIRECTV Gemini or make any changes to your DIRECTV account, call on the folks at Solid Signal. We won't give you long hold times or script readers, just experts who know their stuff. Check us out – the number is 888-233-7563. If it's after hours, fill out the form below and we'll get right back to you.


The post IMPORTANT INFO for Gemini users with universal remotes appeared first on The Solid Signal Blog.

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