DIRECTV Has Retired the Active Channel

[Scott Greczkowski]

The DIRECTV Active Channel on channel 9999 has been retired as of 7/31/17.

Customers with a RC6x remote will not be taken to any channel when they press the “Active” button on their remote.

The key services that the DIRECTV Active Channel offers, including weather forecasts, HD Sports Mix, DIRECTV Cinema Preview and What’s Hot, will still be available in other locations on DIRECTV.

How to access these features without the Active Channel:

Weather Forecast:

• Weather Nation on channel 361 and The Weather Channel on channel 362 (on-screen prompts allow for customizable weather forecast)
• The interactive Weather TV App can also be found in the TV Apps Dock (right arrow button on the remote)

HD Sports Mix:

• Channel 205
• Channel 600

DIRECTV Cinema Preview:

• Channel 125

What’s Hot:

• Menu > My DIRECTV
• TV Apps Dock (right arrow button on the remote)

 

[mdram]

in my time with directv i dont think i ever tuned to this channel on purpose

 

[Willh699]

now the "Active" button has just become bricked for all of the older DirecTV remotes.

 

[TermiNader]

Thank goodness! I hate when I press that button accidentally and it takes forever to get control back!

 

[EarDemon]

Amen brother!

I am so sick of accidentally hitting the Active button on the remote and being taken to 9999. A few weeks ago when I accidentally hit it and I saw the scroll at the bottom of the screen saying it was going away on 7/31, it was a happy moment.

 

[Jimbo]

Amen brother!

I am so sick of accidentally hitting the Active button on the remote and being taken to 9999. A few weeks ago when I accidentally hit it and I saw the scroll at the bottom of the screen saying it was going away on 7/31, it was a happy moment.

I gave up that particular remote a few years back, haven't missed it at all.
Fwiw, I don't use the new peanut remote either as I hate that one, you lose to many things you can do with the White one.

I have a URC MX-890 that I like very well, it does everything I need to do and when I add something I can get it programmed as well.

 

[EarDemon]

I tried. I've had the HR44 for almost a year now, with it's peanut style remote and still can't used to it. I use the other remote 90% of the time.

 

[ejb1980]

I also never use the peanut, except for when I rarely use the bedroom TV. It shares the HDMI of my living room TV so I need it's RF capabilities. The RC65 controls everything I use regularly without any sort of remote switching. The RC71 doesn't. It's my personal Harmony remote since it does everything I want it to and I am familiar with it. The active button is my only complaint because it takes forever to get out of there if I accidentally hit it.

 

[pattykay]

How to access these features without the Active Channel:

What’s Hot:

• Menu > My DIRECTV
• TV Apps Dock (right arrow button on the remote)

Well, since the D12 doesn't have TV Apps, that is another feature that I have lost.

 

[TheRatPatrol]

now the "Active" button has just become bricked for all of the older DirecTV remotes.

Or they could make it a PIP toggle.

 

[mdram]

but pip wont work on minis

 

[pattykay]

but pip wont work on minis

...or the D12.

 

[edisonprime]

but pip wont work on minis

A good way around that is if your TV itself has PIP and have an antenna hooked up to the TV directly you could do PIP with your satellite locals and your OTA locals. Not the ideal solution, but it works.

 

[edisonprime]

I also never use the peanut, except for when I rarely use the bedroom TV. It shares the HDMI of my living room TV so I need it's RF capabilities. The RC65 controls everything I use regularly without any sort of remote switching. The RC71 doesn't. It's my personal Harmony remote since it does everything I want it to and I am familiar with it. The active button is my only complaint because it takes forever to get out of there if I accidentally hit it.

I'm stuck using the peanut for one of my boxes. I only have one TV that does 4K and need both an HR54 and a C61K so I can do 4K on DirecTV. So I had to put electrical tape over the IR reader on the HR54 (since the C61K is my primary device) and use the peanut remote on that one. I use both the universal remote and the peanut remote (but mostly the universal one) for my C61K.

 

[ejb1980]

I'm stuck using the peanut for one of my boxes. I only have one TV that does 4K and need both an HR54 and a C61K so I can do 4K on DirecTV. So I had to put electrical tape over the IR reader on the HR54 (since the C61K is my primary device) and use the peanut remote on that one. I use both the universal remote and the peanut remote (but mostly the universal one) for my C61K.

So you have 2 receivers on 1 TV paying an extra $7 for 3 channels of part time 4K? The Directv 4K is a terrible method of distribution. And not enough content to justify. Using a client on a main TV and losing some of the features (like ESPN app) is just not an improvement. Just like the the peanut remote is not an improvement.

 

[raoul5788]

So you have 2 receivers on 1 TV paying an extra $7 for 3 channels of part time 4K? The Directv 4K is a terrible method of distribution. And not enough content to justify. Using a client on a main TV and losing some of the features (like ESPN app) is just not an improvement. Just like the the peanut remote is not an improvement.

I agree, except for the peanut remote. It does everything I need it to. I don't like the missing pause key though.

 

[pattykay]

I tried. I've had the HR44 for almost a year now, with it's peanut style remote and still can't used to it. I use the other remote 90% of the time.

I also never use the peanut, except for when I rarely use the bedroom TV. It shares the HDMI of my living room TV so I need it's RF capabilities. The RC65 controls everything I use regularly without any sort of remote switching. The RC71 doesn't.

It seems that a few people here do not like the peanut remote. If anyone wants the older style remote, I have some available. Just pay shipping.