I've run into the silly setup procedure that some DirecTV receivers have. With the normal procedure, you select TV, enter a brand name, and you get one or more pages of codes to enter into the DirecTV remote; you try these until one of them works. The silly procedure brings up an alphabet grid and a list of model numbers, headed by "don't know." You select a model, point the remote at the satellite receiver, and then you see


You then hit OK. A message tells you to keep the remote pointed at the receiver.

I just did this and got a message saying that my remote could not be set up.  I get this message more than half of the time I have to use this method.  I can try again or cancel.

I find this stupid because it doesn't allow me to try different things. It just occurred to me that perhaps when you try again it will try different codes, but there's nothing to even imply that. I have had to leave customers' homes without their remotes set up properly because of this method.

I just did this at home with with an RC65RX and my* HR24-500.

Now, here's what I discovered: If I try the same thing with an RC65RB, the normal process is called up! It's not the receiver that calls up this process, it's some combination of receiver and remote!

Might I just ask, as politely as possible, W T F ? ? ?  It's nice that I know this now, but it's the first I've heard of it, and it makes all installations and programming possible as long as I have the right remote with me.  But come on, isn't this just totally ridiculous?



*actually, it's leased, but that's an entirely other dumb thing.

You cannot program a rc65rx while In rf mode. You have to set remote to ir then learn tv or av code. Then you can revert to rf

Let me start by saying that is not true and it is TOTALLY unrelated to this thread.

This thread is about how two different remotes, both issuing the commands MENU, up, down, left, right, and ENTER, somehow make the receiver open up completely different methods of programming IR control of a TV. EVERY TIME.

It did not occur to me to note that I was trying to program both remotes, in IR mode, to control my Sharp TV. My gf likes the lighted remote so she uses it. And while it does RF, I'm not using it.

It is not true that you cannot program an RF remote while it's in RF mode. The AV1, AV2, and TV programming works just peachy while the remote communicates with the DirecTV receiver via RF. But THIS IS NOT ABOUT THAT.


We've been told that all IR commands for DirecTV are the same. If that's so, then how can two remotes open up different procedures using the same button presses?

And I believe it only works like that on newer (24's and above) receivers.

Really? Nobody has anything else to say about this? Has this been common knowledge and I just didn't know it?

not related? it is related for me. i may have not dealt with these remotes enough but, the 50% failure rate to properly setup remote you are experiencing was also happening to me. in fact it was happening to me 100% of the time while the remote was in RF mode. as soon as i switched back to IR the remote programmed fine, then i would re-setup remote for RF. Now my 100% could equate to your 50% if i had attempted more times, but this is my experience. also, i freaking HATE this stupid method to program remote. i keep a .pdf with all the codes provided by DTV in my dropbox and use it with my ipad, phone, etc.

I don't know why you would have trouble with programming IR with the remote in RF mode, but I never have. I learned recently that you can't program the remote to control volume of an A/V component unless you've first programmed it to control a TV, which is wildly disconnected to me, as the times when you want to control volume of an A/V component are times when you're less likely to need to control a TV... but whatever.

So now I've apparently found that you don't have to have that file in dropbox, you just have to use the IR remote to suck the codes out of the satellite receiver, then program those codes into the RF remote.

I also HATE that other mode of programming the remote. Even when it worked (that one out of about three times) it was just freaking ridiculous to have to "try again," whatever that means... and if they mean that a different code will be tried, they should say it. Beyond that, it makes zero sense. The times that it has failed, the satellite receiver has failed to send something to the remote from five feet away! And then, of course, I could not check to see if the tried code would function. Stooooopiddd!

you dont have to have dropbox, it just makes more sense as i am always with my phone, ipad, or laptop. i am very rarely carrying my IR DTV remote! ernie, you may want to print and keep with you, (old school style). anyhow, here is a link to doc, it just makes sense to have. i keep hundreds of manuals in dropbox, basically everything we sell and support we try to keep. awesome when a client calls from two years ago and you can tell him/her where every button is on front of device, etc.

[Link: directv.com]

Ernie, the White directv remotes have always had a remote signature included with all commands. Until the x-series of remotes, that signature was the same for all models of white directv remotes. Now the different signature coming out of the x-series of remote, tells the HR24 receiver what menu to display.

If you want to test this, using one of the following models of remote, rc65x, rc65rx, or the rc65rbx, on the HR24, do the following:

1. menu> settings & help> settings> remote control>

what should be displayed:

Program Remote
Copy Settings
Reset Remote


Now lets turn off the remote signature:

1. directv device
2. press and hold MUTE & SELECT, wait for two blinks
3. enter 9 6 3
4. press CH DOWN

now retry following steps:

1. menu> settings & help> settings> remote control>

now you get:

Program remote
IR/RF Setup
Receiver Mode
Advanced Setups

to restore the remote if you wish:


1. directv device
2. press and hold MUTE & SELECT, wait for two blinks
3. enter 9 6 3
4. press CH UP

lesson over, :)

Thanks for the link Edizzle, was recently at a job site where I was the only person on site with the DTV box in a different room from the TV. Would have been helpful to have that codeset at the time.

andrew, no problem.

edmund, nice info!!

Thanks, edmund! More remote clarity, as usual!