DirecTV remotes are garbage

[billofrights]

We have 2 DirecTV boxes, one is about 6 years old, the other was new when we got it last year. The old one has 2 oem remotes and 1 aftermarket Dallas Cowboys one (GF bought it, don't blame me!) and the new one has it's brand new remote.

Every one of them is crap. Takes several seconds for commands to be recognized whether it's talking to the box in front of me or the one in the other room (they're networked together). Has anyone run into this or can recommend a good 3rd party remote? I'm partial to Logitech, their keyboards and mice are all I use. Was thinking of this guy:

http://www.logitech.com/en-us/product/harmony-touch

[Hoologan]

A logitech Harmony One was one of the best investments I've ever made. $$ but worth every penny. It looks like the One has been replaced with the touch.

These things are seriously cool. You program them through your computer and everything is activity based, so if I want to watch TV, I just hit "Watch TV" and all the right equipment turns on and goes to the correct inputs/outputs.

[Puckinhead]

The logitech are nice. I have had two. Unfortunately they have both suffered a short life. The latest was the Harmony 900. After updating the remote with a new device is was stuck on the white screen of death. Logitech basically said I am out of warranty and there is nothing they can do. Nice remote while it lasted. The delay from your Direct TV remote is from the DVR and not your remote. The harmony will act the same. The touch look pretty sweet though. I just read somewhere that Logitech just sold the Harmony remote line????

[billofrights]

But I find it odd that a 6 or 7 year old box and a brand new one both move at frozen molasses speed. It's not an issue of the internal HDD being too full or fragmented, as it does this just watching TV as well.

[sholling]

The answer is Logitech Harmony, I have Harmony Ones in two rooms.

[Yugo]

HARMONY SUCKS sucks for "ME"!!! (program universal remotes and for me harmony is WAY too proprietary) The reason for the delay is NOT the remote but the box. Do you have all the latest firmware on the boxes? If they are on the network and access to internet update firmware, if you want a good universal remote buy a Universal RemoteTM remote.



EDIT:

I have reread what I wrote and just wanted to clarify that what I said about Logitec sucking is from a different point of view then most. I am an installer so when I go into a job to program a universal remote, I would like to have an easy setup BUT also very customizable because I can do much faster work and more advanced setup for you the customer and leave without having to charge you for longer labor. The Logitec brand does not fully fill my needs. It sucks for me.

[billofrights]

Double checking the firmware tonight but should be current. I've all but decided on the Harmony touch, Logitech has never done me wrong. Just hard to take $250 from my guns & ammo budget for a TV remote

[Puckinhead]

Clearing the cache on the DVR has helped me before with slow boxes. Sometimes temporary but at least it helps. Here is the process.
Go to channel 1. Once the page is operating including audio, use the remote and press Red, Red, Blue, Blue, Yellow, Green in exactly that order. This must be done quickly. Otherwise the yellow press will bring up a quick options menu. That will display a message about the NVRAM being cleared in the lower left.

[sholling]

Double checking the firmware tonight but should be current. I've all but decided on the Harmony touch, Logitech has never done me wrong. Just hard to take $250 from my guns & ammo budget for a TV remote

It's less painful now since ammo is nowhere to be found.

[97F1504RAD]

Clearing the cache on the DVR has helped me before with slow boxes. Sometimes temporary but at least it helps. Here is the process.
Go to channel 1. Once the page is operating including audio, use the remote and press Red, Red, Blue, Blue, Yellow, Green in exactly that order. This must be done quickly. Otherwise the yellow press will bring up a quick options menu. That will display a message about the NVRAM being cleared in the lower left.

Awesome tip thanks for that.

OP it's not the remote it the receiver. And it gets even slower when recording.

[Steve G]

HARMONY SUCKS!!! (program universal remotes and for me harmony is WAY too proprietary) The reason for the delay is NOT the remote but the box. Do you have all the latest firmware on the boxes? If they are on the network and access to internet update firmware, if you want a good universal remote buy a Universal RemoteTM remote.

+1. My Universal remote has seved me well. After a couple years the buttons stopped working. Remote was fixed free by UR. More $$ than the harmony but leaps and bounds ahead

[Bobby Ricigliano]

I really loved paying $200 for my HD DirecTV box and then not even owning it and having to return it when I cancelled my subscription 2 years later.

FIOS has been infinitely better AND cheaper..

[five.five-six]

harmony 1100

[ibanezfoo]

Another vote for the Harmony here. Its aptly named. Your wife no longer has to yell at you for having 10 remotes on the coffe table and not knowing the correct sequence of buttons to press on them to do something as simple as watch TV. All she has to do is press the Watch TV button on the Harmony. If something doesnt work right there is even a help button. No more "honey! I want to watch tv! get in here and make this &#%@ing thing work!"

I have a couple Harmony 700s but honestly i liked the old bean shape better. Functionally they are the same.

[todd2968]

Same issue with my Dvr you can see the blue light respond but it take several minutes or seconds to respond. Problem as per directv is not in the remote but the software for the Dvr. The tech told me many moths ago there would be a software update forthcoming but I have not seen it