Help me help my dad - RC73 remote / audio question

[David Taylor]

I'm a Dish Network guy and have been for close to 20 years. But my 70-year-old parents just got DirectTV. The system they got has a Genie RC73 remote. The installer programmed it to work with their Sony TV. All of that is fine. However, they have an older Pioneer receiver (model VSX-455) that they have always used to control the volume. Their crappy cable remote even controlled it fine.

Anyway, I googled it and went through the menus. It is pretty slick how the DirectTV receiver knows all of the devices/codes. I like that. Anyway, the model is listed in the receiver's menus and I put it in and it says it put the code in the remote. I even locked the volume to the Pioneer receiver. But I can't get it to power it on/off or control the volume. Nothing. It controls their Sony TV fine and like I said the exact Pioneer receiver model (VSX455) was in the settings section of the menu. Any ideas on why this wouldn't work? Thanks in advance!

 

[texasbrit]

Did you program the remote to the TV before you entered the receiver data?

 

[David Taylor]

Did you program the remote to the TV before you entered the receiver data?

Yes.

 

[David Taylor]

It is my understanding from reading online that you have to program the TV before you will have the option to program the audio system--or at least before it will work. As I said above, it lets me go through and set up the Pioneer VSX455 audio receiver...it has the exact model listed...but it just doesn't work.

On another note, are there BETTER remotes that DirectTV could send my dad that will work with his equipment? I think it is ridiculous that I've had a Dish remote for over a decade that will control a stereo receiver and my dad has had a cable remote that does the same thing but a brand new DirectTV remote will not.

 

[David Taylor]

Alternately, is there a way to look up and manually enter codes into the RC73 for an audio receiver?

 

[Bill Millar]

The RC. 73 remote will only turn the power on and off on the TV and Genie receiver. I have a Pioneer audio receiver and the RC 73 does control the volume.

 

[David Taylor]

The RC. 73 remote will only turn the power on and off on the TV and Genie receiver. I have a Pioneer audio receiver and the RC 73 does control the volume.

Then I have to ask: What is the point of allowing you to configure an audio receiver in the settings?

 

[mdram]

yep, the rc73 wil not power on and off a receiver
you can get an rc6x from amazon cheap that will
it will only work via ir with the genies and minis

or you can try enabling hdmi control and have the tv turn it on and off

 

[David Taylor]

yep, the rc73 wil not power on and off a receiver
you can get an rc6x from amazon cheap that will
it will only work via ir with the genies and minis

or you can try enabling hdmi control and have the tv turn it on and off

Another question: does DirecTV make a decent universal remote that will work with the new Genies via RF? I'm seeing one called an RC32RF. Will that work? If not, is the rc6x the best way to go for a DirecTV specific universal remote? Thanks in advance!

 

[mdram]

Another question: does DirecTV make a decent universal remote that will work with the new Genies via RF? I'm seeing one called an RC32RF. Will that work? If not, is the rc6x the best way to go for a DirecTV specific universal remote? Thanks in advance!

never heard of the rc32.
iirc you have to have an rc7x to work in RF mode with the newer units
the rc6x is an ok remote, i haven't had any issues, i only use IR

 

[David Taylor]

Ok, thanks. Maybe we'll go that route. It still seems like a huge step backwards to not support audio receivers in the newer remotes. I just don't understand it. Why would it even let you program the remote to supposedly control an audio receiver (it let's me pair it to the Pioneer receiver in the Settings menus) if it really isn't supported? I really don't understand...

 

[mdram]

they are assuming the power can be controlled via hdmi/cec commands
which does work with most of them. they work for volume

 

[Bill Millar]

I use my Pioneer receiver for surround sound, also do you have the digital cable from the Direct receiver plugged into the Pioneer receiver. Just go into the Direct TV menu bring up the audio menu and turn Dolby digital on

 

[Jimbo]

They took a huge step backwards when they brought out the 72/73 series remote in my opinion as they no longer do RF for all recvrs, only the Genies.
Many people still like the older White remotes as you can do much more with them than the newer ones ...

 

[dodger72]

do the white remotes work on clients?

 

[Jimbo]

do the white remotes work on clients?

I can't say in fact as I don't use any clients, but I would think in IR mode, it should.

 

[HIFI]

in IR mode only

 

[David Taylor]

UPDATE:

For those asking, this is an older receiver. It doesn't support HDMI control. It doesn't even have digital audio input. Like I said, it is old--from the mid 1990s.

Also, I texted my dad and told him to call DirecTV and explain the issue to see if he could get a tech to walk him through it. They had him basically tell the settings menu that he didn't know the model and let it cycle through codes. They got it to work that way. So good news for my parents. They can go back to using 1 remote. So +1 to phone support. -1 to the installer who gave bad information. :-(

 

[raoul5788]

UPDATE:

For those asking, this is an older receiver. It doesn't support HDMI control. It doesn't even have digital audio input. Like I said, it is old--from the mid 1990s.

Also, I texted my dad and told him to call DirecTV and explain the issue to see if he could get a tech to walk him through it. They had him basically tell the settings menu that he didn't know the model and let it cycle through codes. They got it to work that way. So good news for my parents. They can go back to using 1 remote. So +1 to phone support. -1 to the installer who gave bad information. :-(

The easiest solution is to use an older white remote in IR. That will allow for control of all of the components. I think the RC34 would be the best choice since it is the newest one and therefore has the most codes in it.

 

[mdram]

The easiest solution is to use an older white remote in IR. That will allow for control of all of the components. I think the RC34 would be the best choice since it is the newest one and therefore has the most codes in it.

i thought the 64 and 67 were newer?