Channel numbers / remote to choose channel numbers

Thanks so much! That’s helpful to know. I look forward to trying out the DirecTv Stream Box for my dad.

Like millions of your other customers, we have chosen to use DirectTV Stream rather than a competitive provider, and we access your Service on our Mobile Phones and Tablets, as well as streaming devices, like Roku, Amazon Stick, Apple TV, etc.

Those of us who use your app are well aware of how we can navigate between channels by now, but what we’re asking for is the way to be able to simply enter a channel number on our non-DirectTV Stream remote, or Mobile device, so we don’t have to scroll through screens or keep flipping through the listings of previously watched stations.

This isn’t rocket science and it isn’t a difficult add-on to your app as you’ve already built the capability for your own remote. That should translate to a manual entry on a remote by pressing on a digit and then hitting enter to change channels.

Your customers are continually being subjected to blackouts due to conflicts with various broadcasters. This isn’t too much to ask for our loyalty.

@givemeglenn 

The person in the wrong is the company of the streaming device, as they’ve decided not to include a number keypad on their streaming remotes. This isn’t at all DIRECTV’s fault.

Saying this will never happen shouldn’t be acceptable to DirectTV Stream customers, and I’ll tell you why.

First, we have five TV’s at our home which access DirectTV Stream through the app (using smart TV, Roku, and Apple TV). We only use two of these TV’s at the same time so it makes no sense being forced to acquire five devices to make changing the channel easier.

Further, my wife and I babysit our Grandchildren at their home regularly, so we watch DirectTV Stream away from home and, again, it makes no sense try to carry a device with us to connect to their TV just to change channels easier.

Finally, we travel at times, and access DirectTV Stream from our Mobile Devices (mobile phone and tablet), so no device is even available to make it easier to change channels.

The simplest solution is to add the ability for users to select a number, or multiple numbers, which will represent a desired channel, and then hit enter, so the channel will change without having to jump through the hoops.

DirectTV Stream made an effort to keep customers with all of the recent disputes with local broadcasters (which also carry national broadcasts), so they seemed to have a level of concern for us. This is an easy add-on to their app which will distinguish them and make even more desirable as the go-to provider, not the one people are looking to leave.

The problem with trying to blame other providers is that the numbers on other remotes currently being used, like on smart TV’s, does not work on the app, so even if Roku or Apple TV put numerals on their remotes, they won’t work with the app.

@givemeglenn 

If that did happen then directv would release an update for those streaming devices with additional app code to recognize the number keypads.

I appreciate all of the responses. I probably should have mentioned that I’m retired, however, my background is I graduated from Law School, and I was a Computer Telephony Integration Subject Matter Expert. I was involved in this type of technology from its inception, from design phase, beta testings, and first distributions.

I still do a bit of beta testing when I get bored, but with two Grandchildren, it’s few and far between now.

DirectTV Stream sent their customers a Gift Card prior to the recent disruptions with the local broadcasters, which was enough to be used to purchase over-the-air antennas. If they were willing to spend millions on customers so we could buy competitive products, I suggest they should consider making this simple change to keep us. 

If having a device that can change the channel directly means that much to you then just buy one of the Directv Gemini devices off Amazon or eBay.  Problem solved!

Like I said earlier, I have five TV’s, but only use two at time, so how do we handle this buy five boxes or two, and try to uninstall/re-install it every time we change locations in our home? That’s ridiculous.

Also, as we babysit our Grandchildren at their house regularly, I don’t want to purchase an extra we carry with us to connect/disconnect when we’re with the kids.

Finally, as we travel, and we use our Mobile devices to access DirectTV Stream, their converters don’t even apply to those so the problem is still there unless they make this small change.

@givemeglenn  I agree that numeric entry of channel numbers on non-DirecTV remotes and computer/mobile devices would be a great improvement, but those of us on this customer forum don't have the power or influence to make it happen.  It has been requested/complained about before, along with other amenities such as a PIN to access pay services, which would allow us to use DTV Stream in a vacation rental situation, but I don't expect that to ever happen either.

I like DTV Stream and their proprietary device, enough to have bought five of them to use in our house, even though usually only one or two is being used at a time.  I guess every service has its pluses and minuses.

I know exactly where I’m posting as I selected the DirectTV Stream thread (look at the top where it shows DirectTV Stream). 

All of you may be right, and DirectTV Stream may not do anything. However, towards the end of my career, I decided I wanted to help keep Parties out of Court so I began Mediating (I handled about 500 cases). I learned that often times a Party (regardless of individual or big business) starts with a hard no, but when they start looking at things from a different perspective, they can judge their risk vs reward in a whole new light.

While I suspect someone in Finance has come up with this business model, if they considered the potential risk vs reward of proving this, they might very well determine it’s a possibility that it might actually be more lucrative to make the change because they’ll keep more subscribers and pick up a lot of new ones looking for this feature.

More households are cutting the cord, and have returned cable boxes; being required to get another one to be able to change channels easier is a turnoff. Being able to do it from the remotes already being used for the streaming devices giving access to DirectTV Stream would be a huge advantage.

You can message them directly on Twitter and express your desire for this feature, and it will be passed along for consideration. If enough customers contact them with logical reasons why they want the feature, like I listed, then they’ll be more inclined to act on it. It will start with a bot, and then tell it it doesn’t answer your question. From there, you’ll be asked to verify you’re human, and then you can start messaging with an Agent.

@givemeglenn  Are you saying that you are currently messaging with an Agent of DTV regarding this?  I didn't see that you had mentioned that in any of your previous posts.  If so, go for it!