This is a suggestion for Directv streaming service

???

Apple and many Android devices already have a DirecTV Stream App. 

Hello there. We appreciate the time you shared this with us. Having DIRECTV STREAM, there's no need to use a box. Here is a link to check compatible devices. https://www.directv.com/support/stream/article/KM1200941

However, we have forward your suggestion to the right team so they can review it and determine the next steps. Thank you for choosing DIRECTV. Erika, DIRECTV Community Specialist

@kikiochoa13 

What do you mean by app remote?

An app to act as a remote for directv streaming using Appletv.  

Appletv remote doesn’t rewind and ffwd effectively.  I have the latest Appletv.  An app remote for directv streaming would be great.

Gotcha. Unfortunately, I doubt that will become a reality. If you want the full remote functionality, DIRECTV STREAM wants you to purchase their Gemini

Exactly what I don’t want, another box and remote.  Directv streaming should allow the Appletv remote to function the same way the Gemini functions.  Or discount the service.

I agree, the functions not being there could make it harder to use. I assume that’s one of their marketing schemes for the Gemini anyway. 

I agree, however Directv streaming will get a lot of customers if they know they can download a remote app to run their service.  The reason I put this suggestion was to make Directv streaming aware of what I’d like as a new streaming customer.  I’ve had satellite for years and don’t ever want anymore mess of the boxes and remotes.  We will see how long I can last with the Directv streaming like this before I find something else.  Thanks for your responses.

Yup however the Appletv remote does everything it needs to, the directv streaming app doesn’t respond.  I’ve tried.

My last response was to bcbsncjlj

Pair a remote with your AppleTV that has RW/FF buttons. A lot of users do this. e.g., customers who were Satellite now have remotes from DTV that can pair to the AppleTV. I've done it because the AppleTV remote's touchpad is garbage. I'm not sure if a generic one would work as well. This would be one of the recommendations. 

@bcbsncjlj  I'm not sure what you mean when you indicate an AppleTV is not a "true streaming device".  If it's not, then what is it? 

The AppleTV was considered the best device for the service in the early days - the issue on the older units was that the touchpad remote was an acquired taste that many people never acquired.  Having used it, I will agree that it is at minimum "touchy" - very easy to "mis-control", at least compared to a traditional remote.  Apple gave in, and the second gen 4K Apple TV (and later models) now come with a more traditional remote that features a circular d-pad like most of the competition.  You can get the new remote for older AppleTVs, but it isn't cheap.  As noted, you can also use third-party remotes or the Apple remote app on an Apple mobile device. 

DirecTV isn't going to develop their own remote for the AppleTV - that's outside their role.  And it's quite likely that even if they did, they couldn't offer any additional features though a "custom" remote than a standard remote for that device can offer - the platform will define what a remote can do.

A separate issue is whether the DirecTV app is properly handling the remote inputs it gets (or at least has available) from the underlying platform.  That is certainly something that is DirecTV's role, and they haven't always done it as well as they should.  I don't know in the specific case of the AppleTV version of the app - I haven't used it in a long time - but it is quite possible that they (either because of bugs or bad design) aren't doing what they should.

A first question is - are similar problems seen on both the touchpad remote and on the newer units with the conventional remote (or a different remote used on one of the older AppleTVs)?  If so, the issue would appear to be in the DirecTV app (whether a bug or an opportunity for an improvement).  If the problem only exists with the touchpad remote, then it is likely just a problem that the user is having with the remote and not an app problem.  In that case, it appears the only "solution" (while staying with that AppleTV) is for the user to learn how to use the remote better or get a different remote for the device.

However, if the problems exist regardless of the remote used, then it's something that DirecTV can (at least potentially) address.  If a specific set of issues - what was done on the remote, what happened, and what the user thinks should have happened, ideally on both the touchpad remote and a conventional remote - can be developed, then perhaps that can be provided to DirecTV as a specific problem report.  Just telling them "it doesn't work right" isn't too helpful, while providing specific details might be.  Might be - there's still no assurance that they will do anything, but it improves the chances.

I’m simply trying to use the Appletv remote on the directv app included with Appletv, the Appletv remote works great on all the other streaming services using Appletv.  I’ve been a customer of Apple since the 1980’s and I know how to use Apple products, I’ve used AppleTV’s for over 10yrs, I know how they work.  If I speak to the remote using all other apps on Appletv it works, telling it to ffwd 30 minutes etc. It will not do that on the directv app.  If directv created an app remote that worked like the Gemini that would be great.  That’s all im suggesting, I hope you understand.  Thanks

Ah - that's the confusion.  I thought you were having issues using the touchpad to get the app to perform actions.  You are trying to use Siri (voice commands) with the app. 

While at one point in the past there was supposedly some rudimentary interface to the tvOS version of the app using Siri, that is apparently gone.  (I never used it, so I can't speak from personal experience.)  As far as I know, the only version of the app that currently supports voice control is the one on DirecTV's own device.  This has nothing to do with the remote - remotes aren't magic.  It has to do with the app, and what features of the platform they enable and take advantage of when they write the app. 

I don't know what is involved in integrating Siri into a tvOS app - I'm not a mobile device app developer, so I don''t have any particular knowledge in that area and Apple's overview only mentions Siri in passing.  But my guess it that it is not trivial to add a good integration of voice control into an app, which is likely why they dropped their not very good one from their tvOS app and why they haven't added it for any of the other devices that have voice control capabilities.  The AppleTV is almost certainly not a major focus of theirs - it is likely the smallest market share of the devices they support.  Right now the device getting the focus of their (undoubtedly too limited) development resources would be their own. 

It would certainly be nice for DirecTV to devote more resources to developing the product's features, including enhancing the UIs in the different apps - though to be honest, I have a fairly long list of things I'd like, and voice control in the various apps would be way down on that list.  But while we've seen some improvements in the last year or so, it seems unlikely that they are going to invest in these sorts of things at the level some of their competitors are able to, especially when they have their own platform that they seem to be concentrating on.

All that said, making suggestions here in the forums doesn't seem too helpful.  As far as we can tell, the powers that be at DirecTV don't monitor here, and while the DIRECTVhelp reps say they will pass on suggestions, I tend to doubt they actually have a good mechanism to do so.  It has been said that a better path to try to get suggestions to useful people is to use the DirecTV Facebook or Twitter accounts - there are links to them at the bottom of this page.