If you lost your Samsung remote or it malfunctioned, a universal remote can be helpful. A universal remote can allow you to control your Samsung Smart TV even if you don’t have your device-specific remote. However, while you can use some universal remotes out-of-the-box, others like the DIRECTV remotes need to be programmed.
There are two DIRECTV remote options — a standard universal remote and the DIRECTV Genie remote. The standard universal remote is long and silver, while the Genie remote is shorter with a black upper section and silver bottom.
In this guide, we’ll show you how to program both DIRECTV remotes to control your Samsung TV.
How to Program DIRECTV Universal Remote
Before programming your DIRECTV universal remote to your Samsung TV, you’ll need to do the following:
- Connect your DIRECTV receiver to your Samsung Smart TV via HDMI.
- Test your remote batteries by pressing any button on your DIRECTV remote. If you see a solid green light — the batteries are in good condition. On the other hand, if you see a fast-flashing green light — you may need to replace the batteries.
Once you’ve done both these things, you can proceed to the next step.
Navigate to the Program Remote Menu
Follow these steps to get to the DIRECTV program remote menu:
- Press the Menu button on your remote.
- Navigate to Settings and click on the Remote Control
- Click on Program Remote.
Pair DIRECTV Universal Remote to Samsung TV
Once you open the programming menu, you’ll need to pair the DIRECTV universal remote to your Samsung TV. Follow these steps to pair the devices:
- Slide the button at the top of the DIRECTV remote to the TV side if it’s on TV input.
- Point the DIRECTV remote at your Samsung TV.
- Press and hold down the Mute and Select buttons on the remote at the same time until you see the green light on top of your remote flash twice.
- Release the buttons, and enter the four or five-digit code for your Samsung TV. It should be either 54000 or 0101.
Select Your TV
Once your Samsung TV accepts the code, follow these steps to link your TV with the DIRECTV universal remote:
- Select Pair or Program Remote under the Program Remote
- Select Change TV.
- Wait for your Samsung TV to launch a new tab.
- In the new tab, enter your TV brand in the search box.
- Select your TV brand from the drop-down options below the search box.
- Enter your TV model. If you don’t know your TV model, select the I don’t know my model
Complete the Programming
Once you select your TV model, you’ll need to test whether the programming was successful. Follow these steps to confirm whether the programming worked:
- Press the Power button on the DIRECTV universal remote. If your TV turns off, you’ve successfully programmed the remote to your TV.
- Alternatively, press the Volume button to increase or decrease the volume. If the volume changes, you’ve also successfully programmed the remote to your TV
How to Program DIRECTV Genie Remote
Like the DIRECTV universal remote, you’ll need to connect your DIRECTV receiver and test your remote batteries before you can program the Genie remote.
Afterward, follow these steps to program your DIRECTV remote to your Samsung TV:
- Point the Genie remote at your Samsung TV.
- Press and hold down the Mute and Select buttons simultaneously until you see the green light on top of your remote flash twice.
- Key in
- Press the Channel Up
- Press Enter. When you do, the green light at the top of your remote should flash several times.
- Press Select when you see a message saying Your Remote is now setup for RF on your TV screen.
- Press the Menu button on the remote.
- Navigate to Settings & Help and select
- Select Settings.
- Scroll down to Remote Control and select
- Choose Program Remote under the Remote Control
- Your TV will display a menu allowing you to program various devices. Select Program TV.
- Follow the on-screen instructions to program your DIRECTV Genie remote to your Samsung TV.
DIRECTV Remote Won’t Pair With Samsung TV
Occasionally, your DIRECTV remote may not pair with your Samsung TV. If you couldn’t program your DIRECTV remote to your Samsung TV, here are some fixes you can try.
Use the Correct Remote Code
You won’t be able to pair your DIRECTV remote to your Samsung TV if you enter the wrong remote code. If you key in a code that doesn’t work — use another code.
You can find a list of DIRECTV remote codes for your Samsung TV on the DIRECTV remote control code lookup page.
Remove Obstacles
The DIRECTV remote won’t work if objects block your Samsung TV’s infrared (IR) sensor.
On most Samsung TVs, the IR sensor is on the lower right of the screen or the lower middle. Remove any objects in front of these areas that may block IR signals from your remote.
After removing obstacles in front of the sensor, check whether it has any smudges. If there are smudges, remove them using a microfiber cloth.
Power Cycle the DIRECTV Remote
Power residues can cause your DIRECTV remote to malfunction. Power cycling or resetting your remote can drain any residual power from your remote and resolve the problem.
Follow these steps to reset your DIRECTV remote:
- Remove the remote’s batteries.
- Press and hold down the Power button for about five seconds.
- Release the Power button.
- Press every button on the remote at least once to loosen any jammed buttons.
- Put the remote batteries back in your DIRECTV remote.
- Start the programming process again.
If you still can’t program your DIRECTV remote after resetting it, replace your remote batteries. If replacing the batteries doesn’t help, proceed to the next fix.
Power Cycle the Samsung TV
Like your remote, you can also power cycle your Samsung TV. If your Samsung TV doesn’t respond to remote commands, power cycling it may fix the issue.
Here’s how to power cycle your Samsung TV:
- Unplug your TV from the power outlet while it’s still on.
- Wait for about 30 seconds.
- Plug it back in.
- Begin the programming process again.
If power cycling your TV doesn’t help, follow the same steps to power cycle your DIRECTV receiver. If power cycling the receiver also doesn’t help, proceed to the next fix.
Factory Reset the Samsung TV
If none of the troubleshooting methods above work, consider performing a factory reset. Also known as a hard reset, a factory reset will restore your TV to its defaults. It will delete all your installed apps, login information, and customized settings. Therefore, you should only perform a factory reset after all the other fixes have failed.
To restore your Samsung TV to its factory defaults, follow these steps:
- Press the Home button on your Samsung Smart TV remote.
- Scroll to Settings and select
- Select General under the Settings
- Scroll down to Reset and select
- Type in your PIN (0000 is the default).
- Once you key in your PIN, your TV will display a pop-up window asking you to confirm the reset. Select Yes to start the reset.
Note: The factory reset process slightly varies from one Samsung TV model to another. Check your user manual for the exact process for your model.
Use a Remote Control App
In most cases, the troubleshooting solutions above should resolve any problems preventing your DIRECTV remote from pairing with your Samsung TV. However, you’ll need a fallback plan if you still can’t program your DIRECTV remote to your Samsung TV.
One great option you should consider is using a remote control app. A remote control app will allow you to control your Samsung TV using your phone. Whether you have an Android or iOS device, there are several great remote control apps for both platforms.
Use the SmartThings Application
The SmartThings app is another excellent fallback option you may want to consider. SmartThings is a Samsung app available on most newer Samsung TV models. If you have a Samsung Smart TV manufactured from 2016 onwards, you’ll be able to use the app to control your Samsung TV.
To use the app, you’ll need to add your TV to SmartThings as a device. After adding your device to SmartThings, here’s how you can use the app to control your Samsung TV:
- Make sure you’ve connected your TV and mobile device to the same internet network.
- Open the SmartThings app on your mobile device.
- Select Menu.
- Click on All devices.
- Select your TV.
- The app will open a remote.
- Click on any button to control your TV. The controls work in a similar fashion to the controls on a standard Samsung TV remote.
Conclusion
Programming a DIRECTV remote may feel daunting, but it shouldn’t be. Follow the simple programming steps above, and you’ll quickly program your DIRECTV remote to your Samsung TV.
But, if you can’t program your DIRECTV remote, use the troubleshooting methods listed in this guide to fix the problem. And if none of the fixes you try work, visit the DIRECTV remote troubleshooting page for other possible fixes.
Denis is an article/blog and content writer with over 7 years of experience in writing on content on different niches, including product reviews, buyer’s guide, health, travel, fitness, technology, tourism. I also have enough experience in SEO writing.
