Name: DirecTV self-install for seniors: how many calls for help?
Uploaded: 2026-10-20T00:00:00.000Z
Duration: 2 min 16 s
Description: Setting up a DirecTV Gemini box the way my parents would have to: 8 hurdles that would each be a call to me, and about an hour before any TV.

My parents' retirement community is dropping cable, so they'll have to set up a DirecTV box themselves. I set one up on my own TV the way they would, and counted each spot where they'd have to call me.

There are 8: what a Google account is, which TV input to use, how to close a "Network Disconnected" box, typing a password one letter at a time with the remote, the box restarting during updates, a sign-in that assumes you know your DirecTV login, and a page of terms to accept. Then the box goes dark. There's no power switch on the box: the fix is the ON button on the remote.

All told: 8 calls and about 60 minutes, just to watch TV. The whole setup, step by step, is in the story.

Transcript

My parents' retirement community is ditching cable.

Now they have to set this up themselves.

But of course, you get some of this confusing stuff.

It's like, what's a Google account?

Ethernet versus Wi-Fi.

Don't know which one it is.

Maybe I put it where, is it two?

Let's try three.

Maybe it's four, could be four.

Oh, there it is, DirecTV.

Network disconnect, how do I get rid of this?

Now I feel like an old person.

And look at this joy.

You gotta use this to type in your password.

I wish I could do it with my phone.

Oh, okay, that was about, I don't know.

Took a while.

You just want to watch TV.

And now you gotta do all these up to waiting.

Hey, look, even Mochi is bored.

Waiting for his TV to set up.

I like how they put these little trivia there, right?

To keep your anger at bay.

Oh, great, it's gonna restart now.

Now I have to sign in, right?

They tell you what to do.

But if you don't know what your sign in is,

you're kind of screwed.

So let me try the other method

because I don't have the patience.

But keep in mind, we still haven't been able to just plug in a cord and start watching TV.

This, if you want to link it account, like I said, if you don't know what this is,

it's kind of confusing.

I'm gonna say no because I don't have time for that.

I'm gonna turn this off.

Turn off.

Oh, and then it's not even clear what you think like.

I gotta go accept.

And another two minutes left as they load stuff.

Great.

The fun never ends.

But then, all of a sudden, this thing just turned off.

I don't know if it rebooted or what.

Okay, so I had to just unplug and plug in the power again.

And you see the light went off again.

Let me see, in the back, the power is, do you see that?

Looks like it's still working, so I don't know what the issue is.

Hit the power button.

It wasn't clear that I needed to do that.

I needed to hit this on button.

I didn't even know there was a power button, and I didn't even know it was off.

Gone are the days where you just plug in a cable.