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How to Program a DirecTV Remote to a Vizio TV

I’m a frustrated DirecTV user who recently purchased a Vizio TV and was struggling to program my DirecTV remote to the TV. After hours of trying various methods and tips from friends, I finally figured out how to do it. I’m here to share my experience and the solutions I discovered, so you don’t have to go through the same frustration I did. In this blog post, I’ll be discussing how to program a DirecTV remote to a Vizio TV.

StepNew Vizio TV (last 5 years)Older Vizio TV
1. Find Remote CodeVisit DirecTV code lookup pageN/A (use process below)
2. Turn Off ReceiverTurn off DirecTV receiver boxTurn off DirecTV receiver box
3. Toggle SwitchSlide switch to “TV”Slide switch to “TV”
4. Press Mute & SelectHold for 5 secondsHold for 5 seconds
5. Enter TV CodeEnter code from lookup pagePress 991, followed by 1
6. Press OKPress “OK” buttonPress Channel Up/Down repeatedly until TV turns on
7. TestTurn receiver back on & testPress “Select” when TV turns on, test power on/off buttons

How to Program a DirecTV Remote to a New Vizio TV

When you’re programming your DirecTV remote, it’s important to know what’s “new” when it comes to Vizio TV models, since the term is used loosely here. If your Vizio TV came out within the last 5 years, it’s considered to be new.

DirecTV Remote Code Lookup

To have everything in line before you start programming, look at your DirecTV remote model. The code is written on the upper left corner of your remote, it could be one of the following codes:

  • RC-73
  • RC-72
  • RC-71B
  • RC-71
  • RC-66
  • RC-65
  • RC-64

Unfortunately, if your remote has one of the following codes, it might not be compatible with a Vizio TV:

  • RC-32
  • RC-32RF
  • RC-24

This step is crucial for looking up the code for your Vizio TV on the remote control code lookup page on the DirecTV website.

The page gives you the option of putting in your Vizio TV model for a perfect code match. 

It would be helpful for you to be aware of your TV model because that’s how it’s paired up with the programming code in the DirecTV database. 

But what if you don’t know your TV model number? Well, not to worry! They have an option for trial-and-error codes you could choose from till something sticks.

Here’s a list of all Vizio TV codes for all of the previous DirecTV remote models:

  • 11758
  • 10178
  • 10019
  • 10056
  • 11756
  • 10864
  • 10885
  • 11499
  • 13758
  • 12707
  • 12757
  • 13415
  • 13358
  • 12512
  • 11499

This will come in handy below when you start programming the remote to your TV.

So let’s get started!

DirecTV Remote Programming Steps

  1. First things first, you should turn off your DirecTV receiver box so the remote is solely sending signals to your TV.
  2. Slide the switch that goes at the top of the remote so it’s on TV. This activates the programming mode on your remote.
  3. Press the Mute and Select buttons and hold them for 5 seconds. The LED on the remote should blink twice in green light.
  4. Enter the TV code you found through the code lookup page. If you don’t know your TV model number, try one of the codes offered for your DirecTV remote model. You can also use the list provided above as a faster way to try different codes.
  5. Make sure you enter the TV code from left to right, and once you’re done, Press OK.
  6. Turn your receiver box back on and toggle the switch to AV1 or AV2 in order to use the remote to control the receiver.
  7. Your remote is all set up to control your Vizio TV!

So, what if you have an older Vizio TV that doesn’t support any of the previous codes? There’s an answer to that problem below.

How to Program a DirecTV Remote to an Old Vizio TV

Here are the steps to program a DirecTV remote to your older Vizio TV:

  1. Turn off your TV. This is a crucial step to know whether or not the remote will be able to turn on the TV once programmed.
  2. Toggle the switch on top of your remote to TV.
  3. Press the Mute and Select buttons and hold them for 5 seconds. The LED on the remote should blink twice in green light.
  4. Press the numbers 991, followed by the number 1 again.
  5. The next step is to press repeatedly on the Channel Up or Channel Down button. You might have to repeat pressing the buttons 50–100 times till the TV turns on. The older your TV is, the longer this might take.
  6. Once your TV powers on, press the Select button again. The LED light should blink twice once again.
  7. Try the power on/off buttons and when they work, your DirecTV remote is all set up to control your Vizio TV!

Conclusion

Learning to program your DirecTV remote to control a Vizio TV is pretty straightforward. However, the process involves being aware of your remote type in order to obtain the code corresponding to your Vizio TV model. 

If you don’t know your TV model, you’re offered a few code options to try and one of them just might stick. Once you do, it’s all a matter of pressing a few buttons, and voila! Your DirecTV remote controls both your receiver box and your TV!