We just reprogrammed two remotes sent to us by DIRECT TV to replace two that broke, and we noticed a common problem with the instructions: You have to MANUALLY turn on the TVs, to get the remotes programmed.

It’s a simple thing, but you have to engineer the instructions to overcome all sorts of potential misunderstandings.

We will say that the DIRECT TV customer service reps were unfailingly helpful. Our large TV is hard to program, and the instructions are better than they used to be (we had to have a tech out to program them the last time they failed), but we’re offering this one small improvement:

“Turn on the TV manually, using the power button, usually on the back of the TV. If you can’t find it, consult your TV owner’s manual”.

The way the instructions are written, they imply you can turn on the TV using the new remote, once you’ve powered it up, which isn’t true.

You’re welcome, DIRECT TV.