A DirecTV user has now provided us with a closer look at the new Gemini Air device. While some may confuse this with the new Gemini device announced last week, this is not the same device. The Gemini Air is still not an officially announced device.
Along with the recent strategy change to DirecTV’s approach to live TV that saw the introduction of a new DirecTV via Internet package, the company also announced a new Gemini device. This new player is basically a refreshed version of the Gemini/Osprey box that many existing DirecTV/DirecTV Stream subscribers will be familiar with.
Shortly before that device was announced, however, some DirecTV Stream subscribers started receiving invites from DirecTV offering them the chance to be one of the first to test out its new device, the Gemini Air.
When the previous round of invites went out, we did get to see how the device looked in marketing materials. Unlike the new Gemini device, the Gemini Air is designed to be a smaller and more compact device. It is similar in shape and design to a Chromecast with Google TV or Dish’s AirTV Mini.
Now, and thanks to Reddit user u/the-holocron, we can take an even closer look at the new streaming player and what it has to offer.
The new Gemini Air is a small dongle-based device. To our eye, it actually looks a little larger than the marketing materials suggested. Either way, it does come packaged with a remote that’s very similar, if not identical, to the remote bundled with the standard Gemini/Osprey box.
During setup, the Gemini Air uses auto sign-in to make it quicker and easier for existing DirecTV Stream subscribers to sign in to their account. This is the same auto sign-in feature that’s already available on the existing DirecTV Stream Device.
Based on the images and comments shared by the user, it seems as though the Gemini Air is very similar to the DirecTV Stream Device in general. In other words, buyers of this device will be getting a use experience that’s more similar to DirecTV Stream than DirecTV’s Genie software.
Here’s a look at the home screen with the familiar main menu that’s shown over what’s playing in the background.
And a look at the live guide which many DirecTV Stream subscribers will recognize as familiar to what they get through their app.
According to u/the-holocron, DirecTV Stream through the Roku app seems to provide a faster user experience than the Gemini Air, which was noted as being “sluggish.”
In addition, the Gemini Air features a USB-C power connector, doesn’t support profiles, is nicely packaged, and is officially going by the P21KW-500 model number.
Again, the Gemini Air is still an unofficial device. While DirecTV is clearly in the process of testing it out, it remains to be seen when the device will become available to buy and how much it will cost.
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