Mini Genie does not connect on the first attempt

How is the Genie connected to your TV?  HDMI cable? Have you tried a different cable?

Yes, it is attached via an HDMI cable. It is NOT the cable.

If it were the cable, it would fail the first time and the second time. Initially I did reseat the cable on both ends. Now when I try it, the connection fails the first time then I try it again WIHTOUT TOUCHING THE HDMI CABLE, it works.

I don't understand how the cable could "know" that it is the second attempt.

It's an "HDMI Handshake" issue. Sometimes the type of HDMI cable can cause this. It works the second time because the devices have powered up and initialized, so there's some sort of timing issue happening. 

The HDMI cable I am using now developed this "HDMI handshake issue" about a week ago after being in use for about a year.

I swapped out the cables (I now have a 9' HDMI cable connecting to the box under the TV :) ) an it seems to work. However, I'm going to have to let it sit a while since the issue I experienced was most prevalent after both units were off for a while.

Good to hear. Keep us posted. 

That did not work. The TV was off all last night and this morning I have to do the two-step.

Also, I have to read up on HDMI technology. I thought the cables were exactly that: cables. I understand that the devices on each end of the cable have to do handshaking. It's been that way since RS-32 days. I didn't know that HDMI cables had "smarts." Does this mean that it makes a difference which end goes to which device?

Why is it that my cable is "dumb" on the first attempt but "gets smart" on the second go-around?

Unfortunately the hand remote ON button isn't an on button but a toggle. I could turn the TV on using the TV remote, but when I press the ON button on the DTV toggles the TV off. I have to wait about 10 -15 seconds to press the ON button again to turn the TV back on. So there is no way to turn the TV on and let it "warm up" before turning on the genie remote.

I am going to search the web. I seem to recall that there is a way to log in, look at the boxes you have connected and run a diagnostic on them. I know I can run a local diagnostic on the entire system, and I've done that and it doesn't fix the problem.

I think the resolution to the issue is to call Direct TV and order a new box.

I swapped the TV in my den with the one from my wife's office (both of them are the same model Visio 24 inch sets). It works just fine. so the issue was not on the box side but on the TV side.

The TV is about 5 years old. I spent $89 on it. I ordered a replacement for $100 at $100 every 5 years, TVs can be considered expendable. Fortunately, we have a place in town that recycles electronics. I'll ask my son if he wants it as an auxiliary monitor.

Continuing the saga. I hooked up the "bad" TV to the connection in my wife's office. HDMI port 1 has the problem and HDMI port 2 does not. So the set is only half broken :). I need two ports since I have a Bluray player also attached.

I have a new set coming to replace it anyway. 

But if anyone should have a problem connecting to their genie box, I suggest trying an alternative HDMI port. I can do a palm-face for not trying that first.

There are HDMI switchers to add more HDMI ports.

As cheap as TVs are nowadays, it's worth getting a new one to last me another 5 - 7 years.

For the first 30 years of my adult life I got by with 2 TVs. In the past 25, I've had 5 "main" TVs and 6 "auxiliary" TVs. Of the 5 mains, I lost one to lightning and one after 27 months because it was a Samsung.