Remote control issue question

[packmule84]

I've been a U-Verse customer for about four years. Several days ago and for the first time neither of my basic remote controls would work properly. I put new batteries in both remote controls and the problem continues.

The problem: neither remote will work at all unless I am within two feet(or closer) of the cable boxes and even then both remotes only work some of the time and with me pressing down on the remote keys REALLY hard. Any farther away than that and neither of these remotes will do anything. I use two LCD flat panel TVs. One of my cable boxes has the DVR function and the other one doesn't.

U Verse support has sent me two new remotes in the mail(I may receive them tomorrow)and assured me the remotes have likely "gone bad" but I am skeptical that this is simply a problem in which the remotes have gone bad. Why would two remotes I've never had any issues with BOTH start malfunctioning on the same day?

Can anyone advise? Any help greatly appreciated!

[aviewer ACE - Wizard]

packmule84 - The IR signal can be corrupted by light from other devices. Do you have any new lighting? Did you just change incandescent bulbs to energy saving CFLs?

Another source could be the LCD. If your set has any feature for auto setting brightness it needs tobe turned off.

Do some testing - Try the remote in a dark room with a sheet over the TV screen.

[packmule84]

No new lighting has been installed in the living room area of my apartment where the issue is happening. I have tried the remote with the overhead light on and off and also with a single lamp on which sits on a nearby dinette table(about ten feet away and behind me) on and off(with the overhead light both on and off). In all of these lighting combinations, using a different light for the living room, the remote control absolutely will not work at all unless I'm within the two feet of the cable box. Even within two feet the cable box only responds to the remote intermittently, sometimes working but mostly not responsing to my use of the remote keys.

The LCD TV in my living room doesn't have any auto setting for brightness on. There was a similarly worded feature in this TV's menu but it is off.

Thanks for the reply, "aviewer". I appreciate the input.

I'm going to be calling A T & T U Verse tomorrow about another issue: why my cable connection was interrupted three(3) times between 8 PM-9 PM while I was watching an episode of CRIMINAL MINDS. This show is one of only three YV shows I watch regularly and I missed three crucial scenes in this episode, each about five minutes in duration. I would try to watch the episode online at CBS.com in a few days but I can't watch any TV shows online because every time I have in the past I have picture "freexe" issues and other issues in which the streaming episode simply stops and won't re-start. I'm paying about $136 a month and having an issue i like this, for what I pay per month, is totally unacceptable. I'll have to wait until this episode isa summer re-run to watch it again and try to see what I missed.

I can already predict what the U Verse support person, with Indian accent will tell me on the phone:

"So sorry for your problem Mr. {personal content removed for safety}. We don't see any problem on our end with your set up or connection. There may have been some minor problems last night that affected you and others in your area. Very sorry again for the incovenience."

This type of reply, which I have heard before, is predictable, overused, stale, absolutely ineffectual and completely lacking in that it does nothing to address the problem.

[aviewer ACE - Wizard]

packmule84 - The other fragile aspect of the U-verse system is the HPNA/coax distribution. It can be a cause of your viewing problems as well as no remote response.

If you have coax distribution it must be perfect.
Only att splitters with all ports connected correctly (make sure TBs are on the multiple port side) and tight.

All runs are single sections(no barrel connectors) with compression ends.

Best to have DVR connected to RG by cat5.

Can you eliminate any legs as a test? Or, connect cat5.

Try a reboot - Pull plug on RG, DVR, STBs. Plug in RG, wait for stable lights. Same for DVR. then STBs.

Hope you get it working right.

[packmule84]

I received two(2) new standard remote controls earlier today. As of right now the cable box in my back "office" room(which has a DVR feature), which is connected via an HDMI cable to a 37" Vizio LCD tv, IS working okay. The foam chair I use in this small office room is much closer to this TV than the reclining chair I use in my living room area. I have a cable box(non DVR).

The non working remote issue remains in the living room area. I have a 40" Westinghouse LCD TV in the living room area. It was connected with an HDMI cable. The new remote worked for about five minutes, then stopped working UNLESS I held the remote within two feet of the cable box. I changed the HDMI cable to a different HDMI port on the back of the TV: same results with the remote. I disconnected the HDMI cable and connected the cable box to the TV using quality component video cables: same results with the remote.

I live in the furnished basement of a very large house and the primary lighting in the living room and kitchenette areas is a set of long "track" lights along the ceiling behind a wood panel. I tried using the remote on the living room TV with and without these main lights on: no change.

Brand new remotes, new batteries so the batteries aren't the issue. My recliner is about six feet away from the living room TV with nothing in between so an obstruction of some kind to the IR sensors between the cable remote and box isn't the problem. That leaves either a cable box sensor issue or a connection issue of some kind with the cables(and splitter) that were previously installed by an A T & T U Verse technician. I have a service visit scheduled for tomorrow(Friday) afternoon after 4 PM. I'm going to have the technician inspect EVERYTHING and I'm going to give him a very specific description of what's going on.

As of right now I can use my back office room TV okay but the new 40" Westinghouse LCD TV I just bought remains largely unusable until there is some kind of solution as to why the cable box won't respond to the remote unless the remote is two feet away. If I were to sit that close to a TV that size I'd go blind (lol).

Note: I did try powering both cable boxes down and then plugging them back on. Both cable boxes booted back up correctly but this action has had no effect on the cable box issue in the living room.

[JefferMC ACE - Wizard]

I have an idea.  On the TV/STB that is not working very well:

1) When you push the remote buttons from near the STB, the "power" button does blink on the STB?, if so...

2) When you push the remote buttons from across the room, does the "power" button blink on the STB?  If not...

3) Note the channel the TV is seeing from the STB, then turn the TV off (leaving the STB on)

4) Go across the room and push the Channel down button twice (not the arrow, but the channel rocker).  Note, does the STB "power" button blink?

5) Turn the TV back on... has the channel shown changed?

What we're looking to see here is if the remote works with the TV off.  Even if the TV doesn't have an automatic brightness setting, it can still cause IR interference.  I ended up having to turn my LCD's brightness up a notch or two to get it to quit causing IR interference.

[mibrnsurg ACE - Geek]

If it's an LCD TV check for these settings on your advanced settings on the menu: Dynamic Contrast, Auto or Ambient Brightness, Energy/Power Saver, Intelligent Sensor or Auto Iris.

If you have any of them or similar ones try turning them 'off' one by one until you find the culprit, then turn the non-offending ones back on to double check. All of these can cause Uverse remote problems w/an LCD.

Good luck

Chris

---

Please NO SD stretch-o-vision or 480 SD HD Channels
1-800-288-2020, After he gets acct info, press # a bunch of times, get a menu from Mr. Voice recognition
Your Results May Vary, In My Humble Opinion
I Call It Like I See It, Simply a U-verse user, nothing more

[Texas_Dave]

I too have the Vizio 37" LCD TV and am having problems with the remote. I have already received a new remote but it didn't solve teh problem. I will say that I have found that turning the TV off as stated in a previous response temporarily fixes the problem. So it is a matter of finding which TV setting is responsible for causing the IR interference.

[packmule84]

I was able to solve my problem by doing the following:

-I switched my cable boxes: I disconnected the main cable box(w/the DVR function) from my office room 37" Vizio LCD TV and hooked it up to my living room area 40" Westinghouse LCD TV. I took the cable box from my living room(a smaller box with no DVR function) and hooked it up to the smaller Vizio in my office. Thre new remote controls I received recently work without any problem now. In fact, I have been able to move my living room recliner back to a reasonable distance from the 40" LCD TV in my living room. I don't know why switching the cable boxes worked but as long as my remotes work I'm good.

I'd like to thank those forum members who replied with advice and/or suggestions regarding my problem. I appreciate the input and help!

[spd2demun ACE - Master]

Thanks for posting your solution to help others.

---

packmule84 wrote:

I was able to solve my problem by doing the following:

-I switched my cable boxes: I disconnected the main cable box(w/the DVR function) from my office room 37" Vizio LCD TV and hooked it up to my living room area 40" Westinghouse LCD TV. I took the cable box from my living room(a smaller box with no DVR function) and hooked it up to the smaller Vizio in my office. Thre new remote controls I received recently work without any problem now. In fact, I have been able to move my living room recliner back to a reasonable distance from the 40" LCD TV in my living room. I don't know why switching the cable boxes worked but as long as my remotes work I'm good.

I'd like to thank those forum members who replied with advice and/or suggestions regarding my problem. I appreciate the input and help!

---