# Remote control problem



## acrosby (Oct 30, 2006)

My mom recently upgraded to a ViP211. Since the upgrade she has been having trouble with her remote. For the first hour or so the receiver is not responsive to the remote's inputs. If you walk up to the receiver and put the remote over the IR receiver, then you can get a response. Eventually it gets better. 

I have only recently gotten involved in trouble shooting this problem for her, but the installer has been to her house several times, they've replaced the remote, replaced the batteries, and Dish just sent out a replacement receiver. I went over and helped activate the new receiver for them. The new receiver is having the same exact problem as the original one. I even tried the original remote and the replacement remote with the new receiver.

I saw one post in the archive with a similar problem described, but I didn't see any responses. The original poster thought that turning on the receiver from the front panel seemed to help, but it sounds like the receiver has a design flaw in the IR receiver area.

Any thoughts?


----------



## William Millar (Jul 14, 2002)

Just make sure it's not sitting in a glass case where there are any mirrors around, because it will get a reflection and not work.



acrosby said:


> My mom recently upgraded to a ViP211. Since the upgrade she has been having trouble with her remote. For the first hour or so the receiver is not responsive to the remote's inputs. If you walk up to the receiver and put the remote over the IR receiver, then you can get a response. Eventually it gets better.
> 
> I have only recently gotten involved in trouble shooting this problem for her, but the installer has been to her house several times, they've replaced the remote, replaced the batteries, and Dish just sent out a replacement receiver. I went over and helped activate the new receiver for them. The new receiver is having the same exact problem as the original one. I even tried the original remote and the replacement remote with the new receiver.
> 
> ...


----------



## acrosby (Oct 30, 2006)

William Millar said:


> Just make sure it's not sitting in a glass case where there are any mirrors around, because it will get a reflection and not work.


The receiver is just sitting out in the open on a low dresser in their bedroom. It is sitting on top of a DVD player (normally off), and the flat screen is hung on the wall above the receiver.


----------



## Grandude (Oct 21, 2004)

acrosby said:


> The receiver is just sitting out in the open on a low dresser in their bedroom. It is sitting on top of a DVD player (normally off), and the flat screen is hung on the wall above the receiver.


Since you said that it eventually gets better, I assume you mean as the receiver warms up, which would lead me to believe that it is a receiver problem rather than a remote problem. Very puzzling.

Is there something else in the room that is radiating infrared like perhaps a radiant heater that could be interfering with the signal from the remote?


----------



## William Millar (Jul 14, 2002)

Maybe the infrared signal is radiating off the television screen since the receiver is just below it.


----------



## acrosby (Oct 30, 2006)

William Millar said:


> Maybe the infrared signal is radiating off the television screen since the receiver is just below it.


I'm beginning to think that the TV may have something to do with the problem. Apparently leaving the receiver on all the time doesn't help the problem. It's only after the TV has been on for a while that the problem seems to improve.

The TV is a Samsung LCD, but I am not sure of the model number.


----------



## acrosby (Oct 30, 2006)

Is there an RF remote option on the 411?


----------



## Mikey (Oct 26, 2004)

Put the DVD player on top, see if it helps.


----------



## acrosby (Oct 30, 2006)

An update: 

I was at my mom's over Christmas. I turned on the TV and the 411 and confirmed that there was a problem. I then threw a blanket over the TV and tried the remote again. After doing that, I peeked behind the blanket to see if the receiver had responded to the remote input and it had done so. I took the blanket off and the problem returned. So the TV is definitely causing interference on the receiver somehow. 

I tried repositioning the receiver in several different locations, but none of them helped.


----------



## Grandude (Oct 21, 2004)

acrosby said:


> An update:
> 
> I was at my mom's over Christmas. I turned on the TV and the 411 and confirmed that there was a problem. I then threw a blanket over the TV and tried the remote again. After doing that, I peeked behind the blanket to see if the receiver had responded to the remote input and it had done so. I took the blanket off and the problem returned. So the TV is definitely causing interference on the receiver somehow.
> 
> I tried repositioning the receiver in several different locations, but none of them helped.


This is definate progress I suppose. What make and model TV is it as a warning to others here?

What I would now try is different remote addresses. Instructions on how to do this are on page 48 in my manual. I think this is worth a try but doubt that it will fix the problem.

To further isolate it, I would try the blanket over just the backside and then just the front side to see if there is more of a clue as to what is going on.


----------



## acrosby (Oct 30, 2006)

The TV in question here is a Samsung LN-R408D 40" LCD.

I have tried at least two different IR frequencies (1 and 12), and the Dish installer may have tried others as well.

The highly scientific test I ran  had a comforter over primarily the front of the TV with most of the back exposed. I did try just covering the lower portion of the TV, but it seems to be the screen itself that is causing the IR interference. 

The only thing I that I can think of is that the backlight for the LCD is putting out some undesirable IR until it warms up.


----------



## acrosby (Oct 30, 2006)

Hmm, I was Googling the TV model number and I got a hit on the Dish website.

"# Check for IR interference.
How To?

* The IR remote uses infrared light to control the receiver and other components with a maximum range of 40 feet.
* The remote must point directly at the equipment, with no solid object in the way.
* The IR specific remotes do not have a UHF logo on the bottom. All IR/UHF remotes also send IR commands in SAT mode.
* If you are using a Samsung LN-R408D or LN-R409D television, the issue will appear to go away after its' Flat Florescent Lamp is warm. An IR-to-UHF Upgrade Kit may be used to remedy the issue.

So I'll have to look into the UHF converter.


----------



## bhenge (Mar 2, 2005)

Sounds like you are on the right track. Sometimes IR interference overloads the IR input on devices (instead of minimizing or blocking the signal). Try using a piece of transparent tape over the IR sensor in the 211 and see if that helps. You may have to use 2 or 3 layers before seeing results if the unit is overloading.


----------



## rodizee (Jan 19, 2007)

I am having the same problems. I have a Samsung LCD and DISH, takes 5-10 minutes for me to start changing my channels. It is very inconvenient. What will work?



bhenge said:


> Sounds like you are on the right track. Sometimes IR interference overloads the IR input on devices (instead of minimizing or blocking the signal). Try using a piece of transparent tape over the IR sensor in the 211 and see if that helps. You may have to use 2 or 3 layers before seeing results if the unit is overloading.


----------



## rodizee (Jan 19, 2007)

I am having the same problems. I have a Samsung LCD and DISH, takes 5-10 minutes for me to start changing my channels. It is very inconvenient. What will work?



acrosby said:


> Hmm, I was Googling the TV model number and I got a hit on the Dish website.
> 
> "# Check for IR interference.
> How To?
> ...


----------



## rodizee (Jan 19, 2007)

I finally got my Dish to work. Basically, my Dish box has an option to program TV1 or TV2. Well, I needed to program my Dish box in TV2 mode- UHF mode, so the IR signals were no longer needed when using TV1. I had to enable UHF mode on my DISH box, switch (flip over) the green TV1 small plate on my remote to the blue TV2 plate. There some type of electronic piece on the small plate that enables UHF mode on the remote and dish. There is no more delay and works awesome. Dish service walked me through this, after speaking to numerous customer service agents who did not know what they were talking about or how to fix the issue, I had to figure this out myself.


----------

