[Avatar28]

I've seen some strange things but this seems like truly one of the stranger technical issues I have ever encountered.


We just purchased a Samsung LN32B36 TV for our bedroom. On Wed I picked up an RNG110 HD box from Comcast. That is where the strangeness started. When I first turn on my TV, the remote for the cable box will not function. I know it isn't the remote, it works fine on my other box and the remote from that one will not work in here either. Moving around with the remote doesn't help, neither does moving closer or further from the box. Every now and then I can get a single command to go through if I keep hitting buttons but it's too infrequent to be useful. After a few minutes the problem goes away and the remote then functions normally (until the TV is turned off again anyways). The cable box stays on, I don't normally turn it off.


My first thought was that it might be something odd with the HDMI connection (maybe it was locking up when the devices synced or something) so I unplugged it and switched over to a set of component cables. Same thing. The TV is located on a dresser next to a doorway. On a hunch I moved the cable box (still connected) around the corner of the doorway and the remote worked normally. Moved it back to it's position next to the TV (sitting under the lower-right corner) and it stopped working again. One last test I did was, once it was working, to turn the TV off for about 15-20 seconds and then turn it back on. It still took the usual amount of time to start working correctly again.


I am completely baffled by this behavior. I was hoping someone here might have some ideas what might be causing this. If it is a problem with the TV, I only have 14 days to return it or exchange it at the store (I don't know if they have any more of this model for an exchange either) or I can go through Samsung to try to get it fixed.

 

[AntAltMike]

Do you have any flourescent lights in the room? The ones that screw into lamp sockets especially have been known to contribute to vexing, intermittent remote control problems.

 

[bdfox18doe]

It's spurious IR energy from the flourescent backlights in the LCD Tv until they warm up. I have a Westy that does the same thing.

Drove me nuts at first, as it was getting into my Xantech IR sensors and shutting down my Tivo in another room, but only when I was watching a recorded show and the Tv was first turned on. Finally figured it out after a few days.


I have also had the same thing happen with CFL bulbs as Mike mentions.

 

[Avatar28]



Quote:
Originally Posted by AntAltMike /forum/post/18179696


Do you have any flourescent lights in the room? The ones that screw into lamp sockets especially have been known to contribute to vexing, intermittent remoote control problems.

I do, we have replaced all the lights in our house with compact florescents, but I don't believe they are responsible since it also happens with the lights off and once it works it works fine with them on.

Quote:
Originally Posted by bdfox18doe /forum/post/18179717


It's spurious IR energy from the flourecsent backlights in the LCD Tv until they warm up.

I have had the same thing happen with CFL bulbs as Mike mentions. Drove me nuts at first.. I had put new bulbs in the bedroom and they were getting into my Xantech IR sensors, locking out most anything in the rest of the house on the system.

That somewhat makes sense. I will see if I can rearrange things so that maybe the backlights won't have any good line of site to the cable box. I want to wall mount the thing with a tilt/swivel mount anyways. Our last TV got stolen back in December after someone used a battering ram to knock in the back door. I think if it had been mounted they wouldn't have been able to do it.

 

[bdfox18doe]



Quote:
Originally Posted by Avatar28 /forum/post/18179746


I think if it had been mounted they wouldn't have been able to do it.

Two things..try moving the cable box back in the cabinet, or place a piece of card board sticking out over it to shield it. In my case, the IR was bouncing off of a glass picture over the bed.


As to the wall mount, most people never install the lock screws that a lot of mounts have to keep the set from being lifted off the wall mount.

 

[nybbler]



Quote:
Originally Posted by Avatar28 /forum/post/18179746


Our last TV got stolen back in December after someone used a battering ram to knock in the back door. I think if it had been mounted they wouldn't have been able to do it.

If they were willing to batter the back door in, they'd just rip the TV off the wall. Might break the TV and/or the wall, but they'd do it anyway.

 

[walford]

Is the cable box remote a univesal remote? If so when you push the CABL mode button on the box does it light up after you have used the box to turn on the TV? if Yes are you then unable to turn the cable box off and back on again with the power button? If yes then the channel buttons should work also.

 

[Avatar28]



Quote:
Originally Posted by bdfox18doe /forum/post/18179779


Two things..try moving the cable box back in the cabinet, or place a piece of card board sticking out over it to shield it. In my case, the IR was bouncing off of a glass picture over the bed.


As to the wall mount, most people never install the lock screws that a lot of mounts have to keep the set from being lifted off the wall mount.

Thanks for the heads up. I will be sure to watch for those and install them. Neither the box nor the TV is in a cabinet, they are sitting on top of a chest of drawers in the bedroom. I will try the cardboard thing, though.

Quote:
Originally Posted by nybbler /forum/post/18179956


If they were willing to batter the back door in, they'd just rip the TV off the wall. Might break the TV and/or the wall, but they'd do it anyway.

That's a possibility, of course. But it might act as somewhat of a deterrent. I intend to have the mount screwed into a stud if at all possible.

Quote:
Originally Posted by walford /forum/post/18180166


Is the cable box remote a univesal remote? If so when you push the CABL mode button on the box does it light up after you have used the box to turn on the TV? if Yes are you then unable to turn the cable box off and back on again with the power button? If yes then the channel buttons should work also.

Not quite sure I follow. The remote is the standard universal one that Comcast gives out. I have not yet programmed it to be able to turn on my TV and the cable button lights up when I push a button. As I said, the remote works perfectly on my DVR box in the living room. And, no, none of the buttons work correctly when this happens, including power.

 

[HDMI Guy]



Quote:
Originally Posted by Avatar28 /forum/post/18180303


Thanks for the heads up. I will be sure to watch for those and install them. Neither the box nor the TV is in a cabinet, they are sitting on top of a chest of drawers in the bedroom. I will try the cardboard thing, though.




That's a possibility, of course. But it might act as somewhat of a deterrent. I intend to have the mount screwed into a stud if at all possible.




Not quite sure I follow. The remote is the standard universal one that Comcast gives out. I have not yet programmed it to be able to turn on my TV and the cable button lights up when I push a button. As I said, the remote works perfectly on my DVR box in the living room. And, no, none of the buttons work correctly when this happens, including power.

This is a common problem with motorola cable boxes. Put a pieice of plain white paper over the front of the cable box. Sometimes changing the setting on the TV so there is less backlight will also solve the problem.


I copied the following from an old thread.

Plasma and LCD displays can interfere: they throw out so much IR noise that the box does not always respond to a remote control signal: the IR noise fills the room bouncing off walls. LCD displays in particular throw off a lot of noise from the CCFL backlight, especially within a few minutes of turn on


there is a simple test: turn off the display and see if the problem goes away


and a simple fix: put a small piece of generic masking tape over the IR eye of the stb: this acts as a filter: use additional layers if necessary. Some folks have success with a post it note instead of tape: try it. Also try to orient the stb so it is not directly in the line of sight of the display

 

[Ratman]

Two previous threads discussing the issue(s):
http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showt...r#post15496236
http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showt...0&highlight=ir

 

[Avatar28]

I have put up to three layers of painter's tape over what I believe is the IR sensor with little luck. It might have been very slightly better but no much. With a flashlight I found what looked like some sort of LED to the left of where the actual LEDs on the front are. I believe that is the photosensor and is where I put the tape. Next step will be to try covering the front panel entirely. The smoked glass goes all the way across and I believe the IR noise is getting in from around it.


If that fails I may try rearranging the bedroom this weekend and either wall mounting it or swapping the chest of drawers and the dresser next to it so that the box can be moved further away. As a bonus, the TV will face us better so I'm not losing half the brightness and contrast due to looking up at it from below.

 

[walford]

Hold the TVs remote almost against the front panel and then you confirm the location of the sensor which as you have surmised is often niot at the same location that the LED is that flashes when an IR signal is received.

 

[Avatar28]



Quote:
Originally Posted by walford /forum/post/18182542


Hold the TVs remote almost against the front panel and then you confirm the location of the sensor which as you have surmised is often niot at the same location that the LED is that flashes when an IR signal is received.

I have attached a picture showing where I believe the IR sensor to be located and where I put the tape. It isn't shown in the documentation but maybe someone here who is familiar with this box can confirm if that is the correct location or not.

 

[Ratman]

FWIW...

From anothe forum:

Quote:
i have diasasembled this box and the ir collectors(yes there are 2) are above the "rng110" logo on the right side if the curved face. one collector facing up and one facing forward.