[eengert]

All of a sudden last night and this morning my HR20 IR sensor only responds from about 3 ft away. Anybody else run into this? I've tried rebooting. Had the problem last night on EF (though it had been working fine on EF before that) and also this morning on FA.

I do use the HR20 with a IR extender from a different room sometimes, and the IR transmitter sits right in front of the HR20 to work from a different room. But then when I want to watch in the room the HR20 is in, I move the IR transmitter out of the way to control it by line of sight. I don't know if this has anything to do with it, but it shouldn't. Think it's possible that the IR sensor has been damaged?

 

[Carbon]

Did you try some new batteries?

Also you have FA already? On the east coast even.

 

[eengert]

Did you try some new batteries?

Also you have FA already? On the east coast even.

Not the batts and not the remote. Tried new batts and tried 2 different D* remotes and my Harmony. Nothing unless I'm right up close.

 

[sbcale]

I had this problem a few years ago with a DirecTV Tivo. In my case it was the IR transmitter. It was interfering with the IR signal from the remote even if I moved it out of the way. The only thing that worked for me was to actually unplug the IR transmitter. I hope that helps.

 

[eengert]

I had this problem a few years ago with a DirecTV Tivo. In my case it was the IR transmitter. It was interfering with the IR signal from the remote even if I moved it out of the way. The only thing that worked for me was to actually unplug the IR transmitter. I hope that helps.

Good idea, but I have already tried that. Thanks anyway.

 

[bret4]

I just got my HR20 yesterday and the remote worked fine. Now the ir remote only works from about 1 inch away from the sensor in the HR20. Tried new batteries. It works with the TV just fine from across the room.

Thinking the sensor in the HR20 must have gone bad. My remote that came with my HR20 has a RF mode. I switched to the RF mode and it controls the HR20 from another room.

Anyhow, looking like I may need a new HR20. Funny thing is that it just downloaded a software upgrade just before it stopped working. Wondering if that could have anything to do with it?

Bret

 

[Igor]

All of a sudden last night and this morning my HR20 IR sensor only responds from about 3 ft away. Anybody else run into this? I've tried rebooting. Had the problem last night on EF (though it had been working fine on EF before that) and also this morning on FA.

I do use the HR20 with a IR extender from a different room sometimes, and the IR transmitter sits right in front of the HR20 to work from a different room. But then when I want to watch in the room the HR20 is in, I move the IR transmitter out of the way to control it by line of sight. I don't know if this has anything to do with it, but it shouldn't. Think it's possible that the IR sensor has been damaged?

Did you add a new television to any of these two rooms? Did you move the IR receivers in any of the two rooms and pointed towards sun light?

Puting aside the issue, you could use the remote in RF mode and sell your IR repeater in the eBay

 

[eengert]

Did you add a new television to any of these two rooms? Did you move the IR receivers in any of the two rooms and pointed towards sun light?

Puting aside the issue, you could use the remote in RF mode and sell your IR repeater in the eBay

Nothing changed.

Don't want to use the D* remote...I have 10 components in my system. I use a Harmony to control everything, and it doesn't do RF. I just want the HR20 to work.

 

[maccur]

Nothing changed.

Don't want to use the D* remote...I have 10 components in my system. I use a Harmony to control everything, and it doesn't do RF. I just want the HR20 to work.

Try a small, thin cloth, like those used for cleaning eyeglasses. Drape it over the HR20's front panel sensor and see what happens. I have experienced remote interference from my LCD television (Sharp) and the cloth filters that interference without a negative effect on the remote.

 

[Koz]

Similar to what maccur said above, I had IR interference from my Sharp LCD. I had to put 2 or 3 layers of Post-It notes over the IR receiver to get it to work. I use RF now, so it's not an issue. I'm guessing some kind of shielding will work for you. Hope it does.

 

[bret4]

Yesterday I tried my remote with my Sharp LCD TV with the ir mode again. It was daytime and it worked fine. As it got darker out the ir mode with the remote didn't control the TV anymore. RF mode works fine.

Seems that when it gets dark out the LCD screen on the Sharp LCD interfears with the ir remote feature. I'm betting that the Sharp LCD emits light close to the same frequency as the remote on the HR20. Didn't have that problem with my old RCA DVR and remote with the sharp TV.

The problem seem to be worst with the back lighting turned up high. I now will use the RF mode on the remote for now on. The good news is that there seems to be nothing wrong with the HR20 and I will not need a new one.

If you have to use the ir remote mode with the HR20 and your sharp TV you may want to try and turn back lighting down below the half way mark. I don't like the way the picture looks with it set that low, but it may help some.

I'll have to try the paper over the sensor trick. That was my last thought last night that this problem was with the sensor in the HR20 and not with the remote control. The remote seems to have plenty of power in the daytime.

One test I did last night when my remote wouldn't control the HR20 from any further than 1 inch away was this. I got a tube from a paper towel roll and put it over the HR20 sensor. Then I shot my remote down the tube at the sensor. It controled the HR20 perfect. As soon as I took the tube away the remote wouldn't work with the HR20 from the 1 foot length of the paper towel tube.

Anyhow making a long story longer,:lol: Try the paper trick over the sensor in the HR20 or use the RF mode in the remote.

Bret

 

[Tom Robertson]

Another source of IR interference is compact fluorescent light bulbs (the ones meant to replace normal light bulbs.) They used to have warning labels regarding use near IR controlled equipment.

Happy Thanksgiving,
Tom

 

[bret4]

Another source of IR interference is compact fluorescent light bulbs (the ones meant to replace normal light bulbs.) They used to have warning labels regarding use near IR controlled equipment.

Happy Thanksgiving,
Tom

Good point! I used to have that problem years ago with one of those bulbs. Now I never use them near a TV with IR remote.

Bret

 

[eengert]

Thanks guys, but so far nothing has worked. But I did add the Toshiba HD-A1 HD-DVD player to my cabinet the day that I noticed the HR20 not working well with IR. Seems pretty certain that this is the culprit. I could probably test by unplugging the HD-A1 and trying. However, that would be moot since I'm not going to remove or unplug the player. And the paper over the sensor didn't work. For now what I've done is added a second IR extender receiver right in my AV cabinet. So I have one in the basement with the "remote" tv and one in the family room right in the AV cabinet. Then I have the transmitter right in front of the IR sensor on the HR20. That works fine.

 

[Tom Robertson]

Bret,

Welcome to the forums. :welcome_s

Happy Thanksgiving,
Tom

 

[Wildcat_1]

I am having problems with my remote as well. I can hit play no problem as well as guides etc. I cannot hit pause on live TV or REW/FF, anyone else ?

 

[AlexCF]

Strange, I also have a Sharp Aquos, and I also have the remote control 2' range. It worked fine this weekend, but it was daytime and light in the room. Makes me wonder if I try it tonight if the remote will be crippled again.

Stranger yet, when it gets like that, the remote will eventually start working from far away after 20-30 minutes or so. It's like something has to get warmed up first.

It's most certainly not a battery issue. It controls everything else fine, and I've also replaced them with fresh batteries. Nothing that would interfere in the room, incandescent lights usually dimmed quite low.

 

[bret4]

Thanks Tom!

There really seems to be some big problem using the sharp lcd with the HR20.
Really strange!

Bret

 

[texasbrit]

The problem with the Aquos has been well-documented in some other forums. It's the backlight emitting extremely high levels of IR. So during the day you don't have a problem, when it gets dark and the backlight automatically switches on,the IR overwhelms the remote - pretty well all remotes, not just the DirecTV one.
I don't know if Sharp is working on a solution, or maybe they have found one - you need to talk to them. But there is not much that DirecTV can do about it I think...

 

[AlexCF]

But there is not much that DirecTV can do about it I think...

Perhaps, but I never had a problem with the remote on my old RCA DirecTV receiver, nor the AV/DVD changer sitting right underneath the HR20. Seems silly that they wouldn't be able to fix it when it's working fine on other, similar appliances.