[lumspond]

Hi all.
I've had an HR20-700 for a long while now.
Remote control RC24 became unresponsive.
-I changed batteries
-I checked the two batteries with a voltmeter. A little over 3 volts sustained.
- Red button reboot of the HR.
- Nothing damaged or blocking the front of the HR.
- I had an older RC24 in the drawer, it too doesn't work.
- Strong green light at top of remote when pushed.
- Remote is in directv mode on slider switch
- Controlling volume of the tv is fine. Just not the HR.
- plastic front of the remote is clean.

I sit about 8 feet from the unit. If I get close (2 feet) and repeatedly push a button 30 times, I might get one response.

Been happening two days now. Driving me bonkers.
Please help

Tony in Delaware...........

Remembered the last thing I did, not related to the DVR, was plug a usb memory stick into the side of the LCD monitor to look at photos. Maybe it started after that. But doesn't sound related. Also no sun interference. Nothing else has changed.......

 

[Stuart Sweet]

It sounds like the IR sensor inside your DVR is getting flaky. You could try unplugging it for about 15 minutes but it will probably not help. My advice to you is start watching stuff, there may be a replacement on the way.

Does the power light flicker when you use the remote? Are you using a microwave or compact fluorescent bulbs? Can you get it to work by holding the remote up to the IR window?

 

[lumspond]

It sounds like the IR sensor inside your DVR is getting flaky. You could try unplugging it for about 15 minutes but it will probably not help. My advice to you is start watching stuff, there may be a replacement on the way.

Does the power light flicker when you use the remote? Are you using a microwave or compact fluorescent bulbs? Can you get it to work by holding the remote up to the IR window?

Stuart,
The power light on the DVR only flickers on that one in fifty times it actually works.
If I get closer, right up to the DVR, it works one in 30 times.
No active microwave. Yes to compact fluorescent bulbs, but they have been there for a long time. No recent bulb changes.
thanks for the reply
tony

 

[Stuart Sweet]

That sounds even more like a bad IR sensor inside the box.

 

[Edmund]

sounds like the receiver is RF mode and the remotes are not, try the following:

1. dtv
2. press and hold MUTE & SELECT for two blinks
3. enter 0 0 0 0 1

test remote, if still not working go on:

4. press and hold MUTE & SELECT for two blinks
5. enter 9 6 1
6. press CH UP key
7. enter the last 6 digits of the receiver ID #, found on a sticker in the access card compartment
8. press SELECT

 

[doo4usc]

I also have had problems in last week..I have 2 HR20-700's I have the RC64R set to operate the 2 using "RF". I get partial ch numbers, press 252 get 25. Not all the time but enough to notice.Tried another remote same thing.

 

[lumspond]

sounds like the receiver is RF mode and the remotes are not, try the following:

1. dtv
2. press and hold MUTE & SELECT for two blinks
3. enter 0 0 0 0 1

test remote, if still not working go on:

4. press and hold MUTE & SELECT for two blinks
5. enter 9 6 1
6. press CH UP key
7. enter the last 6 digits of the receiver ID #, found on a sticker in the access card compartment
8. press SELECT

That worked. I went to the setup in the dvr, via the front buttons. I switched back and forth a few times doing the setups for IR and RF. Then it started working. Woohoo.
Don't know why it would have changed. No software updates in the last two days.
Thanks a lot.
Tony

 

[joed32]

That worked. I went to the setup in the dvr, via the front buttons. I switched back and forth a few times doing the setups for IR and RF. Then it started working. Woohoo.
Don't know why it would have changed. No software updates in the last two days.
Thanks a lot.
Tony

Edmund knows remotes like no one else. We're lucky to have him here.

 

[paulman182]

Edmund, if it was a mode mismatch, how could it have worked even 1 time out of 50?

 

[tcusta00]

Weird, my wife called me at work today with the same exact issue. This is a receiver that's been working perfectly with this remote for 6 months. Followed Edmund's instructions (all the way to the end) and it was fine.

Thanks Edmund!

 

[atldawg]

My remote has been having the same problem as the original poster. However, I happened to go to channel 110 (the free game preview). I had to walk to the DVR, press the guide button and manually move to the channel 1 at a time(a real pain). Once I got into the game preview, the remote works flawlessly. Go back to DTV, broken remote, back into the games, remote works perfectly, back to DTV, broken remote. Endlessly repeatable.

 

[rudeney]

I’ve said it before…I’ll say it again…there’s something wacky with the HR2x’s IR receiver (or the software that decodes the signals). I use Pronto remotes with RF receivers and IR emitters stuck to the IR receiver eyes on my HR20’s. This worked for months (over a year on one of them) until “one day” they quit and I had to move the emitters several inches away from the HR2x’s IR receiver. I can’t pinpoint this to a specific software release, but I had two HR20’s do this at almost the same time and they are in two different closets with two different RF-to-IR receivers driving them.

 

[veryoldschool]

I've said it before…I'll say it again…there's something wacky with the HR2x's IR receiver (or the software that decodes the signals). I use Pronto remotes with RF receivers and IR emitters stuck to the IR receiver eyes on my HR20's. This worked for months (over a year on one of them) until "one day" they quit and I had to move the emitters several inches away from the HR2x's IR receiver. I can't pinpoint this to a specific software release, but I had two HR20's do this at almost the same time and they are in two different closets with two different RF-to-IR receivers driving them.

DirecTV has been "playing with" the remote code to improve response and keybounce.
I use RF and haven't been affected by this.

 

[steve053]

I've said it before…I'll say it again…there's something wacky with the HR2x's IR receiver (or the software that decodes the signals). I use Pronto remotes with RF receivers and IR emitters stuck to the IR receiver eyes on my HR20's. This worked for months (over a year on one of them) until "one day" they quit and I had to move the emitters several inches away from the HR2x's IR receiver. I can't pinpoint this to a specific software release, but I had two HR20's do this at almost the same time and they are in two different closets with two different RF-to-IR receivers driving them.

+1

You're preaching to the choir here. I think the IR eye is too sensitive and overloads the software that decodes the signals. My HR20 was sitting on top of my media cabnit for 9+ months with 0 problems. Then for months I had intermittant IR response problems. Once I moved the HR20 into the media cabinet and hooked up the IR repeater 99.9% of the problems went away.

I'll try Edmund's suggestion the next time it happens.

 

[Carl Spock]

I've said it before…I'll say it again…there's something wacky with the HR2x's IR receiver (or the software that decodes the signals).

Agreed, also, but then this is the reason I hate IR in general. I've railed against IR in the past here for good reason. Do you know there is no industry agreement as to the carrier frequency companies should use? Pioneer, for example, uses a frequency as much as 10 times higher than most other companies. There really isn't anything specific about what a word length should be, which makes learning some companies' IR tough. Yamaha is this way. Ever try to learn commands for an XM tuner? Don't even bother to try. It can take you hours. IR is such a terrible command interface. I can hardly wait until we get to the next system: networked, where every piece in your home theater has its own URL and you address it that way. It works through your house's wireless Internet system. It will be so much cleaner.

 

[Stuart Sweet]

sounds like the receiver is RF mode and the remotes are not, try the following:

1. dtv
2. press and hold MUTE & SELECT for two blinks
3. enter 0 0 0 0 1

test remote, if still not working go on:

4. press and hold MUTE & SELECT for two blinks
5. enter 9 6 1
6. press CH UP key
7. enter the last 6 digits of the receiver ID #, found on a sticker in the access card compartment
8. press SELECT

Edmund, you're brilliant! I wish I'd thought of suggesting that. Does make me wonder why it would work for him one time out of 30 though.

 

[Ken S]

One of our NR boxes started not responding properly to the remote. Basically did what Edmund suggested and it's fixed for now.

Fair number of "remotes" related posts lately....probably just a coincidence.

 

[rudeney]

Agreed, also, but then this is the reason I hate IR in general. I've railed against IR in the past here for good reason. Do you know there is no industry agreement as to the carrier frequency companies should use? Pioneer, for example, uses a frequency as much as 10 times higher than most other companies. There really isn't anything specific about what a word length should be, which makes learning some companies' IR tough. Yamaha is this way. Ever try to learn commands for an XM tuner? Don't even bother to try. It can take you hours. IR is such a terrible command interface. I can hardly wait until we get to the next system: networked, where every piece in your home theater has its own URL and you address it that way. It works through your house's wireless Internet system. It will be so much cleaner.

I'm with you there in hating IR! I'm not so much aggravated by all the various protocols and frequencies because most newer learning remotes seem to do OK, but I hate having to take a perfectly good RF signal and convert it back to IR with an emitter. All IR devices should also have a hardwired jack to take input from a Xantech or similar system. This would solve many problems.

Of course some standard protocols over WiFi would be *the* way to go because not only could it solve transmission problems, but it could open up all sorts of possibilities with two-way communications.

 

[racerx24]

I have an hr20 700 and my remote started acting up about the time of the 3 weeks ago. I have never had a problem with it before and I've had it now for a year and a 1/2. I have had it in RF mode and went to change the channel and nothing happened then as I got about 1 foot from the receiver I was able to get it to respond and changed the remote to IR mode and it was then working so I then put it back to RF mode and it was also now working till about a week ago when it did it again and I has to repeat the same thing again to get it to work in RF mode. There is definitely something going on here.

That worked. I went to the setup in the dvr, via the front buttons. I switched back and forth a few times doing the setups for IR and RF. Then it started working. Woohoo.
Don't know why it would have changed. No software updates in the last two days.
Thanks a lot.
Tony

 

[shedberg]

I would also wonder if some of the "lockup" issues are really a remote issue. I reported a non-responsive unit but did not check if the box itself would respond. I certainly will do so in the future.