If your TV or set-top box remote control isn’t working, or you think may be broken, here are some things to try:
Check The Batteries
1. First off, check the batteries in the remote control. Try changing the batteries for a fresh set. You might want to invest in a cheap battery tester for home use.
2. Make sure that the batteries have been inserted correctly. You need to make sure that the batteries have been inserted correctly and are not the wrong way around.
Check the line of sight
Remote controls use infrared signals. These rely on line-of-sight.
3. Make sure that there is nothing obscuring the transmitter on the top of the remote control, or the infrared sensor on the set-top box.
4. Make sure you are pointing the remote control directly at the box.
5. Clean the infrared sensor on the remote and the receiver with a cloth.
6. If there is a strong light source in the room, this could be ‘swamping’ the Infrared signal. Reduce the ambient light
7. Try moving the remote nearer to the box.
Tip: Testing The Remote
If you have a digital camera, you can use this to check whether or not the remote control is transmitting. The sensors used on digital cameras are sensitive to infrared light. Here’s how to check.
- Take a remote control that you know is working
- Switch on your digital camera and point it at the remote control sensor
- Look through the camera’s screen
- Press a button on the remote. You should see a blue-white pulse on the camera screen. This is the IR signal
- Now, try it with the remote you think is faulty
Note that this trick works best on cameras with a CCD image sensor. Cameras with CMOS sensors, such as the iPhone 4, still work, but the effect is not as obvious – hence the suggestion to check a working remote control first, to make sure the camera can see IR.
Remote Control Damaged?
Check the battery contacts. If the batteries have leaked at some point, the contacts may be corroded and a good contact may not be possible. Either scrap the contacts with a small screwdriver to expose the metal, or use a small piece of sandpaper to clean the contact.
Remote Still Faulty?
If you can still not get the remote control to work, and believe that it is faulty, you should either contact the manufacturer’s helpline, return the product to the place of purchase for a replacement, or buy a replacement.
Replacement Remote Control
If you can still not get the remote control to work, and believe that it is faulty, you should either contact the manufacturer’s helpline, or return the product to the place of purchase for a replacement.
You can buy a replacement remote control for most makes of TV and set-top boxes from Partmaster
Alternatively, get a Universal Remote Control – these can be programmed to act like most makes and models or remote control.
When looking through the camera at my faulty remote, the sensor light is flashing all the time, it goes off when I press any button. I can only turn it off by holding a button down or taking the battery out. It is therefore working in reverse, none of the buttons change anything on the TV. Any ideas?
I have the problem with my Sky tv.My remote works as I have checked it via camera but it doesn’t put on TV,so plz guys don’t you have any trick to use for bypassing the use of remote in putting on TV
Thank you, the camera test worked, one button was jammed on.
Thank you so much for your help! I changed the batteries first but it didn’t work. Then I cleansed the sensor on the remote, then cleansed the battery contact with a screw, at first it didn’t work. Then I cleansed the battery contact the second time, scrape it hard, then it works.
Some buttons on my sky remote work, others do not – volume, change channel, TV. The fact that the TV button does not work means I cannot begin to put in codes to get the remote functioning fully. So what can I do. TV is a Sony 43XG8305BU 4K LED 43
My Manhattan T2 R was ‘playing up’ tried using a one for all remote, television working OK, but now cannot regain control from my Manhattan remote. How do I regain control using the Manhattan remote ?