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 Batteries Inserted Correctly
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
What an IR signal looks like on a digital camera
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.
Check Remote Contacts are clean
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.
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