Problems with my Spectrum Remote

desertcliff

I switched over to Spectrum some months ago and the Spectrum technician programmed everything, including my remotes. On the TV I watch most frequently (a SONY Model 408X450), when using the Spectrum remote (I do not see a model number on the remote) and pressing the "all" button to power on the TV, I often have to press this button two, three or more times before the TV comes on and goes to a TV channel. This can't be right.

Satch

Hello @desertcliff, Welcome to our Community!

Some things to try:

1.) Get new high quality batteries in the remote. Make sure they are a top brand like Eveready or Duracell.

2.) Make sure that the line of site is not blocked between the remote and the TV. You want to be pointing the TV at the center of your box, and slightly downward.

3.) Reprogram your remote by running the set up program for it again. Here is a page to identify and re-program your remote:

https://www.spectrum.net/support/tv/program-your-remote/

4.) If you have a Smart TV, (A TV with Internet apps. on it), soft-reset it by holding down the power button on your TV manufacturer's remote (not your Spectrum Remote) until the TV turns off and back on again. When the TV's "title screen" appeasers, release the button.

5.) Power off your TV and cable box. Unplug your cable TV's HDMI cable from the back of the TV and than re-commect it to your TV. Also, with TV and cable box off, unplug the cable box for one minute, and plug it back in, allowing the system to reboot.

6.) On your TV, check for any software updates and install them.

7.) Try putting your HDMI cable, into another HDMI outlet on the back of your TV. Most TV's have three HDMI outlets, some have four..

8.) Get a new HDMI cable. Don't get some bargain bin HDMI cable. You should spend about $20 to get a good one.

9.) If non of this works, call Spectrum for a tech visit. to get your cable signals and connections checked. But that should be a last resort. Any of the above steps could solve this issue.

Satch

desertcliff

Thanks, Satch. This one isn't a Smart TV, so there are no apps, etc. I'll try the other steps you recommended.

HT_Greenfield

When you press ALL/Ȯ to turn the cable box and TV on or off and the TV doesn’t follow suit, don’t press it again but rather press TV/Ȯ to get the TV into the same on/off state as the cable box. My cable box never misses a beat with ALL/Ȯ while my TV often enough does yet it never misses a beat with TV/Ȯ so i gather that the TV occasionally fails to distinguish the second signal from the first of the two rapid-fire signals elicited by ALL/Ȯ which you can see the rapidness of by how rapid are the two blinks of the input LED. How often it happens depends upon the angle of the line of sight and who knows what else.

Edit: if your cable box is a Spectrum “Worldbox” running the Spectrum Guide software and if you’ve not RF-paired the remote then you might be able to mitigate the effect by doing so.

desertcliff

Thanks, HT_Greenfield. The cable box and remote were paired by a Spectrum technician.

I'll try your suggestion re pressing TV/O. I should also mention that it takes quite a while before the TV and Spectrum come on. Perhaps pressing TV/O will speed that up.

Satch

Hey @desertcliff ,

How is it going with the steps I mentioned? How long is "quite a while" before the TV and box come on? That should be instantaniously to about five seconds max. Also, how old is the TV?

Satch

desertcliff

No better, I'm afraid, Satch. I just timed it and it took 24 seconds for the tv and box to come on. The TV is nearly ten years old, which I appreciate is almost ancient in this era of technology. However, I never had a problem with the TV or remote with DirecTV, which is about the only good thing I can say about DirecTV. I guess I can learn to live with having to press the button on the remote several times and waiting for everything to come on.

Satch

I know how you feel @desertcliff,

Today's electronics have a one year warrenty. I have a burn-in purple spot or backlite issue on my screen's left corner just over one year old Samsung. It's got nothing to do with Spectrum because the smart apps show the same problem, and even with the HDMI cable disconnected, it shows the image on the screen. Not all the time, and not enough for TV servicing yet. I have a five year Geek Squad Best Buy warranty that is good til May of 2027.

My brother had two Samsung TV's and both crapped out in under a year. Doesn't anybody believe in quality control anymore? He now owns a used HiSense model

Our previous set was still going strong after 13+ years. We gave it to a relative, because we thought the "Smart TV" was going to be cool. Had we known about these problems, we would hae just kept the old set til it died.

If you can live with the long turn on time, considering my story, keep your older set. You are just going to get garbage in an exchange.that's going to have problems after a year. I know one person with a reasonably modern set that lasted for over five years. But five years with today's TV's is considered very, very lucky.

Satch

desertcliff

I'm afraid that the issue you've raised isn't limited to TVs by any means, Satch.

Yes, I can live with things as they are. As they say, often you're better off with the devil you know!

Satch

@desertcliff ,

Agree, that's the way it is with technologies today. (Plural intended.)

Satch

HT_Greenfield

Just curious: When you turn on both the cable box and TV, does the TV sometimes ultimately display “no signal”? Is that what leads you to power cycle them? If so, I’d try a replacement HDMI cable and, in the meantime, try power cycling each by itself while the other remains on instead of both simultaneously in order to find out if it’s really only one of the two that needs to be power cycled in case such heuristic happens to correct the idiosyncrasy with fewer tries.

You can power cycle the TV by itself via the remote TV on/off button and the cable box by itself (as inconvenient as such may be) via on/off button right on the front of the box.

desertcliff

Yes, the TV sometimes ultimately displays "no signal" quite frequently.

I've now tried to power cycle the TV and the cable box as you suggested, but same situation.

While I very much appreciate all of the input I've received, to be candid I've spent far more time on this than it's worth to me. I can live with it as it is.

My thanks yet again to everyone.

Unknown

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