This topic

Remote control is useless

Paul1956 — Tue, 19 Apr 2022 09:33:21 GMT

We have been with BT for several years and have always found the BT Box and remote control to be, at best, poor quality. Our BT Box recently failed to record programmes so it was replaced with a new one.

The remote control operation has always been frustratingly poor, but it has now reached the level of being completely unacceptable as it takes an average of over 20 presses for a button to respond (even though each time the blue light on the remote control does flash). This is still the case even if the remote control is held just a few feet away and carefully pointed directly at the window on the BT Box.

We will be leaving BT when our contract finishes in October, but in the meantime has anyone else found a solution to this problem? Asking BT for a new Box or a new remote is not the answer as we are on to about our 6th or 7th Box and remote and they are all similarly poor.

I'm not sure why we have persevered with this for so long as the BT hardware is not fit for purpose.

Re: Remote control is useless

zulu17 — Tue, 19 Apr 2022 21:04:31 GMT

Hi @Paul1956

I think it would be useful to know which BT TV box model you are using and also to know where the box is positioned relative to your TV and any other devices that it is in close proximity to ?

Re: Remote control is useless

Anonymous — Tue, 19 Apr 2022 21:08:06 GMT

I suspect you have another device chucking out noise & causing interference. The lack of similar reports suggests that there is no generic issue with the kit.

Re: Remote control is useless

Paul1956 — Wed, 20 Apr 2022 06:43:45 GMT

The BT Box is in an open fronted wooden cabinet almost directly below the TV; it's only about 12-18 ins away from the TV. I'm not sure which model the BT Box is as there is nothing on it to say which it is, though it does say BT item code 882506.

I've no reason to think that interference from other devices is causing this problem. The only other devices in the room are a Panasonic TV and a DVD (the latter is switched off most of the time), plus an Alexa about 10 feet away.

Re: Remote control is useless

TimCurtis — Wed, 20 Apr 2022 08:06:49 GMT

@Paul1956

Hopefully the Panasonic isn't a Plasma one as they were known for causing similar issues.

Re: Remote control is useless

BillyM — Wed, 20 Apr 2022 16:59:30 GMT

@Paul1956

this might help you narrow down which BT box you are using: https://www.bt.com/help/tv/learn-about-tv/bt-tv-boxes

Re: Remote control is useless

garno — Wed, 07 Sep 2022 09:44:45 GMT

Just keep asking for new remote controls and eventually if everyone does that they'll get the message. The remote on the pro box works fine.

Re: Remote control is useless

garno — Wed, 07 Sep 2022 09:45:57 GMT

i can't believe bt has any experts. I have given up phoning tech support their useless

Re: Remote control is useless

Weerab1983 — Wed, 07 Sep 2022 11:56:06 GMT

I had an issue years ago where the batteries in my Amazon Firestick remote were incorrectly placed and this was affecting the BT remote.

Worth a try, checking with any other remotes..

Re: Remote control is useless

mispeltyuoth — Wed, 07 Sep 2022 16:05:16 GMT

A few years ago I had a number of problems with an old Sony PVR. Amongst other issues was an unresponsive remote control and interference on the Freeview channels. After investigating everything else and not finding a solution I moved the DVD player, which was stacked in the same cabinet, and everything worked faultlessly afterwards.

I have no idea why; the only thing I could surmise is that the magnets in the DVD motor were somehow causing interference.

Re: Remote control is useless

biohazardx9 — Wed, 07 Sep 2022 18:28:57 GMT

Ahh the older mini box.

You will need to upgrade to the newer mini box or the Pro box. Both use Bluetooth to control the box and not ir.

Responsiveness is much much better as well.

Mine is quick and I get around very good with it.

100% something is interfering with the box's ir signal on your existing.

What you can do is boot up a camera on your phone. Point it at various devices and look on your screen, if anything is emitting ir signals you'll see it on your screen. Old hack I use myself to test if remotes are working well.

Re: Remote control is useless

ericf — Mon, 18 Dec 2023 22:10:15 GMT

I have just read these comments trying to fix my frustrating remote. Like everyone else I have spent a lot of time trying to get some sort of proper use from it.

I now have something to share. I'm afraid I don't know what model box I have but hopefully when I describe mine you will have some idea.

This is a very simple remedy which makes absolutely no sense at all. Turn your box around so the rear points out towards you and you can see the cables. On mine there is the aerial, HDMI and Ethernet cables. There is also something which has a red light with the letters SPDIF. I use the red light as something to point at.

This works for me and I hope it works for you.

Re: Remote control is useless

Midnight_Voice — Mon, 18 Dec 2023 22:32:42 GMT

@ericf

Oh, it makes sense.

Though what you are pointing at is the Optical Out of the YouView box, and the red light is the data stream from it. But I am afraid this red is a herring 😢

I guess that even with the box turned round, enough of what is coming from the remote is being caught by the magic eye on the front of the box, and so operates it. But whatever was blocking things before isn’t registering with the magic eye any longer.

For testing, turn the box back the normal way round, and consider:-

Is it a plasma TV? They do this blocking.

Is there a fish tank involved? These can do it also.

Have you tried the phone camera trick described above to see if anything else in the room is spewing out optical interference?

Have you tried drawing the curtains and turning at the lights off? If that improves things, turn the lights back on one by one until you find the culprit, and finally see if pulling back the curtains makes a difference.

Re: Remote control is useless

ericf — Tue, 19 Dec 2023 00:42:01 GMT

A fair point.

However after so much time trying find out whatever was causing the problem, I'm just happy to accept it works.

Not really a technical cure but the box was in danger of becoming a frisbee thrown out of the window. It's not round but I'm sure it would have flown far enough.

Re: Remote control is useless

Midnight_Voice — Tue, 19 Dec 2023 09:20:31 GMT

@ericf

YouFlew? 😛

Re: Remote control is useless

ericf — Tue, 19 Dec 2023 10:08:18 GMT

😁