Samsung Solar Remote Control

[Adambomb137]

Hi I have just bought a Samsung TV which comes with a great solar smart remote that controlls everything except my BT set top box mini. Is this something i am doing wrong, can my samsung remote not control my set top box? Many thanks 

[Midnight_Voice]

@Adambomb137 

The starting point of any possible solution to such issues must be the exact model number of the TV in question.

If you can kindly give that, perhaps some progress may be made.

I trust you have also posed this question to Samsung, who may be equally well placed to answer?

In the meantime, see if the list of codes for the remote (always assuming it works by this legacy method) covers any Humax devices (original Minis) or Sagemcom (new Minis), and try those codes.

[Adambomb137]

Thank you for responding, 

The TV is a Samsung UE55CU8000KXXU 55" Smart 4K Ultra HD HDR LED TV with Bixby & Alexa

I have not found a way to use a code to pair the remote as the remote doesnt even have a keypad. Plus I feel I am trying to reverse the conventional role by having the TV remote control my set top box.,

Thanks again

[Midnight_Voice]

@Adambomb137 

Here’s a link to the relevant Samsung support page:-

https://www.samsung.com/uk/support/model/UE55CU8000KXXU/#downloads

The two entries for the remote control mention Universal Remote, but I’m not clear which of the two remotes that apparently come with this TV is being referred to.

In the e-manual, you can find a reference to this Universal Remote feature on page 31. I suggest you investigate that, and if you have any further questions resulting (as I don’t know what the referenced menu looks like, or what it might show you), have a chat with Samsung support in the first instance.

It would also be helpful for them and for us, if you specify what model the set top box is; up to the DTR-T4000 they are all pretty similar, but the Pro box is a bit different.

[DarrenDev]

Adam did already mention it's a TV Box Mini @Midnight_Voice 

All EE TV Boxes respond to the same IR commands, so if it works as an IR universal remote then great.

If it's trying to send commands over HDMI then I'm not sure if EE TV boxes support that?

[Midnight_Voice]

@DarrenDev @Adambomb137 

There’s a long thread about this:-

https://community.bt.com/t5/EE-TV-YouView/issue-controlling-BTTV-STB-over-hdmi/td-p/2339881

where I think we more or less battled ourselves to the conclusion that universal remotes operate EE boxes and other similar kit via IR, and not CEC.

Certainly LG Magic Remotes anyway, though the only way I can see those doing what they can do - such as simulating pushing the blue button on the remote for a YouView box - is that LG TVs tell them what code to use via Bluetooth, according to the menu selection you make on the LG TV.

Certainly originally, the only CEC commands that YouView boxes were required to support over HDMI were One Touch Play, where starting the YouView box will turn on the HDMI-connected TV and change to that input, and System Standby, where turning off the HDMI-connected TV will turn off the YouView box.

(Though while One Touch Play works between my LG TVs and their respective YouView boxes, System Standby doesn’t).

As ever, I don’t know if the Pro boxes gained any further CEC capabilities, but they, and any devices interacting with them, would need Deck Control to emulate what the YouView remote can do.

[rbz5416]

As far as I can ascertain playing around with my S90C, it's all a bit of a mish-mash.

The TV itself is an IR blaster that controls device functions. But is doesn't seem to send power commands by IR, so I can only guess that's done by CEC. So to make the box work I think it would have to be directly connected to the TV by HDMI & then have Anynet (Samsung's CEC) turned on in the TV Settings. I can't find a setting in the Pro Box for CEC so would expect that's on by default - or not!

[Midnight_Voice]

@rbz5416 

Yes, CEC is on by default, and you can’t turn it off on YouView boxes. 

Those users who wanted to turn it off on the YouView box, but not globally on their TV, for whatever reason, would use an HDMI cable or device in which the CEC strand was disconnected.

An example from my own experience of where the YouView box CEC is annoying is that if I let the box turn my LG GX  TV on, the TV will then in turn the GX soundbar on and switch it to the HDMI input, instead of the eARC input.

However, this is more likely a problem with the LG TV CEC (though it does not happen with other devices I have connected to the TV by HDMI) and I avoid it, except when I forget, by taking care to turn the TV on first.

So this is a workaround for my CEC issue here; but for those with CEC issues they could not work around, the special HDMI cable was the only option.

[gomezz]

You can get an HDMI adaptor which has the CEC control pins unconnected. I use one for my main AV receiver connection to the TV and only use CEC for my Chromecast dongle so I can use my Harmony remote to control it (dongle not listed in the Harmony database).