Problem With Infrared Remote Control Not Responding

[Gyro Gearloose 0]

Has anyone else had problems with an infrared remote control becoming balky and or finally not working at all?

 

I have customer with a Speco DVR-16TS750 and the use of the remote control has become a big problem.

Sometimes it's fine. Sometimes it just acts slow. Sometimes it will freeze (usually in the playback mode) and you have to press a button on the face of the DVR to unfreeze it.

 

We have changed the batteries.

We have obtained and tried 4 replacement remotes from Speco.

We have been sent a replacement DVR.

We have rebooted.

We have reformatted.

We have "repaired" the data base.

We have created a large circle in the parking lot and sacrificed a goat AND a chicken.

.... (Was going to sacrifice a virgin but I looked high and low and their aren't any these days. Even tried Ebay.)

We have adjusted our tinfoil hats .....

The Problem Persists.

 

Speco technical support has tried to duplicate the problem to no avail.

 

Any ideas or experience with a similar remote control problem?

[scorpion 0]

check.

check.

check.

check.

check.

check.

check.

 

Yep! You got a problem! When you said that you have tried 4 replacement remote controls that tells me the problem is not with the remote control, and this appears to have been validated by tech support as they cannot duplicate the problem.

 

Now I wonder if the problem is not with the DVR. Is it possible that the IR "eye" is bad? Is it possible to swap out the DVR to confirm that the DVR is not "receiving" the IR commands. No! You said that you replaced the DVR!

 

This means that you have IR interference. Do you have a Plasma TV on the wall nearby? Do you have IR cameras on the interior? I cannot think of any device that would transmit in that freq range that would cause that kind of interference. Is there direct sunshine coming through a window? Does it happen at times, and at other times it works fine?

 

I have only seen this kind of an issue when a DVR is high on a shelf, and it is set back away from the edge. The lip of the shelf is actually blocking the signal. If you point the remote straight up at the ceiling then the signal will "bounce" off the ceiling, and the DVR will get the signal.

 

If you are a xantech lover you can try using an IR repeater. By placing an IR emitter directly over the IR "eye", it may receive the signal better. Do not use IR blasters as it may "burn" the IR eye, or cause premature failure.

http://interlectcid.com/CatalogMain.asp?v=Main&c=INFRA-RED&b=XANTECH&id=1329

 

 

Beyond that I would call for a replacement DVR. I meant borrow another brand for testing.

 

For those that would like to learn more about remote controls I would recommend as a starting point:

 

http://www.cctvforum.com/viewtopic.php?t=7071

 

 

http://www.remotecentral.com/

 

http://www.remotecentral.com/files/index.html

 

http://www.remotecentral.com/cgi-bin/files/upload.cgi?d=other

 

I think we on the forum should start our own data base of IR codes.

 

If a DVR handheld remote control were to die, and if there were no replacement then we could teach a smart remote to simulate the original handheld remote control!

 

Imagine being able to hide a DVR in a secret spot, and yet be able to control it locally with an in wall keypad! Ask any home theater tech to show you how you can do this. It is very simple for the tech savy.

 

There are devices that can translate other communications protocal to IR if you really wanted to get wild with electronics.

Edited July 25, 2007 by Guest

[scorpion 0]

I forgot to mention that you can teach a smart remote that uses RF, and a receiver receives the RF then it converts it to IR.

 

I would try putting the DVR in to closed space, with cabinet door so that it could not pick up the IR interference.

[survtech 0]

Check for IR interference. Sunlight is notorious for getting into and overloading sensors during the day. Active IR motion detectors and other IR sources can also interfere with IR remote operation. Try covering or blocking the sensor in the DVR except for a small window and aim the remote directly at that window.

 

Worse case, get an IR meter or try an IR Indicator Card to find interfering IR sources.

[Gyro Gearloose 0]

Thanks for the responses.

 

I didn't find out about the possibility of interference until after I started this thread.

 

I read that there can be several sources of IR interference.

Sunlight

and surprisingly fluorescent lighting when driven by electronic ballasts.

http://www.designerblinds.com/CSTips/CSTips_134.htm

 

To test this I took a lamp that was in use on the test bench when I first noticed the problem that has a compact fluorescent bulb to the customers location.

 

Sunlight definitely is not an issue the windows are blocked with little or no light through them.

 

I am holding the remote directly in front of the DVR at anywhere from 1 to 3 feet aimed straight at the IR receiver with nothing blocking it.

 

I have tried it

with and without the lamp,

with and without the ceiling fluorescent,

with and without my laptop close by,

with and without the monitor on.

There is no plasma TV anywhere in the neighborhood.

 

I'm not sure where to go from here.

 

It seems like either Speco technical is not aggressive enough trying to duplicate the problem (you sort of have to work at it) or I was just lucky enough to get two bad units.

 

If I send one of the units back to Speco and they are not aggressive enough with the one I return they may not be able to duplicate the problem on that one either.

 

I suspect that the problem is a design software programing problem.

 

What a gigantic headache and a waste of time!

[kensplace 0]

Does it only occur when the DVR has been used for a while? If so....

 

Is it overheating? What if you turn it of for half an hour and turn it back on, does it work fine for a while?

 

Does it only occur when the DVR has recorded lots of footage?

 

Probably bad sotware/firmware/lack of testing - manufacturer is probably trying to duplicate with a unit that is fresh out of the box, not one with footage/log files etc on it.

 

If there is any way you can test it 'fresh out of the box' ie, with a empty drive, you can see if this is the case. If it works fine with no files recorded, but starts getting worse the more you record, then its the manu's fault.

[Gyro Gearloose 0]

The first machine had an interruption in power shortly after it was unpacked and set up. A loose outlet I think.

After that I noticed that the remote was sort of slow & balky. I assumed it was due to the sudden shutdown.

I reformatted, rebooted etc. and the problem seemed better but still a little sluggish maybe.

Later I put it through it's paces by quickly using the remote to go to playback then search then select different camera configuration.

Then I noticed that it would actually quit responding to the remote until I pressed a button on the front of the DVR.

 

My distributor sent me a replacement DVR. I found that it did the same thing straight out of the box.

 

The tech department said they couldn't duplicate the problem but the sales rep said he tried it on a similar model and the DVR became unresponsive to the remote when he pressed in rapid succession. When he talked to the tech department they told him he was pressing the buttons on the remote to quickly and the machine was evidently getting behind.

 

Has anyone else had a problem with DVRs that are a little hesitant to respond to the remote or lock the remote out when pressed in rapid succession?

.

.

[rory 0]

Not many DVRs have IR remotes to begin with, most that do are the budget DVRs, and well that could just be lack of proper coding on the manufacturer's part, or other hardware issues from inexpensive parts.

 

Speco is also an OEM company, meaning they import [mostly] budget/unknown DVRs from manufacturers in Asia, to resell under their name. I used a couple of their DVRs and I would say they are perhaps worth half the cost distributors charge for them. They had some decent bullet cameras back in the day though.

 

That said, have you tried testing the DVR and the IR Remote in either another room, or at another location?

 

It should just be seeing the buttons pressed as keypresses .. like using a keyboard .. if it cant keep up with that . .. perhaps they are running a timer in the embedded software to check for the presses, and it is set too fast. Maybe they have too many in depth calculations in the timer, and it is hanging it up .. maybe some loops of such .. could be anything.