[el1aine]

hi, first of all hope all have a good Xmas.

when I first switch on the tv the remote does not work at all, if I leave it for at least 10 minutes I can then use it. Obviously when it first started happening a few days ago I changed batteries in the remote, nothing helped. Luckily there is a volume and programme button on top of the tv but that isn't a long term solution. Does anyone think this is a problem with the remote, or the tv? I have a warranty, but it would be nice to phone the engineers with an idea of the problem.

Thanks in advance for any suggestions.

[paulr2006]

To be honest it could be either; you really need someone else with a similar TV to try the remote on although I suspect it's more likely to be the TV. You dont have anything in the way of the IR receiver on the set do you?

[Nigel Goodwin]

Sony remotes work any recent Sony TV, including CRT ones - so test the remote at any friend who has a Sony TV.

Or point it through a shop window at a display TV

[el1aine]

hi, thanks for your replies. I'll try it on another Sony tv then - and I love the idea of standing outside the shop and pointing the remote through the window!! I'm sure they won't mind at the shop if I take the remote in, but it does only seem to happen when I switch on the set first thing in the morning. Paul, not sure what you mean by IR receiver on the set - I haven't added anything myself.

[paulr2006]

Quote:

Originally Posted by el1aine

hi, thanks for your replies. I'll try it on another Sony tv then - and I love the idea of standing outside the shop and pointing the remote through the window!! I'm sure they won't mind at the shop if I take the remote in, but it does only seem to happen when I switch on the set first thing in the morning. Paul, not sure what you mean by IR receiver on the set - I haven't added anything myself.

It's a little opening or window on the front of the TV, though on some Tv's it's disguised in the case so not obvious. If something is placed in front of it the sensor becomes less sensitive.

[madmiller]

it could be sun shining on the sensor
just a thought .

[Orbitalzone]

Is it a KDLW4000 by any chance?

Over on the AVforums there are a number of these owners saying their remotes don't work for the first 1 minute of powerup up the TV.

Mine also does this so can confirm this 'feature' exists....it is not the remote control at fault as I have 2 of them and the same fault is displayed using the Sky remote in TV mode.

Basically I find that upon powering up the TV, the remote is very sluggish for the fist minute of use.... (the volume is slow to change) but the front local buttons on the TV work fine.

Once the TV has warmed up it all works fine... someone suggested it's the TV's flourescent backlight warming up... which sounds plausible as it's certainly possible for other light sources to block infrared remote controls....

[el1aine]

Paul - thanks, no I don't have a little window on the front of the tv as you describe. Orbitalzone - it's not the tv you mention, but interesting others are having the same issue. It makes sense it could be the fluorescent backlight warming up, though we've had the tv for over a year and it only recently started happening. I have now started turning the tv on a few minutes before i need it, which has helped. I hope the backlight doesn't "go", I have a 5 year warranty - wonder if that would cover it.

[Nigel Goodwin]

Quote:

Originally Posted by el1aine

Paul - thanks, no I don't have a little window on the front of the tv as you describe. Orbitalzone - it's not the tv you mention, but interesting others are having the same issue.

You do have a little 'window', but perhaps you don't recognise it as such?. It won't be optically clear, just clear at IR.

Quote:

It makes sense it could be the fluorescent backlight warming up, though we've had the tv for over a year and it only recently started happening. I have now started turning the tv on a few minutes before i need it, which has helped. I hope the backlight doesn't "go", I have a 5 year warranty - wonder if that would cover it.

Your warranty should cover the LCD panel, be no point having it otherwise. What they don't cover is projector lamps, as that's a consumable item.

[Orbitalzone]

Nigel, you install/service many Sony's, have you experienced this sluggish remote operation on the W4000 series?

It seems a number of people notice this (over at the AVforums).....

It's a small annoyance for me and I'd rather stick with my otherwise fault free W4000.

[CWatters]

I'm a retired electronics engineer... This sounds like a problem with the IR reciever in the TV fixing itself as it warms up.

As a test leave TV off overnight. Then with the TV still OFF give the remote to the kids and tell them to press buttons on it every now and then for 20 mins to get the remote "warmed" up. THEN turn the TV on and see what happens. If the TV is still sluggish the problem probably isn't the remote.

You could also try it the other way around. Leave the remote untouched overnight, then without pressing any buttons on the remote.. turn the TV on and leave it on for 20-30 mins. Then try the remote. If it's still a problem then it's probably the remote as the TV has been warmed up.

[Nigel Goodwin]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Orbitalzone

Nigel, you install/service many Sony's, have you experienced this sluggish remote operation on the W4000 series?

It seems a number of people notice this (over at the AVforums).....

It's a small annoyance for me and I'd rather stick with my otherwise fault free W4000.

Never had any reports of it, and there's nothing on Sony Assist either.

Delivered a 40W4000 this afternoon, worked straightaway no problem, as all the others I've seen.

[Orbitalzone]

It's not the remote control at fault, I have 4 various Sony remotes (2 specifically for the W4000 series and a couple for earlier models) 2 of which are brand new and they all exhibit the same problem. The Sky remote also does the same thing, it is definitely an issue with the TV itself as others have confirmed over at the AV forums.

Mine doesn't always do it oddly enough but when it does, it certainly takes about 1 minute to 'warm up' before the remote operates the TV correctly.

If you aren't aware of the issue you'd almost dismiss it and think you'd pointed the remote a bit off centre, by the time you think it's a bit sluggish then it starts working fine until it's turned off for a time.

I've had the odd I/R issues with customer TV's in the past and it was usually either a faulty remote, faulty IR sensor or possibly lighting in the room or sunlight shining into the sensor.

[jeff2222]

Quote:

Originally Posted by paulr2006

It's a little opening or window on the front of the TV, though on some Tv's it's disguised in the case so not obvious. If something is placed in front of it the sensor becomes less sensitive.

thanks for this...we had Xmas cards in front of the window...and could not work out why the handset did not work...until we read this.
Caused great amusement because we assumed the batteries had run out.

[gomezz]

Christmas lights (*), wireless video senders, wi-fi and power bricks can all interfere with each other and with remote controls. And power-saving light-bulbs too by some accounts.

Turn off and unplug everything except the TV and see if the problem persists. Remove all other remote controls from the room as a sticking key on a remote is another possibility.

(*) There seems to have been a spate of similar problems reported just recently which suggests it is more than a co-incidence.

[Molly Hunt]

I have a [15 year old but working perfectly] Sony widescreen TV.
In the last few days some of the channels appear in the old almost square format as opposed to the widescreen.
It has been so long since I've used my Sony TV remote that I've forgotten how to alter the picture format. User manual is also long gone!

Can anyone point me to the correct button?

[chrisjr]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Molly Hunt

I have a [15 year old but working perfectly] Sony widescreen TV.
In the last few days some of the channels appear in the old almost square format as opposed to the widescreen.
It has been so long since I've used my Sony TV remote that I've forgotten how to alter the picture format. User manual is also long gone!

Can anyone point me to the correct button?

Not quite sure why you revived a 4 year old thread for this but anyway.

If the programmes were made in 4:3 aspect ratio then that is how they are meant to be displayed on the TV. So I would leave it alone.

However if everything, including programmes made in 16:9 are displayed in 4:3 then that suggests the aspect ratio switching is set incorrectly.

Look on the remote for a button labelled ZOOM or something like that. It could also be called WIDE or WS.

But as I said if the TV is displaying programmes in the correct aspect ratio and switching between 4:3 and 16:9 as appropriate then I would leave it alone, unless you really like short fat people or watching just the middle bit of a 4:3 broadcast - depending on whether you set it to stretch the entire image or cut out the centre part of the image.

[Molly Hunt]

Thanks for reply! I revived the thread because it's years since I needed to use the remote for the TV and no-one I know can help!

Thee progs all used to show in 16.9 [if that is widescreen format] and now mostly are in 4.3 [squarish?] Mostly the repeat type ones - Ch 1 > 5 aren't doing it. Will look for zoom -there isn't a WIDE or WS.
Thanks again!

[chrisjr]

If the TV is switching between 16:9 (Widescreen) and 4:3 correctly depending on the source then leave it alone, there is nothing wrong with it. It is only a problem if it displays every single programme in one aspect ratio regardless of how it was produced.

A lot of the stuff that gets repeated on ITV3 and ITV4 for example comes from the days when 4:3 was the main format. So it is expected that those programmes will display with black bars either side.

[David (2)]

we have a recent 26in Sony LCD and it used to suffer the same slow remote problem, but for some time now its been fine. Other than changing the batteries, we found the IR sensor on the tv needs a good clear view - things placed just slightly near the IR sensor (bottom left corner on our set) will impact on the remote controls response. I guess its also a good idea to keep the sensors on the set and handset free of dust as well, if the sensors are this picky.

Btw, the other room has an older B series 23in Sony LCD which has never suffered from this.

[Orbitalzone]

Well seeing as I was in this thread originally I'll give a rather late update on how I cured my Sony W4000 remote insensitivity problem!

I was trying things out and noticed that if I put my finger over the IR sensor at switch on, the remote worked perfectly!

I stuck a miniscule piece of black electrical insulating tape over 80% of the IR sensor on my TV and it instantly cured the slow response of my remote when the TV is first turned on. It's counter- intuitive covering the sensor but what I understand was happening is that the LCD flourescent backlight warms up for a minute when turned on and emits infrared radiation that clashes with the infrared remote control sensor. Covering 80% of the IR sensor with black tape actually stopped the IR sensor being flooded with the flourescent radiation but sitll allowed the IR remote signal to get through.

Anyway, as I say it sounds like it should do the oposite but I can assure you it solved my infrared remote problem.

The black sticky tape is only about 2mmx5mm in size and being black is unnoticable.