September 28, 2006

Plasma TV + TiVo Series 3 = Wonky Remote

Got a new TiVo series 3 box and you're having trouble with the remote? Well according to Engadget, your Plasma TV might be the problem:

As many home theater aficionados know (first-hand, unfortunately), plasma TVs emit a significant amount of EMI and RFI signals from their surfaces that can confuse nearby IR sensors and render them useless, especially if your home theater gear juts out in front of the display. Well this problem has been happening in spades to new Series3 owners, as the box's IR receiver seems especially sensitive to other frequencies, so much so that they often need to press a button 10 to 15 times for a command to actually register.
TiVo seems to be aware of the issue, but has not yet offered a solution, which is why the good folks who frequent the TiVo Community forum have put their heads together and come up with several effective workarounds.

While there's a lot of debate among readers what the real issue is, you'll want to check out some work-arounds at Engadget's site.

At Engadget.com