Sony Bravia/LCD CFL and Dish DVR remote interference--a solution!?

[shanewalker]

Alrighty. I know this topic has been touched upon in muddled bursts elsewhere (here at SatGuys and on AVSforum), but looking for a clear, concise "here's the cause of the problem, and here's the robust solution".

Apparently many LCD panel HDTVs utilize builds/technology that can cause interference w/ IR remote signals. This was new to me when I installed my Sony Bravia KDL 55EX500 HDTV earlier this week and found I couldn't get a signal from either my Harmony 880 remote or my original Dish remote to my 722k reciever (unless I held it 1 inch away from the IR sensor on the Dish box). My suspicions were that the LCD backlighting or the like were causing the interference--and putting a blanket over the screen showed that to be the case. Turning the backlighting and ambient sensor functions off/to min seem to largely alleviate the prob, but it often a problem on startup, so it's not a 100% fix.

http://www.satelliteguys.us/dish-ne...164106-lcd-cfl-ir-interference-rf-remote.html

And see this posting from a Dish rep in another thread, that validates above:

"TommyF@DISH Network is here from DISH Network to help!

Hey Gsbtx and welcome to the forums!

LCD TV's have been known to cause interference issues. They usually clear up after 5-20 minutes of being turned on, however there are a few things you can try to bypass it. You can try disabling the auto back-lighting feature on the TV itself. Another option to try is making the TV1 remote UHF rather than IR.

You could also check and make sure there's no bright light sources, no sun on the front of the receiver, nothing in the way of the receiver that could be blocking the IR signal."

Can anyone shed light (pun intended ) on the exact nature of the issue--note: this seems to ONLY affect the Dish gear in my rack (not my DVD juke, nor my Xbox, PS3 IR reciever, DVD recorder, HDMI switcher, etc). And what is the singular, most robust/trouble-free (i.e. fix it and forget it) solution? I don't relish continued hit-and-miss/wait and twiddle each time I try to turn on my system, which has been my experience this first week w/ the issue.

THANKS!

 

[rexlan]

Seems odd to me since the TV remote is also IR and works fine on mine. I have a new Sony Bravia also.

I have heard that a smoked glass/plexiglass in front of the IR port on the receiver will cure it.

Maybe try a pair of sunglasses first as a quick test - set in front of the receiver as close as possible and see if it works. If it does, buy a cheapo pair at Wally World and take the lens out and make it into a filter. I have done this on my in-car video camera to kill the glare from the windshield.

Last thing is to turn off the energy saving on the TV.

I also think you are correct that DISH is actually the problem and not they TV folks. We can assume you have changed/tried different channels for the remote, not sure if that matters in the IR portion however.

If any thing works post back so others will know.

 

[KAB]

A UHF remote would be your best bet (though some have reported LCD interference as well). Assuming you are using your TV2 remote, you would need to get another 21.0 remote (cheap on eBay) because TV1 remote is IR only.

 

[shanewalker]

A UHF remote would be your best bet (though some have reported LCD interference as well). Assuming you are using your TV2 remote, you would need to get another 21.0 remote (cheap on eBay) because TV1 remote is IR only.

Turning down the backlighting works for 75% fix...but switching to non-IR remote isn't an option due to investment in otherwise awesome IR remote gear (Harmony 880 and Logitech PS3 IR-adapter). If I could find an 890 for super cheap, maybe I'd consider, but otherwise, hoping a combo tweaked Bravia settings and filter in front of the 722 IR port will do the trick.

 

[DishSubLA]

It isn't just Dish remotes that can get interference to the IR. This also happens to my TiVo remote for the first few minutes, then the TiVo remote works about 75% of the time. Yes, the BACKLIGHT is the key in this. As stated above, turning it down most often fixes this problem. If have your TV set at the "Dynamic" or "Vivid" setting, DON'T. That is about the WOST setting one can use for an HDTV. That is designed for appearances on the salesroom floor, not for the home and is the setting that is guaranteed to interfere with IR. If you attempt to calibrate your display even by using something like a Spears & Munsil Blu-ray, for example, you will find that you don't need the back-light so high and achieve a better picture, and this will eliminate your problem with IR.

If you don't have the patience to wait during the first 15 minutes from start up of your TV (the back-light is still to high in such instances, especially for Sony Bravia's as they just don't need the back-light set so high) for your IR remote to work properly, then an earlier suggestion of getting a Dish TV1 RF remote is your BEST solution. For me it works 100% during IR interference from display. They are bout $20 new if you purchase it on-line.

Sony Bravia's don't need the back-light so high that it interferes with your IR remote. If you want to brighten the picture, adjust the Contrast (presuming you have set the Brightness at the correct level) first, then if necessary, the backlight, but ONE or TWO increments brighter should be PLENTY. The best way to set your Brightness is with some sort of calibration Blu-ray,.

It may be that you are judging too much back-light as preferred to your eye, but too much back-light or Brightness can produce a "washed out" look. But while you may prefer this washed-out, bright, look, it is in fact obscuring the detail in our picture and just about every authority recommends TURNING DOWN the over all "brightness" of your display. In my experience, they are correct. You will see more detail, have better color accuracy, less saturation needed for vibrant colors, and it will be far more accurate/realistic in apperance and provide for the greatest contrast and have blacks looking closer to black rather than gray.

Please let us know what you decide to do and if it works for you.

 

[mdavej]

A piece of masking tape over the eye can block the noise while still allowing the signal through.

 

[dudedish]

masking tape on the IR sensor on the 722 should do it like said above