oled Remote not working

[InvaderZim]

I have the 2016 LG OLED65E6P purchased 2/19/2017 with the "magic remote" and recently, the remote control has become unreliable.  It worked perfectly until a few weeks ago and I'm not sure what changed. The remote seems to work properly when the TV is first turned on, but later, I have to press a button repeatedly to get any effect.  It's not bad buttons, it's like the buttons only send the signal to the TV intermittently.  The red light at the top of the remote sometimes flashes red, sometimes goes solid red for a few seconds, and sometimes does nothing when I press the button (I couldn't find a description of what the light does).  It's very frustrating.

I mostly make due by repeatedly pressing the button that turns on the teardrop cursor -- after maybe 10 times it'll come on, and then I can use the cursor to operate the TV until it times out.  So that works, but it's not a good solution because it's hard to get the cursor turned on.

I put in fresh batteries several times to see if that's the problem -- it made no difference.  Plus the cursor works fine, when I can get it turned on.

I was also hopeful that a firmware update caused this problem and it will be resolved.

The remote doesn't seem to require line-of-sight to work.  Does the remote use bluetooth or WiFi?  I sometimes use Bluetooth headphones with the TV and those work fine.

Has anyone else had this problem with the remote -- and if so, how did you solve it?

(I do have an extended warranty so in theory I can get a replacement remote -- but I'd rather not spend an hour on the phone if this is a common problem.)

[nemilose]

It is strange that some TVs have HBO-Go, and some don't. For example, I have it with WebOS 3.0.

[nemilose]

With my 2017 UH8507, I can get the cursor to show up if I shake the remote. It should be a Bluetooth remote.

[InvaderZim]

Thanks--I tried this and can also get the cursor to show up by shaking the remote.  But only in the first few minutes -- after that, I have to repeatedly shake the remote until it finally works again.  Then the TV responds fine to the cursor until it times out.  

I'm pretty certain at this point that it's the remote -- just want to make sure that it's not a firmware update that somehow made the remote unreliable.  

The bluetooth headphones seem to indicate that Bluetooth works fine. 

However, now that I think about it,I did recently attach a Roku 4K box to the TV for HBO-GO (why does LG not support this) and that has a non-IR remote as well.  I'll try turning that off to see if it might be interfering with the LG remote.  

[InvaderZim]

That is strange.   HBO GO is definitely not in the list of apps I can install.  That's the main reason I got the Roku.

When I get home, I'll check what version of WebOS my TV has..  I have been checking for firmware updates regularly because of the remote problem and haven't been offered any.

I'll check for HBO GO again in the apps as well.  Thanks!

[InvaderZim]

14 hours ago, nemilose said:

It is strange that some TVs have HBO-Go, and some don't. For example, I have it with WebOS 3.0.

Just checked via the General-->About this TV menu -- I have software version 5.30.2.  Don't know if that's the WebOS version or something else.  I checked for a software update and there is none.

There is no HBO GO under either premium or apps.  There is now YouTubeTV and a RedBox Beta, though.  I installed YouTubeTV I have heard some good things about it.

I wonder if HBO GO might be restricted to certain parts of the world -- are you in the USA?

I also have the LG screen-scraping extensions turned off (the guide and LG Live, I think it's called).   Don't need the TV spying on what I'm watching, but I wonder if that impacts the apps that are offered.

 

 

[nemilose]

I am Europe, Serbia. We should be a highly restricted country :-)
According to the specs, we have the same WebOS version. I do not know why you don't have HBO-Go and I have. What is even stranger, LG is not on the list of the supported TVs:

link hidden, please login to view

[InvaderZim]

8 hours ago, nemilose said:

I am Europe, Serbia. We should be a highly restricted country :-)
According to the specs, we have the same WebOS version. I do not know why you don't have HBO-Go and I have. What is even stranger, LG is not on the list of the supported TVs:

link hidden, please login to view

Thanks for replying -- that is interesting.  I can only speculate that HBO GO is allowed by LG in Europe but not the US.  Maybe LG wants payment from the app vendor.   I believe LG offered  HBO-GO in the past, but removed it during a WebOS upgrade.  It certainly hasn't been available since I got this TV in February of 2017.

I also have a Sony which uses Android and every conceivable app is available there, as it is on Roku.

[InvaderZim]

Just a  quick follow-up: my TV is one month out of the one year warranty and LG wanted $100+ for the replacement magic remote.  I remembered that I was given a free 3 year extended warranty by the dealer. So I called the dealer, they gave me the phone number of the warranty company and said I was already registered under my home phone. 

I called, described the problem, and 5 days later, I had a new remote. They didn't have any of the 2016 square silver version -- the new one is black and curvy.

I'm happy to report that it works perfectly, so the problem was definitely the remote.  It synchronized with the TV the first time I used it to turn on the TV.  The new remote doesn't feel as substantial and hefty like the 2016 silver model but it works, so I'm happy.

Just glad it was the remote and not the receiver in the TV.  

There was also a firmware update after the remote arrived -- still no HBO GO.  So I don't know what's up with that -- why it's available in Europe but not in the USA. Oh well, Roku works.