My Sony Wega Remote Died, Apparently...

[Ziggy]

I never had any issues with the remote for my 27" Sony Wega TV. Then yesterday, it just suddenly stopped working. I went to tap the volume up button on the remote a few times to nudge the volume up. The on screen display appeared and the volume went up one notch, then the remote just died. No buttons on the remote work now. Here's what I've already tried...

• I checked the batteries, they were good. I put strong (1.5v) AA batteries in there anyway. Still not working.

• I used the camera on my phone to check the LED, and it is emitting IR. So I know the remote isn't dead (at least, not completely).

• I took the remote apart to make sure there wasn't a stuck button or something. It's totally clean! Not only that, but none of the components look visually bad.

What else can I try? Or is this remote just mysteriously dead? The TV seems to be working normally, aside from the remote not working.

[marurun]

I’ve had this happen a couple times and I had to reset the remote. Exact process varies by manufacturer, but it’s usually something like hold power and press all the buttons on the remote in order and then back to the top. Sometimes removing the batteries and pressing all the buttons repeatedly will help. It can be a pain to try to stumble across the correct method but if the problem is that the remote isn’t spitting out the right signals that’s the answer.

[Ziggy]

Thanks. I'll pull up the manual online later and see if there's something in there about resetting it.

There's actually a reset button on the remote. I tried pressing it and holding it, but nothing. My guess is that button resets the TV to factory defaults, and not the remote itself.

[marurun]

The manual may not have a procedure. One thing to try is to take out the batteries, hold power a few seconds, and then push all the buttons on the remote in order. Let the remote hand out a bit and slot the batteries back in. Sometimes that works.

[Ziggy]

I tried a bunch of things (found in Google) last night and none of them worked. I left the batteries out over night and will try to mess around with it some more today.

edit: I put the batteries back in today and it's still a no-go. I'm stumped, for now.

[marurun]

Try a universal remote or remote emulator with an IR emitter. At this point it might be the TV

[Ziggy]

Try a universal remote or remote emulator with an IR emitter. At this point it might be the TV

Good idea. I do have one or two old school universal remotes. If I can find the program codes for them, I can use them to test and make sure the problem isn't with the TV.

edit: OK, I was able to find the manual online for my old Radio Shack remote. I programmed it to the Wega and it works! So the problem is definitely not with the TV, but with the remote.

[Anapan]

I'd be happy to mail one of the Sony remotes I refused to throw away. In my experience, they all use mostly the same IR signals.
I just dug these up, and may have others. What's your broken one's model number?

[Ziggy]

Hey Anapan, thanks for the offer! The problematic remote is an RM-Y194. I'm not sure if another model would help though.

Yes, Sony remotes sometimes overlap. For example, I have an old Sony DVD player that I use as a dedicated CD player. I also have a Sony 5-disc DVD player. They are from the same era, and the remotes are similar. When I use the remotes for CDs, it'll annoyingly turns on the 5-disc player LOL. But from my experience, not all functions work across different remotes. I actually have another Sony TV remote, for my 32" bubble screen. It's an RM-Y118, and it doesn't work at all with my Wega. And I have another Sony DVD remote that some buttons work for my DVD player, but not all.

I wouldn't mind continuing to use my old universal remote. It works for power and volume, which is mainly all I use when gaming. But annoying it has no button to switch inputs or to access the menu. This can be done from the TV itself, but more concerning is you need the remote to access the service menu.

[Anapan]

Doesn't hurt to try. I meant that similar Sony products use same IR codes. The one on the left is nearly identical to the ones that belonged to other late-model CRT televisions I've owned, and a search for the televisions that used both the left pictured and your model had their manuals available from around 2004. Being more advanced, It might even have the hidden not button-contacted service menu contacts. Not wanting to send something unwanted, but again, happy to send it to someone who might be able to use it. Just let me know if you're willing to give it a chance and I'll get it to you asap on my own dime. My parents are still rocking your mixtape in their SUV.