How do remotes work?

[disykat]

I have a 15 year old tv that's remote is broken. Can I just go to the store and find something that is compatible? I'm so techno challenged it's sad.

 

[Lisa L from MI]

They do sell "universal" remotes....you just have to program your tv code (which should be in the remote directions)....it's easy

 

[Tigger&Belle]

It might be your tv and not your remote. We have an old tv in our bedroom and the remote stopped working. My clever husband bought a universal remote which didn't work, either. I went up to the tv and hit the spot where the remote transmits to the tv. My DH laughed at me and said, "yeah, I'm sure hitting it will help". Well, hitting it did work! It occasionally stops working and I go hit it again. My DH doesn't laugh any more.

Oh, and our electric blanket stopped working right and I hit it, too, and then it worked. I don't have a clue why I don't hit my kids!

 

[Lisa L from MI]

It might be your tv and not your remote. We have an old tv in our bedroom and the remote stopped working. My clever husband bought a universal remote which didn't work, either. I went up to the tv and hit the spot where the remote transmits to the tv. My DH laughed at me and said, "yeah, I'm sure hitting it will help" and then laughed. Well, hitting it did work! It occasionally stops working and I go hit it again. My DH doesn't laugh any more.

Oh, and our electric blanket stopped working right and I hit it, too, and then it worked. I don't have a clue why I don't hit my kids!

That is just too funny....I hit everything too to get it to work and most of the time it works!! When I first started driving my moms old sunbird...the radio would only work when you hit the dash board "just right" (I was a pro at that)....My dishwasher would only work if you hit it just right too...I was the only one that could get it to work (if finally died for good after over a year of hitting it).

Funny too...cause my kids always say "hit it (or kick it) mom" when I get frustrated when something doesn't work...

Oh...love your comment about the kids!!....LOL!!!

 

[Tigger&Belle]

Glad I'm not the only one who hits things! My DH is a believer, but it took him awhile! My elec blanket isn't working right again--I'll try hitting it again and will report tomorrow if that helped.

 

[tmt martins]

Please the TV is 1 thing but the BLANKET could be a short and you don't want that .
My brother just last month lost his house to an electical fire on his gas dryer.

It went up real fast.

 

[Tigger&Belle]

Yeah, good point, I should get a new blanket. Our toaster over malfuntioned this summer and we would have had a house fire if we hadn't of been home.

Clothes dryers are supposed to be the #1 cause of house fires and I don't run ours anymore when we're not home. I also unplug the the toaster oven and the coffee pot.

 

[disykat]

Thanks everyone. I wish I could hit it - unfortunately the reason it isn't working anymore is because it's already taken a beating! I'll look for universal remotes. - thanks

 

[Tigger&Belle]

But you don't hit the remote! You tap the tv where it "reads" the remote. Hey, it won't hurt!

 

[disykat]

Oh, I know! It's just that I know for certain it is the remote's problem. There are tons of buttons on it that no longer work and it's held together with a rubber band. 15 years - two kids - a dog - and it's the tv that the kids use for the game system. It's toast.