# RF remote problem when Tivo Mini mounted right behind TV?



## dahacker (Jan 14, 2004)

I just did a setup where I mounted a Tivo Mini on the wall just behind a small 24" Vizio TV on the wall. You couldn't see the mini at all. The RF remote worked at the beginning, then eventually failed to control the Mini at all. When you hard power cycle the Mini, it then works again for several minutes and then you can't control it again.

I ended up dangling it down below the TV and will mount it there flat against the wall eventually.

Is RF remote interference from TVs a common problem with these Minis, or do I have an actual problem with the Mini in question?


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## JoeKustra (Dec 7, 2012)

dahacker said:


> I just did a setup where I mounted a Tivo Mini on the wall just behind a small 24" Vizio TV on the wall. You couldn't see the mini at all. The RF remote worked at the beginning, then eventually failed to control the Mini at all. When you hard power cycle the Mini, it then works again for several minutes and then you can't control it again.
> 
> I ended up dangling it down below the TV and will mount it there flat against the wall eventually.
> 
> Is RF remote interference from TVs a common problem with these Minis, or do I have an actual problem with the Mini in question?


Never had an issue with two Mini (v1 & v2) located under a Sony and Samsung TV. I dumped a 32" Vizio TV because it killed my cable modem with tons of interference from three feet away.


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## dahacker (Jan 14, 2004)

JoeKustra said:


> Never had an issue with two Mini (v1 & v2) located under a Sony and Samsung TV. I dumped a 32" Vizio TV because it killed my cable modem with tons of interference from three feet away.


I think under is quite a common place for the Tivo Minis, and I've not had any problem with them in that location either. But right behind the TV such that the RF signal needs to pass through the TV, might be a little much for it.


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## lgnad (Feb 14, 2013)

-Did you try fresh batteries in the remote? In case you are using them, also remember that rechargeables start with a lower voltage (1.2) vs alkaline (1.5) that might reduce its ability to ether punch through or bounce around the tv.

-Or you could do a "global reset" on the remote and re-pair it. You will also have to reprogram the volume n other buttons if you had programmed them. I had to do this before when my slide pro and roamio RF remotes kept dropping out if RF into IR modes, fixed both of em.

https://support.tivo.com/articles/I...-Perform-a-Global-Reset-for-my-Remote-Control

-Or you could use the USB RF dongle/receiver (usually used to use the Slide Pro on a Premiere or 1st gen mini) and put it where it can "see" better. I use this with my Roamio's RF remote on my 1st gen mini. Weaknees sells em.... might be able to find em elsewhere if you hunt around.

http://www.weaknees.com/tivo-slide-pro-remote.php


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## dlfl (Jul 6, 2006)

dahacker said:


> I think under is quite a common place for the Tivo Minis, and I've not had any problem with them in that location either. But right behind the TV such that the RF signal needs to pass through the TV, might be a little much for it.


+1. RF can go thru non-conducting materials such as most plastics, wood and drywall but a TV probably scatters or attenuates or blocks it.

I see strange effects with my RF remote. I can go into an adjacent room with a wall between the remote and TiVo and no opening between the rooms and it works (as expected). But if I sit 8 ft in front of the TiVo and tilt the remote up about 30 degrees above the line of sight to the TiVo, the RF fails and falls back to IR (which doesn't work either at that off-axis angle). This happens even with fresh batts. I guess the RF antenna in the remote has a weird pattern.


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## dahacker (Jan 14, 2004)

lgnad said:


> -Did you try fresh batteries in the remote? In case you are using them, also remember that rechargeables start with a lower voltage (1.2) vs alkaline (1.5) that might reduce its ability to ether punch through or bounce around the tv.
> 
> -Or you could do a "global reset" on the remote and re-pair it. You will also have to reprogram the volume n other buttons if you had programmed them. I had to do this before when my slide pro and roamio RF remotes kept dropping out if RF into IR modes, fixed both of em.
> 
> ...


Yes. Fresh batteries already tried. The first ones were new too. Also tried repairing several times.

Ill just peak the Tivo Mini out the bottom of the TV and go full IR. Seems sad that the RF protocol/frequency can't go through a TV properly. That seems like maybe a major point of the RF feature.


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## lgnad (Feb 14, 2013)

Did you do a global reset and then re-pair, or just re-pair?

It seems to me, thats a lot to ask of a signal, to punch through actively functioning electronics with alot of accuracy.... possible that simply moving the Mini around to another spot behind the set would ease things up. You might have it right behind a transformer or some other chunky/shielded/magnetic/high powered/high rf output circuitry and elsewhere behind the unit it might be a lot less interfering.

For me, the only advantage of RF is simply that I dont have to worry about line of sight (coffee table, cats, blankets, etc) or pointing it anywhere in particular.... though a lifetime a training is hard to break and i have a habit of pointing it in the tv's general direction anyway lol


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## SNJpage1 (May 25, 2006)

Plasma TV's are know to interfere with remotes. Is that what you have? If not then I would go with the remote sensors. I have a receiver sitting on the cabinet which connects to a control unit. From there I have four transmitters feeding my Tivo, Comcast box, TV and receiver which is hidden inside the cabinet. I like the fact that I can aim the remote at the same place to control everything and not have to aim it differently for each piece of equipment.


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