# Having some trouble with my Slide remote... anyone else?



## DaveLinger (Dec 4, 2008)

So I've been having some problems with my TiVo Slide remote. I just read this thread and I seem to be having the same problem:

I bought the remote, plugged the dongle into the back of my TiVo (HD XL), and everything worked perfectly. For a while. Then it started ignoring half of my button presses at random. So I used the extension cable to locate the dongle to the front of the box. I live in a college-area apartment complex, and I know there's a lot of wireless interference (although that wouldn't explain why it worked perfectly to begin with).

But it didn't help. Still only about half of my button presses work, I almost always have to sit here and press the same button over and over for it to register. Occasionally every button press will work for 5-10 seconds at a time. My couch is only about 5-6 feet from the TiVo, but even if I hold the remote a foot away from the tivo (and dongle), the "reception" doesn't improve.

The TiVo shows over 90% battery life, and I've tried changing them. I've tried restarting the tivo, removing and replacing the dongle, and re-pairing the remote.

Now I'm extremely frustrated. It worked long enough for me to throw the box away, and now I just use my old TiVo Glow remote. My PS3 remote (which is also bluetooth) always works 100% fine, and always has - never misses a button press, and is also bluetooth.

Anyone have a possible solution for this?


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## ThAbtO (Apr 6, 2000)

Do you have Network remote control turned on? 

Messages & Settings / Settings / Remote, cable cards, & devices / Network Remote control / Enabled


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## DaveLinger (Dec 4, 2008)

Yes.


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## aztivo (Feb 23, 2005)

I dont believe that the wireless actually makes a difference as I think it works off blue tooth when you have the reciever pluged in


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## wkearney99 (Dec 5, 2003)

My guess would be you got a defective remote. Return it for another.


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## Fofer (Oct 29, 2000)

ThAbtO said:


> Do you have Network remote control turned on?
> 
> Messages & Settings / Settings / Remote, cable cards, & devices / Network Remote control / Enabled


Huh? This remote works over Bluetooth, not IP. It has nothing to do with Network Remote control.


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## DogFace (Apr 26, 2005)

I have exactly the same symptoms you describe. Like yours, the remote worked great at first on my Series 3. I am waiting for a replacement and will report results.


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## Robbdoe1 (Dec 29, 2008)

Have either of you guys checked to see if the tuners are eating up the CPU?

I would look at RS Corrected and RS uncorrected values and see if they are rising. This is just a random thought.

Robb


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## Fofer (Oct 29, 2000)

How does one look at "RS Corrected and RS uncorrected values?"


My new slide remote gets flaky from time to time as well (I am using it in the bedroom next to the living room where the TiVo actually lives.) Since it seems a little better than my previous solution (IR over coax, which worked great at first but eventually got VERY flaky) I just accepted it.

Now I am trying other things, the USB extension cable seems to help a bit. Also when things get bad I unplug the BT receiver and plug it back in. Or reboot the TiVo. Both seem to help. Any more pointers appreciated!


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## tannett (Feb 8, 2007)

Mine has the exact same symptom. Worked great originally and seems to be lagging now. I keep moving the receiver around to see if it helps but it definitely isn't working as well as when I first got it. 

DogFace: I'll be curious to see if a replacement works. Maybe I just need a new one too.


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## Robbdoe1 (Dec 29, 2008)

IIRC: It is under Account and System Info and then it is under DVR Diagonstics. You will see the values for tuner 1 and 2 as you scroll down.

Here is the link to a THD manual:
http://support.tivo.com/ci/fattach/get/38/1244848091/redirect/1
Page 64

Robb


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## DaveLinger (Dec 4, 2008)

I will take my Slide to my parents house and give it a try on my Dad's Series 3. If it works there, it'll be his Christmas gift. If not, ****'s about to go down.


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## ThAbtO (Apr 6, 2000)

Fofer said:


> Huh? This remote works over Bluetooth, not IP. It has nothing to do with Network Remote control.


Before they introduced the slide remote, a feature was added, "Network Remote control" and you can use telnet to the Tivo and it works like the IR Remotes did with added alphabetic keys. It works the same if you used a USB Keyboard plugged in to the Tivo and I have done that before. This feature only works on Series 3/HD/XL and the Premiere.

http://www.tivocommunity.com/tivo-vb/showthread.php?t=392385 has all the details.


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## Fofer (Oct 29, 2000)

I know this, I have used the Network Remote Control before, with a python app someone here wrote, and use it now for the "DVR Remote" app on my iPhone and iPad.

But this has no effect whatsoever on the the (Bluetooth) Slide remote, which works via Bluetooth, with the BT receiver plugged into the USB port.

So when you asked if the OP, DaveLinger, had turned that feature on, I felt compelled to clarify. Asking if that feature (Network Remote control) is turned on has nothing to do with getting the Bluetooth slide remote to work. You might as well ask if he has the TiVo plugged into a surge suppressor, or how many Season Passes he has. These questions are equally irrelevant. 

Unless of course you're suggesting that Network Remote Control is conflicting, in which case he'd want to turn it OFF...


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## ThAbtO (Apr 6, 2000)

Fofer said:


> Unless of course you're suggesting that Network Remote Control is conflicting, in which case he'd want to turn it OFF...


You can turn that feature off and see if the slide remote still works. It will not hurt to try.


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## Robbdoe1 (Dec 29, 2008)

ThAbtO said:


> You can turn that feature off and see if the slide remote still works. It will not hurt to try.


I checked after your first post yesterday night and mine was off but the slide does still work via Bluetooth.

Robb


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## DogFace (Apr 26, 2005)

I received my replacement slide remote from TIVO. I had really not expected great results. 

The old remote was not abused. As it became less reliable, I was mainly suspicious of how many simultaneous tasks were going on in the background of my six year old series 3 TIVO. It is upgraded to 1.5TB. I use both cable and OTA tuners, for over 100 season passes. I have just started managing recordings over the web.

Anyway, these suspicions were unfounded. The replacement remote works like a charm. No missed key presses. No extra key presses. 

TIVO backed their product with a (90 day) warranty replacement.


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## DaveLinger (Dec 4, 2008)

DogFace said:


> I received my replacement slide remote from TIVO. I had really not expected great results.
> 
> The old remote was not abused. As it became less reliable, I was mainly suspicious of how many simultaneous tasks were going on in the background of my six year old series 3 TIVO. It is upgraded to 1.5TB. I use both cable and OTA tuners, for over 100 season passes. I have just started managing recordings over the web.
> 
> ...


But the real question is... will this one be just like all of the others and flake out within a few weeks?


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## DogFace (Apr 26, 2005)

We don't seem to be hearing from a huge number of posters about failed remotes.
I will let you know if my remote fails again. 

I don't see a reason to jump to conclusions at this point.


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## DaveLinger (Dec 4, 2008)

It's worth mentioning also that I took my slide remote to my dad's house and tried it on his series 3 and it works fine. Haven't tried it on my HD again yet.


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## tannett (Feb 8, 2007)

Did you contact TiVo for the replacement or from the store you purchased it at?


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## DogFace (Apr 26, 2005)

I called TIVO 88 days after my purchase from Amazon. It started failing at about 60 days. I almost ran out the 90 day warantee period!


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## Lrscpa (Apr 20, 2003)

I had a problem when I first bought the Slide remote, which was fixed by plugging the Bluetooth dongle into a USB extension cord, which in turn was plugged into the back of the TiVo. I routed the USB dongle to the front of the TiVo. Problems gone...

I know that Bluetooth is supposed to be non-directional, but this fixed my issue.


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## Fofer (Oct 29, 2000)

Yeah, I'll concur with Lrscpa's report. I'm using my Slide remote in an adjacent room from where the TiVo lives. It's a Series 3 in my living room, connected via HDMI to the living room TV. And also connected to my bedroom TV (which is in the adjacent room) using component cables. I know Class 2 Bluetooth is supposed to reach about 30 feet. The component cable is that same length and where I hold the remote (in bed) is probably about 15-20 feet from the actual TiVo unit itself in the other room. It's working through the walls, obviously.

When I first got it, it was rather flakey. It would work a bit, then get stuck, etc. Sometimes I'd had to unplug and replug the dongle, or restart the TiVo entirely, just to get it to work again.

Things got a LOT better when I plugged the dongle into the USB extension cord the Slide remote came with. It's still pretty much in the same position, just off to the side instead of sticking directly into the back of the box. 

Maybe it's got less interference now, I dunno, but it certainly seems to be working a lot better for me, now that I am using the USB extension cable.


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## Bones Justice (Apr 21, 2008)

My slide remote's bluetooth is working fine but I'm having trouble with the infrared part, I think.

I have had my slide-remote for about a year. I am the only one that uses it (my S.O. says she prefers the original Series-3 remote). The slide-remote has never been abused and gets far less use than the original Series-3 remote. For comparison, I still have my original Series-1 and Series-2 remotes and they both still work great.

A few days ago, the slide remote stopped working. I replaced the batteries and it worked again but only the bluetooth. I had previously programmed it to operate my television and amplifier. I had also programmed the directional pad to change orientation when the slide is open.

I figured that the battery exchange had cancelled the codes so I attempted to reprogram the remote with no success. When I hold down the power and TiVo button, the red light comes on. I enter the code, the light goes out for a few seconds them comes back on! The remote doesn't work while the red light is on, either. No matter how many times I enter any code, the same thing happens. The only way I can get the red light to turn off is to remove the batteries or press the cancel button. I have been unable to reprogram the remote and have tried resetting the remote, as well. I checked the batteries; they are fine and the TiVo reports them at 100%.

Meanwhile, the remote works fine for bluetooth. I have tested every button on the remote thinking one might be "stuck" but they all working okay.

I bought this remote last year for $79. I am reluctant to buy another. I can still use it in general but it means I still have to use my old Series-2 remote to turn on the television or control the volume on the amplifier.

Any suggestions?


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## MissLynn (Oct 25, 2005)

Just got the slide remote. I plugged in the USB receiver and none of the buttons worked and of course the whole reason for buying the slide was to use the keyboard which also doesn't work!!

I unplugged the USB receiver and the buttons work on the remote. But, of course I can't use the keyboard.

I am very disappointed. I don't know if I even want a replacement, more like just a refund as I see others are having problems also.

I have the HD TiVo with network adaptor. I am using the USB extension cable so there shouldn't be a problem being too close to the network adaptor.


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## Jonathan_S (Oct 23, 2001)

MissLynn said:


> Just got the slide remote. I plugged in the USB receiver and none of the buttons worked and of course the whole reason for buying the slide was to use the keyboard which also doesn't work!!
> 
> I unplugged the USB receiver and the buttons work on the remote. But, of course I can't use the keyboard.
> 
> ...


Have you tried repairing the remote with its dongle?
Yes, it _should_ be pre-paired out of the box, but it might be a bluetooth pairing problem. The included manual should explain which buttons to press to force a pairing.

It certainly can't hurt to try before returning it to the store.
(OTOH sometime they just don't work, or at least work well...)


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## MissLynn (Oct 25, 2005)

Jonathan_S said:


> Have you tried repairing the remote with its dongle?
> 
> It certainly can't hurt to try before returning it to the store.
> (OTOH sometime they just don't work, or at least work well...)


Yes, I did pair the remote with the dongle. It's funny because the buttons work without the USB plugged in and with the USB plugged in they don't. However, the slide out keyboard doesn't work either way. I bought the slide for the sliding keyboard to make searching by title, etc. easier.


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## Fofer (Oct 29, 2000)

The remote is capable of IR and Bluetooth transmission. The buttons are IR and Bluetooth whereas the slideout keyboard is Bluetooth only. So it appears the issue is with your dongle. Either it's not paired correctly (even though your buttons work, since those are IR,) or the dongle is broken.


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## wkearney99 (Dec 5, 2003)

MissLynn said:


> Yes, I did pair the remote with the dongle. It's funny because the buttons work without the USB plugged in and with the USB plugged in they don't. However, the slide out keyboard doesn't work either way. I bought the slide for the sliding keyboard to make searching by title, etc. easier.


The remote will always only send the buttons shown on the top when only IR connection is possible. As in, there's no connection to the bluetooth dongle (because it's not paired or not connected). The alpha keys on the keyboard are never sent via IR, only by Bluetooth.

I've found mine works no more than 25' directly in line of sight to the dongle. And this is when I have it connected to the back of the Tivo using the extension cable and with the dongle rested along the side of the Tivo. It doesn't need a visual line of sight to work, of course. But when I try using it from across the room it won't work if it's behind a desk. I have to move it about 2' closer in order for it to work reliably. Apparently the desk and the couch between that position and the Tivo is just enough to block the signal.

Here's a thought, do you have a lot of other 2.4ghz devices around? Like lots of other WiFi networks listed when you try using a laptop or handheld device that has WiFi? It's possible there are other networks causing too much interference with your setup. Do you have any other devices that use Bluetooth? Could you see if those malfunction when in the same place as the Tivo and the remote?


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## Fofer (Oct 29, 2000)

My Bluetooth remote works in a totally separate room from where the TiVo's at. (My TiVo Premiere is shared between living room and bedroom TV's.)


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## MissLynn (Oct 25, 2005)

wkearney99 said:


> I've found mine works no more than 25' directly in line of sight to the dongle. And this is when I have it connected to the back of the Tivo using the extension cable and with the dongle rested along the side of the Tivo....
> 
> Here's a thought, do you have a lot of other 2.4ghz devices around? Like lots of other WiFi networks listed when you try using a laptop or handheld device that has WiFi? It's possible there are other networks causing too much interference with your setup. Do you have any other devices that use Bluetooth? Could you see if those malfunction when in the same place as the Tivo and the remote?


I just saw your post, but I already sent slide back to Amazon. I don't have any devices using bluetooth. I use wifi with my phone and laptop while sitting in the same place with no problem. There are other networks as I live in an apartment. Could that cause the problem? I might buy another slide and try again.


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## Revelate (Dec 18, 2011)

I thought I'd chime in here because this thread was started with symptoms that I believe are from failed/faulty hardware, but subsequent posts sidetracked into a mix of people having possible Bluetooth/pairing or IR problems and flaky operation that are associated with the wireless connection.

I have three Slides for three Tivo's. Two of them work great, but one had problems right out of the box. It had the exact symptoms described by the OP where button presses would work for a few seconds, then stop responding for a few seconds. Other times a button press would be missed in succession (three FF only resulted in two, or channel 805 would result in 85, etc). It was especially frustrating when I'd get a 3xFF to work, but then the remote would be unresponsive and the Play button wouldn't work for about 2-4 seconds.

With three Tivos and three Slides, I did some basic troubleshooting and found that any good working Slide/dongle combo could be moved to any Tivo and function as expected. The bad Slide/dongle could be moved to any Tivo and function poorly anywhere it went.

I obviously tried the BT pairing, global reset, etc etc to no avail. I did not attempt to identify if it was specifically the Slide remote or the BT dongle causing the issue as I did not want to use the functioning remotes as guinea pigs and potentially create a new problem. I simply called Tivo with my findings and they will be sending me a new Slide remote.

I, like others, waited a while before calling Tivo because it's easy to suspect that it's an environmental problem with general 2.4GHz interference, Bluetooth interference or just lack of understanding how the remote is supposed to operate. I am now convinced that the hardware itself can be defective and the symptoms can be masked to appear environmental. I am fortunate to have so many "test units" to compare with, but for others with only one Tivo and Slide remote, you should consider faulty hardware a possible cause _if you've tried the environmental and reset tests first_ like a global remote reset, unpair/repair with the dongle, relocating the dongle with an extension cable, temporarily turning off other 2.4GHz devices (especially BT) and trying all available USB ports on the back of your Tivo.


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## Jonathan_S (Oct 23, 2001)

Revelate said:


> With three Tivos and three Slides, I did some basic troubleshooting and found that any good working Slide/dongle combo could be moved to any Tivo and function as expected. The bad Slide/dongle could be moved to any Tivo and function poorly anywhere it went.
> 
> I obviously tried the BT pairing, global reset, etc etc to no avail. I did not attempt to identify if it was specifically the Slide remote or the BT dongle causing the issue as I did not want to use the functioning remotes as guinea pigs and potentially create a new problem. I simply called Tivo with my findings and they will be sending me a new Slide remote.


Thank you for doing the testing to really nail down that there are non-eviromental problems with some slide remotes.

Guess I need to dig mine up and give TiVo a call. (Hopefully I didn't procrastinate too long to get it replaced)


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## Revelate (Dec 18, 2011)

I received a replacement Slide remote (new remote and dongle) from TiVo. Disconnected the malfunctioning one, connected the new one. I reused the batteries and placed the new dongle in the exact same position to reduce the number of external variables.

It works perfectly.

Slides with sporadic input do exist.


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## KillTheGrimace (Nov 17, 2003)

Dang, I figured they were just plain garbage. We bought two when they first came out and they worked for a week before both utterly failing to operate under BlueTooth. We still use one as an IR remote, but the other stopped working in either capacity. $200 straight into the toilet.

Glad to hear some folks have had success, I guess.


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## MissLynn (Oct 25, 2005)

Since I sent my slide remote back for a refund, I found out about the iphone tivo app. I downloaded the app. The only feature I use is the keyboard for typing when doing wish list searches for actors, or searching for a program.

The good thing (other than saving me money by not buying another slide remote to try) is the response time is immediate when I type a word which is not the case with my Tivo remote that was included with the dvr. It had a lag time between pressing the select button on remote and it actually appearing on screen.


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## sirfergy (May 18, 2002)

Of the four slides I've purchased, only one still works. To confirm that it was the remote, I paired it with my PC and it exhibited the same issues. Ignored presses, and random delays. Argh!


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## wkearney99 (Dec 5, 2003)

I'm afraid one of mine has started to go... Seems to randomly lose button presses. I realize remotes don't last forever, but this seems well premature.


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## rvmeush (Dec 25, 2001)

Here's an experiment to try that worked for me to get the Slide remote working better (at least for a while). Take out the batteries and let the remote sit for a while - at least overnight - and then try the remote again.

I'd like to have others see if this will work for them. I'm not sure if the fix will work over time - we'll see.


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## wkearney99 (Dec 5, 2003)

Taking the batteries out for some duration is going to have zero effect. It's not like a power supply or something else with large capacitors inside of it. 

Replacing the remote with a new one ($38 on amazon) solved it. Using the existing BT dongle showed that wasn't the problem either, nor the placement of it.


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## rvmeush (Dec 25, 2001)

wkearney99 said:


> Taking the batteries out for some duration is going to have zero effect. It's not like a power supply or something else with large capacitors inside of it.
> 
> Replacing the remote with a new one ($38 on amazon) solved it. Using the existing BT dongle showed that wasn't the problem either, nor the placement of it.


It's interesting that you say it will have no effect because I have a friend who tried this and said that his Slide starting working properly. I'm suggesting that others who are having problems with the slide try this procedure and see if it works for them. Your comment isn't particularly helpful.


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## arw01 (Feb 22, 2003)

wkearney99 said:


> Taking the batteries out for some duration is going to have zero effect. It's not like a power supply or something else with large capacitors inside of it.
> 
> Replacing the remote with a new one ($38 on amazon) solved it. Using the existing BT dongle showed that wasn't the problem either, nor the placement of it.


Well I have two of those $38.00 amazon remotes. One still in the box and the other ignoring 3-4 button presses EVERY time you used it.

I followed the advise of the previous post that you dimissed, but i just took out the batteries for a few seconds, pressed lots of buttons to drain any residual charge, put the batteries back in and it's working PERFECTLY.


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