# red recording led on, and no response to remote



## hairyviking (Apr 3, 2004)

Hi, 

my tivo has quite happily been doing it's job without any problems, but just recently it has started playing up. When I get home from work the red led is on to indicate it is recording, even though it isn't, and there is no response to any button on the remote for maybe up to 30seconds after the first press. The green led doesn't even go orange briefly to indicate that it is receiving a remote signal. Does anyone have any suggestions what might be causing this (I searched the forum with no joy)

Another thing it has started doing is starting to record a few minutes early as expected as I have endpad running, but it doesn't change to the correct channel until what should be the actual start time of the programme.I don't know if these 2 issues could be related?

Any suggestions would be much appreciated (I have tried restarting tivo)

cheers

russ


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## verses (Nov 6, 2002)

Sounds like you have some stray infra-red signals in the room. Is there;
- another remote with its buttons stuck down (under a cushion, etc)?
- a recently replaced low-power light-bulb?
- a video sender transmitting signals to another tv?
These are the usual causes.

Basically TiVo sees stray IR and decides to back-off and wait till it's gone before it'll accept a signal for itself. So this is likely to be causing both the problem's you are seeing. Firstly it's not going to respond to the remote, secondly it'll not respond to it's own IR transmitters to control the set top box.

One option is to use a digital camera to pan around the room; IR signals usually show up on the screen on the back of digital cameras.

Hope that helps.

Cheers,

Ian


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## Pugwash (May 23, 2003)

Mine has done the same thing quite often, but usually when the drive is near to full and randomly. I certainly have no stray IR from remotes, as I have a single multi-remote.

It usually stops responding on tivoweb too, so pulling the mains plug fixes it.


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## hairyviking (Apr 3, 2004)

well I do have a video sender, I'll check it hasnt been knocked or something, and I'll try your IR spying technique too 

cheers


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## hairyviking (Apr 3, 2004)

hmm unfortunately no joy on either of those fronts. Tonight I got home and the red led was on. Great I thought, it's recording last man standing, but I turned the telly on and tivo was on the wrong channel. I hit the remote buttons and no response, then about 15 seconds later the sky box light started flashing to indicate it was receiving a signal, changed to correct channel then. So I missed the first ten minutes.

Any other suggestions what might be causing this. It is consistently also changing the channel on other occasions, but a minute or so after the recording started, hence I miss the start of the show. I so don't want to ditch my tivo for sky+ :-(


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## Ian_m (Jan 9, 2001)

1. If using a video sender search the forum for "ferrite", that fixed my channel changing issues.

2. Change low energy bulbs for normal ones. Some low energy bulbs emit flickering infrared that the TiVo sees and waits before changing channel.

3. Check for a continuously broadcasting remote. I have had one stuck between books cause issues and my old Philips DVD recorder sometimes would take on an active IR life of its own when the batteries were flat.

4. It has been known for some makes of plasma screen to emit IR and cause channel change failure.


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## verses (Nov 6, 2002)

5. IIRC, There was a thread a while back where someone had their AV kit in a cabinet and the IR being transmitted by the TiVo was reflecting back off the inside of the cabinet and 'blocking' itself.


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## ksheena (Dec 7, 2006)

I have a IR sender in my room and for years I thought the problem was down to this, but it is actaully caused by the halogen spotlights in the room

As soon as I turn them off the problem goes away.

Try turning all your lights off.


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## Milhouse (Sep 15, 2001)

Have you got a new TV?

The cold cathode backlight of some (most?) LCDs and Plasmas can kick out a lot of IR when the TV is switched on - my Philips LCD TV swamps the room with IR for about 3 minutes after switch-on making the TiVo very difficult to control with the remote, and also making successful channel changes during that period very unlikely (I use the front IR blaster to my SkyHD box).

Oddly I have no such problem with my halogens.


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## hairyviking (Apr 3, 2004)

Hi,

I got rid of this problem by sticking the new sky+ box back in its box and throwing it in the loft and going back to the ancient sky box I used to use as my source for tivo. I dont know why the different source box (ie sky+ rather than the old box) would have caused this though

thanks for all the suggestions. 

Cheers


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## 6022tivo (Oct 29, 2002)

hairyviking said:


> Hi,
> 
> I got rid of this problem by sticking the new sky+ box back in its box and throwing it in the loft and going back to the ancient sky box I used to use as my source for tivo. I dont know why the different source box (ie sky+ rather than the old box) would have caused this though
> 
> ...


Fancy selling your sky+ box?


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## Davyburns (Jan 7, 2004)

If its any help, you can "see" a infra red signal emanating from wherever, by looking through the veiwfinder of a digital camera (most cameraphones will do)


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