# Remote battery life too short



## trauh (Nov 16, 2006)

Anyone else notice that battery life for the new S3 remote is pretty limited, maybe 30 days or so? 

The Tivo gets used for 6 to 8 hours a day, but with out prior Series2 remote we got 4-6 months of battery life. We are now on the third set of batteries. I've tried both Duracell and Energizer alkaline batteries. I am thinking about trying some rechargables. Can someone else let me know their experience.


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## Kenji (Jun 29, 2003)

Every time you press a key on the remote, the backlighting remains active for about 10 seconds. That's probably what's causing the shorter battery life.


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## mishafp (Nov 8, 2006)

Yes, I have noticed this and I went out and bought some recharagable batteries and charger, and I think that should solve the issue. I guess this is the cost that we need to pay to have blacklight.


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## Krellion (May 17, 2002)

I found that the batteries that came with the S3 weren't exactly the best of quality. They didn't last me very long. 

I got some brand-name ones and they seem to be working better. Plus I disabled the backlight. To do this, press the Thumbs Down button while holding the TiVo button (if I remember correctly); Thumbs Up will enable it.


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## hookbill (Dec 14, 2001)

Wal-Mart has packs of 20 Ray O Vac Akaline AA batteries for 8 dollars and some change.

My Harmony goes through them fairly quick too. Geeze, guys. Stock up. Or buy the rechargeables.


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## aztivo (Feb 23, 2005)

hookbill said:


> Wal-Mart has packs of 20 Ray O Vac Akaline AA batteries for 8 dollars and some change.
> 
> My Harmony goes through them fairly quick too. Geeze, guys. Stock up. Or buy the rechargeables.


the S3 remote uses AAA


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## hookbill (Dec 14, 2001)

aztivo said:


> the S3 remote uses AAA


OK, well they have the same thing for AAA batteries too. My Harmony uses AAA I stocked up on them a while back. In fact I think AAA batteries are even cheaper.


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## Jiffylush (Oct 31, 2006)

I have been using mine regularly for 45+ days now, no sign of fading batteries.

I think the backlight only comes on when you are in the dark, and most of my watching is while the room is lit. Maybe that's why I am still going strong.

ps. I buy my batteries at costco, they come in a pack you could easily bludgeon someone with, but it is about 8 dollars.


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## phototrek (Mar 20, 2005)

I have turned off the illumination of the keypad because I can fly the peanut blind


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## trauh (Nov 16, 2006)

Thanks for the collective feedback. The room with our Tivo is dimly lit, so we need the backlighting. I ordered two sets of rechargeables and will cycle back and forth.


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## Racquetballjim (Feb 3, 2005)

Does anybody know how to disable the remote backlight? 

I tried the TiVo/Thumbs Down suggestion, but with no luck.

I like to watch TV in a darkend room, and press buttons way more than most people, so I'm lucky to get a week out of my batteries before I have to recharge them.


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## Krellion (May 17, 2002)

Racquetballjim said:


> Does anybody know how to disable the remote backlight?
> 
> I tried the TiVo/Thumbs Down suggestion, but with no luck.


I confirmed that TiVo+Thumbs Down does disable the backlight. You might have to press and hold them down at the same time for several seconds to get it to work (the backlight will turn off when it's done right).


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## Shawn95GT (Oct 7, 2005)

eric_mcgovern said:


> I am still going on the original batteries, had the Series 3 going on 3 months now.


Same here.

If it becomes an issue I'll have to dust off the Harmony 880 that's collecting dust on my end table.


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## Racquetballjim (Feb 3, 2005)

Krellion - thanks much! ! !

I just wasn't holding the buttons down long enough.


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## Kenji (Jun 29, 2003)

Krellion said:


> I confirmed that TiVo+Thumbs Down does disable the backlight. You might have to press and hold them down at the same time for several seconds to get it to work (the backlight will turn off when it's done right).


And to re-enable backlighting, do you press Tivo+Thumbs Up? Thanks.


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## hiker (Nov 29, 2001)

Kenji said:


> And to re-enable backlighting, do you press Tivo+Thumbs Up? Thanks.


Yes, hold both down until you see the red LED blink three times.


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## Kenji (Jun 29, 2003)

hiker said:


> Yes, hold both down until you see the red LED blink three times.


Excellent. Thanks!


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## megazone (Mar 3, 2002)

I'm still on the original odd-brand batteries that came with my unit months ago, and I'm a 30-second skip person so I use the buttons a lot.


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## ThreeSoFar'sBro (Oct 10, 2004)

I'm about to replace my batteries for the second time, this set lasted maybe a month.

The backlight comes on every time you press a button (unless you've disabled it). The remote doesn't know when it's light or dark, it's just that the backlight is dim and you don't see it in the light.


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## Shawn95GT (Oct 7, 2005)

ThreeSoFar'sBro said:


> I'm about to replace my batteries for the second time, this set lasted maybe a month.
> 
> The backlight comes on every time you press a button (unless you've disabled it). The remote doesn't know when it's light or dark, it's just that the backlight is dim and you don't see it in the light.


Mine most definately knows light / dark. As a matter of fact my DLP is so bright on whites it will often fool the remote - lol.


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## jfh3 (Apr 15, 2004)

Wow. My main S3 remote has been in use pretty heavily since mid-September and still going strong on the included batteries.


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## hiker (Nov 29, 2001)

Don't bother with rechargeable in AAA size, in my experience they have much shorter life than alkaline. Try Energizer AAA Lithium Batteries, they have a life about 5-7 times longer than alkaline.


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## Kenji (Jun 29, 2003)

hiker said:


> Try Energizer AAA Lithium Batteries, they have a life about 5-7 times longer than alkaline.


While lithium batteries have a longer *shelf life* than alkaline batteries, they don't last any longer than alkaline batteries under regular use.


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## hiker (Nov 29, 2001)

Kenji said:


> While lithium batteries have a longer *shelf life* than alkaline batteries, they don't last any longer than alkaline batteries under regular use.


Not so, according to a report that I saw on TV that did comparison tests. I haven't tried lithium yet so I have no personal experience.


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## Kenji (Jun 29, 2003)

hiker said:


> Not so, according to a report that I saw on TV that did comparison tests. I haven't tried lithium yet so I have no personal experience.


I stand enlightened. I hadn't read up on the latest in lithium battery technology, and it appears that the latest generation of consumer lithium batteries performs better than earlier versions. However, battery life depends on lots of factors, such as temperature and current drain, so I'm not convinced that lithium batteries would last 5 - 7 times as long as alkalines when used in a TiVo remote control. FYI, lots of interesting information on lithium batteries is available at http://www.climber.org/gear/batteries.html.


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## ThreeSoFar'sBro (Oct 10, 2004)

Shawn95GT said:


> Mine most definately knows light / dark. As a matter of fact my DLP is so bright on whites it will often fool the remote - lol.


No, it doesn't. It's just so faint that you can't tell when it's on in the light.


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## douggmc (Dec 25, 2006)

ThreeSoFar'sBro said:


> No, it doesn't. It's just so faint that you can't tell when it's on in the light.


Yes ... it does.


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## Shawn95GT (Oct 7, 2005)

ThreeSoFar'sBro said:


> No, it doesn't. It's just so faint that you can't tell when it's on in the light.


I have the opposite problem. Dark room and the remote worn't light becuase the DLP is so bright. If I point away from the TV, it lights up.


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## morac (Mar 14, 2003)

hiker said:


> Not so, according to a report that I saw on TV that did comparison tests. I haven't tried lithium yet so I have no personal experience.


Lithium batteries are better for high power drain devices such as digital cameras and the like. They don't perform nearly as well in low power drain devices, which I assume the remote would be. In fact I read a study where alkalines lasted just as long or out-lasted lithiums for those type of devices and as lithium batteries are more expensive, it wasn't as cost effective to get a lithium in that case over an alkaline.


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## Jerry_K (Feb 7, 2002)

We need Tim Allen to "rewire" the remote. LOL

Merry Xmas to all.


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## dianebrat (Jul 6, 2002)

just to confirm with others, yes the remote has a light sensor, in the same semi-darkened room I press a button and the light does not light, cover the emitter end, and sure enough, it lights.

And I'm a day one buyer, I still have the Tivo supplied batteries in it.

Diane


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## bferrell (Jun 22, 2005)

I agree, I got both of mine first weekend, and haven't changed a battery yet. Maybe some folks just watch a LOT of TV?

B


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## DamnedEyez (Oct 30, 2006)

Yeah, I noticed it sensed light and dark within a few days...as I tried to show someone it'd light up and it didn't.

I also watch most of my tv in the dark, which is probably why my remote wasn't functioning well lately until I changed the batteries. (45-60 days) I've since disabled the backlight.


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## aaronw (Apr 13, 2001)

wow, I never even noticed that the remote backlights. I'll have to examine that when I get home. Thanks for the tip about how to turn it off.


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## CTLesq (Jan 19, 2003)

Isn't the solution just to buy new ones?


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## George Cifranci (Jan 30, 2003)

The light I usually have in my room is usually bright enough that the remote doesn't turn on the back light. If you take your hand and cover the top bottom part of the remote (you can tell that is where the light sensor and IR diode is because the plastic is different) and then press a button the backlight will come on.


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## hiker (Nov 29, 2001)

George Cifranci said:


> The light I usually have in my room is usually bright enough that the remote doesn't turn on the back light. If you take your hand and cover the top bottom part of the remote (you can tell that is where the light sensor and IR diode is because the plastic is different) and then press a button the backlight will come on.


I'm not following you in your description of finding the light sensor. Bottom of remote, close to what button?


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## shady (May 31, 2002)

I was a day one buyer, and I had to change my original batteries today.


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## GoHokies! (Sep 21, 2005)

shady said:


> I was a day one buyer, and I had to change my original batteries today.


Day two, and still original here.

Also, I can assure you the remote most definitely knows that the room is light or dark and operates the backlight accordingly. I was actually pretty disappointed, as the room I watch in is usually bright enough that it doesn't come on, but I think that the orange glow looks cool.


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## mattack (Apr 9, 2001)

Argh, AAA vs AA batteries. Guess I really do need an AAA charger at this point. (The only other remote I had that used AAAs until now was my Toshiba XS32.. and I thought that was annoying too.)

do remotes do this for size reasons? That's the only thing I can think of.


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## goldfndr (Dec 22, 2001)

All consumer devices use different size batteries for size and power requirements. It could be worse: think cell phones (although perhaps China's recent initiative might eventually change that).

The TiVo "Glo" remote also uses/distributes the batteries specifically so the bottom of the "peanut" is noticeably heavier than the top, giving it a very comfy feel when held properly.


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## Majickman (Jan 13, 2007)

Thanks for the 411. I've been recharging batteries far to often for this remote. I don't need the backlight feature. I know these remotes well enough. Yes you did remember correctly.



Krellion said:


> I found that the batteries that came with the S3 weren't exactly the best of quality. They didn't last me very long.
> 
> I got some brand-name ones and they seem to be working better. Plus I disabled the backlight. To do this, press the Thumbs Down button while holding the TiVo button (if I remember correctly); Thumbs Up will enable it.


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## entropy (Apr 1, 2002)

ThreeSoFar'sBro said:


> No, it doesn't. It's just so faint that you can't tell when it's on in the light.


Yes, it does. Press a button and then turn out the lights. Conversely, turn the lights on, cup your hand over the front of the remote and press a button, then turn them off.

_We don't make this stuff up_, you know.

As for battery life, my TiVo drained its original batteries after about six weeks. This is pretty damn lousy performance IMO.

~ Kiran <[email protected]>


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## aggets (Sep 25, 2006)

Bought mine in september. I was on strike from my employer for 3 months so needless to say my remote got a heavy workout during that time but my original batteries are still going strong.


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## Gregor (Feb 18, 2002)

I still have the original batteries in mine as well.


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## jsshattuck (Mar 20, 2003)

trauh said:


> Anyone else notice that battery life for the new S3 remote is pretty limited, maybe 30 days or so?


My original batteries lasted over a year, and I use the remote extensively 4-6 hours a day. Recently I started to have problems after a very short period of time (1 week), but a slap on the remote solved the problem for a short period of time. What I discovered was that the Duracell batteries I was using are slightly smaller than other AAA batteries. I cut out a 2" x 2 1/2" sheet of heavy paper, placed it under the batteries and behold, no more problems.


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## modnar (Oct 15, 2000)

jsshattuck said:


> My original batteries lasted over a year, and I use the remote extensively 4-6 hours a day. Recently I started to have problems after a very short period of time (1 week), but a slap on the remote solved the problem for a short period of time. What I discovered was that the Duracell batteries I was using are slightly smaller than other AAA batteries. I cut out a 2" x 2 1/2" sheet of heavy paper, placed it under the batteries and behold, no more problems.


I've had the same issues - the remote batteries lasted for at least a couple months (probably much more) before I had to start being picky about pointing the remote directly at the TiVo. Now, it seems to happen just a week or less of use. Moving the batteries around some seems to resolve it for a bit, so I suspect it's similar to what you are seeing. I don't remember if the batteries are Duracell.


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## RayChuang88 (Sep 5, 2002)

I hate to revive this topic, but gawd, the battery life on the TiVo HD XL remote was just too darned short! The original Panasonic brand batteries that came with the remote lasted less than two months before I started having problems with slow response by the TiVo box itself.









I replaced them with new Duracell AAA alkaline batteries and hope it lasts at least twice as long.


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## Kablemodem (May 26, 2001)

Get two sets of rechargeables and keep one set on standby.


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## dbenrosen (Sep 20, 2003)

Turn off the backlight. That has changed battery life from a month or two to over 6 months and still working fine.


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## TXTIGHTEND (Sep 29, 2006)

Well, those of you who suggested turning off the backlight, Thanks SO much. You just saved me a bundle on batteries. Very happy this forum helped after a slew of battery replacements! Thanx!


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## Resist (Dec 21, 2003)

Kenji said:


> Every time you press a key on the remote, the backlighting remains active for about 10 seconds. That's probably what's causing the shorter battery life.


The real cause of the short battery life is that Tivo used AAA batteries in this remote. Thankfully they went back to using AA batteries in the Slide Remote. AA's have a longer life than AAA's do.


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## van gogh (Oct 23, 2010)

just got my tivo qwerty remote ...merry christmas to all..


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## RayChuang88 (Sep 5, 2002)

Resist said:


> The real cause of the short battery life is that Tivo used AAA batteries in this remote. Thankfully they went back to using AA batteries in the Slide Remote. AA's have a longer life than AAA's do.


My gripe with using AAA batteries in the Tivo HD XL remote is the fact they last only about 2.5-3 months at most before I have to replace them, even with the backlight feature turned off.







Maybe I should seriously consider getting the _Energizer_ Advanced Lithium batteries so at least it will last 35-40% longer?


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