My 900 started occasionally not responding also. The 2nd press works, though. Do you guys have the beep enabled on your remotes? Mine doesn't beep when it doesn't work. This tells me the button press isn't being read. Therefore, it's not a transmitter issue, but an issue w/ the system before the command gets to that point.

John

yromj,

I don't have the beep enabled. But it's easy to tell when the button press doesn't register because the text on the LCD screen doesn't highlight when the button is pressed. When it is working correctly the LCD Text highlights indicating that the corresponding LCD button has been pressed. It's more difficult to see if a non LCD button press registers or not. You have to watch the bottom of the LCD screen to see if the button you pressed displays as text on the screen.

Ericjb,

Keep in mind that this issue is very intermittent. Sometimes mine will work fine for a day or so and then a button will fail. I'm not sure you would see this during a setup/install. I didn't see the problem until after I programmed and thoroughly tested my configuration. Only during normal use sitting in front of my system did I start seeing the problem. I'm sure many end users might not even pay any attention to this. They might just look at the remote and push the button again thinking that they didn't push the button hard enough the first time or that they pushed it at an angle.

It's as if the remote sometimes goes into "Sleep Mode". The button press wakes it up but doesn't trasnmit a code/macro. The second button press then issues the code/macro. Since the MX-900 does have a "Sleep Mode" for the LCD screen I wonder if the remote sometimes gets confused and thinks it's in "Sleep Mode" even though the LCD ON/OFF feature is in the "ON" state on my remote.

For those of you who are having this problem... How long have you had your remotes? I got my first one on 8/1/06, my second one last week, and the 3rd one is on its way. If yours were purchased around the same time or if our serial numbers are within a close range that might indicate a bad batch.

Mitch,

I purchased my remote on 6/28. Serial number isn't close to yours.

I agree that a casual user may not notice they have a problem. Although the clicking of the light button and nothing happening should indicate a problem.

Will consider getting a new remote from URC if your third remote is fine.

Did you have to send your remote back to them first?
Would hate to be without a remote for a couple of days.

Chuck,

If you bought your remote from an authorized dealer you might try them first. I asked URC to do an "Advanced Exchange". They billed my credit card and are sending me a new remote. Once they receive the defective remote they will credit my card for the amount billed.

You will need to talk to either your Dealer or URC Technical support to make those arrangements. However, since you have had your remote for almost 2 months I don't think they would offer an advanced exchange. But it doesn't hurt to ask.

Mitch, have you received your replacement MX-900 yet? Does it work better?

I haven't gotten it yet. It's due to be delivered tomorrow. My current one, which is the second one I've had is doing even more bizar things. I set the battery warning to notify me of a low battery condition at 20% battery life remaining. I knew I was getting close because the battery meter was no longer registering (a blank status bar on the battery meter). Last night I issued a command and "Battery" started flashing in the LCD screen and it wouldn't issue a command. I would consider this to be an expected behavior.

Then I pushed the back light button and it totally freaked out. The Back light started blinking on and off and the remote started beeping on and off. The LCD display would go blank and then come back on again. It also, started to run a self diagnostics. It wouldn't issue any commands either. Very strange behavior. I think it's possessed!

Replacing the batteries with fresh new batteries brought it back to life again. Even with the new batteries it still fails to register button presses on occassion.

I hope the new one from URC resolves this issue.

Have you had a chance to do any further testing on your remote? Or are you still on vacation? I will let everyone know how things work out with the new remote.

Okay. I have my new remote from URC direct. I got it yesterday but the same problem is still happening. I have been able to duplicate the problem at least a six times over the past two days. I press a button which corresponds to an LCD screen and the LCD text does not high light nor does the remote execute the command.

In some cases it happens when I change from "Watch" to "Listen" and then press a another button which fails. Sometimes I am in a device page and push the "Watch" or "Listen" button but the remote does not return to the "Watch" or "Listen" page. Other times I successfully execute a macro and am watching/listening for several minutes to 30 minutes and then pickup the remote and push a button and nothing happens.

I suspect one of three things.

1. Hardware EPROM issues.

2. Defective run of remotes from manufacturing although other people who have had the same problem have remotes from totally different batches then mine.

3. Something odd in my file. This is also a possibility but Mike at Surfremote has looked at my file and didn't see anything unusual.

So... Anyone else have any ideas/suggestions? I don't think getting another remote is going to solve the problem. Three bad remotes in a row? I seriously doubt it.

Does anyone else want to take a look at my file and maybe download it to your remote and see if you can reproduce the problem?

Let me know and I can send you my file. I will be out of town until Sunday night but I would be more then happy to email it to anyone who is interested in helping me troubleshoot this problem when I get back.

Thanks in advance.

I've been using mine for about a week now and at first I was thinking I was having the same problem. I think the problem I've had with this remote is that it seems to require a harder press of the buttons.

My first gen MX-500 has the best button feel and I never have doubts that the button registers the press.

My second remote is the next gen of Mx-500 and the center pad sucks. Half the time when I press select, I end up pressing an up, down, left or right. However, all of the other buttons respond fine.

The MX-900 doesn't work as well as the others in the key press area. It seems most of the buttons require a harder than normal press. When it misses, I can usually trace it back to a weak key press.

I guess it's a matter of just getting into the groove.

I thought the same thing but I ruled out that being the issue early on. Since I have posted this email I have gotten the remote to fail AT LEAST another six to eight times. And I have made sure that I am pressing the key as hard as I can to make sure that it is making contact. And I'm talking about the initial press of the button. When I go to press the button I push it in one smooth and very hard press to ensure it's not something with either the angle of the press or the firmness of the press.

I assure you it's nothing to do with how hard I press the button. That's the very first thing I checked.

I'll try to pay attention to my key press and the responses. I may still have the problem but may not be as aware since I'm mainly controlling my Linksys extender. The extender isn't the most responsive piece of hardware.. especially when the main MCE machine is busy recording with all 4 tuners and playing an already recorded show.

Any chance you are using RF and IR at the same time? I did notice a little bit of an improvement when I turned off IR and went with only RF. I also made sure to use a separate flasher for each device (with the MRF-300) and now the base only emits IR to devices without a dedicated flasher.

Mitch: Send me the file and I'll check it out and see if I get the same results. Check my profile for my email address.

I'm in the midst of a move so I may not be able to do it right away. It's up to you.

Greg

Surge,

I'm using "IR" only as I don't have an MRF base station so I'm sure that's not the issue. I set all my devices to use "IR" only as the default. Pay very close attention to what happens when you execute a "HARD FIRM PRESS" of a button. Look closely at the LCD screen to see what registers/doesn't register when you press that button.

Try that for the next couple of days and let me know what happens.

Thanks for responding.

Mitch: I didn't realize you weren't using RF. I can take a look at your file right away then if you want! Just send it on over!

Mitch,

I'm beginning to think our problem is more software related than hardware.

After reading about your latest remote, I started to play around with mine more and noticed the following things.

1. If I rapidly press the ch down button on the HDTIVO device, it will fail to respond on about every fourth press. However if I try this on my cable device I dont't have the problem.

2. I downloaded the default configuration in the mxeditor to the remote and it seems the remote responds to all presses. Try this and see if you have the same result.

3 My HDTIVO device page was set up with all learned codes. I set up antother HDTIVO device page using the the codes from the IR database and so far this page dosen't seem to exhibit the problem.

These are preliminary results. Will keep you posted.

Chuck,

I believe that my remote is using a combination of IR Data base codes and imported codes from the Universal browser for the Tivo so I don't think that's the problem. Plus most of the issues happen on buttons unrelated to the Tivo.

For example, I'll be listening to a DVD and the remote will be on page one of the DVD device. I'll pick up the remote and press "Watch". It goes to the "Watch" page and then I press and hold the "Radio" button to execute a one second press and hold macro to go to "Radio" page 1. Nothing happens no matter how hard I press the button. If I release the button and press radio again it works fine.

Sometimes when I press "Watch" or "Listen" while I'm in a device page nothing happens. It doesn't change to the corresponding page. I have to press it again.

It's becoming quite frustrating. See if you can duplicate the same thing. It might take 10 or 20 tries to make it happen. It doesn't do it every time.