Hi,
I am relative newbie in all things technical. I currently reside in Hong Kong - and have a pretty good budget and access to a ton of electronic stores with well priced equipment - so any suggestions would be good.

I currently have:
An xtreamerpro
A philips DVD player
An Xbox 360

A no name stereo that I use a second xtreamer to play music on (I usually control that from my tablet - as it plays outside)

And a flat screen tv.

Here is my questions - please do excuse if they seem naive to you:

1. I brought the flat screen tv from a little shop in Mong Kok. The shop specializes in selling off display models from shops and factories. The one we brought - which has done fantastic service for over 2 years does not have a brand name. It was produced by a factory who show them to buyers who buy them and slap their brand on.

The remote control has broken. This is not usually an issue as I have an HDMI switch for the dvd, xbox and xtreamerpro - so only usually need to turn the tv on and off and use the other remotes for the other things.

Now the tv seems to have changed its hdmi settings and I can't get into the menu to change them back without the remote.

My question is this: can a universal remote learn from the tv or do I have to know the make and model of my tv? (which is impossible)

I currently use the RCA cables to make everything work.

2. Regardless of the answer to the tv question - I would like a remote to take care of the rest of the items.

3. This is really naive - but I have a remote controlled standard fan and air conditioner. Can I add these to any universal remote control I buy? It would be so nice to have only one remote.

4. Can I get a remote fixed? It just suddenly stopped working. Is it usually something simple or is it a case of once broken always broken? There is a market in Mong Kok where there are tables after tables of old remotes, so I am sure i can find a remote repairman if one exists.


Thank you, sorry it was so long.

A universal remote can not learn the signals from the TV.

However, are you sure that your existing remote is completely broken? Have you installed known fresh batteries? Or even just removed and replaced the old ones, which may trigger a reset? Looked at the output of the remote with a cell phone (or other digital) camera? The cameras image the IR if it is being emitted.

If there is no output, one possibility is a failed IR emitter. These can be replaced fairly cheaply. Or if at least one button emits, then a person who has a learning remote which can be read out by computer will be able to find out the basic form of the signal. Then it may be easy to identify a universal that can shoot those signals.

Of course, at some point it may be cheaper to simply get a different TV. If you want to handle this yourself and at least one button emits, a way is to buy a JP1 flash cable ($30 in the US), and a RCA RCRP05B ($20 or less in the US). The combination will allow you to determine the signal type, and a small amount of experimentation will turn up all of the functions (there are typically no more than 256 possibilities, once the basic form of the IR protocol is known.)

This combination can be made to shoot any IR signal, including air conditioners--provided that the air conditioner actually uses IR. Try holding your hand over the remote while sending. If it is IR, it won't be able to send.

Thank you 3FG.

Yes, I changed batteries and a helpful neighbour showed me how to press a remote into my webcam and look for the light.

It was a bit random a couple of times and then stopped working altogether. I think I will try and find a repair man.

I know - it maybe the new tv route, but this one has a seriously funky sleek design, and was so cheap and has been so reliable - excellent picture, fantastic sound, just the right size and I could go on.

Just to be clear - if I get the remote working, can I then buy a universal remote and it will work my tv, learning from the remote or do you need codes? I think you answered this above, but I have never used a universal remote so I need it spelled out.

Thanks again for the prompt and very helpful reply

A. There is a chance that a universal has your TV in its database. If the remote has a search capability, you can then run through all of the setup codes until the TV is controlled. But the more obscure the brand, the less likely a universal will have the right setup code.

B. If you get your OEM remote working well, then most learning universals will be able to learn the IR signals from it. The signals sent by most air conditioners can't be usefully learnt.

C. If the OEM remote is flaky (random, you said...) or can't send some functions, then the learning approach won't work. In that case, it is best to analyze the IR signals, and discover the IR protocol, device numbers, and at least one function number, The the rest can be generated. You can do that with the JP1 cable and RCA RCRP05B that I mentioned above. That combination can most likely control the air conditioner also. In this scenario, the signals aren't learned or stored in a learned format. Instead the remote calculates the IR signal, knowing the IR protocol, device and function numbers.

Thank you for your very thoughtful reply.
I will try and get the remote fixed first. Then try the fix above.
When I do, I will let you know how i get on

Thanks again