A rant + question about TV and remote.

[Lebowski]

For the question, just skip to the bottom.

Uhg, I hate eBay. I order stuff from Amazon weekly or from other sites if Amazon doesn't have it, but every now and then I tell myself, "eBay will have it and have a good deal." So a few weeks ago, I decided to order an xBox 360. I could have went and bought one new, but i'm not a gamer and just wanted something to play a few games I do own from when old room mates and I shared a system. So I order a used one on eBay, seller had 100% feedback rating, all seemed good. It took her a WEEK to even ship it. I ordered the one I did because it was from Louisville, I expected to have it in a couple days, 3 - 4 days max. Nope, took over 5 days just to ship. No big deal, I got it. The controller she provided was broken... no big deal, ordered one on Amazon, arrived next day. Gotta love Amazon.

Ah, crud. I don't have the cables I need to hook it up to my TV. So I had it connected my large monitor I use on my media PC via HDMI. Sadly though, no audio when connected via HDMI to a monitor as the monitor doesn't have speakers... But at least now I can play in silence.

Oh great, it appears the system has a parental lock on it! I can't play Call of Duty, can't play GTA... I have to keep sending messages back and forth to the seller until I get the proper unlock code. Meanwhile, I ordered the cable I need to connect to my TV.

Cable arrives. It's for the OLD xbox, not the 360. Order a new one.

Yay, the right cable arrives. I can finally play the xBox with sound and on an actual TV. I dust my old TV off and get it all setup. But wait, I can't change the input source as I don't have a remote to this TV. I lost it years ago. I get a universal remote...

The universal remote, no matter what I do, won't bind to the damn TV. I tried the autoprogram and looked up the codes for this TV online. It will not work. No matter how what I do or how much I cuss at it.

UHG. So I order a replacement FACTORY remote on eBay... seller with 100% feedback... took them 4 days to ship the damn thing, but they finally put it in a box and mailed it. This is the exact remote that came with my TV. Guess what arrived today? The remote. Guess what doesn't work? The remote....


So much friggin' hassle just so I can kick back and play a couple hours of games each week. All I want to do is change my TV channel to 'input' and I can't do it without a remote. The remotes I have don't work. I don't even watch TV, it's rotten stuff, though I have a nice media PC for Netfix and whatnot.

At this point I'm either buying a new TV so I have a friggin' TV/remote combo that works (Which I don't want to do) or am just selling the xBox, the few games I do have...



So, my question is: Is there some black magic that I do not know about for getting a replacement factory remote to work with a TV that it did not ship with? (But is the same remote for that TV model?) Very frustrating ordeal here for something that should be generally just plug-n-play.

EDIT: May help to list the TV and remote. It's just an old junker: Emerson EWF2004 TV and this is the remote I purchased: http://www.ebay.com/itm/321484124725?ssPageName=STRK:MEWNX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1497.l2649

 

[actaeon277]

There's a possibility that the t.v. is damaged, and not receiving the remote's signal.

 

[Lebowski]

There's a possibility that the t.v. is damaged, and not receiving the remote's signal.

With my luck, that is possible. :P

Though I am looking on Amazon right now, and new TVs really aren't all that bad, price wise. $100~ or so per 10". 32 LED TV, 1080P for around $300. Not too bad.

 

[GodFearinGunTotin]

Are there no buttons at the bottom, sides, or rear of the set? There are usually buttons somewhere that allow you to make those types of changes without a remote.

 

[lordjackel]

According to the owners manual for your TV that's not the right remote.

Your ebay link show remote model # NE122UD
The online owners manual shows model # NE116UD Page 4 of Emerson 20 Inch Color Television Owners Manual EWF 2004 | ManualsOnline.com

I would guess this your issue.

 

[Fordtough25]

We don't really play our 360 anymore, sad because there are so many fond memories. Lol. Kids usually play the WII if they do anything and we barely watch netflix on the xbox. I would say just suck it up and get a 32" flatscreen, they have sales on them pretty much every week at wal mart. if you get a smart tv you can watch netflix on it as well.

 

[Cameramonkey]

GO buy a Logitech Harmony remote and never look back.

No entering random codes from a book and cursing. Plug it into your computer, tell the software what model TV it is and it just works. I have 3 and LOVE LOVE LOVE them.
Logitech Harmony - Universal Remote Control for Home Entertainment Systems

I think you can find them as cheap as $30. I've paid up to $150 for mine and not a single regret.

 

[churchmouse]

The perils of buying used crap online. I just do not do that anymore as I have had the same experiences. Get a new one with warr. and run it.

 

[actaeon277]

GO buy a Logitech Harmony remote and never look back.

No entering random codes from a book and cursing. Plug it into your computer, tell the software what model TV it is and it just works. I have 3 and LOVE LOVE LOVE them.
Logitech Harmony - Universal Remote Control for Home Entertainment Systems

I think you can find them as cheap as $30. I've paid up to $150 for mine and not a single regret.

I have an old logitech. Love it.

 

[ModernGunner]

I 'hear' and empathize with the rant.

IMO, this doesn't sound so much like an e-Bay 'problem'. Whenever we buy used stuff, we always know there's a chance that it will not work as originally specified. Whether that be electronics or anything else.

Went through that (as I'm suspecting others here have) too many times myself, and 'learned the lesson' from it, which more often than not is 'stop frustrating yourself to save a couple bucks'.

Buy new, then it's 'their' (the Sellers) 'headache' until you have it functioning properly.

JMO, hope things work out.

 

[Cameramonkey]

OP, I think I can help out but your inbox is full.

 

[dprimm]

Woot.com often has tv for sale.

 

[a.bentonab]

GO buy a Logitech Harmony remote and never look back.

No entering random codes from a book and cursing. Plug it into your computer, tell the software what model TV it is and it just works. I have 3 and LOVE LOVE LOVE them.
Logitech Harmony - Universal Remote Control for Home Entertainment Systems

I think you can find them as cheap as $30. I've paid up to $150 for mine and not a single regret.

gospel truth right here. I had all but given up on all universal remotes until I finally got a harmony. My first worked so well I immediately bought three more and three away all other remotes.

If anybody needs a universal remote or is just tired of using several remotes at a time you need to get a harmony and stop messing around with all those other models. I was the worst offender in the past.

 

[Cameramonkey]

My favorite is the macros. When I had my man cave before the kids came along, I added a Lutron IR dimmer to my home theater room. I could hit "watch a movie" button and it would turn on the DVD, Turn on the TV, switch to the DVD input and dim the lights to a preset level. Bee's knees right there!

 

[churchmouse]

My favorite is the macros. When I had my man cave before the kids came along, I added a Lutron IR dimmer to my home theater room. I could hit "watch a movie" button and it would turn on the DVD, Turn on the TV, switch to the DVD input and dim the lights to a preset level. Bee's knees right there!

Sweet....darn kids ruin everything.....

 

[Cameramonkey]

Sweet....darn kids ruin everything.....

Dontcha know it.

 

[1911ly]

That Harmony remote looks pretty sweet! I think I see one of these in my future.

I just figured out how to link my smart phone to my Smart TV. It's pretty cool to watch Youtube video's on a 65" TV! Still trying to figure out how to stream Showbox to the TV from my Android PH. Showbox blows away Netfix!

 

[Andy Wayne]

You can check if a remote is sending an IR signal by pushing the buttons while looking at the IR LED with a digital camera display. The camera can see the IR light flash, but your eyes can't.
I sometimes use the built in universal remote in my Samsung Galaxy 7 Tab. It's one remote I don't have to worry about losing in the cushions.

 

[Andy Wayne]

I just figured out how to link my smart phone to my Smart TV. It's pretty cool to watch Youtube video's on a 65" TV! Still trying to figure out how to stream Showbox to the TV from my Android PH. Showbox blows away Netfix!

Check out the Google Chromecast. It's only $35, and you can use it to also put your web page browser or phone display on your TV.