# Jumpers in a Remote Control?? Why? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [February 3, 2001, 3:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jumpers-in-a-remote-control-why/52970 "2001-02-03T03:30:05Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 15\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Bear\_Nenno](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bear_nenno/32/3358_2.png) [@Bear\_Nenno](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bear_Nenno)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2001, 3:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jumpers-in-a-remote-control-why/52970/1 "2001-02-03T03:30:05Z")
I just happened to look at the batteries in my Time Warner Digital Cable remote. Right above the batteries were jumpers!! Why on earth would a remote control need jumpers? There were not any thingies connecting any of them, just about 6 unconnected jumpers. Anyone know what these are for or when someone would need these? Does this have anything to do with programing the remote to work on other tvs? Other universal remotes do not use jumpers, so why would this? I am rather curious. Is there something cool I can do with my remote that I am not aware of? ---
**Author:** ![Zenster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/cdc98d/32.png) [@Zenster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zenster)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2001, 3:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jumpers-in-a-remote-control-why/52970/2 "2001-02-03T03:32:26Z")
A variety of possibilities. Different IR encoding frequencies. Voltage supply. MTBF control. ---
**Author:** ![Arjuna34](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/eb8c5e/32.png) [@Arjuna34](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Arjuna34)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2001, 3:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jumpers-in-a-remote-control-why/52970/3 "2001-02-03T03:38:19Z")
Some more possibilities- Used to put unit it self-test mode, or in a test mode for ATE (automatic-test-equipment) test Used to put unit in programming mode at the factory, to burn the latest VCR and TV codes. Used to set regions with different TV/VCR types (US vs. Europe vs. Japan, for example). Used to determine what style of remote it is (it’s common to use the same circuit board for multiple products). Arjuna34 ---
**Author:** ![Wonko\_The\_Sane](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/258eb7/32.png) [@Wonko\_The\_Sane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wonko_The_Sane)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2001, 4:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jumpers-in-a-remote-control-why/52970/4 "2001-02-03T04:05:34Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Zenster \* > \*\* > > MTBF control. \*\* LOL! Thanks Zenster! I needed that. Fifty Wonko points to you! ---
**Author:** ![Zenster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/cdc98d/32.png) [@Zenster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zenster)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2001, 4:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jumpers-in-a-remote-control-why/52970/5 "2001-02-03T04:07:46Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Wonko The Sane \* > \*\* > > > [@](#): > > > > \*Originally posted by Zenster \* > > \*\* > > > > MTBF control. \*\* > > LOL! Thanks Zenster! I needed that. Fifty Wonko points to you! \*\* My pleasure **Wonko**! Glad that somebody got that one. ---
**Author:** ![ftg](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ftg/32/2801_2.png) [@ftg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ftg)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2001, 7:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jumpers-in-a-remote-control-why/52970/6 "2001-02-04T19:14:28Z")
A cable company passes out thousands of remotes. The usual idiot consumer has to enter set-up codes for his/her TV and VCR. “Now let’s see, SETUP 314, enter. Hey, I can’t change the cable box channel anymore. Oops, forgot to press TV first.” Time and $ lost to cable company. Solution: block changes to Cable setup code. How to do it? On my new remotes, a very special setup sequence is required to change the cable setting. On my old remote (51XXXB00) there’s a jumper block in the back above the batteries. Once had a jumper on one of them. Not any more. (New cable boxes.) Actually useful if you have young’uns of the experimental but clueless type. After setup, put jumpers on all of them. “Watching cable TV since 1957 and still waiting for the snow to go away.” ---
**Author:** ![Perderabo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/a183cd/32.png) [@Perderabo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Perderabo)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2001, 7:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jumpers-in-a-remote-control-why/52970/7 "2001-02-05T19:13:58Z")
It is probably not a row of jumpers but rather a serial port. I have a modest home theatre setup and I use the One For All Cinema 7 remote. [Here is the Faq](http://www.hifi-remote.com/ofa/faq.shtml) for that remote which states: > [@](#): > > “I got to see exactly what the six pins on the back of their remotes are used for. They [One For All / Universal Electronics] had a large black box sitting on a table with a few buttons and two cables out each end, one for a source remote and the other for the target. Basically, Universal’s OEM customers may configure a single remote exactly how they want it with brand codes, re-mapped keys, advanced codes etc. They may then duplicate it to any number of remotes using this box, which writes directly to memory.” ---
**Author:** ![CnoteChris](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/278dde/32.png) [@CnoteChris](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CnoteChris)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2001, 12:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jumpers-in-a-remote-control-why/52970/8 "2001-02-06T12:50:23Z")
O.K. I’ll bite. What does **MTBF** mean? ---
**Author:** ![JeffB](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jeffb/32/188_2.png) [@JeffB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JeffB)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2001, 1:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jumpers-in-a-remote-control-why/52970/9 "2001-02-06T13:19:10Z")
Mean Time Between Failures ---
**Author:** ![CnoteChris](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/278dde/32.png) [@CnoteChris](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CnoteChris)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2001, 1:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jumpers-in-a-remote-control-why/52970/10 "2001-02-06T13:34:51Z")
**MTBF** = Mean Time Between Failures. O.K. Now I don’t get it. Huh? ---
**Author:** ![JeffB](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jeffb/32/188_2.png) [@JeffB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JeffB)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2001, 1:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jumpers-in-a-remote-control-why/52970/11 "2001-02-06T13:37:38Z")
I’m not sure I do either. Unless **Zenster** has some definition other than the standard one in mind, maybe he is implying that the remotes are programmed to fail at specific intervals depending on the jumper settings. ---
**Author:** ![Spiny\_Norman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9de0a6/32.png) [@Spiny\_Norman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spiny_Norman)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2001, 1:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jumpers-in-a-remote-control-why/52970/12 "2001-02-06T13:50:51Z")
AFAIK, the standard MTBF setting is defined as “guarantee period + 24 hours”. S. Norman ---
**Author:** ![CnoteChris](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/278dde/32.png) [@CnoteChris](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CnoteChris)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2001, 12:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jumpers-in-a-remote-control-why/52970/13 "2001-02-09T12:48:34Z")
Sorry, I still don’t get it. I’m hoping this bump will get some questions answered. ---
**Author:** ![dylan\_73](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ecccb3/32.png) [@dylan\_73](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dylan_73)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2001, 1:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jumpers-in-a-remote-control-why/52970/14 "2001-02-09T13:50:44Z")
If you had a particularly paranoid, nasty, suspicious mind, you might start to wonder why something that’s guaranteed for 3 months should suddenly break 3 months and 1 day after purchase. Or guaranteed for a year, worked flawlessly for exactly that period, and then suddenly dies. The truth is out there… 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![CnoteChris](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/278dde/32.png) [@CnoteChris](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CnoteChris)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2001, 3:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jumpers-in-a-remote-control-why/52970/15 "2001-02-09T15:31:47Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by dylan\_73 \* > **The truth is out there…** And you, my friend, will probably find it. Thanks.