why does a remote control die and how do I fix it?

Last night, my DVD/VCR player’s remote conked out. I tried replacing the batteries, standing close to the player while using the remote…nada. Is it possible for a remote to die that suddenly, and is there a way I can fix it? If not, is there some way I can buy just a remote control?

If you are in the U.S., stores like Wal-Mart and Target have copious selection of replacement remote controls. Even many grocery stores carry them these days.

You can buy a universal remote control pretty much anywhere electronics are sold.

I imagine instructions for getting it to work with your device are included.
It’s unusual for a remote control to go, but I imagine that the infra-red LED could burn out, or some other bit of electronics could fry. If you have a digital camera, you can aim it at the remote and see if you can see the LED flicker when you press a button. (Digital cameras are sensitive to light in the frequency range of the remote LED.)

Maybe it got “deprogrammed”. Find the owner’s manual- it will contain instructions to reprogram your remote control.

Is it possible that the part on the player that communicates with the remote got covered up, dirty, etc.?

Was this a remote that came with the player? If not, I definitely second Mr. Duality’s suggestion. If you changed the batteries, it probably doesn’t remember its settings.

Another simple thing to check… I had problems with my DVD/VCR remote a while back until I figured out that I had fat-thumbed the “VCR” button on the remote while trying to play a DVD. It wouldn’t work until I hit the “DVD” button on the remote.

How old is the remote? I have found in the past that modern style remotes can fail because of what is under the button. When you press the rubber coated button on the remote it presses down a small metal foil bubble on the circuit board (not exact but a close description) to make a contact and do the function. I have seen, once in a while, that the foil bubble has become torn so that when the button is pressed a contact isn’t made. Of course it could be one of the other things that have already been mentioned. I would recommend an inexpensive universal remote as well.

I have a TV remote that died, rather appropriately, in the blackout of 2003. I needed batteries for a portable radio, and decided to salvage the remote’s batteries for that purpose. The remote never worked again. I’ve always suspected that I damaged the remote by touching a metal object to the infrared LED’s leads, shorting it out. (The LED was right at the end of the battery compartment, with the leads exposed.) The red LED that indicates when a button is pressed still lights up, but the remote doesn’t work.

I don’t really need the remote, so I’ve never looked into replacing it. I’ve had another remote become deprogrammed, so maybe I’ll look into reprogramming the broken TV remote.

I just thought of a way to determine whether the infrared LED is in fact damaged. (This would also let you determine if the electronics inside the remote are still functioning, if there’s no status LED on the remote.) Aim the remote at a camcorder or digital camera and press a button – if the infrared LED works, you’ll see it light up on the viewfinder. CCDs in digital cameras can detect infrared light to a certain degree, and you can even use digital cameras to take infrared pictures with the correct equipment. (Not all cameras can do this to the same extent, so check with a remote you know is working first.)

A quick thing to try:

Remove the batteries from the remote. Press and hold the power key on the remote for 30 seconds or so. Replace the batteries. This apparently resets the remote to its factory defaults or something. Has worked for me a few times on different remotes.

I haven’t seen this type of switch in new units in well over a decade. These days, the buttons are all molded into a single rubber keymat, and each button is backed with a conductive carbon-impregnated rubber pad. On the circuit board, either plated traces are used as contacts, or a conducticve carbon-y material is used. These types of keys are much more reliable than the membrane type you’re describing. They do fail due to dirt buldup ocassionally, so disassembly and cleaning with isopropyl alcohol will sometimes repair problems with specific keys.

I guess that it has been a while since I’ve tweaked with a broken remote. At least they aren’t like the old RCA remote that had metal bars that each produced a different frequency when struck.

Heh. Nana had one just like that when I was a kid. I had great fun making her TV change channels with keys or coins.

Thanks for the tips. The IT guy at work is going to take a look at it, but otherwise I may just go with a new universal remote. The evil empire that is Sony charges $60 (!) for a new one.

I did think of Shoeless’s suggestion last night, but no dice with that.

$60? Screw that – head over to Wally World or Target and pick up a prefectly fine remote for $7-15.