Echo IR receiver does not work well - SOLVED

[SOShootME]

Hello everyone,

I bought an Echo at the official release date and have been using it since with relatively few problems. The most glaring issue is that the IR remote does not work very well at all. Sometimes it takes multiple presses to accomplish a task, other times it will perform the same button press multiple times, and you always have to lift your arm to the height of the Echo and point the remote directly at the Echo to make contact. The behavior of the remote is so irritating that my wife will not use the system.

For comparison, I purchased a Windows MCE remote and it behaves identically to the stock echo remote. This makes me believe the issue is within the echo itself. So, is it just an issue my particular echo? Or is this common for the Echo?

Thanks

[Phil Seastrand]

Have you removed the plastic sheet over the front of the Echo?

[SOShootME]

How insulting Phil... of course I ... well I think I .... wait a minute... pick... pick... pick... is there something there or not? ... pick ... pick... nope its not...well... pick.. pick... pick... Oh Jesus H. Christ, you gotta be kidding me. Well that's just embarrassing.

Good call Phil and thanks for starting with the easy stuff. When I was trying to decide if it was really the edge of a plastic film I was feeling, I was a little worried I was picking off the lens. My wife keeps saying I need to go to the eye doctor. Maybe she is right. The remote definitely works better without the plastic film on the front lens. Still seems to need a direct aim, but at least when you push a button it executes the desired command.

Sigh... thanks again Phil.

[Phil Seastrand]

No worries... I almost didn't post it because I was afraid you might be insulted, but sometimes it's the obvious problems. Besides, I had the same problem and struggled getting the film off mine.

I'm glad it worked out.

[barnabas1969]

Funny post, Phil. Thanks. I enjoyed it.

To be honest, the only reason I noticed that there was a film attached to the front of the Echo was because Newfiend posted about it during the beta. I don't remember if he posted here or on the "private" Ceton forum.

Even after removing the film, and even after the latest release... it still doesn't work as well as the HP or Linksys extenders.

Yeah, I'm gonna keep complaining until Ceton makes the Echo work as well as the HP and Linksys extenders... or until I RMA it. Whichever comes first (or maybe after I RMA it... but who's counting?).

[SOShootME]

I am glad you posted Phil. I have been working in software production support for almost 30 years and I learned early to ask the stupid questions first, because after all, we are all human. As soon as I read your post I got that horrible "No f'n way I am that stupid" feeling and I was pretty sure I would find a film on the front of the Echo.

[adam1991]

Never worry about being called out on the obvious. 98% of the family questions I get into, I start out with "is it plugged in and turned on?"--and you'd be amazed at how few of the problems go beyond that.

[barnabas1969]

Never worry about being called out on the obvious. 98% of the family questions I get into, I start out with "is it plugged in and turned on?"--and you'd be amazed at how few of the problems go beyond that.

I used to run into that at my last job (I've been at my current job for 15 years). Not only do you have to ask them if it's plugged into the wall... but you have to ask if the power cord is plugged into the back of the computer/monitor/printer/whatever.

My favorite one that I used to get all the time went something like this:

Me: "Is the monitor turned on?"
Them: "What's the monitor?"
Me: "It's the little TV screen that you stare at all day. Is it turned on?"
Them: "I don't know. How can I tell?"
Me: "Is the little green light on?"
Them: "What little green light?"
Me: "The one you stare at all day. It's at the bottom of your monitor."
Them: "Oh, that little green light. No, it's not on."
Me: "Have you tried pushing the power button on the monitor?"
Them: "Oh, now it works!"

[TeddyR]

Well.. ill be...

I was having issues with one of my remotes and the echo... I THOUGHT I removed all the plastic film from the unit... until I saw this... My Harmony no longer has as many issues as it used to with the echo....

[Dean L. Surkin]

Well.. ill be...

I was having issues with one of my remotes and the echo... I THOUGHT I removed all the plastic film from the unit... until I saw this... My Harmony no longer has as many issues as it used to with the echo....

Even with the plastic carefully removed, I still find the Echo much less responsive than my other components. I have to carefully aim the remote so the back of the remote (rather than the front) is pointing at the Echo, and then carefully time the pressing of each key. Saturday night, my wife and I watched a Blu-Ray disc for the first time in a while, and I had forgotten how pleasant the experience is when the remote works as expected.

My other Echo, also with the film carefully removed, isn't as finicky about the aim, but is finicky about the timing of each button push: can't be too short, can't be too long, must be about twice that of a normal button push to register without becoming a double-click.

I'm wondering if using an IR extender would improve the response. Has anyone with IR problems tried that?

[barnabas1969]

You know, I removed the film from the front of the unit on day one (because Newfiend warned me about it), and the Echo has never worked as well with the remote as any of my other components. You'd think that the IR receiver would be the easiest thing for Ceton to get right.

[malong335]

Well.. ill be...

I was having issues with one of my remotes and the echo... I THOUGHT I removed all the plastic film from the unit... until I saw this... My Harmony no longer has as many issues as it used to with the echo....

Even with the plastic carefully removed, I still find the Echo much less responsive than my other components. I have to carefully aim the remote so the back of the remote (rather than the front) is pointing at the Echo, and then carefully time the pressing of each key. Saturday night, my wife and I watched a Blu-Ray disc for the first time in a while, and I had forgotten how pleasant the experience is when the remote works as expected.

My other Echo, also with the film carefully removed, isn't as finicky about the aim, but is finicky about the timing of each button push: can't be too short, can't be too long, must be about twice that of a normal button push to register without becoming a double-click.

I'm wondering if using an IR extender would improve the response. Has anyone with IR problems tried that?

Dredging up a slightly old thread, but is this a common issue with the Echo. I've only had mine for about two weeks, but the remote usage is pretty bad. I have removed the front plastic film, but not the back since the serial number tag is applied on TOP OF THE FILM!

The double presses and general flakiness happens with my Harmony remote which works without issue on the other 10 devices its been used on.

[Sammy2]

Well.. ill be...

I was having issues with one of my remotes and the echo... I THOUGHT I removed all the plastic film from the unit... until I saw this... My Harmony no longer has as many issues as it used to with the echo....

Even with the plastic carefully removed, I still find the Echo much less responsive than my other components. I have to carefully aim the remote so the back of the remote (rather than the front) is pointing at the Echo, and then carefully time the pressing of each key. Saturday night, my wife and I watched a Blu-Ray disc for the first time in a while, and I had forgotten how pleasant the experience is when the remote works as expected.

My other Echo, also with the film carefully removed, isn't as finicky about the aim, but is finicky about the timing of each button push: can't be too short, can't be too long, must be about twice that of a normal button push to register without becoming a double-click.

I'm wondering if using an IR extender would improve the response. Has anyone with IR problems tried that?

Dredging up a slightly old thread, but is this a common issue with the Echo? I've only had mine for about two weeks, but the remote usage is pretty bad. I have removed the front plastic film, but not the back since the serial number tag is applied on TOP OF THE FILM!

The double presses and general flakiness happens with my Harmony remote which works without issue on the other 10 devices its been used on.

Yes.

[mini__me]

I really don't get this with my harmony, I can't recall the device I configured it to emulate. Possibly the Linksys 2100? Will check when I get home!

[Sammy2]

My H900 did not have any issues but the blaster was 3" from the echo when I was using it. I had it set to Windows Media Center SE.

[mini__me]

Yup mine are set to be a Linksys 2100 and I have no issue with double presses etc.

[Dean L. Surkin]

Choosing a particular device shouldn't change the responsiveness of the Echo; choosing a particular device only changes the pulse code sent via IR. Like Sammy2, I have my remote (URC MX-810) set to emulate Windows Media Center. The codes are clearly correct, but the Echo's responsiveness to IR commands remains flaky.

[erkotz]

Choosing a particular device shouldn't change the responsiveness of the Echo; choosing a particular device only changes the pulse code sent via IR. Like Sammy2, I have my remote (URC MX-810) set to emulate Windows Media Center. The codes are clearly correct, but the Echo's responsiveness to IR commands remains flaky.

That is not true. As we mentioned in the similar thread on avsforum, in particular learning remotes may not really have the correct IR code, so responsiveness may suffer

[mdavej]

For the sake of covering all the bases, would you guys with URCs please load Ceton Echo's official pronto hex codes from the knowledge base and let us know if those codes work any better?

[barnabas1969]

I don't own an Echo anymore... but my Echo didn't reliably respond to IR commands, even when using the supplied remote. I also tried a remote from my Linksys DMA-2200, and the remote that came with my eHome IR receiver. Same problem with them too.