TV & Home Theater

[pjsuman]

Hello,

I purchased a open box smart tv without a remote, I purchased a universal remote and I can connect it to the tv but the tv doesn’t recognize it and I can’t complete setup or use the tv. Please help.

[JeffStrieble]

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@pjsuman wrote:
Hello,

I purchased a open box smart tv without a remote, I purchased a universal remote and I can connect it to the tv but the tv doesn’t recognize it and I can’t complete setup or use the tv. Please help.

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  Have you tried new batteries in your universal remote? Weak or dead batteries can cause the type of problem you describe. What exactly happens when your universal remote "connects" to your TV? Does it work at all (that is, does it at least turn the TV on and off, increase and decrease volume, etc.)?

I would also try another universal remote, on the chance that the one you presently have could be defective. Another possibility is that you could be using an incorrect code when you are setting up the remote to operate with your TV. Try every code listed for your brand of TV, and use the one that offers the most functionality. 

Just about any universal remote should operate most TVs, so I don't see why your universal doesn't control your set. I use an RCA RCR-313BR universal remote with my Insignia 32" flat screen TV, and it works great. I programmed the remote to operate the TV, my DVD player, and my Roku box, as well as the TV itself; everything worked just as I had hoped, and I am still using the same remote today with my video system. I see no reason to go back to the TV's own remote or to use any other universal remote as long as my RCA remote works as well as it does. 

  I hope this helps. Good luck.

[pjsuman]

Thanks for the reply Jeff.

I put brand new batteries into the remote, unless the batteries that Best Buy supplies with the tv were not new. After connecting the remote I was able to turn it on/off and control volume but the tv started up as a “new” tv (I’m assuming a factory reset was done) so when prompted to sync/connect remote I was stuck because no buttons on the remote were working to allow the tv to connect to the remote. I’m assuming that the $7 remote I got doesn’t have Bluetooth capability allowing the tv to initially connect to the TV for the first time.

I have ordered the specific replacement for the tv just so I don’t have to deal with any issues. I probably could have sprung for a more expensive universal remote initially but I honestly didn’t think there was going to be an issue. If the tv didn’t not force me to connect a remote I’m sure my $7 remote would have worked fine.

[Elle-BBY Social Media Specialist]

Hello, pjsuman,

Welcome to our Best Buy forum community! Getting an open-box TV is a great way to save some money on the products you love, so I'm happy to hear that you decided to go that route. That said, I can understand how it would be difficult to not have a remote that's working with the TV, so I'm glad you decided to reach out for help!

If you'd like to provide me with the model of TV you purchased, as well as the type of universal remote you're pairing it with, I'd be happy to take a deeper look into tips on trying to get them to connect. 

Otherwise, if you'd prefer to wait for the other remote to arrive, I'm happy to help with that too if provided with more details.

Cheers,