Remotes

[RowCuckoo]

@janety 

Thanks for posting all of those details.

From what you described, the battery is dead, and you really didn’t have the remote for very long. Roku definitely should replace all remotes with this issue.

One thing I came across with Li batteries is that they can get discharged so much that the safety feature on the charger kicks in preventing the battery from taking a charge. These batteries can be revived if charged for a short while when charged in parallel with a good battery. But for safety and because the battery is difficult to access inside the remote, I don’t recommend messing with it. Here is a video that shows dead Li battery revival, so you can see what I’m referring to:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tbEfhPbqTDE

If I come across an easy fix for the dead battery issue, I’ll let you know.

[Len99]

My original issue was that I would press either mute or volume up/down and nothing would happen. Then a little later (30 seconds, sometimes a minute, sometimes longer) I would press the mute/volume keys again and the mute and volume on the remote worked to increase/decrease/mute the TV volume (Samsung TV). As I had ordered two Roku Ultras with voice remote (rechargeable batteries), I switched the remote to work with the other Roku (also connected to a 2nd Samsung TV). The remote still gave me the same intermediate volume/mute issues, which told me that both TVs and both Roku units were fine; it was the remote that was the problem. 

Since I have performed the steps that RowCuckoo outlined the "defective" remote has not experienced the issue since then. I has been about a week. Will update if the remote acts up again. But for now, this seems to have solved the issue. THANKS RowCuckoo!

[lohphat]

This FINALLY WORKED after MONTHS of posting here and Roku playing kick the can instead of solving the problem.

It's clear there's a bug in the updating of remote firmware which leaves it in an unstable state -- instead of acknowledging the issue and causing customers to run around in circles trying things which didn't work, this FINALLY solved the problems for me and my clients who were just about to abandon their entire Roku deployment.

BTW, if you use your smartphone camera, you can use it to "see" if the Infrared LED is firing or not on the remote.  You SHOULD see a bright purple LED when you press the volume/mute/power buttons as those are usually sent via IR instead of CEC -- the power button HAS to use IR to turn on since CEC only works after the TV has power.

When the buttons stop working the LED doesn't light up.

[Len99]

One of my two Roku Ultra units has gone back to the volume/mute not working intermittently, and then 30 seconds/1 minute later the volume/mute works again (remote fully charged). The 2nd Roku comes up with the screen saver screen after I turn on the TV with the Roku remote (the remote is fully charged). When I push the Home button on the remote nothing happens. That is, it does NOT take me to the Roku menu screen. That is the screen that shows the various applications (i.e., Sling, Netflix, YouTube, etc.). After pushing a couple of buttons randomly which has no effect, the Roku unit reboots itself. It has done this every time I have started the TV since early March. We use this TV once per evening. Both units were purchased Nov 2022, so fairly new and still under warranty. Both remotes have an internal battery. I will try the secret menu fix and see what happens. Both remotes updated successfully to Update: RemoteFwElk4190.bin. NOTE: When you access the secret menu you have to be initially at the Roku Home screen before starting the key presses that RowCuckoo describes. This is the screen that lists your app choices (i.e., sling, YouTube, Netfliex, or whatever apps you have). Once you start the various button choices RowCuckoo describes keep going until you have done all of the button presses regardless of what the TV screen is showing.

[AERealm]

Thanks, worked for me too! Like someone else said, Roku support should know this information. It would save them a lot of time and money as I'm sure I'm not the only one who, after numerous emails, has convinced them to send me a new remote free of charge.

[kitsuncle]

This thread has wandered into the remote sw update area.  Kudos for your solution!  My experience went this way:

>  random intermittent low battery warnings,

>  Finally, remote acted dead (no tv control, no stream slick control)

>  Took everything to another tv, but used a tv-sourced USB power out.

>  Everything was back to operational again.

>  Threw the (Roku supplied) USB power adapter in the trash and went back to the original tv.

>  Dug up another USB adapter, and its all good.

>  PS...Don't do the suggested Stick reset right away or everything gets

more difficult for you.

[mike234]

Len99,  did you get your remotes working again and if so how?

[Wrennewest]

Thank you for this! I will try it!

[kitsuncle]

Well, by the time i tried another tv, I had already pushed reset on the streaming stick.  During the device initialization on the other tv, it all went according to instructions!  Then I took it back to the original tv, and I got a pop up saying Insufficient usb current. 

I guess the streaming stick S/W only tests the usb power/current value once: At the initialization, but never routinely during operation.

[Wrennewest]

Volume and power still do not work!