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scotty2541
Channel Surfer

Second Roku, what does the remote do?

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I have searched, but cannot find that someone has asked this... And yet, it should be a question or an issue.

I have a Roku stick on my TV in the main living room.  Works great, I love the thing.

And now I want to add another one to a TV in a bedroom, which is just behind a wall to the first TV.

I have ordered the second unit, but have not received it yet.  So I wanted to try something.  I notice the stick does not have any IR window in it.  Must be some RF signal (with IR controlling the volume on the TV)

So took the remote into the bedroom, where no device is, and pressed the power button.  It activated the TV in the living room...  With no line of sight.

Is this normal?  Is this what will happen?  Someone in bedroom ends up controlling the device in the living room?

How is this issue addressed?

Thanks in advance.

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Strega
Roku Guru

Re: Second Roku, what does the remote do?

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Sticks are usually behind TVs so they do RF remotes only.  Box models (express etc.) can work with IR or RF remotes.  RF reports are paired.  IR remotes run whatever can see their light.

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Tivoburkee
Community Streaming Expert

Re: Second Roku, what does the remote do?

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It wouldn't happen if it were controlling the tv by IR. Your's is using Hdmi-cec, it's wifi signal from the remote to the Roku stick, then a cec signal through the HDMI connector to the tv. Once you have two systems in place there shouldn't be conflicts because the wifi remote will only communicate with one Roku at a time, so it can't control two tv's a time either. Through a wall. If both TV's are the same brand and the newer were to control it be IR it could control both but not through walls. 

Edmund
Roku Community Streaming Expert

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Strega
Roku Guru

Re: Second Roku, what does the remote do?

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Sticks are usually behind TVs so they do RF remotes only.  Box models (express etc.) can work with IR or RF remotes.  RF reports are paired.  IR remotes run whatever can see their light.

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scotty2541
Channel Surfer

Re: Second Roku, what does the remote do?

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I'm not worried about the IR.  That's a no brainer.

(I've got a few TV's and monitors, some the same brand, some different.  I know which TV remotes can be used where).

I'm just concerned that the stick obviously is using RF, and didn't want one room, changing the app in another room (me changing to Hulu, when someone in the other room is watching NetFlix on the other device and it gets changed too).

If they are paired, that should be a problem.  I just don't recall how that's done.  I'll figure that out when it arrives and I set it up.

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Tivoburkee
Community Streaming Expert

Re: Second Roku, what does the remote do?

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The remote wouldn't control your tv by RF directly. The tv would have to have RF circuitry in it to do that. Only Roku tv's have that. As I wrote its controlling the it by hdmi-cec, the commands are strictly roku commands, that whats picking up the commands. Which initiates a cec signal from the roku to only the tv its connected to, no other. You can prove this by justing unpugging the roku from the tv, you can leave it being powered it doesn't matter, if it was controlling your tv by IR it would still work with it unplugged, but if its cec I assume it would no longer control the tv. 

 

Edmund
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scotty2541
Channel Surfer

Re: Second Roku, what does the remote do?

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I think you are completely missing my question.  I don't care about the TV's.  What I have are older, dumb TV's.  Nor do I care about infrared control pulses telling them what to do, or HDMI devices talking to them.

I care about having to two Roku devices near each other... but in different rooms.

If Room A, having a Roku unit A, with a remote control for unit A,  starts changing the app, changing shows, changing whatever.   What stops the Roku in Room B from reacting to those RF commands...

Strega says they are paired.  So that sounds like is alleviates my concern.

(I don't recall pairing when I got the unit a year ago - maybe it came that way, maybe I forgot.  Doesn't matter now.)

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Tivoburkee
Community Streaming Expert

Re: Second Roku, what does the remote do?

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I wrote in my first post that wifi remotes only pair to one roku at a time, no chance of it controlling two roku at once. And in your first post your only question was that roku controlling the tv power from another room was usual? I have then gave you the reasons why. BYE 

Edmund
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renojim
Community Streaming Expert

Re: Second Roku, what does the remote do?

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@scotty2541, your old Roku probably used an IR remote that doesn't require pairing and will control any (non-stick) Roku device within its line of sight.  All Roku sticks use an RF remote that does require pairing and a remote can only be paired to one device at a time, so there's no way it can interfere with another Roku device.  No stick responds to an IR remote.  Most of the Roku devices available now come with RF remotes.

I hope that clears it up. Smiley Happy

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