Roku remote problems (adventures with)

[1/31/20] Lost the connection to the Roku remote and had to set it up again to control the TV.  I tried code 6 as described below, but it didn't work.  Then I just tried to follow the instructions are normal and it worked!  Perhaps, Roku updated the software?  I believe when I followed the prompted instructions previously, I would control the volume but couldn't turn off/on the TV.

[transcribed from my 6/13/19 notes]  When I first tried to get my Roku Ultra remote to control my Panasonic plasma TV, it didn't completely work.  Changing the volume worked, but it wouldn't turn off and on the TV.

So I experimented with different codes.  I said "no" to the code that (partially) worked and kept trying different codes.  And I finally found out that code 6 works on my Panasonic.

If the Roku remote doesn't auto-detect your TV correctly, it's still possible that you could get it to work.  But you would have to manually look for the right code via trial and error.

[12/8/15] Noticed there's a another company selling replacement Roku remotes that may have been a better choice.  The company is gcegroup.  In their description for their replacement remote is "Quality talks! For same price why buy a cheaply made item? Cheaply made remotes out there don't have the little stabilizing pads beneath buttons/keys, and makes it feel like falling into a black hole when pressing the buttons, which kills the joy of "pressing buttons".  Among all the replacements you can find on eBay, we are very confident that our product quality is the best."  Well, maybe next time..

[11/23/15] The replacement Roku remote arrived today.  The buttons are a little mushy compared to the original Roku remote, but they all worked.  Good enough for me.

Proceeded to teach the Philips remote the Roku keys.  But at first I pressed the CBL button (which was being used for the Apple TV) and messed up the MENU and GUIDE buttons.  I actually wanted to use AUX for the Roku.

Programmed the up, down, left, right, and OK buttons.  That was straight-forward.  Then chose to program the MENU and GUIDE buttons as back and home, mainly because their locations correspond to the locations on the Roku remote.  Then the rewind, play/pause, forward buttons were also straight-forward.  I decided on the INFO button for the *.  And decided to map the replay button to the Philips L1 button because it's also labelled as INST REPLAY.

Then finally fixed the CBL mode (for the Apple TV).  Set the GUIDE button back to default (had to look in the instructions to see how to do that).  And re-learn MENU from the Apple remote.

So now the Philips is programmed for my Panasonic TV (TV), Toshiba DVD recorder (DVR), Sony Blu-Ray player (DVD), Apple TV (CBL), and Roku (AUX).  Unused so far are SAT and HD.

[11/14/15] As chronicled recently, the One For All remote has broken down.  A number of the keys stopped working.  Most of the keys for the Roku still work, but not the right arrow key.

I was going to buy a replacement remote for the Roku, but I wound up buying a Philips universal learning remote.  The idea was that I could use it to replace the One For All plus it had a code for the Roku.  And even if the code failed, I figured I might be able to learn the Roku codes from the One For All which occasionally would start working before not working again.

Anyway, the code didn't work and the the One For All seems to be degrading further, so I decided to order a replacement remote from eBay (partsoutletstore).  Looking at my entry just below, they now are going for about half the price (in the $7 range) from a year ago.  Then I can teach the Roku to the Philips.  Stay tuned.

[11/7/14] Apparently the remote for my Roku HD is wearing out.

At one time, it seemed to stop working, but then it started working again.

But when it works, sometimes I have to hold the button down for a period of time before the signal "catches".

Anyway, it stopped working again, so I went around looking for a replacement.

The Roku site sells a replacement remote (Roku Standard Remote) for $15.  Ebay wasn't any better.

$15?  Well, I figured I could use the Roku app on my iPad in the meantime.  And maybe I could find a used one cheaper on ebay.  (No such luck).

In the meantime, my remote for my Toshiba DVD-Recorder stopped working.  So I wound up buying a One For All universal remote (see separate blog entry).  Unfortunately, the pre-programmed code didn't activate the setup button in which I could enter the setup menu or access the menu to finalize DVDs.  It's a JP1 remote which apparently is customizable so I haven't completely given up hope.

Anyway, the One For All remote supposedly supports the Roku.  It has a code in the manual, but when I tried it, the Roku wouldn't respond.  However the code for the Apple TV worked.

OK, maybe the Roku HD was bad.  So I took it to my mom's place and tried it on her Roku 2.  And it didn't work.  So maybe it's the remote after all.

Then to complicate matters a bit, my dsl modem/router went bad, so I had switched to a backup modem in tandem with my old Belkin wireless router.  But then the replacement modem/router (Pace) came.

So I couldn't use my Roku app to control the Roku on the Pace network since the Roku was never connected to it.  I had the Belkin setup as I'm having problems connecting my Vista laptop to it (that's another story).  OK plug in the Pace, but don't connect it to the internet.  And let's try that.  Maybe you don't need the internet connection for it to work with the Roku app?

The Roku connected, but not to the internet of course.  But then I couldn't connect to the new modem/router with my ipad because it wasn't connected to the internet  (or something).  Anyway Roku app wasn't connecting with the Roku.  And I had a stuck Roku.

OK what to do?  Unplug the backup modem.  Plug in the Pace and connect the phone line for internet access.  Then attach my Belkin router to the Pace.  It didn't seem to work at first.  But after a while the connection took.  I think I just had to wait.

OK, so now I have two wireless networks set up simultaneously.  You can either connect to the new modem/router (Pace) or my old Belkin router.

OK,  The Roku was still unresponsive, so unplug it and plug back in.  The Roku was connected to the Belkin.  So connect the iPad to the Belkin.  Then the Roku app worked since they were both on the same network.  Then go to settings and connect to the Pace.  OK that worked.  So now the Roku is set up to go either to the Pace or Belkin whichever one happens to be running.

In the meantime, I kept trying the flaky Roku remote and it started working again, though often I would have to press the button for a while.  It seemed to be working a little better.

Hey, why not try to learn the remote with the One For All remote.  OK, look up the manual (OARUSB04G_Manual.pdf).  You have to press and hold the LEARN button, then the device key, the press the button you want to learn.  It flashes.  Then you aim the original remote at the One For All.  If the button is learned, then it flashes twice.  [Then Press and hold the LEARN key to save your settings.
The indicator light fl ashes twice.]

OK, let's try.  Hey it's starting to work!  I couldn't map the * key for some reason to the key I wanted at first so I tried the INFO button and that worked.  I even mapped the Roku play/pause key twice -- one to the pause button and again to the play button.  However I couldn't get the OK key to work.  It wasn't working on the Roku remote.  But then it started to work sporadically.  But I couldn't get it to learn.  But I kept trying and on like the 20th try or something, it finally worked!

So I finally got a working Roku again.  I had been tempted to buy a new Roku (roku.com was selling the Roku LT for $39.95 while supplies last) since I had thought the Roku unit might be bad.  But it turns out not.  So I don't have to.

yay.

now to get my Toshiba DVD-player going.

Greta Thunberg

[1/23/20] Mnuchin vs. Thunberg

[9/23/19] Teenage climate change activist Greta Thunberg on Monday opened the United Nations Climate Action Summit with an angry condemnation of world leaders for failing to take strong measures to combat climate change - “How dare you,” she said.

[9/19/19] In a Tweet, the former president shared a photo of his meeting with Thunberg, calling the Swedish climate activist "one of our planet’s greatest advocates." Thunberg is in the US ahead of a global climate strike, which will see students march on September 20 to protest inaction on climate.

China to ban plastic bags

China, one of the world's biggest users of plastic, has unveiled a major plan to reduce single-use plastics across the country.

Non-degradable bags will be banned in major cities by the end of 2020 and in all cities and towns by 2022.

The restaurant industry will also be banned from using single-use straws by the end of 2020.

China has for years been struggling to deal with the rubbish its 1.4 billion citizens generate.

The broadcaster David Attenborough has warned that the planet can't be protected unless China changes its polluting ways.

Suddenly that's just starting to happen.

China is not the only country in Asia that has cracked down against single-use plastics.

Thailand announced earlier this year that single-use plastic bags would be banned in major stores, with a complete ban across the entire country in 2021.

Indonesia's capital Jakarta also is banning single-use plastic bags in department stores, supermarkets and traditional markets by June 2020.

The Indonesian island of Bali has also banned single-use plastic.

Separately, Malaysia has sent back 150 shipping containers of illegally imported plastic waste back to their countries of origin.

"[We] will take the necessary steps to ensure that Malaysia does not become the garbage dump of the world," Environment Minister Yeo Bee Yin said on Monday.

She added that there were plans to send back further containers in the near future.

Wealthier countries have been sending plastic waste to Malaysia since 2018, but officials say they are struggling to cope with the amount that is being brought in illegally.