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Cable box remote doesn't control TV

14 years ago

My mom has a relatively new TV in her upstairs bedroom. She recently had a new digital cable installed w/cable box so that she can watch her cable TV movies upstairs.

Trouble is, the remote that came with the cable box isn't programmed to work with her TV. So, she needs to first turn on the TV, then the box (or the other way around, I'm not sure). Then, at that point, she cannot get past the on-demand channel which comes up first every time.

She's called Charter (her cable service) and very nice, helpful people try to talk her through it every time, but either their suggestions don't fix it or she doesn't accurately follow them.

Needless to say, this is more than frustrating to her. New technology brings us a bazillion channels and brilliant clarity, but with a price.

I suggested that she ask Charter to have someone go to the house to program it for her. It seems that should have been done in the first place, when the box was delivered and connected, not just leave her with it to do herself.

Are there any other options?

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Comments (4)

jdbillp
14 years ago
Cable people should have programmed the remote to work with her TV when they installed the new box.

If you have the cable box owner's manual with remote codes in it, you can program it yourself. If you don't have the manual, you may be able to locate it on the internet.

If neither of these possible solutions are workable, the cable people will have to come back and program it for her.
llaatt22
14 years ago
Your mom had previously used a similar cable system setup downstairs with no remote problems?

Do the up channel and down channel buttons on the cable box work with her TV?

Was the cable box remote able to select channels when it was first installed?

Can her old TV remote control still control the TV?

Which cable remote control (Scientific Atlanta?) button lights up when she selects a channel by pointing the cable remote at the cable box?

It should be CBL. If it isn't CBL lighting up, press CBL and then the channel number. Does CBL light up again? Does the channel change?

On some combinations of TVs and cable boxes, when you are trying to transfer TV remote control functions to the cable box remote control (if that is what is being attempted here) it may take several minutes or more for the programming to begin. The directions are sometimes very poorly explained but the thing to remember is that the first blinks you get right away during this particular process mean nothing. The blinks that mean success usually take a lot longer to show up.
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albert_135 　 39.17°N 119.76°W 4695ft.
14 years ago
Op says "... a new digital cable installed w/cable box ... "

I have had cable for 16 years in three states and never needed a cable box and don't quite understand the concept.

What does a cable box do?

I have always had the cable come into a VCR or DVD. Do these function as a cable box?
electronicbase
14 years ago
A cable box gives you digital channels or premium stations not normally given by basic analog cable. A hi-def digital cable box gives one hi definition picture quality with a hi-def tv. Programming the remote is typically straight forward provided you have the remote's manual and your tv is relatively new . As a side note most cable providers use contract workers for installation and their mandate seems to be in and out of the house as fast as possible....

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