[tjpoe]

I recently upgraded my vizio 55" tv to a vizio 80" tv. I am using xbmcbuntu with a flirc that worked perfectly with my 55" tv. With the new TV, XBMC rarely receives the inputs from the remote. I have to press the buttons multiple times, and it is hit or miss, I thought it was the batteries, but just changed them out. I am using the standard remote that came with the TV. I have the flirc mapped to the visio remote buttons and with the 55" they worked great.

This is the strange part. When I turn the TV off. the remote works fine for XBMC. The hardware is a laptop, so I can see on the screen display that the flirc is receiving the input and I can navigate the menus just fine. But as soon as I turn the TV, there is some sort of black hole for IR, and the input is very hit or miss. Mostly miss. If I open the tv menu, and just use the up and down buttons, the TV receives the up and down commands just fine, but the xbmc machine only receives some of them. It comes and goes. It is very strange.

Has anyone run into any similar problems? It seems like my only solution may be to move to a logitech harmony remote that can send the xbmc commands over the network, rather than IR.

[wrxtasy]

So just confirming you are using the TV remote control for BOTH TV use and FLIRC at the same time ?

If this is what you are doing then its no wonder you are having problems, with IR signals trying to communicate with both the TV and FLIRC at the same time leading to your "IR Black Hole".

You need to remap FLIRC to any other spare remote control you have lying around. One that is not being used by another device in your home.
Use the Controllers > Full Keyboard map in the FLIRC software, and cross reference with the following Kodi keyboard controls chart to map your remote control buttons to your liking:

http://kodi.wiki/view/Keyboard_controls

[Ned Scott]

Sounds like the TV's backlight is causing interference. If you can, try to position the flirc so that it is slightly behind the TV's frame, but still in line of sight with were your remote will be.

[tjpoe]

So just confirming you are using the TV remote control for BOTH TV use and FLIRC at the same time ?

If this is what you are doing then its no wonder you are having problems, with IR signals trying to communicate with both the TV and FLIRC at the same time leading to your "IR Black Hole".

You need to remap FLIRC to any other spare remote control you have lying around. One that is not being used by another device in your home.
Use the Controllers > Full Keyboard map in the FLIRC software, and cross reference with the following Kodi keyboard controls chart to map your remote control buttons to your liking:

http://kodi.wiki/view/Keyboard_controls

If you read my original post, I was actually doing this with a previous TV (and I also do it with another tv in my house) without issue. The TV remotes have navigation buttons that don't do anything unless you are in the TV menus, so I am using those to control XBMC. My TV remote has play/pause buttons that don't do anything either, so I use those to control my XBMC as well. It works well on the other devices, but somehow doesn't work on these.

[tjpoe]

Sounds like the TV's backlight is causing interference. If you can, try to position the flirc so that it is slightly behind the TV's frame, but still in line of sight with were your remote will be.

The TV is mounted to the wall, and tried to put the flirc as close to the wall as possible, but still have the same issue. Is there any way I can shield it from the interference. I can possibly try to move it really far away and see if that works. I'm not sure that is it though, since the remote works fine to control the TV. Thanks for the suggestion.

[doug]

You're probably better off getting support from the flirc forums. I see, but haven't tried, the lastest firmware (v3.0) which has better noise suppression. You might want to try that.

[Ned Scott]

Oh yeah, what doug said. There are some IR "noise" filters you can try using the settings app. I've had to use those before myself because of weird light sources (normally florescent).

[k4sh1n]

Try a bit of clear sticky tape over the flirc

[noggin]

Plasma TVs were infamous for generating huge amounts of spurious IR. Hadn't heard of it being as much of a problem with LCD. Sometimes a small piece of "Post It" note over the IR sensor worked well to improve the situation with plasmas.

[wrxtasy]

The FLIRC IR receiver is so sensitive you can put a Kodi box behind a TV and point the receiver at the wall and it still works. The same if you bury it deep in a TV cabinet.

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The other option I have just been playing around with. If your TV remote control has a bunch of different device buttons across the top, switch to one of them and program FLIRC for custom Kodi control.
My Sony TV remote control works well when switched to BD, basic TV functions like Volume, Mute and on/off still work. But all the other buttons are available to FLIRC to reprogram.