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Anonymous User
Not applicable

Unable To Set Up TV Power Control via NOW TV Smart Stick Remote

 

 

Hi, 

 

 

IDK if anyone else has experienced similar issues when attempting to establish TV Power Control on their NOW TV Smart Stick Remote but, having tried to do so on both my Samsung and Panasonic TV's without success, I'm at a bit of a loose end.

 

 

Once I "Start" the process to "Set up remote for TV control" on my NOW TV Smart Stick, I get the following pop-up:-

 

 

Is music playing?

 

  • Yes, music is playing
  • No

 

Generally, regardless of which TV I was using, I heard the music, so I chose: "Yes, music is playing" and then got a (series of) pop-up window(s) asking:-

 

 

Has the music stopped playing?

 

  • Yes, the music has stopped playing
  • No

 

And, whenever I answered "Yes" to this question, I would get a pop-up window which said:-

 

 

Setting up remote for TV

 

Success! Your remote is set up to control this TV's power & volume

 

  • OK

 

At which point, pressing "OK" would simply take you back to the previous sub-menu to "Start" the process to "Set up remote for TV control" again, from where I would try the Volume Control (which always worked - as you might expect having just been given a 'Success!' message) and then try the TV Power button (which NEVER worked - not even once!).

 

 

Alternatively, whenever I answered "No" to this question, I'd get a similar "Has the music stopped playing?" pop-up window... but with the added text: "Trying TV code 1.",  "Trying TV code 2.",  "Trying TV code 3.", etc. which (even if I 'faked' my answer to get another code) would only continue until all fifty codes had been attempted... leaving me no other way to proceed.

 

 

Despite finding various options (within the built-in library of fifty codes) that would work for controlling the TV Volume across both TV brands - that each generated a 'Success' message - none of the codes which worked for altering the volume were also capable of turning the TV's On/Off (i.e. putting them in to, or out of, sleep/standby mode) and I'm wondering if anything can be done about this?

 

 

Of course I'm still able to turn (either of) the television(s) on or off using the supplied remote(s) that came with the television(s) but, considering this is one of the main features / selling-points of these new Smart TV Sticks (over previous NOW TV devices), it would be nice if the remote actually worked for this purpose as intended.

 

 

Whether there is an existing database of codes that NOW TV can add to, if purchasers of the NOW TV Smart Stick who experience such problems provide details of their TV model(s), is unclear to me - at least, I found no reference to it when trying to perform an online search for this topic - but, if there is not already one set-up, then it might be a good idea to start one (sooner, rather than later). Likewise, it might be a good idea to start a list of TV models that have been identified as having problems with TV Power and/or Volume Control when attempting to set-up the NOW TV Smart Stick remote for this purpose.

 

 

For the record, the television models for which I attempted to establish TV Power and Volume Control with my NOW TV Smart Stick remote were as follows:-

 

  • Samsung PS-50C6900YK - which IIRC was originally from around 2010/11
  • Panasonic TX-L55DT50B - which IIRC was originally from around 2012/13

 

 

Any help / advice that anyone can provide on this would be much appreciated.

 

 

Many thanks, in advance.

30 REPLIES 30
commanda6
Legend 5
Legend 5

Hi @Anonymous User 

 

You said you're using a Panasonic and Samsung TV, but your smart stick isn't plugged into an AV receiver at all is it? If your stick is plugged into an AV receiver. This would explain why you can't get the TV control setup on your stick remote because the TV control functionality will only work if the stick is plugged directly into your TV, which means you can't use HDMI switchers either. 

 

Also take a look at what @schnapps has said in his post belowSmiley Wink


I do not work for Now . I am simply a Now customer trying to help I am a Community Contributor This means that I know a lot about the service. But just like you I am still a customer. This means I cannot help you with issues that would involve looking into your account directly. A member of the now TV forum team or live chat will need to assist you with these issues.
Anonymous User
Not applicable

@commanda6wrote:

Hi @Anonymous User 

 

You said you're using a Panasonic and Samsung TV, but your smart stick isn't plugged into an AV receiver at all is it? If your stick is plugged into an AV receiver. This would explain why you can't get the TV control setup on your stick remote because the TV control functionality will only work if the stick is plugged directly into your TV, which means you can't use HDMI switchers either. 


 

Thanks for the suggestion, 'Commanda6'... but, I've already eliminated that possibility by trying both televisions with and without my AV receiver and/or a soundbar connected to them (i.e. so that the audio is coming direct from the TV set). Either way, there is no issue with 'Volume Control'... but no joy with 'TV Power' control. The Power/Standby button on the NOW TV Smart Stick remote is simply not working... even with the multiple codes that yielded a "Success!" message and worked just fine for adjusting the TV volume. In every case, sound control worked fine... but TV Power on/off did not.Smiley Sad

schnapps
Legend 5
Legend 5

Hi @Anonymous User

 

I am surprised that the nowtv smart stick remote controller TV on / off function is not working on both your TV's in the house.

 

Can't offer any other advice, apart from trying the smart stick on maybe a family members or friends TV (if somebody is local) where if it doesn't work on a third TV then maybe the remote on/off button could be defective (wild guess on my part).

 

Hopefully other helpful members on here will offer you more suggestions to try.

 

Good luck.

Anonymous User
Not applicable

@schnappswrote:

Hi @Anonymous User

 

Can't offer any other advice, apart from trying the smart stick on maybe a family members or friends TV (if somebody is local) where if it doesn't work on a third TV then maybe the remote on/off button could be defective (wild guess on my part).




Thanks again for the additional suggestion(s), 'Schnapps'... the possibility that "the remote on/off button could be defective" is one that has also crossed my mind, so it may be not such a "wild guess" on your part, but I'm hoping that's not the case.

 

I will, however, attempt to get things set-up on another TV... and, since I was counting on the portability of the stick when we travel (elsewhere around the UK) to visit friends & family, etc. that is one more scenario I'd like to try-out, anyway. Failing that, I'll see if I can exchange it for another one, and see how I get on with that. The likelihood of getting two defective units in a row has to work in my favour... so (with any luck) if I do end-up having to get a replacement, it will work!Smiley Frustrated

 

I appreciate the additional input, though.Smiley Wink

schnapps
Legend 5
Legend 5

Hi @Anonymous User

 

When things don't work as they should, nowtv always suggests trying a full factory reset and forcing a software update on their devices, where I am guessing you have already tried this ?

 

It will be interesting to see what happens if you test the smart stick on a third TV and will be a bit of a head scratcher if the remote on/off works.

Anonymous User
Not applicable

@schnappswrote:

Hi @Anonymous User

 

When things don't work as they should, nowtv always suggests trying a full factory reset and forcing a software update on their devices, where I am guessing you have already tried this ?


Thanks again, for the advice, 'Schnapps'... and, while I have tried the device reset, it got me thinking whether there might be a similar process specific to the remote. Perhaps something that can be accessed via one of the secret troubleshooting screens that you have for Roku / NOW TV devices!?! I wonder if one of the NOW TV Community moderators can chime-in on this? If there's a way to reset just the remote... or "force" a check for firmware updates to the software associated with the remote control (itself) that might be worth a try!?! 

 

I'm also puzzled as to why this whole set-up procedure seems to be based around the audio... because, at no stage did I get any pop-up window(s) asking me to try pressing the 'TV Power' button and then confirm whether it turned my television(s) off. This is something that has been done with most (if not all) universal-type remotes that I have set-up in the past and I was surprised not to see it as part of the set-up process with my NOW TV Smart Stick.

 

So, with that in mind, can anyone else confirm whether or not the set-up process for 'TV Power and Volume Control' via the NOW TV Smart Stick remote should include a stage for testing the 'TV Power' button? Or is it just the music test for 'Volume Control'?

 

 

Once again, any input on this would be much appreciated!Smiley Wink

 

Andy
Legend 5
Legend 5

@Anonymous User wrote: 

So, with that in mind, can anyone else confirm whether or not the set-up process for 'TV Power and Volume Control' via the NOW TV Smart Stick remote should include a stage for testing the 'TV Power' button? Or is it just the music test for 'Volume Control'?

 


Just the 'musical test'

schnapps
Legend 5
Legend 5

Hi @Andy

 

That was a useful Roku help guide that you posted, i didn't realise that you can go into the remote controller setup deeper if the nowtv remote didn't pair with your TV IR codes.

 

My setup my pretty painless and the Roku found my TV IR code first time on my Panasonic TV.

 

Fingers crossed from your helpful assistance @Anonymous User will be sorted Smiley Happy

Andy
Legend 5
Legend 5

@Anonymous User Panasonic and Samsung are both common manufacturers and I would imagine they use a limited number of IR codes for standby commands, I would have expected it to have the codes, but can't guarantee.

 

The stick should know the TV make on setup by interrogating the TV but it won't know the exact IR codes so you end up with those endless musical options, but if the first set of codes don't work have you gone through them systematically by rejecting the ones that didn't work previously (say No the sound didn't mute even if it did to skip onto the next one, you'll have to keep count of which ones you've tried). Bit hard to explain but look at the bottom of this help page to get the idea

 

https://support.roku.com/en-gb/article/115013019828

 

Roku do say they are some models of TV where volume control will work but not standby, but like you I would expect most models of Samsung and Panny to be ok.

 

The suggestion to do a factory reset and/or forced software update might be worth it.

 

@schnapps @commanda6 whilst I can't comment on the Roku Stick+ you have, the NOW TV Stick is based on the Roku Streaming Stick, it's only issuing IR commands not controlling volume or standby over HDMI, so CEC isn't needed and the stick doesn't have to be connected to the TV for volume/standby to work (although it's probably a good idea to do so for the initial setup).