Samsung QLED Q60T One remote only working when close to Playbar

Hi @LarryAC,

I was merely speculating as I’m seeing the audio formats as output by Samsung TVs all seem to be reset to something unusual.

I can certainly take your additional information in hand to see if there is any merit to my theory. 

Meanwhile, please take the steps to reprogram the remote in the Sonos app and send along a diagnostic so that I can see if your Playbar is reading the IR signal at all during this process.

The more data we have here the better we will be able to assist.    

There was an update yesterday to the S2 app.  Kept my fingers crossed as the update ran.  It completed successfully.  Tried the volume control.  No change.   I then turned everything off and unplugged the  Playbar, Sub and TV overnight.

This morning, plugged in the TV, Playbar and Sub.  Turned on and waited.  Still the volume control doesn’t work.   Did the Remote Control Setup.  Needed  to be about 3 feet away in order for the app to recognize me tapping the volume button.  After the setup, no change.

Ran the diagnostics again.  The number sent to Sonos is: 151787512.

I checked the batteries with my volt meter, and they are fine.  Even so, I put in another checked set.  No change to anything.

Hope this helps!

Hello @LarryAC,

That’s odd. Can you try programming an alternative remote like one from a cable-box or dvd player? Any IR remote will do this is a test. 

It’s important that you stand greater than 3 feet away from the Playbar during this test process so that we can get a data capture from the “failed” programming attempt.

If you are successfully able to to add this second remote, go through the steps again to re-associate the Samsung One remote. Stay greater than 3 feet away or sit where you would normally be sitting to watch TV.

After these two programming tests, send a follow up diagnostic report.

As a side note, you may want to switch your TV’s audio output format for optical to PCM since you don’t have rear surround speakers set up with your Playbar.   

I have only the Samsung remote.   Remember, this remote worked perfectly for over a year until either the Samsung firmware update and/or the Sonos update.  I have Hulu live, so I don’t have or need a cable box remote.

On my TV, I went to the Expert Settings and changed the Digital Output Audio Format from Dolby Digital to PCM as you requested.  I then ran the Remote setup again from my chair (about 10 feet).  It acknowledged me pressing the volume button, however the green light on the Playbar did not flash, and then it asked me to press the volume up button 3 times, and the green light on the Playbar did flash only once of the 3 times, and then I got the “!” indicating no button has been detected.  I then ran the diagnostics and got a report number 1738824400.

Hope this helps!

Hi @LarryAC,

It certainly does. It’s telling me that your Playbar is able to read an IR signal from your remote which is a great sign.

You may need to try repeating the programming process and be more exacting with the button presses that it requests. 

If possible, turn off the TV itself during this process and turn off any extra lights that might be on in this room. 

Please keep us posted on your progress.  

I waited until nighttime in order to run the remote control setup.  All lights were off except TV and iPhone.  Tried running from my chair.  Didn’t detect a button being pressed.  Got the “!” screen.  I needed to be close in order for the IR senor to acknowledge pressing a button on the remote.  I then tried to run the setup with the TV off from my chair.  I needed to do it quickly before the Playbar went into sleep mode.  Same failed results.  I then turned on the TV and from the TV’s expert setting turned the brightness and everything down to the minimum settings.  Ran the remote control setup again from my chair with no lights on.  Same results.  Didn’t detect a button being pressed and got the “!” again.  I then reran the remote control setup at a 3 foot distance.  Only acknowledged a button being pressed at this close distance.  These are the setting I’m using now and I need to get up and point the remote at the Playbar from a 3 foot distance in order to use the volume control.   It doesn’t matter if the light are on or off.  

It’s obvious the IR sensor works, but only at a close distance and still does not allow me to control the volume from my chair as it did in the past.  No new furniture, curtains, equipment etc.  

Any other thoughts/suggestions?

Hello @LarryAC,

Even if the batteries are still good, try it again with fresh batteries.

If it is still failing then reach out directly to our support team to investigate the IR receptor in this Playbar. 

I’m having the same issue as LarryAC. Has this been solved?

I am having the same problem...  I just bought a new Samsung Q80T 65” TV and set it up yesterday.  I am using the Samsung TV Smart remote that came with the TV (“Remote #1”).  I went through the universal remote setup process on screen and added the sonos device per the instructions.  Remote #1 would then turn volume up when located within 3 feet of the playbar; but, then as you step back a bit further, the IR light on the playbar stops responding to volume button inputs and it stops controlling the volume.  However, the “sonos optical” and the “+” signs do still pop up on the screen when you push the volume but, it just does not control the playbar.

Interestingly, I went back to the BestBuy store thinking that Remote #1 may be a faulty remote.  They gave me another samsung smart remote from a display unit (“Remote #2”) to take home and try.  They cautioned me that I may have to pair Remote #2 with the TV first.  However, when I got home, Remote 2, which I had not paired to my TV, worked immediately to control the volume (from anywhere in the room).  After playing with Remote #2 for a while (still unpaired), however, I noticed that the voice assist button and certain other features would not work.  Since the BestBuy rep told me I may have to pair it, I went through the pairing process (i.e., holding down the return and play button at the same time) until it connected).   When I did that, it told me that I would lose pairing with Remote #1.  Interestingly, after pairing Remote #2, Remote #2 would no longer control the volume on the playbar unless I was within a few feet of the playbar. At this point, I decided to try Remote #1, which was now unpaired; and, guess what?  Remote #1 then was able to control the volume on the playbar from anywhere in the room, but its voice assist button no longer worked.  Hence, ultimately, I was left with one remote that would control sound and another that would handle voice assist.

Unfortunately, now I cannot get either remote to control volume.  Would love it if someone could give me some direction to solve this problem.

You need to make sure to add the sonos device to the Samsung Home Screen. The remote should work then, providing you get paired. Samsung’s remote uses some kind of radio to control the tv. Unless you switch it to IR. The indicators (Sonos optical) indicates the tv is receiving the remote signal. Just make sure the Sonos device is added. I’ll take a closer look at my tv in the morning and may update this. I have a Q70R. It’s been a year since I set mine up.