Contributor I

Answered

Playbar IR reader only registering when LG TV is off

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I've gone through all the universal control settings on my LG TV and selected optical and Sonos as the manufacturer. I've turned off SIMPLINK (LOL btw) and auto device detection. I've successfully gone through the remote control setup (TV had to be off to get that to work) on the Sonos app. The LG "magic remote" just refuses to work when the TV is on. Why would LG make it specific to the point you can select Sonos as the manufacturer if it just reverts back to RF/WIFI or whatever when the TV is on? I found some trick that if you hold the back and home button for 5 seconds it disconnects the remote smart features, at which point it does actually change the Sonos volume, but then the remote just reconnects when you hit okay. Am i doing something wrong or is this just a lost cause?

AirgetlamAnswer

What did LG’s customer service say? It sound odd, certainly, I’d be tempted to check the TV for updates, and reboot it by unplugging it from the wall for two minutes, but LG is ‘in charge’ of the remote, not Sonos.

Bruce

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User117655

Prodigy II

The magic remote only uses IR when it is unpaired or the paired device (TV) is off. Otherwise it will use RF/Bluetooth. From LG website:

The LG Magic Remote is primarily a Bluetooth/RF device and cannot be permanently locked into an IR-only mode for the TV. While it emits IR for specific power commands or when unlinked, true IR-only control requires using a standard traditional LG infrared remote.

This explains why the remote will work with the PlayBar when the TV is off as it is reverting to IR to the point where the TV is on and actively paired...

M

Malcolm Mitchell

Contributor I

Except for the fact that the original LG remote works the volume when the TV is off and also when it’s on

User117655

Prodigy II

Except for the fact that the original LG remote works the volume when the TV is off and also when it’s on

How old, how original, how magical?

🤷🏼‍♂️

kdowling

Is the old remote no longer linked to the TV? Can only one remote (the new one) be linked to the TV in “Bluetooth/RF” mode? It seems like the old remote is now operating in IR mode. (If it’s also an LG Magic Remote.)

“While it emits IR for specific power commands or when unlinked,”

Smilja

@Malcolm Mitchell, In the ‘Home Theater’ settings (Sonos app), remove the old remote control, then you should be able to set up the new one.

Unable to adjust the volume using the LG Magic Remote | Sonos

»And the world is like an apple whirling silently in space, Like the circles that you find in the windmills of your mind.« (›Windmills Of Your Mind‹ [1967]. Music by Michel Legrand ; English lyrics written by Alan & Marilyn Bergman)

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Malcolm Mitchell

Contributor I

I have removed the old remote but the new one doesn’t function properly

User117655

Prodigy II

What model/type is the 'old' remote & TV?

106rallye

Please define “doesn’t function properly”? With your Playbar? With your TV?

S

soccin24

Lyricist I

I am jumping on the train with this problem.

My old remote was the one that originally came with the LG tv. It could work just fine. Turned tv on and off, netflix/disney buttons worked, most importantly volume buttons worked with my sonos soundbar. One remote to rule it all

The trackball got shoved down into the remote forcing me to buy a new magic remote (RIP)

Having the exact same problem. Registered the new remote to the TV. Registered the new remote to soundbar via sonos app

TV off - sonos soundbar works just fine with up/down/mute prompts (playing music)

TV on - none of the sound buttons work while watching anything.

Have spent 2 days troubleshooting with AI and message boards. Incredibly frustrating. It’s the exact same remote as before. Exact same settings as before. I’m at a loss

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Malcolm Mitchell

Contributor I

Lol, sorry to laugh but as well as this being exactly the same problem as I have, I had to replace my old remote for exactly the same reason. I hope you have better luck than me. If I cant find my FirestickTV controls to turn the sound bar down I’m forced to deregister the LG remote (push home & return at the same time), use it to change the volume and then re-register my remote (by pressing the OK button).

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