Home audio & video forum: TV Converter Box (INSIGNIA) REMOTE CONTROL won't work-HELP!

Thank you for trying to help, but everything you mentioned I had initially done and listed in my prior e-mails. The only thing I did not mention is that I properly inserted the postive and negative poles of the batteries.

The problem is that the sensors in the Insignia remote controls are not working. No button which is pushed on the remote control has any result. Therefore the rest of the installation, which requires the remote control, could not be completed (language programming, aspect ratio, etc.)

When I took it back to Best Buy's Geek Squad, they informed me that they don't deal with anything but computers and that this problem is in the bailiwick of the Home Entertainment department.

The Home Entertainment people said that I have to bring in the whole unit as they don't replace just the remote controls. Furthermore, they have no way of testing the remote controls because (1) it's not their policy to do so; (2) all of their demonstration t.v.s are HDs.

The Best Buy store manager said that because I purchased both of the two converter box units with the FCC coupon, the coupons "can't be transferred". They will refund the amount spent but I have to purchase the two brand new replacement converter boxes at full list price. Furthermore, he didn't know whether the converter boxes are on back order or if they will ever arrive, saying he had to "wait and see". (Rather annoying and inexplicable to have a store manager thus uninformed.)

I don't want to buy another brand because after researching converter boxes extensively, I found that only Insignia/Zenith possessed all 11 features desirable in a coverter box, including analog pass-through.

I beg to differ it isn't best buy's fault: for one they can indeed replace the box free of charge, and the government's policy has nothing to do with it -- they did after all get the full purchase price of the unit from both you and government. It is the government's policy that the coupon itself cannot, nor it's dollar value, be returned to you for use at another establishment. Best Buy can -- and indeed should! -- allow you to exchange your unit for another like it or any other converter box for that matter they might stock varied only by the addition -- or subtraction! -- of a different units purchase price. If just want to bail out yeah you'll just get a few bucks but exchange the manager isn't thinking or doesn't care or is a weasel -- who knows. As for your remote: the proper procedure is to use the sat button on universal remote, and set it up to do an arbitrary search. I had to do this for a box I got off ebay, used a phillips magnavox and also some generic thing (on mine, if I recall correctly, I pushed the search key down til light came on then pushed down the sat key once: they can vary though, so experiment with combinations of pushing both at once, or holding either key down first for at least 5 or 6 seconds then the other or whatnot but you must eventually have a steady light; likely you can find specific directions by doing web search for your specific model). Anyway, when you get a steady light, and a device button's been pushed along the line, start pushing the power button over and over until your box turns off -- go somewhat slowly and immediatley you get a response hit the enter button on your remote -- or most remotes anyway -- otherwise you'll have to start over (if you go past and get set up again likely you can go back the other direction by hitting the channel back button once before hitting power button again -- but again who knows for sure). Anyway, once I got the right code entered I found variances between two remotes I used for the menu button: on the phillips it was the ok button in the middle of the up down buttons and volume buttons to either side of it; on the generic it was strange number button like 10/11 or 11/12 or something at bottom of number sequence: what didn't work in either case was the menu buttons themselves or for that matter audio buttons or whatnot: but still experimentation gave me access to everything I needed on this particular box -- the original rca that looks like -- and probably is -- both the winegard and venturer; even got to the signal strength by way of the menu, though the epg is out of reach -- not that that's a loss with that box seemingly. Making choices involved pushing the up down buttons or using volume buttons as over and back. Before trying all that ask around though: maybe a friend or friend of a friend can loan you a remote to see if units work. Also, triple check you have the antenna IN button on box hooked to antenna and all rest of your connections correct. Gee if I have two choices I'll get em turned around amazingly often even though I've hooked up a good few of these things now. (hopefully you've resolved this by now, but if it was me, and it proved the remotes really were bad, I'd get it all packed up and not take no for an answer from that manager -- he's dead wrong, and I'd find the regional manager, and then the regional manager's manager, or get a note or have someone in the government call them or something: yes, it's lame you can't actually get the coupon back but blaming the coupon program for even lamer store policy of not exchanging defective units -- which I question is even legal -- is really really really lame. (hmm seems to me even if they don't get another shipment at that particular store one could be ordered specially to make up for doing you in if it came to it... but good luck with the cookie cutter manager type you ran into).