Industrial Design

if You haven't noticed yet, things realy worked fine in 60', 70' and 80'. Becouse there were simple and made to last. More things are complecs more likly they would fail.

Sory for my grammer :)

AMEN to that brother! I am old enough to remember no power steering and no power brakes on vehicles. Keep it simple! It worked. My dad kept that old 56 chevy a long long time. Easy to work on, he said. got decent gas mileage. Remember KISS- keep it simple stupid!

It quit working probably because you or someone inadvertently pressed the tiny SET button and then something else--thereby resetting the code in the remote to something the Tevee doesn't recognize. The remote is universel because it can have codes entered to control any TV, VCR, DVD player, etc. So first try this.

With the TV on, press Set, then the tiny TV button. This will tell the remote to communicate with the TV and not with another device in the room or not in the room. If this does not restore the correct code to the remote--so that it controls your TV properly-- do the following.

Turn off the TV set manually. Unplug the TV set. Plug the TV set back in. Use the remote to turn on the TV. Unplugging and replugging should reset the factory code for the TV and restore functionality of the remote.

Afterwards avoid pushing the Set botton unless you need to enter a device code for another instrument like VCR, DVD, home theatre.... Tell the spouse and kids also to keep fingers off the SET button. Sometimes the SEt button is at the top, across from the Power ON button; so littler, determined fingers can sometimes push SET while meaning to push ON.

Replying to self and others....

As to Universal remotes and industrial design-- From a human factors point of view, perhaps the word SET is not the best descriptor to emboss on the universal remote's code setting button: because some might interpret the word to mean TV Set, and think it's for turning on the TV set--this would be especially true when the POWER button is embossed with a universal power switch symbol and not a word. While the smaller SET button is intended, according to owner manuals, to be actuated with a blunted, sharp instrument such as pen or pencil, it not that difficult for the button to be pushed with a finger, especially a small finger or pointed finger nail. So a better designator for the SET button might have been something that dissuades from its being pushed. Something like NO, Don't touch, a circle-slash prohibited symbol, or a standard explanation point [!] caution symbol. And/Or the button could have been designed to require a second push to confirm that a change of setting was intended.

Oh, another thing. If for some reason unplugging and replugging the TV set does not restore the factory default remote control code, you will need to set it by entering a code manually. The code for your TV should be in a list of codes in the owner's manual. If not, call the manufacturer/distributor and ask for the specific (or generic) code that applies to your TV set. They will also provide instructions for performing the code entry for your TV. But, unless your TV is rather old or obscure, this will probably not be necessary. Any problems, send another post to this thread. If you get it working, send a message as well.

The more complex appliances become, the more returns we see with nothing wrong: just to complex for the user.

We are now pre-programming the stuff with a setting that should be OK for the normal users, even those things come back, never installed.

That is also why many of these things keep track of what you do with it, when it returns in the shop, the statistics are downloaded and evaluated. Functions that are never or rarely used disappear. (Functions that are deep in the menu structure and seem to be used frequently move up) I know that the big companies with some vision and strategy do it.

Gwen

On universal remotes I have owned, I have noticed a common problem. If the battery looses connection for a millisecoond, the codes you set are replaced by the default set-up and they have to be reprogrammed.

For instance: You have a remote that came with your satellite receiver. It also has buttons so you can program it to control your TV, VCR, etc. You program it to control your particular model of these devices and life is good. Then one evening you ask the wife to hand you the remote. As you reach for it, a fumble occurs and because of gravity the device winds up on the floor. You pick it up and change the satellite channel. Everything OK. But a few minutes later you need to start or stop the VCR, and the buttons don't work. You switch to TV only to find it does not work either. The device is not broken. You go back through that crazy set-up proceedure for the TV and VCR and all is well.

Walk and fiddle direct--once a while!

Russian, American, All same MADE IN TIAWAN!

**Taiwan

Hi!

I have some information regarding a design compeition that I believe would be of interest to you and your readers. Please email me at Cecilia@prontocommunication.se so I can share this exciting news with you!

Best Regards,

cecilia

ps. please delete this once you've read it!