Remote Control Oddities

[Richard_FM]

Recently I took pity on a Technika 16-849 which was for sale at my local Heart foundation charity shop that handles electrical goods. a tablet sized digital set for just £15 seemed a decent punt, especially as new set that size would be in high double figures.

I was surprised that it shared most of the remote control function codes with the Philips set I have, even though they were made 10 years apart by different companies.

I've had to get replacement remotes for both, & in both cases bought ones that would cover a range of sets by the same manufactures.

Either these remote are sending out a wide band of codes or manufacturers are only using a limited range of codes, assuming that no-one would have 2 sets close together in the same room.

I've noticed on other threads that ways to know if a set has been badge engineered is if it shares remote control codes with another manufactures sets.

Has anyone else found some odd parings of remote control devices.


PS: if this thread is more appropriate for modern technology please move it to that section, though as remote controls have been round for 40 odd years now.

[martin.m]

I worked in the TV repair trade in the 90s and found that Philips remotes would operate a variety of sets. Lots of CRT and LCD TVs used chassis made in Turkey by Vestel so it was quite common to find that a remote for a Bush or Goodmans would operate other makes of TV, though sometimes the menu and tuning functions were different.

[Richard_FM]

Originally Posted by martin.m

I worked in the TV repair trade in the 90s and found that Philips remotes would operate a variety of sets. Lots of CRT and LCD TVs used chassis made in Turkey by Vestel so it was quite common to find that a remote for a Bush or Goodmans would operate other makes of TV, though sometimes the menu and tuning functions were different.

When I was looking for a remote for the Technika I was looking at other makes that also use Vestel a chassis to make sure I bought one with the right code, though I couldn't find many with the 16 inch screen.

Before buying the remote I tried with a basic programmable remote control, which could be programmed to operate the basic functions but not the setup menu, which I needed as the set needed a retune to get all the channels.

Philips seem to have kept the same codes for basic functions for many years, my 21" set could be partially controlled by the remote from my parents CTX,as could the volume control on my DVD recorder.

[kan_turk]

Only a small number of remote control code protocols are employed globally with a few subsets of these as well as some variations in code assignments so your findings are unsurprising

John

[jayceebee]

Philips RC5 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/RC-5

[Herald1360]

It can be a real pain when the same codes are used for different functions on two pieces of kit used together like a digibox and some other make of TV set! BTDT.

[Scimitar]

Made all the worse by the fact that nearly everything but LG* and Samsung are actually Vestel supermarket junk. Exceptions being Panasonic over 32" and Sony which I believe are now Foxtel? Regardless, it is sad to see respected, high quality brands reduced to that level. It's almost a con trick on the buying public.

* I have my doubts about one particular LG model which sports a central foot instead of legs.

[Maarten]

LG have sometimes used Vestel in the CRT era, so I wouldn't be surprised.

In the mid range segment, the largest producer is probably not Vestel but TPV, though.

[Welsh Anorak]

I've always been dismissive of these universal remote controls, but I have to admit the 'One for All' on my bench is invaluable whenever a UMC supermarket set arrives - even the menu works as it should.
Incidentally, it's not just 32" and below for Panasonic - in fact only the top of the range sets are made by them, so a 50" Panasonic is still usually a Vestel. Not everything is Vestel - Sharp and Blaupunkt, for example, are made by UMC in China. I can't remember who make "Philips" TVs - Maarten will know.
I've never seen an LG made by Vestel in the LCD era, though things can change. Very often the ones that look different are imported directly or made down to a price for the big sheds. Opening one up you see a third party screen, no Freesat (just European satellite) or else no wi-fi - all cost cutting you wouldn't expect on a UK model.
Just had someone tell me proudly he's got a great deal on a 55" Toshiba. I didn't have the heart to tell him what lurks inside.

[Maarten]

Philips sets for the European market are almost exclusively made by TPV for TP Vision. A few extremely low end and hotel models were made by Vestel for TP Vision. TP Vision is a wholly owned Dutch subsidiary of TPV which is a Taiwanese company with their main seat in Hong Kong (which technically makes it a Chinese company, enabling them to have their own manufacturing and sales in China) and some tax related financial divisions on exotic islands.

When it says "Made in Poland" on a Panasonic set, they were made in the same TPV factory that makes most Philips sets for the European market. Other manufacturers have some presence in Poland as well, I think LG still has a factory there. I'm not sure about TCL.

I'll have to do some research into UMC. I know Blaupunkt gets their sets from 'elsewhere' but I can't remember the exact details. At one point they used an OEM in Slovakia. UMC isn't the Taiwanese chip manufacturer of the same name and I've seen it associated with Vestel, which may not be fully accurate ether.

Edit: Found it. UMC was the Slovak manufacturer that was used by Blaupunkt. I suspect their Slovak main branch doesn't exist anymore, as their website is gone. UMC Poland lists Blaupunkt and Sharp as their customers. So sharp seems to have wised up and not use TPV as their OEM.

When browsing their timeline at http://www.umc-poland.com/about-umc/ I begin to understand what happened. Sharp had a shared production facility with Philips in Lysomice, Poland. Sharp made the panels and Philips took care of the production lines for the TV sets. In 2012, Philips production was sold off to TP Vision. Lysomice was not included but I wasn't sure what happened to them, though some Sharp sets from the time might have contained TPV made electronics. 2 years later, the setmaker part of the cooperation was apparently filled by UMC.

[G6Tanuki]

Originally Posted by Maarten

When it says "Made in Poland" on a Panasonic or Sharp set, they were made in the same TPV factory that makes most Philips sets for the European market. Other manufacturers have some presence in Poland as well, I think LG still has a factory there. I'm not sure about TCL.

Samsung manufacture some stuff in Poland: my new Samsung washing-machine was made in Poland not Korea as you would have predicted from the brandname.

[Maarten]

Ah yes, of course. Samsung seems to have or have had presence in at least 3 East European countries.

Meanwhile I did some research and editing. The above quote should read "Panasonic" and not "Panasonic or Sharp".

I also found out that from february 2017, Sharp has a majority ownership of UMC (Skytec UMC) and that Foxconn is or has been involved somehow as well. Maybe for PCB assembly, but that's speculation and may have been a transitionary situation after Philips left.

[Richard_FM]

The LG set I have as a second set was made in Poland, I can't remember where my Samsung main TV was made at the moment.

[jjl]

Originally Posted by Maarten

I also found out that from february 2017, Sharp has a majority ownership of UMC (Skytec UMC) and that Foxconn is or has been involved somehow as well. Maybe for PCB assembly, but that's speculation and may have been a transitionary situation after Philips left.

Sharp has been a subsidiary of Foxconn since 2016 so that would most likely explain Foxconn's involvement in Sharp's TV manufacturing.

John

[Maarten]

That's clearly some kind of involvement. Foxconn has a 66% stake in Sharp since 2016. Financial ties often don't correlate to manufacturing so the question remains, but the answer could also be that Foxconn isn't a large contributor to the manufactiring process in this particular plant.

[Welsh Anorak]

Thanks Maarten for your comprehensive post.
Most LG and Samsung products are made in Eastern Europe, mainly Poland and Hungary. Panasonic, when not Vestel, are made in Czech Republic or Poland, the former being for the top end items.
As an aside, UMC UK do actually stock some parts for Sharp and Blaupunkt, and are quite helpful. Understandably they can't help with Funnyname supermarket specials though.
By the way, I had a Toshiba badged Vestel in the other day with BOTH 'Made in Turkey' and 'Made in South Korea' on the label.

Back on topic... In the late 80's I had a Philips "Remote Commander" all keys where programmable to any RC5 code, it came with a transparent keyboard overlay to make it easy, all described in the supplied green A4 book with all the codes in it. At the time there was available a chip (TDA3048) that decoded RC5 codes I made a HiFi preamp using said chip, worked a treat. It would also "learn" non RC5 codes.