topic Tablet S will not learn in Tablets

Tablet S will not learn

nathanbrazilsfsite — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 11:45:30 GMT

One of the main attractions of the Tablet S, for me, was the universal remote function. I've had to teach each device individually button by button, which got the job done... until I came to my Onkyo TX-NR609 AV Receiver.

Absolutely nothing I have been able to do will make the Sony tablet learn the Receiver Mode command from the original remote. Yes, I've tried different angles and distances form the tablet, also different lighting conditions and length of button press. The strange thing is, most other buttons WILL map to the Sony from this remote, with no problem at all, Yes, the button still works fine on the original remote. The problem here is that the Receiver Mode button is quite important, and without this mapped to the Sony, I may as well not bother using the tablet as a universal remote, when using my Home Cinema set up. Which, as you can imagine, is hugely disappointing.

So, does anyone here have a clue as to why the Sony will not map this single key, and how on earth I can get past the problem?

Also, will someone at Sony please extract the digit and update the universal remote app so that it will allow actions, which Logitech with their Harmony range of controllers have been doing for years!

Tablet S will not learn

Eddie86 — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 14:57:04 GMT

I thought I was doing something wrong but I've got the same issue on my hifi - the tablet has learnt all the buttons except the AUX and USB, the two ways I listen to music.

Tablet S will not learn

nathanbrazilsfsite — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 16:44:10 GMT

Hi Ed, thanks for the post. Helps convince me I'm not messing anything up, and it's the Sony's fault. Yes, like you, the button I can't map is vital. So, if someone at Sony is reading this, can we have the solution, please?

Tablet S will not learn

bennybuche — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 16:47:35 GMT

Dear nathanbrazilsfsi,

Welcome on this forum. I'm sorry to read about your issue. I escalated your issue to the support team because I never experienced that malfunction with my learned remotes (every learned command does actually work); they won't be long to answer... I hope

Tablet S will not learn

nathanbrazilsfsite — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 17:13:02 GMT

Splendid. I shall check back regularly, and hope for good news. BTW, any word on that update to allow Actions when using universal remote?

Tablet S will not learn

bennybuche — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 07:56:03 GMT

Not for the moment but I recently spoke to a Sony guy who promised me to talk about this functionnality to technical support... I'm waiting for this too

Tablet S will not learn

nathanbrazilsfsite — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 11:52:42 GMT

So there is no time frame on this that you are aware of, just some time this year?

I must admit to being somewhat baffled and disappointed that Sony would create a tablet to rival the iPad, and then not bother with obvious functionality. Or, it would seem, enough testing of the hardware. Surely, the rewards are worth getting such things right. This is not a cheapo bit of kit, so it should work as well as the iPad, no excuses.

I'm finding more peeps who have had bizzare problems, where the Sony will not map certain keys, and these keys are usually something important. I'm just not getting why this should be, from a technical perspective. If the machine is registering most keys, then why not all?

Nathan

Tablet S will not learn

silentmalc — Sat, 04 Feb 2012 19:41:50 GMT

My issue is with the OPT+ button on Humax freeview

HD recorder again a vital button, which controls deletion of viewed programmes etc.

The other problem is with the media centre where I can only press the direction buttons once, I have to press another button before it will recognise another press.

Tablet S will not learn

nathanbrazilsfsite — Sun, 05 Feb 2012 10:40:09 GMT

As you may have found, Sony don't seem to have heard of PVRs. On my Tablet, I had to work from scratch, designating it as 'other' and mapping button by button. This, however, was with a Toshiba PVR, and all the buttons mapped correctly.

From what I can gather, the failure to map seems to be spread randomly across a number of devices unconnected by type or manufactuerer. Let's hope the boffins really are working on this, and will have an answer sooner rather than later. If what I've seen so far, here and elsewhere, more than a few peeps are going to be unhappy until this is fixed. A shame, for what could be the best Android tablet, once those rough edges are smoothed.

Nathan

Tablet S will not learn

nathanbrazilsfsite — Mon, 13 Feb 2012 09:40:12 GMT

Any sign of movement on this issue, or have the boffins brains melted down.

...and a few days on, I've now had to opportunity to test out this issue using a Logitech Harmony remote, and can report that the same key will not map. So, I'm presuming that this would also be true of other unmappable keys from other devices.

It has been suggested to me that the reason behind this issue is the frequency of the IR pulse being generated, which the Sony and Logitech and both failing to register. If this is the case, can this be solved by a software/ firmware update, or have those of us that bought the first generation of Sony Tablets been landed with something that has a hardware issue which is never going to be fixed?

Nathan

Message was edited by: nathanbrazilsfsite

Re: Tablet S will not learn

dazzer123 — Tue, 22 May 2012 17:04:23 GMT

Quote the other problem is with the media center where i can only press the direction buttons once, i have to press another button before it will recognize another press.

i have posted on here after experiencing this exact problem wondering if i should return the unit to store but have no idea what i could replace it with that would work as a universal remote and actually work with my devices ie: pc media center.

Re: Tablet S will not learn

firionicable — Wed, 23 May 2012 02:53:57 GMT

Any update regarding this issue?

Tablet S will not learn

nathanbrazilsfsite — Tue, 29 May 2012 20:01:40 GMT

Nope, zip, nada. Months on, and Sony would appear not to give a damn about those of us who bought this tablet in good faith, expecting the universal remote to work.

As things stand, I have a partially working app, which is frustratingly inadequate. Learned commands stop working, the app is slow to change between devices, there is STILL no update including Actions (the ability to trigger several devices in sequence), or a general update. Okay, the first iteration of any software is bound to have teething problems. But, Sony's apparent complete lack of interest in sorting this out almost makes me wish I'd bought an iPad.

Is there ANYONE at Sony actually reading this? Will this irritating problem ever be fixed, or should we all just go away and spend our money on something made by a company that is interested when what it advertises doesn't do what is claimed?

Nathan

Message was edited by: nathanbrazilsfsite

Re: Tablet S will not learn

nathanbrazilsfsite — Mon, 04 Jun 2012 17:34:11 GMT

Incredible! Sony have updated this app... and actually made it worse. Not only does the damn thing still refuse to recognise the same controls as it failed to register before, but now it's much slower to load.

Are there any innovations? Oh yes, the boffins have added a kind of mini widget, which would appear to be aimed at making the use of already mapped devices quicker. A little button in the middle bottom of the screen will load a small version of the Universal Remote app, with control data taken from what is already installed. Except that, when it came to my satellite box, all it was prepared to show me was the on button and a mute button. Really useful, eh?

As far as I can work out, there is no way to edit these mini screens, making what conrols appear entirely at the mercy of the designers!

Is anyone at Sony actually bothered one iota that the app DOES NOT WORK? The way I feel at the moment, much as I loathe Apple, if the iPad 4 had a Universal Remote, I'd buy the thing, just to see if the software engineers there provided what the company advertised.

Tablet S will not learn

NicholasKersov — Sat, 11 Aug 2012 09:11:56 GMT

NathanBrazil here, under another name, to express my extreme disapointmnet with the poor service from Sony technical brigade. Why another name? Because try as I did, the system here refuses to accept my original ID, or resend my password. And yes, I was using the right one!

Following weeks and weeks of nothing happening at all, I finally recieved the following from someone called Asem, at Sony Support Team -

I apologize for the delay.

As a start These are the limitations for The Sony Tablet Remote 'easy learning' infrared :

-If the Remote control is not IR(infrared)

-If the Remote control does two way communication

(Ex : Air conditioner)

-Remote control with long number of bytes for IR pattern.

We would need more information about the device ,as which keys are not working with each device?

All of the above I had already supplied, several times. I did so once more, only to receive absolutely no acknowedgement, and since then nothing at all. I can only conclude the Sony either can't or more likely won't fix the problem. That being the case, the Sony tablet does not do what it say on the tin; it will not function as a universal remote. As for the limitation mentioned above, if Sony is selling a limited prodcut that should be made clear in its advertising.

FWIW, the home cinema system components which I have had so much trouble getting to work via the Sony Tablet are not some cheap knock off no one has ever heard of brand, but top of the range high quality kit from very well known manufacturers. If Sony's software/ hardware doesn't work with kit like that, then it is simply not good enough.

As things stand I am now very unlikely to ever buy another Sony product, and will be sure to tell as many people as possible in great deatail about my experience.

Message was edited by: NicholasKersov

Re: Tablet S will not learn

tomaszekborys — Sun, 21 Oct 2012 02:48:47 GMT

i'd have a same problem

but...

do it like in the instruction , place remote control in front of tablet , on the table , do not hold devices in hand,

distance about 5-25cm

try to change distance betwin devices 1cm at the time

it should work

Re: Tablet S will not learn

breedBenR — Sun, 21 Oct 2012 20:37:28 GMT

also, in the update annouced for first generation Tablet S 'end of this year', update to IR remote app is promised.

Re: Tablet S will not learn

NicholasKersov — Mon, 22 Oct 2012 07:38:56 GMT

Thanks for the epost, but already tried that some time ago. No joy.

Tablet S will not learn

NicholasKersov — Fri, 14 Dec 2012 09:09:55 GMT

Great...if it works. Can't understand why Sony would be so slow and have so little interest in a fault with the ONE unique selling point that their tablet has over the all-conquering iPad.

Message was edited by: NicholasKersov

Here we are on 14th of December 2012, and Sony have at long last issued a major update. The only problem is, it did not fix the issue with controls not mapping, despite extensive correspoindence on this, and did not add 'Activities' just a crappy macro which does half the job!

Well, that is it for me. The Sony Tablet S is a very fine tablet for most other uses, but not up to standard as a universal remote. I have now gone back to my FOUR YEAR OLD Logitech Harmony One controller, which works like a dream. Quite why Sony have squandered the opportunity to have something that no other tablet can offer, and apparently can't be bothered to fix a compatiability issue with another major manufacturer, or do what Logitech were doing four years ago (with Activities), is one of life's mysteries.

Message was edited by: NicholasKersov

Tablet S will not learn

Zerokewl — Sun, 13 Jan 2013 04:24:15 GMT

Same problem with xperia tablet s

Won't learn receiver mode this becoming quite lame.

I also have onkyo tx-nr609

Message was edited by: Zerokewl