Replacement remote for Pioneer DVR 640H

[Chuck584]

I hadn't used my Pioneer for some time before firing it up today. The remote appears to have died. I've replaced the batteries to no avail. The DVR 640 turns on fine with the front panel button and I can flip through the channels, etc.

I tried to program a Philips PMDVR8 using the 042 code listed on their sheet. No joy.

I did a search here for an inexpensive replacement (Pioneer wants over $50 with shipping and handling for their replacement).

Does anyone have a suggestion?

Thanks,
Chuck

[Vianty]

Excerpts from user manual:
- When the batteries run down or you change the batteries, the remote control mode is reset to Recorder 1.
- If you are using more than one recorder in the same room, set them to different IDs. This setting sets the recorder ID; to change the remote controller ID, press and hold RETURN then press 1, 2 or 3 to set. The remote will only control a recorder with the same ID.
So my point is, have you ever changed the remote code?
Even if not, the remote may send different code than the 042 you are mentioning.
For a start, take digital camera and point it to the remote. If you press the remote buttons, do you see the IR transmitter blinking? If yes, the remote is most likely working, but is sending different code from the one your receiver is set to.

[Vianty]

Ignore the sentence "Even if not, the remote may send different code than the 042 you are mentioning."

If you have changed the remote code, the code is still in recorder's memory. So if it is set to Recorder 2, it is expecting Recorder 2 signals from remote. But now it is sending Recorder 1 control signals instead.

[orsetto]

The quickest way to check for a remote code/recorder mismatch is to look at the front panel display of your Pioneer 640. If it is off, turn it on, and look at the left edge of the display. If you see a very small number 2 or 3 lit up to the left of the clock, near the HDD/DVD button, then the recorder has been set to receive remote 2 or 3 codes (whichever is lit). If there is NO small number on the left of the display, then the recorder is set to respond to the standard remote 1 code.

Cycle the code setting on your remote until the recorder responds to it. Only f your 640 responds to none of the three codes sets should you consider the remote "broken". Also, $50 is the going rate for a recorder remote from any mfr, if yours is broken and you love the machine its best to suck up and pay the price. You can sometimes find remotes on eBay for $29-35, but by the time you add shipping you're nearly up to $50 again. Buy a new remote direct from Pioneer if you need one, before Pioneer goes entirely out of business.

[handyguy]

Logitech makes remotes you can program & very easy to do & you can program them for thousands of electronics.

[classfour]

Just don't order from www.remotes.com they have an employee who's more than happy to sell your credit card.

[orsetto]

Really? Damn, thats the place I bought my Pio Service Remote clone from three years ago!