A TV that "isn't working" is sometimes just a remote that isn't working — dead batteries, worn button contacts, or a receiver window blocked by dust. On the TV side, the IR sensor (or Bluetooth pairing on newer smart remotes) reads the remote's signal and passes it to the mainboard; when that path fails, symptoms range from a totally unresponsive TV to specific buttons that stop working.
We always check the obvious first — batteries, line of sight, an app-based remote as a fallback test — before treating "no remote response" as a TV fault at all.
Brands we fit and service
The remote control & ir sensor market splits into hardware built for South African conditions and lookalikes that fail at the first hard season. These are the manufacturers we trust on our installations:
- Original and universal-compatible remotes across all brands
See our brand guides for how these manufacturers compare.
When the remote control & ir sensor goes wrong
These are the failures we're called to most often — each with its symptoms, causes and our fix on the dedicated problems page:
- Remote has no effect on the TV — Pressing any button on the remote does nothing, even with a fresh battery and a clear line of sight.
- Only some buttons work — Volume and channel work, but specific buttons (like the home or input button) do nothing.
- Remote works intermittently — The remote works sometimes and needs to be pointed very precisely, or repeated presses at other times.
Need this fixed or installed?
Our Remote & Connectivity Repair service covers remote control & ir sensor work — quoted upfront and backed by our 12-month workmanship warranty.