Apple TV remote to control my receiver fails

I have followed the instructions in this article precisely to select the option to control my receivers volume from the Apple TV remote using the IR learning function. The on screen shows progress and completion of using my receivers remote for the volume up and down commands and shows the procedure completed. I named this function and it shows it selected. The volume button on the Apple TV remote no longer controls my TV but it does not control my receiver. I have repeated this process several times and it still does not work.

Apple TV (4th generation), Pioneer receiver

Posted on Nov 2, 2015 11:27 PM

Reply
21 replies

Jan 12, 2017 9:03 PM in response to georgewilkinson2

I have the same issue, with more testing info.


I have just bought a second ATV4 and the new remote will not learn the volume controls of the exact same sound-bar, connected in the exact same way, to either the old AppleTV or the new one.


Further testing:

- I have my old AppleTV Siri remote in one hand, and it controls the volume on my sound-bar as expected.

- I have my new AppleTV Siri remote in the other hand, having learned the same IR codes from either the same original sound-bar remote, or (as a test) from the old AppleTV Siri remote, and it fails to control the sound-bar.

- The new remote, when paired with the old AppleTV and selected to use the old IR codes still doesn't work.

- To rule out a bad IR transmitter, I noted that the new AppleTV remote DOES control the volume of the TV if I set it to use "TV via IR" rather than the sound-bar settings.

- I have had both AppleTV units learn the sound-bar remote IR codes from both the original

Nov 5, 2015 1:39 AM in response to georgewilkinson2

Same here... Pioneer VSX-521-K receiver will power on/off along with the Apple TV 4th Gen, but no volume control.


I tried all the settings including learning the original remote. I notice very rarely the volume may adjust 1 level. But usually no response at all.


In addition the TV remains powered on at all times... no control by the apple TV.


My setup has the Apple TV connected to the Receiver... Then the Receiver does the HDMI input switching to the TV. Direct connect to the TV is not possible as I will loose 5.1 channel audio using the TV digital optical audio output.



I'll try to contact Apple support later and see what they have to offer. I also submitted a number of feature, bug requests, etc. via their website. Love Apple products but this seems half-baked at the moment. Could be my first returned Apple product - try again next year...?

Nov 5, 2015 12:32 PM in response to georgewilkinson2

Same here. Expensive Pioneer receiver and the Apple TV remote does not work as advertised.


I called Apple Support about this issue (among about 10 issues) and the guy assumed it was an HDMI-CEC issue even though I explained the difference between CEC and IR.


He suggested I restore to factory settings and try again. I have not tried this because setting up the Apple TV takes too long without a keyboard or Bluetooth remote.

Nov 5, 2015 3:24 PM in response to RealisticExpectations

I thought of this today: Make sure your TV and Receiver both have HDMI-CEC disabled and then try the control via IR. I'll be trying this today as well.



Reading online, HDMI-CEC is a minefield of problems/bugs and reportedly Samsung TVs have a very poor implementation of HDMI-CEC. I notice in my TVs manual, ONLY Samsung products are compatible with the Samsung "Anynet+" implementation of HDMI-CEC.



Also the order/process to get things synched up might be important... this link might help:

http://www.avsforum.com/forum/90-receivers-amps-processors/1321970-official-pion eer-vsx-521k-owners-thread-22.html#post2…

Nov 6, 2015 4:55 AM in response to jeppeladefoged

jeppeladefoged wrote:


No, not quite. I tried "teaching" the Siri Remote three different remotes (below) to rule out that B&W remote is have signal issues etc.


1) B&W reciever volume control

2) LG TV volume control (IR not CEC)

3) Logitech Harmony volume control (curently controls the B&W reciever fjust fine)

I no longer have any idea what it is you are trying to say.


Good luck

Nov 8, 2015 9:53 AM in response to georgewilkinson2

After fiddling around a while... My ATV4 will turn on/off the TV and Receiver.


Volume control with Siri Remote (via TV IR Volume) only works if I manually enable HDMI-CEC control of the Receiver after every power-on. As soon as the TV is powered off, the TV looses sync with the Receiver. This may be a compatibility issue between my Samsung TV (Samsung "AnyNet+") and Pioneer Receiver (HDMI-CEC) - who knows.


I am still puzzled as to why the Siri Remote refuses to control my Receiver volume via IR control. Checking online other people are having the same issue with Pioneer receivers.



Fortunately my wife usually uses Bluetooth headphones and the Siri Volume control works fine when they are active. The headphone volume control is also functional.


For when I am watching, unfortunately I have to manually enable HDMI-CEC on the TV to control the Receiver at the beginning of every sitting. I'll try Apple support this week and see what they suggest for IR control of the receiver.

Nov 8, 2015 11:35 AM in response to walk0080

Pioneer SC 37 here and can't pair it with the Apple Remote. Weird because I can teach a cheap universal remote to speak Pioneer. And I've tried having that cheap universal remote teach the Siri remote, but she's having none of it. Stuck up snob if you ask me.


Apple support no help with this or any of my other problems. And if I get snarky they remove my posts, so I'm just going to stop complaning about the problems and just be happy I'm allowed to purchase Glorious Apple Product!

Nov 8, 2015 7:22 PM in response to georgewilkinson2

i might add that I am pointing the ATV4 Siri remote directly at my receiver, since it is supposed to be an IR control signal coming from it. I have had no problem using other learning remotes controlling my receiver, including my newest Harmony remote. This is definitely at software bug or hardware problem that Apple will have to solve, so tech support is of no help about this issue, but Apple needs to acknowledge this so their support staff are not trying to solve an issue for which they have no real remedy to offer. There are other minor issues that I'm having to deal with that is reasonable to expect in the first release, but this one should have never existed. I was so excited that the new remote had a volume control on it. It does work for the TV but not the receiver. I would expect that most people buying the new AppleTV are using it in a home theater setting.

Nov 20, 2015 2:38 PM in response to walk0080

It's not just receivers. I have a Samsung TV and a Samsung sound bar. I can get the Siri remote on the ATV4 to use the Anynet (Samsung's HDMI-CEC system) to turn the ATV, TV and Soundbar on and off, but I cannot get the Siri remote to learn the volume control from the soundbar remote. I've tried programming it several times via the ATV4 Remotes setting, but no luck. Many others are having similar problems.

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Apple TV remote to control my receiver fails

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