Tweak TV Remote: Reduce Volume Automatically

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Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around finding a solution to manage the volume of a TV that is often set too high by a family member. Participants explore various methods, including modifying the remote or the TV itself, as well as alternative approaches to mitigate the noise issue.

Discussion Character

  • Debate/contested
  • Exploratory
  • Technical explanation

Main Points Raised

  • One participant suggests modifying the remote's software to keep the volume level at 12, regardless of what is displayed.
  • Another participant humorously proposes physical alterations to the remote, such as removing the volume up button.
  • Some participants express a preference for using intellect over physical force to resolve the issue.
  • There are suggestions to unplug the TV or provide headphones as alternatives to managing the volume.
  • A participant notes that modern TVs have headphone jacks, which could be a practical solution.
  • Concerns are raised about the potential harm to the brother's hearing if headphones are used excessively.
  • One participant explains that remotes are simple devices that do not track volume levels, and any modification would likely need to occur at the TV level.
  • Another participant suggests that modifying the TV to set a lower maximum volume could be a straightforward solution, such as adding a resistor to the speaker circuit.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants express a variety of opinions on how to address the volume issue, with no consensus on a single solution. Some favor physical modifications, while others propose alternative methods like using headphones or unplugging the TV.

Contextual Notes

Participants acknowledge the complexity of modifying TV software and the limitations of remote controls in tracking volume levels. There are also concerns about the practicality and effectiveness of proposed solutions.

RAJ917
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I have a big problem at home. My brother puts the tv at high volumes. He doesn't reduce it when asked to. So now i have a plan to tweak with the remote or the tv itself. My plan is to modify something with the software of the remote so that the actual volume level of the tv remains to 12 even when it shows 100.
 
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Get knife, dig out volume up button.

Or hit him with the remote until there is compliance.
 
xxChrisxx said:
Get knife, dig out volume up button.

Or hit him with the remote until there is compliance.

I believe in brain power than muscle power.
 
RAJ917 said:
I believe in brain power than muscle power.

I believe that Chris' answer was a perfect example of that. The bashing is merely a backup plan in case the dipgarbage doesn't realize your intellectual superiority.
You could also just unplug the TV.
 
Danger said:
I believe that Chris' answer was a perfect example of that. The bashing is merely a backup plan in case the dipgarbage doesn't realize your intellectual superiority.
You could also just unplug the TV.

I don't mind my brother watching the tv but without disturbing anyone. Especially when i am studying hard.
 
Well... if you don't want to hear it at all, as opposed to just at reduced volume, you could demonstrate your brotherly love by gifting him a set of headphones. All modern TV's have jacks for them.
 
Danger said:
Well... if you don't want to hear it at all, as opposed to just at reduced volume, you could demonstrate your brotherly love by gifting him a set of headphones. All modern TV's have jacks for them.

I thought of this earlier but my brotherly love also cares about his ears too.
 
RAJ917 said:
I thought of this earlier but my brotherly love also cares about his ears too.

Sorry, man, but you're just getting way too picky for me. The only two options that I see being practical are to give him headphones or kill him. Given the price of headphones, I know which one I'd go with...
 
Danger said:
Sorry, man, but you're just getting way too picky for me. The only two options that I see being practical are to give him headphones or kill him. Given the price of headphones, I know which one I'd go with...

Oh come on there should be a way to tweak with remotes.
 
  • #10
As far as I know remotes are very simple broadcast only devices. The remote doesn't know what volume the TV is at, and will continue to broadcast the volume up signal as long as the button is pressed. The TV is where all the software is. The TV knows what volume it is at, and what is its max volume. It also decides what to display on the screen.

I'd imagine editing the software running on the TV would be quite difficult, as I'm sure they don't make it easy to modify. You'd probably have to program a new chip and solder that in.

You could possibly modify a remote to keep track of the volume level and stop at a certain level. However this would have some problems. First, it wouldn't affect the display on the TV, so it would just stop at some point. Second, using the buttons on the TV would still work, and worse would mess up the remotes internal count of what the current volume is at.
 
  • #11
The easy way would be to modify the TV so the "max" volume was quiet enough for you.

Putting a resistor in series with the TV loudspeaker would be a quick, cheap, and effective way to do that.
 

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