One Unexpected 3D Setback

When I wrote about my experience with 3D playback on my new JVC DLA-RS40 projector a couple weeks ago, I forgot to mention one major annoyance that has bothered me ever since: The projector’s 3D sync emitter doesn’t play well with the rest of my home theater gear.

In order to watch 3D on the RS40, you must purchase and install a separate 3D emitter. The emitter will automatically turn on and sync with JVC’s proprietary-branded 3D glasses. It works fine in that regard. The problem is that the sync transmission interferes with the IR remote control signals for some of the other components in my home theater.

I first noticed something wrong when I tried to watch ‘Resident Evil: Afterlife‘. The disc would load on its own all the way to the main menu, but I couldn’t use my Blu-ray player remote to select any of the menu options. In effect, this means that I couldn’t play the movie. Frustrated, the only thing I was able to do was eject the disc using the button on the player’s front panel (not the eject button on the remote). Once the disc was ejected, everything else seemed to work normally.

I assumed at first that this was a firmware compatibility issue between the disc and my OPPO BDP-93 Blu-ray player. However, attempts to play other 3D discs yielded the same result. They all froze up as soon as the projector kicked into 3D mode. I later attempted to watch 3D content on cable and likewise found my remote useless for commanding the cable box/DVR once 3D was activated.

It turns out that the JVC emitter is the culprit here. Covering up the emitter with a pillow blocks the signal and allows my Harmony universal remote to work again. I now have to do this any time I want to, for example, start movie playback from the main menu or pause for a break. In the emitter’s current position behind where I sit, this is already getting to be a real nuisance. I can’t imagine what owners who ceiling-mount their projectors will do.

I’m really surprised that JVC didn’t catch this in testing when the company designed the emitter. This doesn’t seem to be an isolated incident. Postings on other home theater forums confirm that this is a common issue across a wide variety of electronic devices. The JVC emitter blocks many IR remote frequencies.

9 comments

  1. Have a Panasonic VT25 and same thing happens to me with cable box (though my Panny 3D Blu-ray player is fine). Worked for a while with black tape over the IR receiver on the cable box, but not anymore.

  2. It would be nice if all remotes were bluetooth, like PS3. That way they’d pair each device separately from any other, and there would be no more pointing in the direction of the IR receiver.

  3. Seems absurd that a problem this bad could happen when so many movie studios and manufacturers are going 3D…

    You’d think this would have been worked out in the R&D stages!

  4. RollTide1017

    Just another reason not to jump on the 3D bandwaggon. I swear, the more I read about 3D, the more cons I read about then pros.

  5. EM

    I also had an IR-interference problem with a couple of components, neither of which pertains to 3D. The two components are from the same manufacturer and have many similar functions; and many IR signals, including the one for power, are identical for both units. Fortunately, one of the components is very, very infrequently needed. So, my workaround was to black-tape the IR receiver for the infrequently used component. On the rare occasions that I need to use that component, holding the remote right in front of the IR receiver will allow the signal to pierce the tape (and the front-panel buttons can be used, too, of course). Not a perfect solution, but it’s quite acceptable under the circumstances. I wish the solution for your issue were as painless.

  6. IMO JVC has lost it over the years. I have not seen a worthy piece of gear from them in over 10 years.
    Actually, your problem is quite common. I have *NEVER* seen the macro button on a directv remote work correctly. It’s supposed to turn on the receiver and tv in one button press. The problem is the signals are so close together that the tv IR receiver is confused and doesn’t turn on.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *