[Fixed] Panasonic/LG/Sony/Samsung DVD Remote Not Working

"My DVD player (Toshiba SD-125E) is refusing to work. The DVD player remote control stopped working. I have tried replacing the batteries, but to no avail. This means that when I put a DVD in, and it requires me to press ENTER on the handset so the DVD runs, I can't. Simply pressing PLAY on the DVD player does not work either. How can I get the DVD player to work?"

It's annoying if the DVD player is not responding to remote control - it prevents you from watching a movie successfully. The DVD player remote control not working problem could be caused by reasons like dead battery, disconnected connection, unsupported model/file type, failure of DVD player remote sensor, etc. Let's find the real culprits and resolutions below.

Part 1. Reasons & Fixes to Panasonic/LG/Sony/Samsung DVD Remote Not Working

If you have a remote control problem with your Sony, Samsung or other DVD players, the possible causes can be the following:

1. The batteries in the remote are dead.

While checking the root causes to improper remote control in DVD player, make sure to insert batteries properly and be sure the batteries are facing the correct way in the remote. If the remote works but the DVD player remote control is not working, it can be a glitch with your batteries, you need to replace the batteries with new ones first in the remote.

2. The remote is dirty or defective.

Even if the remote dosen't look dirty, there may be dirt between the buttons. Open the remote and clean it. Or there will be an electronic glitch in the remote. You can try to reset the remote. Take out the batteries and hold down one or more buttons for several minutes to drain the remote of power. Reinstall new batteries and see if the remote control in your Sony or Samsung DVD player works.

3. Remove the batteries.

Remove the batteries from your remote and press every button on the remote, one button at a time, for 2 seconds each.

4. Reset the unit. Try resetting the unit with the reset button on the left side bottom next to USB.

5. Unsupported model or component type.

Check and make sure the TV is on the correct input (component or composite input video) for DVD playback.

6. Disconnection. Check if the DVD player is not connected to the TV correctly and replace the cable if needed.

7. Conflict components.

Any newly-added video/audio components or units may be incompatbile with the old remote control and therefore lead to not working issues. Remove the units if necessary.

8. IR sensor goes wrong.

If the batteries are new, there may be something wrong with the IR sensor and that results in DVD player not responding to remote control. First of all, be sure the remote is no farther than 20 feet from the DVD player. If so, you can buy a new or universal remote control and make sure it is not blocked by an object either on the remote or in front of the sensor on the DVD player, then you can check if the remote sensor on the DVD player works again. If it won't work, contact the manufacturer of the DVD player or buy a new DVD player as it's cheap nowadays.

9. Use a universal remote control as a replacement.

Universal remote controls are not brand specific, so you can use them with any device model from almost every electronics manufacturer. Thus, replace your current remote control with a universal one.

Related: see how to fix DVD not playing error >>

Part 2. [Alternative Fix] How to Control DVD Player without Remote?

If the above troubleshooting tips won't fix the LG/Sony/Samsung DVD remote not working issues, we provide an alternative fix - how to control DVD player without remote. You can easily do this by turning mobiles into a universal remote control (or buy one if you want).

* Samsung mobiles - download app Samsung WatchON app on the mobiles > enter the info of the TV > sign into the Samsung account and select the TV brand > then it will pair with the TV via various codes, try them > add the DVD player and now you can use it as a DVD remote.

* Android mobiles - Try Remote Control for TV app, Android TV Remote, Smart IR Remote apps with similar steps.

* iDevices - Try Next Guide Remote, iRule, Zmart with similar steps.

Conclusion

Samsung or Sony DVD remotes put a wealth of convenience at your fingertips, so we understand how frustrating it is when the DVD remote goes wary. Hope the above solutions can troubleshoot your issue. But remember in addition to the DVD remote not working error, you will be also annoyed by other problems with your DVD player such as disc not reading or recognizing, etc, a once-and-for-all solution to fix all the DVD player problems is to get rid of the DVD player and watch your movies on the go without putting your physical disc in and out of the try.

To finish the task, you can turn to a DVD ripper like WinX DVD Ripper Platinum to digitize DVD to MP4, AVI, MOV or other format so that you can play movies on your TV, iPhone, Android, iPad, game console on the go.