This is one of the more obvious reasons a remote control isn’t functioning, but it’s an issue that is all too easy to overlook in the heat of the moment. It’s also an issue that can be easy to misdiagnose. For example, most people’s first instinct with remote control batteries is that they are out of juice and merely need to be replaced. While drained batteries are a common bring about of a dead remote control, before you swap them out with new ones, you should always check to see that they are installed correctly in the remote, with positive and negative ends lined up accordingly.
That is especially true if you’ve just purchased your television and are using the remote control for the first time. As it happens, merely removing and re-installing the batteries may help reboot the remote’s power cycle, which could also fix the problem. But if the remote is still not functioning once you’ve checked that, it’s reasonable to assume you’ve got a set of dead batteries on your hands and should feel free to substitute them. Once you’ve checked or swapped the batteries, press the power button to ensure the remote is functional.
