What is this item on the front of this TV?

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Infra red receiver. Takes your IR signal from the remote and sends it to the cable/sat receiver to change channels etc

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I think it's plugged into his TV.

Basically all consumer TV remotes use infrared to be controlled. The receiver in the tv is generally good enough for its needs. Some have the option of adding an extra "eye" as you seem to have here. It's fish-eye shaped, presumably to allow a more broad array of angles to hit it. It also allows you to place it in a place more likely to be "hit" from your remote - so if the tv IR "eye" is on the bottom right corner of your tv, but it's relatively tucked back in a cabinet, and you're sitting low and to the left side of it, you can give yourself a more ideal angle for the remote to get the signal to the tv.


ETA- if you can control the tv without it, it's ok/ideal to go without it. If you can't get the remote to consistently register commands, try placing this "eye" or receiver more in a direct line that you can "hit" from the remote.

If the remote doesn't register commands despite good placement of this thing, check the batteries

That’s not plugged into the TV.

It’s plugged into the media box that hotels are putting on the back of the TV’s now. It lets you watch Netflix and Amazon and stuff.

That’s for the proprietary remote that comes with that system.