Universal Remote Features: Simplifying Your Home Entertainment Experience

A great entertainment center set up in the living room is a must-have for some people. However, managing multiple devices often leads to a tangle of remotes, creating a frustrating experience. Instead of always going through trial and error, why not invest in a universal remote? Having a universal remote is a great way to de-clutter your living room as well as take back as much control as you can over your device. Not to mention that such a device can save you time and money. Forget about buying dozens of batteries for a whole army of remotes! Entertainment shouldn’t come at the expense of your own convenience. Eliminate the need for multiple remotes to control your home theater. A universal remote is a handheld device that consolidates the functionalities of various remote-control devices with a single unit. Universal remotes unify home entertainment systems that otherwise would not work with each other. Universal remote, or smart remote, can connect devices from different manufacturers and brands, thus amplifying the user experience by connecting otherwise disconnected services.

Understanding Universal Remotes

In essence, a universal remote isn’t any different from other remotes you have at home. It’s a simple gizmo that uses infrared light to transmit instructions to a built-in receiver. The universal remote was the clearest solution. A universal remote is different because it is capable of saving codes for various devices. With its programmable memory, a universal remote transmits a set of codes to communicate with a specific number of gadgets. The popularity and need for universal remote controls began in the late 1990’s. Home theater systems started to include sets of electronics that each had their own individual remote control.

Types of Universal Remotes

Universal remotes can be divided into two distinctive categories: learning remotes and multi-brand remotes. Not all universal remotes are created equal -- some are fairly basic while others are quite complex. Universal remotes fall into two categories: multibrand and learning.

Pre-programmed (Multi-Brand) Remotes

The older of the two types, pre-programmed universal remote controls are often cheaper than the learning varieties. Multi-brand remotes come preprogrammed with the codes to operate a number of standard electronics -- this means you don't have to spend time entering a lot of complicated codes yourself. Multi-brand remotes are preprogrammed to operate a variety of devices from various brands. Therefore, the user does not need to spend time configuring the remote with several devices. They are designed to operate between four and 12 electronic devices from major brands. Luckily, most manufacturers don’t change remote control codes for their products too often. To program these types of devices, all you need to do is to put them into programming mode and enter the device code into the keypad. It’s that easy. However, there has been a rise of universal remotes that have an auto-program feature. This feature goes through all of the remote control’s available codes until it finds one that works with a specified electronic gadget. In most cases, pre-programmed remote controls are best for users who owns a limited number of devices. That, or those who have older electronics that they still use to this day.

Learning Remotes

These types of universal remotes can learn and mimic signals from an existing remote. Learning remotes go beyond multibrand universal remotes. While they also often come preprogrammed to operate a number of popular electronic models, they have the ability to "learn" the functions of the original manufacturer's remote. Learning remotes often come with some preprogrammed functions that are compatible with popular electronic models. Still, they also have the ability to read and internalize the functions of other remotes, such as your original TV or smart home control. This learning ability is based on infrared signals. To program a remote, users can simply hold the universal remote’s signal point against the head of another remote, and the commands from the original remote can then be transmitted to the universal remote via infrared signals. They can be modified to control an extensive range of devices compared to their pre-programmed counterparts, too. Despite their flexibility, however, learning remotes require you to “teach” them the functions they have to do. To do so, you will have to set the learning remote into programming mode. Once there, press the key you wish to bind to a specific function, and press the equivalent key on the device. These types are best for users who have a number of smart devices that they wish to control besides their home theaters. If a new high-tech electronic gadget comes out after you've already bought your learning remote, it can still learn all of the devices' new commands. Learning remotes can operate a much wider variety of electronic devices than multibrand ones, making them the true universal remotes.

Learning remotes can capture and replicate the functions of original remotes through infrared signals, making them adaptable to new technologies and more versatile than multibrand remotes.

Advanced Features to Consider

As you’re about to buy a universal remote, it’s best to look for models that have features beyond the basics.

Programmability

In order to program remotes faster, some models are built with the capability to input commands electronically. PC-programmable remotes allow you to type in the model numbers of your electronic devices and program how you want to use the remote. All of the required programming commands are then downloaded to your remote through a USB cable. Advanced universal remotes can be programmed via a PC and can execute a series of commands with a single button push.

LCD Touchscreen

Check out those universal remote controls that can be operated through an LCD touchscreen. LCD touch screen remotes have a luminescent LCD screen that's operated by touch. These screens are usually located at the top of the remote and are roughly 2 inches by 4 inches (5 by 10 cm). Some LCD touch screens even allow you to decide which "virtual buttons" you want on your remote and how you want them displayed. These remotes feature an LCD screen that can be either monochrome or full color. The "buttons" are actually images on the screen, which, when touched, will send IR signals to controlled devices. Some models of the touch-screen remotes are programmed using a graphical interface program on a PC, which allows the user to customize the screens, backgrounds, buttons and even the "actions" the buttons perform.

IR and RF Signals

If you wish to control devices from several feet away or a different room, you’d want to own a universal remote with both IR (infrared) and RF (radio frequency) signals. Radio frequency remotes use radio frequency waves to operate electronics that are blocked by obstacles like cabinets or walls. For example, if you're in the kitchen and want to turn on your home-entertainment system in the living room through the adjoining wall, an RF-capable remote could be used to control infrared electronics in the next room. The universal remote broadcasts an RF signal command to an RF extender in the same room as your programmed electronics. These signals effectively extend the operating range of your remote. Regardless if a glass door or a wall stands between you and the TV, you can easily change the channel if it has this feature. Some touch-screen remotes, such as the Logitech Harmony 900 and 1100, include an RF transmitter to allow signals to reach locations much farther than the usual range of IR (approximately 6 meters). RF also does not require line of sight. Radio frequency (RF) capable universal remotes send out RF signal commands, which can pass through walls and other obstacles, and an RF extender then receives this signal.

Wi-Fi Connectivity

By having access to wireless internet on the remote, you can conveniently view news, channel listings, sports updates, and even TV show schedules right on the remote. Plus, some Wi-Fi enabled remotes let you control them even if you’re at work. The device is paired to your smartphone through an app making it easy to use no matter where you are. Wi-Fi enabled remotes allow the user to browse through and discover TV programs via a Wi-Fi connection. It can also collect and transmit the latest information, such as financial news or sports statistics, to a small screen on your universal remote. Some Wi-Fi friendly remotes can control smart home devices, such as smart assistants and other voice-controlled devices. WiFi-enabled remotes are some of the newest universal remotes available. These allow you to bypass your cable provider to find out what's playing on TV by using your WiFi network.

Smartphone Integration

A number of devices from vendors such as Samsung, LG and Nokia include a built-in IR port that can be used as a remote, while others require a physical attachment, or 'dongle', be connected on to the phone when used as a remote. The dongle is required to convert the electrical control signals from the phone into infra red signals that are required by most home audio visual components for remote control. However it is also possible to implement a system that does not require a dongle.

Additional Features

Many universal remotes also come up with nice ad-on features, such as glowing in the dark feature to make it easier to find the device as well as with options for saving user preferred fast key options. Many universal remotes come with some type of glow-in-the-dark feature like luminescent buttons or a backlit screen that allows you to operate the remote even when the lights are turned down low. Unlike most ordinary remotes, many universal remotes come with a battery backup feature like flash memory that allows you to save your programmed commands in between battery changes.

Applications Beyond Entertainment

In addition to TV, sound, gaming, and other entertainment systems, universal remotes can communicate with smart home devices, such as climate control, lighting systems and smart home hub. Some of the more advanced smart remote controls, such as Logitech Harmony, are compatible with over 270,000 devices.

Considerations When Choosing a Universal Remote

As individual home-entertainment systems and electronic device setups differ from one person to the next, so, too, will the commands that you program into your universal remote. Your original manufacturer's remote will have a booklet that contains all the programming commands you need, and these will work with your universal remote as well. While universal remotes have their advantages -- remote consolidation, macro commands, glow-in-the-dark features -- they can also be a real chore to set up. Are you looking to simplify your remote control programming but don't know where to start? If so, you may not want to buy a complicated remote with lots of features that can be accessed only by scrolling through multiple menu options. A simple, inexpensive multibrand remote could be a good choice for you. But if you're looking for a universal remote that can operate all of your electronics' complex functions, a basic universal remote likely won't cut it. You may want to opt for a higher-end model with the capacity to store a great deal of programming.

Advantages of Using a Universal Remote

Imagine coming home from a long day at work and all you want to do is kick back, relax, and watch TV. You sit down on the couch, pick up three remotes, not knowing which one controls what. You fumble through the remotes trying to figure out which one turns on your speakers, which one turns on the television, and which one works the cable. When there are too many remotes lying around, setting up your home theater or simply turning it on can be a hellish experience every single time. One great thing about many universal remotes is that they can be programmed with macros, which enable you to program several commands into one button. For example, you can program a macro that turns on both your TV and satellite dish with a single press of a button. Or you can program your TV and DVD player to turn on at the same time.

#

The Current Market

Even with the emergence of SofaBaton, the universal remote category is still less popular than before. Many entertainment systems today don't have as many separate devices as in the past, so you might not even need a universal remote. With a smart TV connected to a soundbar and a game console, for example, you can control streaming apps, audio and device switching from a single remote (the TV's), eliminating the need for a universal remote. If you have an AV receiver and multiple sources, however, it gets more complicated. Not much is left, at least among remotes we can recommend based on hands-on testing. The outgoing Fire TV Cube is expensive and more of a hybrid Alexa speaker/streamer than a universal remote, although it will also control your devices. And the Roku and Fire TV clickers, while great for controlling those streaming devices, respectively, as well as most brands of TV, don't really qualify as "universal" remotes in the classic sense. A number of cheap replacement clickers are available, too, but we can't recommend them because we haven't tested them yet.

tags: #universal #remote #features