Programmable and Universal Remotes
Almost every device seams to have a remote controller. Unfortunately, almost all of us have experienced expensive remote replacement costs or complete remote meltdown (i.e., don’t know which one to use for a specific task). A programmable remote or a universal remote may be the best solution.
If you have kids or a pet, I HIGHLY recommend you get a cheap universal remote for day-to-day control of your TV, audio, etc… systems. Typically, for functions like power on/off, volume up/down, change channel, etc… a universal remove works just fine. Only when you want to use brand/device specific feature or a more complicated task, the brand specific remote would be necessary. Some options are:
- GE Universal Remote (Link: https://a.co/d/aH9Xj8L)
- Phillips Universal Remote (Link: https://a.co/d/ixNpXpt)
Programmable remotes typically are not cheap but can greatly reduce the complexity of a task. They can be programmed to perform a series of tasks across multiple remotes/devices in a specific order. For example, a single button could be setup to Power on TV, Audio, System, and Blu-ray player; set TV source to HDMI 1, set volume control to Audio device, and eject/open blue ray player. At this point, with a single button, you are ready to drop in your Blu-ray disc and hit play. Before, you would have had to use 3–4 remotes in a specific sequence to accomplish this task. Some options are:
- Logitech Harmony Elite 915 (Link: https://a.co/d/2oVCnNA)
- Softbaton X1S (Link: https://a.co/d/71nAypf)
- BECSY Universal Remote (Link: https://a.co/d/bJVJQIf)
- Bestjoy SR001 (Link: https://a.co/d/6ZNu87t)
Most users will need some technical help with setting up programmable remotes. Give me a call if you have any questions or need assistance.
