A universal remote is a remote control that can be programmed to operate various brands of one or more types of consumer electronics devices. A remote control is an electronic device used for the remote operation of a Machine. Consumer electronics include electronic equipment intended for everyday use Low-end universal remotes can only control a set number of devices determined by their manufacturer, while mid- and high-end universal remotes allow the user to program in new control codes to the remote. Many remotes sold with various electronic devices include universal remote capabilities for other types of devices, which allow the remote to control other devices beyond the device it came with. For example, a VCR remote may be programmed to operate various brands of televisions. PLEASE BEAR IN MIND THAT THIS IS A GENERAL ARTICLE ABOUT VCRs/VIDEOCASSETTE RECORDERS Television ( TV) is a widely used Telecommunication medium for sending ( Broadcasting) and receiving moving Images, either monochromatic Because programming a universal remote can be a fairly complex procedure, it is most often performed by technically-minded individuals, although non-technical users can often operate the remote after it has been programmed.
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History
The first universal remote was introduced by Philips through Magnavox. In 1987, the first programmable universal remote control was released. It was created by CL 9, a startup founded by Steve Wozniak, the inventor of the Apple II. CL 9 was a universal Remote control Company started by Steve Wozniak, the Inventor of the Apple I and Apple II An inventor is a person who creates or discovers a new method form device or other useful means
Layout and features
Most universal remotes share a number of basic design elements:
- A power button, as well as a switch or series of buttons to select which device the remote is controlling at the moment. A typical selection includes TV, VCR, DVD, and CBL/SAT, along with other devices that sometimes include DVRs, audio equipment or home automation devices. Television ( TV) is a widely used Telecommunication medium for sending ( Broadcasting) and receiving moving Images, either monochromatic PLEASE BEAR IN MIND THAT THIS IS A GENERAL ARTICLE ABOUT VCRs/VIDEOCASSETTE RECORDERS DVD (also known as " Digital Versatile Disc " or " Digital Video Disc " - see Etymology)is Satellite television is Television delivered by the means of Communications satellites as compared to conventional Terrestrial television and Cable
- Channel and volume up/down selectors (sometimes marked with + and - signs).
- A numeric keypad for entering channel numbers and some other purposes such as time and date entry. A numeric keypad, or numpad for short is the small palm-sized seventeen key section of a Computer keyboard, usually on the very far right
- A set button (sometimes recessed to avoid accidental pressing) to allow selection of a particular set of codes (usually entered on the keypad). Most remotes also allow the user to cycle through the list of available codes to find one that matches the device to be controlled.
- Most but not all universal remotes include one or more D-pads for navigating menus on DVD players and cable/satellite boxes. A D-pad (short for directional pad) is a flat usually thumb-operated directional control found on nearly all modern Video game console Gamepads Game
Certain highly reduced designs such as the TV-B-Gone or keychain-sized remotes include only a few buttons, such as power and channel/volume selectors.
Higher-end remotes have numerous other features:
- Macro programming, allowing the user to program command sequences to be sent with one button press
- LCD to display status information. A macro (from the Greek 'μάκρο' for long or far in Computer science is a rule or Pattern that specifies how a certain input sequence (often a sequence
- Programmable soft keys, allowing user-defined functions and macros
- Aliases or "punchthroughs", which allow multiple devices to be accessed without changing device modes (for example, using the TV's volume control while the remote is still in DVD-player mode. )
- IR code learning, allowing the remote to be programmed to control new devices not already in its code list
- PC configuration, allowing the remote to be connected to a computer for easy setup
- Some universal remotes have the ability to also make phone calls replacing your home phone in that room.
- Repeaters are available that can extend the range of a remote control; some remotes are designed to communicate with a dedicated repeater over RF, removing the line-of-sight requirement of IR repeaters, while others accept infrared signals from any remote and transmit them to the device being controlled. A repeater is an electronic device that receives a signal and Retransmits it at a higher level and/or higher power or onto the other side of an obstruction (The latter are sometimes built as hobby projects and are widely available in kit form. )
- Some devices, such as some computers and game consoles, use Bluetooth or a similar RF protocol rather than infrared as the main transmission form; universal remotes compatible with those designs are available. Bluetooth is a wireless protocol utilizing short-range communications technology facilitating data transmission over short distances from fixed and/or mobile devices creating wireless
Upgradable and Learning Remotes
Some universal remotes allow the code lists programmed into the remote to be updated to support new brands or models of devices not currently supported by the remote. A remote control is an electronic device used for the remote operation of a Machine. Some lower end universal remotes accomplish this by allowing audible signals to be sent over a telephone to a receiver on the remote. If the remote user calls customer service, an operator can have the caller place the remote next to the phone's speaker and then send a signal over the telephone to upgrade the remote for any requested new brand of model of supported device type.
Fancier models allow codes to upgraded by connecting the remote to a personal computer. A group of hackers discovered that universal remotes made by UEI and sold under the One For All, Radio Shack, and other brands can be reprogrammed by means of an interface called JP1. RadioShack Corporation (formerly Tandy Corporation) ( is a chain of electronics retail stores in the United States, as well as parts of North America A JP1 remote is one of many models of consumer product remote controls manufactured by Universal Electronics Inc
IR learning remotes can learn the code for any button on many other IR remote controls. This functionality allows the remote to learn functions not supported by default for a particular device, making it sometimes possible to control devices that the remote was not originally designed to control. A drawback of this approach is that the learning remote needs a functioning teaching remote. Also, some entertainment equipment manufacturers use pulse frequencies that are higher than what the learning remote can detect and store in its memory.
Touch-Screen remotes
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 out to control devices. Some models have multiple screens that are accessed through buttons on the touch-screen and other models have a combination of the touch-screen and "hard" (traditional) buttons.
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. The 'project' that is created is then downloaded into the remote through a USB cable or, in the most recent models, wirelessly by Bluetooth or WiFi. Bluetooth is a wireless protocol utilizing short-range communications technology facilitating data transmission over short distances from fixed and/or mobile devices creating wireless Wi-Fi (ˈwaɪfaɪ is the trade name for the popular wireless technology used
The very newest touch-screen remotes include RF signals to allow signals to reach locations much farther than the usual range (approximately 20' ) of IR.
See also
External links
- RemoteCentral.com
- "One For All" brand universal remotes (USA)
- "One For All" brand universal remotes (non-USA)
- Universal Remote Control, Inc.
- Remote Technologies, Inc.
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