Readers dislike TV remotes

TV manufacturers could do a lot to improve their remote controls, according to readers who responded to a recent blog post on that topic. Most of those who commented gave remotes a big thumbs-down and voiced the hope that manufacturers would address their gripes.

Sugarbunny49, for instance, said, "I love my new 40-inch Sony Bravia HDTV, but the remote is terrible. It's uncomfortable, poorly designed, has no illumination, [the] buttons don't respond to normal touch, and the on-screen TV guide doesn't readily respond to remote input."

As if that weren't bad enough, remotes aren't made to last, complained Richer, who dinged them for durability. Because most TVs don't have a full set of controls on the set itself, you might lose some TV functionality when the remote's buttons stop working, he said. Except for its remotes, he added, "Panasonic manufactures some of the best equipment... I hope a person with clout at Panasonic is reading this."

A few readers have resorted to universal remote controls to resolve such problems. Many of these remotes can be programmed using a computer to access libraries of device codes they've either created or licensed, and some let you create "macros" that can perform several operations, such as turning on multiple devices and switching a TV or home theater surround sound receiver to the correct input—with just the press of a single button.

Just beware of models that purport to be "universal" but don't live up to that name, warned an LCD TV fan. It seems that some remote-control companies are doing it right, as several readers specifically praised Logitech Harmony universal remotes as good choices.

Michael LaBorde, a regular contributor, has had good luck with these third-party devices. "While not cheap, these remotes generally have outstanding design, backlighting, good shape, etc.," he says, while eliminating the need for multiple remotes. "Most can also greatly simplify the process of using various gear in combination since they can start up the appropriate devices for the particular thing you want to do, and usually do it all with one or two button pushes." That kind of "smarts" is sorely missing on the TV remotes themselves, agreed B. Good: "Wouldn't it be nice if your TV knew when you wanted to watch a DVD to automatically switch to (for example) HDMI 2?"

We consider all these factors and more when evaluating ease of use for our TV Ratings (available to subscribers). Sad to say, we can't report that remotes are improving in leaps and bounds. There still aren't many with illuminated keys, and we've recently seen some manufacturers sacrifice comfort or functionality for style.

There are a few bright spots. Some TVs come with a second, smaller remote that contains just the buttons for the most basic functions, such as up-down buttons for channels, volume, and power. Other TV manufacturers are becoming a bit more ambitious. Vizio, for example, includes a remote with a slideout keyboard with its web-connected TVs, and LG's new Magic Wand remote, included with some Infinia models, uses motion-sensing technology to control on-screen operations using hand gestures, much the Nintendo's Wii remote. But with TV margins so slim, typically these better remotes are reserved for pricier TV models with lots of step-up features.

Still, bad remotes have a hit nerve with many of our readers. Manufacturers, are you listening?

—Eileen McCooey