Why You Should Avoid Universal Remotes
More than half of American households have more than 3 devices in their living rooms that require a remote control, and 20% of Americans report having a perfectly functional electronic device that can’t be used because the remote is broken or missing. This might be enough to drive any fed-up TV owner to look for universal remotes, but stop right there. All in one remote controls are usually more of a hassle than they are a solution, and here is why:
- Price- a top of the line universal remote can run hundreds of dollars.
- Buttons- all in one remote controls need to have enough buttons to control the functions of several devices, making them clunky and the button you need impossible to find.
- Functionality- Universal remotes cannot provide all the functions that your original device remote was designed to do.
- Programming- Universal remote programming technology has not kept up with the times, and syncing one of those with all your devices is a migraine (or a remote through the TV) waiting to happen. The manufacturer’s remotes never need to be programmed.
- Size- Most Universal remotes are large and clunky out of necessity, to fit all the buttons.
So what’s a remote-less home to do? Well, there are a couple of solutions. If the remote is gone, you can replace it via companies that specialize in replacing all remotes from the manufacturer for much cheaper than a universal remote would cost. If you have the original remote controls but they’re just not working, there’s a very simple process that will revive 1 in 3 dead remotes.
- Take out the batteries.
- Push and release every button on the remote one at a time.
- If there’s a slide switch, slide it and repeat step 2, then slide it back.
- Replace the batteries (your best bet is new batteries to be sure).
- Try the remote.
If it doesn’t work, it’s time to look into replacement remotes that are the original model and will work perfectly with your device.
