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iPhone TV Remote ?
Wed, 01/13/2010 - 14:47 — the1silverwolfI was reading an article at Dvice by Peter Pachal and decided to post my comments about the viability of using an iPhone as a TV remote control.
Here's his article (click to read the complete article with photos):
The Re Remote is a small accessory for your iPhone that turns it into a remote control for your home theater. The $70 dongle pairs with a special (free) app that lets you set up your phone just like a normal universal remote, with activities, macros, learning ability, customizable buttons — the whole bit. The dongle communicates via infrared, so it's perfectly compatible with most gear, and yes, it will work with the iPod Touch, too.
That's all well and good, but is the fundamental premise of the product — using your phone as a remote control — really sound? Strangely, I'm leaning towards no, mainly because I remember some surprisingly serious arguments over the remote control in my household growing up. I really wouldn't want that happening with my iPhone. Sure, you could just use the Re/iPhone combo as a secondary remote, but then why have it at all? Anyone dying to have this? If so, it should be out by spring.
And, here's my thoughts :
Pete,
I think your comments regarding the viability of using your iPhone as a remote control are dead-on.
I have toyed with the concept already and found the following points:
- Feel - to me it's important to be able to feel the buttons on a TV or Media Center remote in a dark room. Having to look at the remote (and wait for your eyes to adjust) to locate a button is a much larger annoyance in practice then one would think. This point also applies to some of the high end universal remotes that are touch screens as well.
- Convenience - at first glance it would seem that having an extra remote built into your phone would be very convenient, but is it really ? You have to carry around that little adapter to plug into the phone whenever you want to use it as a remote. (you might as well just be carrying around a regular universal remote). Plus with the phone going to sleep every 5 minutes you would have to unlock it every-time you wanted to use it.
- Use Scenario - Consider this, if you are watching TV and the phone rings, what's the first thing you do ? Answer; you mute or pause the TV so that you can answer the phone. You wouldn't be able to do that with this setup because the remote display on the iPhone would have already been replaced with the incoming call notification.
- Cost - $70 for a plug in IR transmitter and Receiver ? Really ??? This thing should cost $15.99 tops, at that price you could just get it as a novelty, in this economy $70 isn't an amount people can just throw away. Furthermore, you can get a very nice dedicated universal remote that would offer more value, convenience, better feel and performance than this application for a lot less than $70.
It sounds like a nice idea in theory, but given the above, who can justify buying this thing ? If you just have money burning a hole in your pocket, then go ahead and get it. I guarantee it'll be either lost in the house somewhere or collecting dust on a shelf in 30 days.