The concept of universal remote is an old idea with all the components of a home theatre and their corresponding remotes. In other words, a universal remote makes the life of a tech geek much simpler. The using of smartphones as universal remotes makes us just lazier than ever. There are quite a few apps in the Android market that can help us with this. For example, the TiVoRemote app controls the TiVo DVR and doesn’t need infrared doodle as it connects to the TiVo over Internet. Android versions of apps from Comcast and Verizon are expected to arrive shortly.
Another app called the Dijit Universal Remote has been developed to implement the above. It works for Android smartphones and tablets that have IR ports. All we have to do is to download the app which is free of cost and then set up the remote control functionality depending on the device and the local satellite and cable service.
Each remote will have a corresponding rendering in Dijit’s screen. As a result of this, it almost appears as if we have a real remote in our hands.
Moreover, this app also provides a touchpad control in the middle which triggers actions when one swipes around the pad. However, one of the common mistakes done by the users of this app is altering the video source on the TV unintentionally.
It seems pretty bulky for a remote control alone, but Dijit has thousands of advantages. One of the major ones is the TV guide functionality that it houses. We can not only scan scores of channels but also make use of a search function that it possesses to locate what we want.
Other than the obvious convenience of this system, another huge plus point is that the IR-based remote control may fade away and make way for true wireless control of devices from any place and at any time without the necessity of having add-on hardware.
For now, using a smartphone or tablet as a remote control for an elaborate and complex home theatre system seems to be a good, user friendly idea.
