The recently unveiled Samsung Galaxy S4 and LG Optimus G Pro have infra-red transmitters that allow them to act as remote controls for several home electronics like TVs, stereos and air conditioners. While I appreciate the ability to use a phone as a ‘universal’ remote, I think the feature is of limited utility.
Infra-red technology in remote controls requires Line of Sight (LOS). This means aligning the IR transmitter on the remote with the IR receiver on the appliance. This is what you are doing when you point the remote at the TV/stereo. However, there are problems with using the Galaxy S4 and the Optimus G Pro as remotes. Using them as such presents two usability issues: you have to point it at the appliance which in turn means your phone must be in portrait mode. Not much use considering you might be using it in landscape mode just before you need to control an appliance with it. You would have to change your device’s orientation and possibly yours as well just so you can adjust the volume of the TV.
I know many appliances still use infra-red but why? Using bluetooth will be much more effective. This is what Sony did with the wireless gamepads and unwieldy remote of the Play Station 3. What I find surprising is Samsung, LG and Sony still designs their TVs to use infra-red. All that is needed is for manufacturers to ditch IR and use bluetooth instead. This is hardly an expense. Infra-red should be reserved for more subtle purposes like night vision camera and motion detection.
All in all, I see the remote capabilities of the Galaxy S4 and Optimus G Pro as gimmick features. They’ll only be truly useful when you can’t find the actual remote. I would personally enjoy using them for monkey business.
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Any modern TV should be on your home network. So Wi-Fi would be the favoured connection.
ReplyDeleteWell yes Wi-Fi also beats IR but I don't think it's the ideal candidate for the following reasons.
Delete1. Possible signal degradation if the router is located in another part of the house.
2. Also, if your web access is in the form of a modem router, you must place the router in a part of the house with best reception.
3. Bluetooth uses less power than Wi-Fi
4. Configuring a Wi-Fi remote can sometimes be a fiddly business. It's not exactly plug and play. The need to enter IP addresses is a stumbling block for most non-techies. Imagine explaining how to ascertain the address. Bluetooth is much much easier to set up.
5. Though remote control duties are not limited to TVs, DVR and stereos, the Bluetooth profile, AVRCP was designed with this in mind.