With all the Christmas visiting you play with a lot of strange remotes.
And you have to leave your remotes in the hands of the people visiting you, or you have to try and explain to grandparents how to change the screen to show the PlayStation. (As we've done above.)
And you realise that remotes would be much better if they could evolve to highlight the buttons you regularly use, while, actually the reverse happens, the oft used buttons get the ink rubbed off quicker than everything else. Failing that it'd be nice if remotes were easy to draw on.
You want to get yourself one of those cool Logitech or Philips ones ... not only do they control every electronic item in the known Universe, but they have LCD screens that ensure only the buttons you need are displayed - making life much easier.
This message was brought to you in association with the I-AM-GADGET-ADDICTED society. Thank you.
Posted by: Rob @ Cynic | January 03, 2007 at 08:14 AM
Where are my manners ....
And a very happy new year to you too.
Posted by: Rob @ Cynic | January 03, 2007 at 08:14 AM
Sounds expensive though... im happy with learning what the buttons are!
Posted by: Rob Mortimer | January 03, 2007 at 09:21 AM
And also they should do a "big button" version so that grandparents who can't see so well and have arthritic fingers can use it. That goes for mobile phones too.
Posted by: andrew | January 03, 2007 at 09:22 AM
Good idea for a big button remote.. and can someone please invent a pensioner friendly VCR with big buttons, easy to programme, difficult to confuse?
Posted by: lucy | January 03, 2007 at 11:33 AM
One For All used to make a multi-remote replacement that had clear visible buttons for older/hard of sight people. They probably still do.
Posted by: Rob Mortimer | January 03, 2007 at 12:01 PM
New creative review has a good visual pun on this...
Posted by: peter | January 03, 2007 at 12:47 PM
Ahem ... can I say that SONY are actually doing a BIG BUTTON bunch of products aimed specifically at certain niche groups including the elderly/infirm. Not sure when it'll be done, but it is happening - though why it has taken them [or any company] so long, is beyond me.
Posted by: Rob @ Cynic | January 03, 2007 at 01:48 PM
Maybe they should supply his and hers remote controls. It would stop a lot of fights, or start them.
Don't they look ugly by the way? Why are some TV's so elegant, yet the remotes are anything but?
Posted by: Northern Planner | January 03, 2007 at 03:38 PM
HER remotes??? And you call yourself a Northener!
What's the World coming to when 'oop north' blokes start banging on about female rights.
Posted by: Rob @ Cynic | January 03, 2007 at 03:44 PM
This is a fantastic post.
From a design point of view almost all of these things are so badly designed it's beyond belief. Absolutely no thought about usability whatsoever. Spend an evening watching someone use a remote and you'll be able to design a better than average remote control the next morning. Kinda like Russell has just done.
Why oh why are there no user intuitive remote controls? Why oh why do they put all those buttons on there? Why does the button to change the screen RGB contrast have the same priority (design hierarchy wise) as the button for BBC 1?
Why isn't there a remote that is as intuitive and as pure in it's design as the first iPod shuffle? Six buttons for a stereo - that's great design.
When my Dad first had Freeview he thought it was a complete waste of time. When I questioned him about it, it transpired that everytime Bruce Forsyth said press your red button he was turning the telly off. That's a badly thought out user interface.
The best remotes are currently by Bang & Olufsen, but even they aren't that great. I used to work in Dixons when One For All first came out. Although the idea was good, the execution was poor. They only worked with 90% of brands, which is fine unless one of your many home entertainment systems is in the 10%. And not all the buttons worked for all the... you get my drift.
The problem is exacerbated by the ever growing amount of electronic equipment you seem to need just to be able to watch Coronation Street these days.
Until Jonathan Ive designs a remote control I doubt we'll ever see anything decent.
(Oh and generally speaking anything 'his and hers' is a bad idea.)
Posted by: Ben | January 03, 2007 at 09:49 PM
what about a customisable remote cover that lets you color on the buttons you need?!
Posted by: Fink | January 04, 2007 at 09:24 AM
True about One For All remotes. They were a good idea, maybe a little poorly executed.
We had one but never used it as it was unreliable. Shame really, now I could really do with one.
Posted by: Rob Mortimer | January 04, 2007 at 09:24 AM
Bet you Apple are making the best all in one remote ever.
And Cynical Rob,I just want a quiet life!
Posted by: Northern Planner | January 04, 2007 at 09:49 AM
Interactive TV would be so well, interactive is they produce haptic remotes [think wii] or that borrowed from mobiles and took voice commands [and only her falsetto voice commands which you then had to mimic to get the tv to do what you wanted...] or that the tv txted you to tell you to get out more or buzzed you after * mins of inactivity.... lots of fun to be had. and while I'm on this great tip of a post you've done - why do we have to have big phallic B&O style sci fi contollers, why can't we just have one designed by a kid? and can we please have a rubberised remote that won't break when dropped and won;t slip behind the cushions? I mean really, what are they teaching them in product design school in seoul?!
Posted by: jamesb | January 04, 2007 at 10:54 PM