7 Remote Controls - And Yes, I Need Them All

It’s true - I have 7 seperate remote controls in my living room, and I’m pretty sure I need all of them. As far as I’ve been able to determine, there really is no such thing as a “universal remote control”. I have to admit, there are the really high end remotes that claim to really be universal, and some even claim to “learn”, but even a gadget freak like me can’t justify paying more for the remote than I paid for most of the devices it would control.

Why do I need 7 remotes? I guess we need to start with a quick snapshot of my living room tech:

• TV: I have a 60 inch Sony LCD-projection HDTV. Above it are mounted 2 32-inch flatscreen HDTV’s. I know it sounds like a lot of TV, but if you drop by on Sunday during football season, you’d understand. I once described this setup to a female friend who suggested that it would be cheaper to just hang a neon sign that says “I don’t ever plan on getting married”, but until she gets married herself, her opinions are suspect.
• Surround-sound home theater audio system, of course
• Up-converting DVD player - I have so much invested in my DVD collection that I’m scared to upgrade to Blu-Ray, because when I do, I’ll have to fight the urge to replace hundreds of standard DVD’s.
• Media PC - I’ve already outlined the genesis of this particular toy.
• 3 HD DirecTV receivers - they’re the only way I can get every football game every week
• Cable TV DVR - Even with satellite, I like cable. I like on-demand. I want to hedge my bets against thunderstorms knocking out satellite (a real issue in Florida).
• HDMI Switch - The Sony only has one HDMI input, and I want to use HDMI for satellite, DVD and PC input. (My cable DVR won’t work with the HDMI switch due to some overzealous copy-protection)

Let’s put aside the snide comments about my OCD for a moment and get back to the remotes…

Even though 3 other remotes (sound system, cable, satellite) would all turn the Sony on, none of them can toggle through the video sources. Same thing for the Westinghouse remote for the 32’s.  I could probably lose the DVD remote and control it through the home theater, but with the manual long gone, so are the codes. The PC doesn’t have remotes, unless you count the Bluetooth mouse and keyboard. Nothing can replace the DVR or satellite remotes (but at least 1 use 1 satellite remote, not 3) and the HDMI switch has a one-button remote to change sources that no other remote can replicate.

So there we are. I know what each one does and I’m OK with it. My friends have trouble figuring it all out, but their teenage kids have no issues at all.  And for some reason, I take solace in that.

Oh - by the way, iTunes sucks. Somebody tell Steve J…

“Iron Man” gadgets

I saw Iron Man recently and was completely enthralled.  I’ve now developed a miniature Iron Man obsession that will last at least until I’ve seen the movie two more times (or until Indiana Jones or The Dark Knight takes over).  Iron Man (as a movie) applies to this blog a bit more than either of my other hotly anticipated summer films does.  

Since Iron Man’s first appearance in comics in the 1960’s our digital dependency has grown with the availability of technology.  The internet, the cell phone, the laptop; Tony Stark (the man behind the metal mask) remains a hero in 2008 but in many ways a much more relatable one.  Perhaps JARVIS (the AI persona controlling Tony’s technologically insane mansion) is not a reality for most of us, but computerized personalities and programmable tasks (universal remotes, etc.) in smaller less expensive doses do exist.

While the idea of super armor and the power of personal flight are still not realistic for the average cinematic consumer the hands free telephone call Tony is able to take while in mid flight is a definite real life connection to an audience.  So maybe I can’t take a call while saving the world from terrorism and breaking the sound barrier, but the idea that I too can do two things at once is at least a start.