A simple TV remote?

Is there some genius out there who can design a simple TV remote? I spent a couple of hours last night trying to reconfigure the TV setup for an elderly relative after she pressed the wrong buttons. She usually calls the TV man when this happens and he charges her €40 a time for ten minutes' work. It's probably meant to discourage her.

She has a TV (Saorview) remote with about thirty buttons on it and a free-to-air satellite remote with the same number. It's confusing for me too.

Wouldn't it be nice if there was one remote with just three buttons: on/off; channel up/down; sound up/down. Users could then flick through their favourite channels without the distraction of those other unnecessary buttons or having to bring up menus or use two remotes. There would, of course, have to be some way of setting up the channels in the first place.

There's probably some good technical reason why this can't be done (different systems etc) but a solution would gladden the hearts of many elderly viewers—and their frustrated relatives!

still more than a few buttons, and a price range from "not cheap" to "crazy expensive", but I can recommend the Logitech Harmony series - does however require a PC or Mac to setup properly.

Once programmed accordingly (which is easy-ish for someone with basic technical understanding)

http://www.logitech.com/en-gb/harmony-remotes

especially when controlling more than one device (which most of us do these days).

If you want something with only a handful of buttons, look at this stuff:

https://www.alzproducts.co.uk/alzheimers-simple-remote-controls.html

You might want to avoid talking about the name of the product though....

newirishman said:

still more than a few buttons, and a price range from "not cheap" to "crazy expensive", but I can recommend the Logitech Harmony series - does however require a PC or Mac to setup properly.

Once programmed accordingly (which is easy-ish for someone with basic technical understanding)

http://www.logitech.com/en-gb/harmony-remotes

especially when controlling more than one device (which most of us do these days).

If you want something with only a handful of buttons, look at this stuff:

https://www.alzproducts.co.uk/alzheimers-simple-remote-controls.html

You might want to avoid talking about the name of the product though....

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Thanks so much newirishman. Both systems look good. Much as I love my aunt, I don't think I could spend that much on a Logitech remote! It still has quite a number of buttons.

The AlzProducts (unfortunate name!) remote looks very good and easy to use. In the video they mention that 'the channel [buttons] will work the set-top box and the volume will work the TV'. Does this mean that you have to use the volume buttons to change the TV channels? Or do the channel buttons control all channels, TV and satellite?

Thanks for taking the time to look this up for me.

pingin said:

In the video they mention that 'the channel [buttons] will work the set-top box and the volume will work the TV'. Does this mean that you have to use the volume buttons to change the TV channels? Or do the channel buttons control all channels, TV and satellite?

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Is the satellite receiver built into the TV as well? If you only use the channel up/down buttons, can you cycle through all the Saorview and Satellite channels? Or is switching between Saorview and satellite more involved? If it's the simple up/ down button does it all, then the second one they offer will likely do the trick.

There's a separate set-top box for the satellite. The terrestrial/aerial channels are controlled by one remote and the satellite by another.

pingin said:

There's a separate set-top box for the satellite. The terrestrial/aerial channels are controlled by one remote and the satellite by another.

Click to expand...

The NCBI have a simple remote for visually impaired people. I got one for my mother and it was great.
[broken link removed]

Muz said:

The NCBI have a simple remote for visually impaired people. I got one for my mother and it was great.
[broken link removed]

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Thanks Muz. I'll definitely have a look at that one too.

pingin said:

There's a separate set-top box for the satellite. The terrestrial/aerial channels are controlled by one remote and the satellite by another.

Click to expand...

That will complicate matters as most of the simple remotes can only control one box.

pingin said:

Thanks so much newirishman. Both systems look good. Much as I love my aunt, I don't think I could spend that much on a Logitech remote! It still has quite a number of buttons.

The AlzProducts (unfortunate name!) remote looks very good and easy to use. In the video they mention that 'the channel [buttons] will work the set-top box and the volume will work the TV'. Does this mean that you have to use the volume buttons to change the TV channels? Or do the channel buttons control all channels, TV and satellite?

Thanks for taking the time to look this up for me.

Click to expand...

The all remote seem to be able to control both TV and sky box, albeit the "flipper" does seem to be specifically built to be easily setup for both, including turning both TV and Skybox on/off at the touch of one button. I have not used them myself, but for the price I'd say it is worth a try.

Well due the info in this thread I have actually ordered the flipper one, my father who doesn't have any particular problem other than old age has found it difficult to adjust to his new sky remote, now when I say new he has sky about 2 yrs but has never mastered the remote. Keeps getting stuck in the menu and can't get back, we all know it's simple but he just can't figure it out. He only watches a handful of stations so hopefully this will work for him. Will report back