If there’s one thing most people can agree on, it’s that the world is heavily based in technology nowadays. And why shouldn’t it be? Technology has allowed the world to make some amazing advances, and it has provided people with information as well as fun. Can you imagine a world without sitcoms and cartoons? What would life be like without television?
The land before television actually isn’t that far away. Today, it’s estimated that over 160 million homes have at least one television inside, and that’s in the U.S. alone. Beyond the television itself though, the creation of television remote controls is what everyone seemed to be talking about. The very first wireless remote control made its debut in 1955, but before that, there was a remote with a wire attaching it to the television. It was dubbed “Lazy Bones” by people everywhere, because it allowed others the luxury of sitting while changing the channel.
Luckily, that stereotype has faded since the first television remote controls. However, some things, like losing the remote control, have remained the same. Everyone has lost the remote control at least once in their lifetime, and probably in a strange place, too. In fact a recent survey shows that almost 5% of remote controls are found in the refrigerator or freezer, and around 2% are found outside of the house altogether. The fact that these situations happen frequently enough to have statistics is a testament to the struggle of searching for the remote. Now if your remote has been in the freezer or out in the cold and wet, you may be looking at replacement remotes. Hopefully that will never happen, but in case it does, most companies offer replacement remotes at a reasonable cost. Remote programming is usually painless as well, so really finding a replacement may be the best option if you ever find your television remote on the front lawn.
In a lot of cases, there are multiple remote controls used to operate one system. For example, you may need up to five or six remotes to operate a home theater, which could include a cable remote, a DVD player remote, a television remote, and sound system remote. In this case, all in one remotes, or universal remote controls, may be the best option. In some instances, systems won’t even be used if the remote is lost. Cheap remote replacements are available, but few people end up spending the money.
The evolution of television from a tiny box with antennae to giant flat screen is truly something to marvel at. Not only that, but television remote controls as well! It’s possible to do hundreds of things from one small device, and the technology will only keep evolving from here.