The DaVinci Control! Can a Universal Remote Decipher an Encrypted Television?

The use of a universal remote is the single biggest user-interface decision to be made in a home entertainment setup. The impact a universal remote can make is huge - ranking in high importance along with health insurance, retirement plans, and iTunes library organization. Am I overstating the impact of a universal remote? Is the multiple remote clutter that frequents most homes today not of grave concern? I think not! (This is a poorly structured double-negative, meaning that it is of grave concern.) Consider all of this when reading the story below - or viewing the associated video, "The DaVinci Control."



The DaVinci Control
I entered the long hallway, humbled by the children's artwork on the darkened walls. I heard mutters of frustration at the far end, around the corner. My walk turned into a jog as my heart pounded more profoundly. As I maneuvered the corner, I saw it. Stretched out on the wall was a lifeless widescreen plasma. Were there any hints of the events leading up to this gruesome state? There were, indeed, signs of a struggle. Clues were scattered throughout the room, but each one was hidden within a puzzle. Six different infrared controlling keystones were sprawled out, each emblazoned with more than 30 buttons. I picked up the first device and stared at the face of it. They were labeled with encrypted words such as "TV/Video", "MTS", "PIP", and "Info". But wait!

"It must be a TV anagram that deciphers the remote cryptex," I thought. I figured that pressing a sequence of buttons among the different keystones might do the trick. I started pressing keys: "On Receiver", "Input", "Surround Sound", "On DVD", "On TV", "TV/Video", and "Play." My heart raced and I was short of breath. A humming sound was followed by a whir. The secret was unlocked! The DVD player was finally playing the movie with the surround sound system functioning. My years of work as a professor of symbology had proven to do more than just decipher the @#&?$!% words from comic strips.

"Dad, get out of the way, now" my son muttered in thanks.

"My work is done here," I concluded. Despite my heroics, I still thought that there had to be a better way to manage the remotes. I would hate to think that I was the last in the sacred bloodline to carry on the tradition of operating the TV. In order to address my suspicions of easier remote management, I will investigate a variety of remote topics. If I'm lucky, we'll wrap up before the albino catches up with me.

Universal Remote
Some consider this the holy grail of home entertainment equipment. If utilized properly, the univeral remote solves one of the biggest day-to-day issues with a family's television interface: dealing with all of those remotes. The universal remote can accept multiple codes or commands that tell it which devices to operate. They typically have a set number of devices that they can operate. A six-device universal remote, for example, can accept up to six codes to operate components such as your TV, audio receiver, DVD player, VCR, cable box, and CD player. For basic models, a list of manufacturer codes are provided online or within a manual, but each potential code must be tested to validate for a particular model. These basic remotes can be inexpensive, but more sophisticated devices with improved component determination will have higher price tags. There are also a variety of other features that can drive the cost, too.

LCD Touch Screen
In addition to fixed buttons, some remotes may also have an LCD display that uses a graphical user interface. A touch sensitive screen allows the user to pick options directly on the surface. Although typically backlit for poor lighting situations, these remotes do not allow fingers to feel their way across the remote’s surface. For those who are more comfortable holding their television remote than their spouse's hand, the feel of raised buttons may be missed. Of course, the LCD touch screen favors a more visual, intuitive interface.

Device-Based vs. Activity-Based
Most basic remotes have a button that toggles control between different devices. You switch the toggle to TV and all of the buttons control some aspect of the television. This is called device-based. Other more sophisticated remotes use activity-based controlling. For example, playing a DVD would require functions on the TV, audio receiver, and DVD player. This multi-step process is completed by the creation of a macro. The macro defines the keys and order of the keystrokes to be able to accomplish a certain task. For example, playing the DVD may require: turning on the TV, switching TV input to the DVD player, turning on the receiver, switching receiver input to the DVD player, turning on the DVD player, and finally pressing play on the DVD player. Combining all of the steps into a single button is what makes this type of device an activity-based remote control.

PC Programmable Remotes
Instead of entering codes into a remote, some controls are capable of PC hookup via USB cable or wireless access. This may provide a much more user-friendly and intuitive interface with which to setup the remote. Instead of trying to decipher cryptex codes from a manufacturer's list, the particular model number of the device may be found online and the information about that model may be downloaded to the remote. Additionally, if a website is used to hold the component list, the list could be readily updated to include new models as they are released. This would ensure that the latest list of devices are included in any product search.

IR vs. RF
As discussed in a previous post entitled, Clicker Debate: Infrared (IR) vs. Radio Frequency (RF), the infrared signal that operates most components requires line-of-sight and is not advantangeous for many hidden component applications. Using an RF signal can enable a universal remote to operate a number of components that may be out of sight, possibly behind wood doors or in a media closet. This creates much more flexibility in room design and component location. Several high-end universal remotes use this RF method to send the signal, which is eventually converted back to the IR signal accepted by the components.

Conclusion While I would like to delve into a comparison of universal remotes, I will save this for a later post. Products from manufacturers such as Logitech and URC (Universal Remote Control) provide great examples of how to streamline the universal remote efforts. My purpose here, however, is to educate regarding the terminology and options available. As any owner of a television and few components will attest, solving this mulitiple remote control issue is of utmost concern. The reality is that most folks still depend on a variety of remotes to control the increasingly large variety of television inputs. The number of ways we watch content on our television has increased immensely over the last 10 years. And with the HDTV resolutions to support PC interfacing and improved gaming with more online support, we're only going to see more options. Looking at applying a universal remote can involve some setup time, but unlike some benefits that get occassional use, the benefits of a universal remote may be realized daily. Analogously, a four wheel drive vehicle may provide off-road capabilities for those rear instances when it is necessary, but the leather seats will provide pleasure with each instance butt cheeks are pressed against it. Don't underestimate the importance of tackling this subject. Maybe eventually you can escape the constant anagram/crytex/sudoku de-coding that is usually necessary with the cursed traditional multi-remote arrangement.