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.

Clicker Debate: Infrared (IR) vs. Radio Frequency (RF) Remote Controls! And How Can I Hide Those Ugly Components?

So, what is the difference between infrared (IR) and radio frequency (RF) remotes? Televisions, receivers, cable boxes, digital video recorders, gaming systems, DVD players, and personal computers are all becoming a part of the home entertainment network. Placing all of these components in an area that is readily seen has long been the requirement to allow the operation of traditional infrared remotes. There are a variety of products, however, that break us free from this limitation. These include IR repeaters, IR extenders, and the integration of radio frequency remotes. It is important to understand the difference between the infrared and radio frequency signal and know what is the proper environment for each. The IR vs. RF debate is not one in the same light as Blu-ray vs. HD DVD, but rather one of co-existence that benefits from an understanding of each signal's capabilities. This discussion of infrared and radio frequency remotes should arm you with the knowledge to make informed decisions about the type of remote to use as well as the placement of unsightly components.


Infrared Remotes
Infrared remotes are devices that use a beam of light to communicate user instructions to an audio/visual component. Because it uses a light source, this type of remote requires line-of-sight. This means that the beam may be interrupted by anything through which light cannot travel. For example, an IR remote may work through glass but not through a wood door. It is also the reason why a remote may not work temporarily when a person walks in front of it.

Infrared remotes are advantageous because they are inexpensive, robust when unobstructed, and readily teachable. By teachable, it is meant that there are inexpensive IR learning remotes that are able to be taught commands from any other IR remote. Once the learning remote is placed in its learning mode, the remotes are simply pointed at each other and the commands are sent (i.e. buttons pressed). The infrared method of remote control has become the de facto standard in the industry of consumer electronics.

Because of the line of site requirement, however, components that are controlled by IR remotes are typically not able to be hidden away. While most folks just accept this shortcoming, there are several alternatives that allow components to be stored out of site in more creative places. These are described below.


Infrared Repeater
When components are located behind a door or in a nearby place that cannot be reached by an IR signal, an infrared repeater may be used. This repeater usually has an "eye" that is connected to the repeater unit. The eye is located in a place that is visible to the IR remote. For example, if the components are behind a wooden door in a piece of furniture, a hole may be bored above the doors that allows the eye to be visible to the remote control. The infrared signal is received by the eye and carried through a wire to the repeater unit. The repeater unit is powered and is able to take the input signal and send it to one or more components. One way this this is done is by using individual wires that have light emitting tips that stick to each of the component's IR receptors. Another method sends the output through a single IR blaster that scatters the signal in an attempt to reach multiple components. If the direct shot of an individual wire is thought to be analogous to a rifle, then the IR blaster is the equivalent of a shot gun.


Infrared Extender
An infrared extender may be used to help signals find hard-to-reach components behind doors or walls. It accomplishes the same task as an IR repeater, except that the components do not need to be in close proximity to a visible eye. The original IR signal is sent to a visible receiver unit that converts the signal to a radio frequency (RF) signal that may pass through walls, floor, and furniture. This RF signal is picked up by a mating IR extender base that then converts the signal back to infrared. This transported infrared signal is then sent back out by the base unit to the component(s). This method requires the receiver to be visible by the remote and the base unit needs to sit in front of the components - with line-of-site available to the component's IR receptor. The receiver and base, however, can be located much further apart.


Radio Frequency Remotes
While almost all components use infrared signals to control them, a radio frequency (RF) signal (like the one used by remote extenders) provides another way to send signals from a remote. An RF remotes is meant to replace traditional IR remote by using a radio frequency signal that is not visual in nature. This allows the signal to go through walls, ceilings, floors, and furniture. Since the components are still expecting an IR signal, however, the RF remote must communicate to a base unit that accepts the RF signal and converts it back it to an IR signal. Much like an extender, the RF remote is advantagous over an IR repeater because no line of site is required between the remote and the components. The components may be stored much further away, such as in a media closet. Additionally, the RF remote is an improvement over the IR extender because the source signal is RF and no IR receiver unit needs to be in sight.

The fact that an RF remote does not require line-of-sight is only a side benefit to what this device can ultimately do. A radio frequency remote can be a much more significant part of a home entertainment system. The repeater and extender discussed previously, can help take the IR signal from each remote to its corresponding hidden component, but a single RF remote can be the means of controlling all of the hidden components. This all-in-one remote is called a universal remote, and the premium universal remotes use the RF method to reach the components. These universal remotes may replace all of the individual remotes that are typically found scattered throughout a home entertainment room. For an in-depth discussion of universal remotes, however, you'll have to wait for the follow-up post. In the meantime, know your IR limitations and RF capabilities - and that you are not trapped in a world where you have to look at those ugly components all of the time.