so many buttons & no spare TV Remote

[jonovid]

were is the spare Remote for my new TV or entertainment system.  why is a $800+ TV that is expected to last 10 yrs , have just one Ugly $5 remote?
So just how many buttons do you really need 5? 30? 40? or 50? most replacement remotes do little better.
-this is about Bad design vs Good design, what you expect when buying a new car is, that it have a spare wheel.
but consumer electronics design is another matter altogether,

[rstofer]

We use just one Logitech Harmony remote to control the Samsung TV, Roku box, cable box, Pioneer audio system and a DVD player.  It is NOT a $5 remote!  The good news is that the price has come down considerably since we bought ours about 5 years ago.

The downside is that it can be awkward to program.  If your device is in a known-device database, everything is automatic.  But there is still the idea of Activities and linking the appropriate device to each activity.  Watching TV requires the TV set, sound system and cable box.  Watching a movie requires TV set, sound system and Roku box.  Watching a DVD requires  the TV set, sound system and DVD player.  It's a bit of an effort to get it all set up.

But it's sweet when it's working!

[flynwill]

If you are in to DYI and hacking google "JP1 remote".

[klunkerbus]

...what you expect when buying a new car is, that it have a spare wheel....

My daughter's Jeep Renegade didn't come with a spare.  I think she said it came with a can of Fix A Flat or similar instead. 

Mostly dated Logitech 550 programmable remotes here.   

[Kilrah]

Yup, the comparison is funny since most new cars don't come with spare wheels 

And yeah there are many 3rd party remotes of all prices around, and given that most TVs have pretty good backward and forward compatibility with a brand's remotes even if they change a bit it's easy to find spares or 2nd hand replacements.

Samsung has been giving 2 remotes with each TV for quite a while here in Europe, they give both the old button-style one and the new "smart" touch-based one, guess they had too many users complaining about the new-fangled thing and harassed them to have a good old thing like they're used to.

[Hydrawerk]

You might like some of these. http://www.oneforall.com/remotes.html
But I do not own any of them.

[JPortici]

I believe the spare wheel has become a paid accessory long ago, but they are -required- to have at least the...i don't know the english term. wheelie? (ruotino)



with this you can't do many kilometers and you can't safely go faster than 50-70 km/h as it is lighter and smaller than a regular wheel.. i hate it. you have to be very careful as you tend to slightly move on the side too.
of three cars at home one have this, one in another price rage has the spare and the third one is an used punto sold by herz, it has the regular spare

[ruffy91]

I believe the spare wheel has become a paid accessory long ago, but they are -required- to have at least the...i don't know the english term. wheelie? (ruotino)



with this you can't do many kilometers and you can't safely go faster than 50-70 km/h as it is lighter and smaller than a regular wheel.. i hate it. you have to be very careful as you tend to slightly move on the side too.
of three cars at home one have this, one in another price rage has the spare and the third one is an used punto sold by herz, it has the regular spare

This smaller wheel is for 4x4 cars. Most new cars come with a cig-plug compressor and fixing fluid.

[Brumby]

This smaller wheel is for 4x4 cars. Most new cars come with a cig-plug compressor and fixing fluid.

Really?

Just pray the tyre isn't so badly damaged that this will work.

What next?  Security torx wheel nuts?


Actually, this idea would be great if they could engineer it to work with electronics.  Everybody wants to be able to put the magic smoke back!

[stj]

http://en.chunghop.com/
makes most remotes, including "original" ones

unfortunatly the website is crap.

[SeanB]

This smaller wheel is for 4x4 cars. Most new cars come with a cig-plug compressor and fixing fluid.

Really?

Just pray the tyre isn't so badly damaged that this will work.

What next?  Security torx wheel nuts?


Actually, this idea would be great if they could engineer it to work with electronics.  Everybody wants to be able to put the magic smoke back!

Well, the security wheel nuts are common here, as there are people who will steal your wheels and rims so they do not have to buy new tyres for themselves.  Comes with and adaptor so that you can change a flat yourself.

As to the "marie biscuit" space saver tyres, that is simply to reduce the volume and mass from a full size spare tyre considerably, so that the car can be smaller, lighter and more fuel efficient. See many of those driving on the freeway at 120 plus, often with a more than full load inside the car, and often with the tyre itself warn bald.

[Kilrah]

Just pray the tyre isn't so badly damaged that this will work.

Sure.

On the other hand, tyres have significantly improved in reliability since the times where the spare wheel was made mandatory (along with cars themselves).
I remember that when I was a kid in the 80s a blown/punctured tyre would be a rather common occurrence, but now in the last 10-15 years I don't think I know anyone who had a tyre fail. Makes the waste of space/weight kinda disproportioned nowadays.