This is the space in the home theatre
remote control article where we write the obligatory lead about all the remotes cluttering our coffee tables and how we can never find the one we want.
Well, forget about that. Oh, sure, the line about having too many remotes is true; you're reading this article, aren't you?
But that's not the only reason to get a device with which you can actually control everything in your home theatre system. You get it because you want it, just like you bought all that home theatre gear when you couldn't afford it.
And you don't have to buy just any home theatre remote control. There are so many available, you can find the one most suited to your unique personality. As long as you're not an ogre, or course.
When it comes to home theatre remote controls, there are two kinds of people: those who want fancy touchscreens and those who prefer the tactile assurance of hard buttons, which usually aren't very hard at all but are of the semi-soft, rubbery variety. Oh, and there are those who like lots of buttons to control virtually everything on the starship Enterprise, and those who want, say, two buttons and may get confused about which one does what. And don't forget there are those who like to program their own remote controls, down to the graphical interfaces on their fancy touchscreens, and those who believe those kinds of people require therapy.
Okay, so there are several kinds of people when it comes to home theatre remote controls. But there really are some requirements everyone wants for a home theatre remote control. They are:
1. That it works: Don't laugh. Some don't, at least not all of the time. You're being condemned eternally for having too many electronic components in the first place, and you know it. But seriously, you want a home theatre remote control to work every time you press a button.
2. Backlighting: These are the little lights in the remote that highlight the buttons or touchscreen for you. This important feature protects you from situations such as embarrassing yourself in front of your date by having to turn on the lights manually just to find the right button to ‘create the mood'.
