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Chromecast Update Allows You to Use Your TV Remote to Control Certain Programs

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In recent years, a number of companies have begun moving away from traditional television remote controls, allowing users to control their equipment with their smartphones and mobile devices instead. While some people have likely found this to be convenient, many others have found it to be inconvenient; after all, when these devices are used for so many different things, can you really blame a family member when they wander away with the tablet in the middle of a show, leaving you unable to change the channel? Now, one company seems to have adapted their system, allowing customers to use normal TV remote controls.

Since its introduction, one of the biggest issues with Google’s Chromecast is that it could only be controlled with a phone, tablet or laptop. However, the latest firmware update for the system extends basic controls to regular TV remotes. While these functions will be limited to play/pause controls, if your television supports HDMI-CEC, you won’t always have to rely on your mobile devices to control this system. Fortunately, most televisions produced in the past few years have this capacity, although you might have to dig through your settings and input your TV remote codes to set up this new change.

The update was first noticed by Reddit users, who have reported that the remote control change seems to apply to Chromecast’s WatchESPN, HBO Go, Plex, and Youtube apps. However, the new feature is clearly limited: in addition to only offering the most basic functions, it doesn’t apply to popular apps, such as Netflix. Still, this change alone will likely cause plenty of people to buy replacement remotes simply for the convenience.

For generations, people have dreamed of being able to control every aspect of their lives with all in one remote controls, and now that mobile technology is an integral part of our everyday routine, we seem to be closer to that goal than ever before. However, mobile devices seem to lack convenience when it comes to using them as remotes. Whether you use Chromecast or not, don’t give up on your TV remote codes just yet: while some companies are still pushing mobile devices, traditional remote controls still seem to be what the average consumer wants.

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The Early Days of the TV Remote

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In what is easily the most offensive part of television’s history, the very first television remote control was called “Lazy Bones.” Because if you didn’t already hate yourself for watching five hours of the evening news alone with a TV dinner and your cat, the cherry on top is that your own TV remote controls are judging you.

Nevertheless, people seemed to be okay with the name (for while, at least) and the home invasion of TV remote controls had begun. Previously, remote control technology had only been used for official military purposes in World Wars I and II — so it was a pretty big deal when Zenith Electronics Corporation made this technology available for average people to use in 1950.

The downside to the Lazy Bones was that it a cable connection was required — not the cable that TV viewers today are thinking of, but a literal cable wire running from the remote control to the TV set. Not surprisingly, people started getting real sick of tripping over their television remote controls, and they weren’t fans of the big cable running through their living rooms.

It only took about five years for the first wireless TV remote controls to take over, and luckily, Zenith decided to rename the device to something a little more catchy. In 1955 the Flashmatic started making its way into American living rooms, and life was good again… until people started realizing that the Flashmatic had some unfortunate flaws too. For example, these TV remotes were wired with unprotected circuits, meaning that strong beams of light could get in the way of the signal and start messing with the TV.

Zenith researchers realized that something needed to change. At first, they thought they could make replacement remotes that used radio waves instead of photo cells. This got rid of the sunlight problem, but researchers soon figured out that a radio-controlled remote could accidentally end up connecting to TVs in nearby rooms, and even in separate buildings.

Eventually, Zenith engineers made use of ultrasonic waves, which are sound waves that run at such high frequencies, the human ear can’t detect them. This technology was much more effective than the Flashmatic, but it ended up being pretty pricey. It wasn’t until the 1980s that replacement remote controls with infrared light ray detection started being produced, but once the television industry found out about this technology, it was a hit: not only was it effective, but it was incredibly affordable.

Even though many newer TVs have begun using digital TV remote controls, many people still prefer the good ol’ infrared technology. These remotes are completely safe, very affordable, and easily replaced if they ever get lost (and they do have a tendency to get lost). Find out more here.