As more and more devices start entering our lives, the higher the stack of remotes on the coffee table seems to get. Over half of Americans report having more than four different remotes in just their living room! A remote for your gaming devices, a remote for your speakers or music devices, a remote for the television…the list goes on and on. And since the average American household has over 2 television sets somewhere in their house (if not more), the remotes start stacking up even faster. So what do you do when the remote stops working? Or becomes unprogrammed? Throw it away? Look for a new one? SImply not use the device anymore, as about one in five Americans tend to do? You should always look for replacement remotes that are original equipment remotes–that is, meant to be used with the device they came with. For example, if you have a Samsung music player, you won’t want to get a Toshiba remote for that device. You can also look up ways of programming a remote to see if you can jumpstart your old one back to life again.
Before You Buy A New Remote…
In about one out of three cases, a remote thought to be dead can actually be brought back to life by following an easy restart process that only takes five steps. Programming a remote isn’t as hard as it sounds, especially with the Internet to help! Although not all remotes can be saved this way, it’s worth a try, instead of just tossing it in the trash and going to look for a new one.
Why Not Use A Universal Remote?
Sure, they may be cheaper, but they don’t always work as effectively or do all the tasks the original remote did. If you have a newer device, but get an older universal remote, it may not work as well with the new system. It either may not work at all or only control certain features–some of which may be essential to even working the system. This usually means you have to go back to the store and get another type of remote to work the parts of the system that aren’t compatible with your new universal remote–what a pain! In addition, you have to think about programming a remote again and again. In the long run, you end up spending way more money on multiple remotes to operate one system, instead of just buying the remote that goes with your device in the first place. Getting a Toshiba remote control to work a Samsung device or a Sony remote control to work a Philips device makes absolutely no sense!
Hopefully, next time you find your remote has gone the way of the dodo bird, you’ll be able to follow these steps towards either bringing it back to life or choosing wisely, so as to not end up with even more remotes in your home! If you need help, an electronic store or a quick search on the web is sure to be able to offer you assistance, either in person or virtually.
