The Remoteless Wonder

[AdamAnt316]

My grandpa had a two-button remote that looked a bit like that. One button went up one channel at a time; the other raised the volume (one step at a time to maximum, wrapping around to minimum). The remote function was actually sound-activated; each button would hit a rod with a spring-loaded striker and it would make a noise that we mostly couldn't hear but the TV could.

They also had a phone with a regular bell-style ringer. When the phone rang, the TV would change channels three or four times...

Yep, early remote controls were like that. Zenith invented ultrasonic remote control technology as "Space Command" in the late '50s; here's the TV (circa early 1970s) which the above-pictured remote controlled:


It wasn't just phone ringers which would set them off; jingling keys, dog collar tags, pretty much anything involving pieces of metal banging together. Of course, it was still better than its predecessor, "Flash-Matic", which used a series of photo-sensors activated using a glorified flashlight like this one:

While it technically worked, users tended to forget which sensor controlled which function, and if the set happened to be bathed in sunlight or other bright light, all four sensors would be operated at once multiple times over.........
-Adam
Arcane tech historian

[Nunavut Pants]

My grandpa had a two-button remote that looked a bit like that. One button went up one channel at a time; the other raised the volume (one step at a time to maximum, wrapping around to minimum). The remote function was actually sound-activated; each button would hit a rod with a spring-loaded striker and it would make a noise that we mostly couldn't hear but the TV could.

They also had a phone with a regular bell-style ringer. When the phone rang, the TV would change channels three or four times...

[AdamAnt316]

I bet this is the sort of remote the guy in the OP is used to:

AKA a *real* "clicker"

[telecom_goddess]

I'm so glad I'm not technoretarded. I am the IT person in my house. I've even got it setup now so I can beam my phone to a number of Bluetooth devices in the house and the car.

[skeptic53]

This used to be a huge problem for guests, I had a laminated "how to watch TV" set of instructions. The smarter and more advanced degrees the guest had, the lower likelihood they could figure out the remotes (plural). I tried a universal remote, didn't help. Never solved the problem.

Nowadays I give them the passcode to the house wifi and they watch their stuff on their phone or laptop. Problem solved.

[earl colby pottinger]

Ha Ha Ha

See shit like this is why I got my technotarded mom a remote where she can hold just one button down and speak what she wants into it. That way I don’t have to hear her yelling for me across the house when I just got comfortable “How do I get channel -blank-?” “How do I change the channel?” “What does this button do?” Its great because you don’t have to be precise in how you word things either. I can say “guide” “channels” or “change the channel” “play -blank- channel”. I have even set voice commands into it so when the technotards (looking at you mom) say something like “gimmie flippy channel screen” it will bring up the guide since apparently one syllable words are to hard to remember for one who grew up on a typewriter.

You think voice command will always solve the problem? DREAM ON.

We had on OnStar with voice command in the car. It would work 95% of the time for me all the time. I just asked for a function, and it would work.

Then my mom would try. And it would fail almost every time. The moment she started to talk to the machine she would stress out and her voice tone would go up and down in just one sentence. She would stutter and repeat words, in other words saying a simple sentence became torture to listen to, and what is worse she would insist she was doing nothing different even as you hear how much she was messing up her words.

[Kittykat]

I think my dad came to visit you, lol.

[AkaiKitsune]

See shit like this is why I got my technotarded mom a remote where she can hold just one button down and speak what she wants into it. That way I don’t have to hear her yelling for me across the house when I just got comfortable “How do I get channel -blank-?” “How do I change the channel?” “What does this button do?” Its great because you don’t have to be precise in how you word things either. I can say “guide” “channels” or “change the channel” “play -blank- channel”. I have even set voice commands into it so when the technotards (looking at you mom) say something like “gimmie flippy channel screen” it will bring up the guide since apparently one syllable words are to hard to remember for one who grew up on a typewriter.

[Seanette]

Hmm, may have to check that.

[greek_jester]

There are times my remote works better if I point it back over my shoulder to bounce the signal off the wall than if I point it forward at the device.

Are the batteries slightly loose in the compartment? If they are then padding the compartment slightly might help.

[Seanette]

There are times my remote works better if I point it back over my shoulder to bounce the signal off the wall than if I point it forward at the device.

[earl colby pottinger]

However

Semantic battle. For the 20ish hours the remote is pointed, enough, at the tv to work. What it isn't is pointed at the sensor.

I can point my rmote directly away, and slightly below, the sensor and have it work in all conditions

Even that was partly my mom's fault. Before we moved in my mom had the house remodeled. She wanted windows (there was originally only a small one), she got WINDOWS! It was just short of a sun-room, when I said the sunlight streamed in, I mean it really streamed in. The poor infrared red beam of the remote really had a major problem being seen by the TV.

[rvdammit]

I lost count the number of time my mom claimed the remote was not working even when she pointed it at the TV, only to come up to find the control she claimed was not working to be pointed 45 degrees away from the TV. You could tell her this to her face and she would still claim she was pointing it okay.

Semantic battle. For the 20ish hours the remote is pointed, enough, at the tv to work. What it isn't is pointed at the sensor.

I can point my rmote directly away, and slightly below, the sensor and have it work in all conditions

[EricKei]

Huh. When I was a kid, my parents had an even simpler way to change the channel. They told me or my brother to get up and change the dial "...while you're up."


...I wasn't up. I was snuggled into a pillow with my dear friends Mr PiBB and Mme Ruffles.

[dalesys]

Where are you? I need to tell the rest home that my Dad has decarcerated himself again.