The typical household today has a lot of electronic devices — TVs, DVD and Blu-ray players and music systems, to name just a few. And in the networked house more and more devices are being added all the time — lamps, blinds, surveillance cameras.
The dream is to control everything using a single remote control while sitting on the couch or even travelling. Fortunately, this option does exist today, at least for consumer electronics.
“The more devices that can be controlled with a universal remote control, the better,” says Michael Pleininger from German technology blog Neuerdings.com.
“A universal remote control is worthy of the name only if it really can replace all existing remote controls.”
Another important consideration is how easy the remote control is to install and use. Particularly convenient are models that can be connected to a PC via USB and then set up using an online tool. These are available from around $55.
Universal remote controls can be divided into several categories such as pre-programed models or models that are capable of learning.  There are also devices that have higher quality signal transmitters or feature LCD displays or touch-screens.
Pre-programed models have stored within them thousands of infrared commands for the many different devices sold by the major manufacturers. Programing is performed using a numerical code. Often it’s sufficient to merely align the universal remote with the device and the appropriate code will be searched for.
Smartphone or tablet apps are the competitors for universal remote control devices. Almost every manufacturer now offers free Android and iOS apps to control their devices. A prerequisite is that the phone or tablet is integrated into the same WiFi network as the device which is to be controlled.
The more expensive smartphones and tablets such as the Galaxy S6 from Samsung, the G4 and G Pad 8.3 from LG, Sony’s Xperia-Z series and the One and One Max from HTC can also work without Wi-Fi, because they have a built-in infrared module.
If an Android phone doesn’t already have an app installed, users can try free apps such as “IR Universal Remote 2.0” or “Twinone TV Remote”. There’s also the option of retrofit infrared solutions such as the Smart Zapper from One for All (around $35) or the Harmony Ultimate Hub from Logitech (around $70 ).
Combined with an app, these transform smartphones and tablets into infrared remote controls. The apps communicate with the devices via Bluetooth or Wi-Fi.
Whether an actual physical device or an app, universal remote controls are generally designed for working with consumer electronics only. A jack-of-all-trades which will control lights, blinds or kitchen appliances doesn’t exist.
“So far the smart home has been an isolated application in which each manufacturer makes their own app,” says Peter Knaak from German consumer goods tester Stiftung Warentest. “The heating has one, the blinds another.”
So a universal remote control for the smart home is still a thing of the future. That said, tablets or even the TV represent a good basis for controlling automation in the home.