Reduce number of remotes?

[Mrs B]

I recently acquired a Humax DTR T2000. I have a Samsung TV, a remote from my last box (BT YouView) and one for my Samsung sound bar. Plus the remote which came with the Humax.
Any ideas for reducing the 4 - without a very expensive outlay?

 

[Luke]

The remotes for the DTR-T2000 and the BT YouView are interchangeable. They both can use the other's remote.
A zero cost sulution of putting one of their remotes at the back of a drawer (for a spare) would reduce the remotes down to 3.

 

[Mrs B]

The remotes for the DTR-T2000 and the BT YouView are interchangeable. They both can use the other's remote.
A zero cost sulution of putting one of their remotes at the back of a drawer (for a spare) would reduce the remotes down to 3.

Unfortunately, the remote which came with the T2000 doesn’t have a Source button, as does the BT YouView.

 

[Black Hole]

without a very expensive outlay?

What do you call expensive? Universal handsets start at around £20, it just depends how much functionality you want.

 

[Mrs B]

What do you call expensive? Universal handsets start at around £20, it just depends how much functionality you want.

I’ll take a look. I’m just concerned one function may be missing!

 

[Black Hole]

You'll almost certainly have to accept not all functions will be catered for with buttons, but something like a One-4-All can reprogram buttons to do what you want if you sacrifice a function you don't use much.

If you want to retain full functionality, you have very little choice than to use the original handsets - even the most expensive universals are limited in some way or another.

 

[Mrs B]

You'll almost certainly have to accept not all functions will be catered for with buttons, but something like a One-4-All can reprogram buttons to do what you want if you sacrifice a function you don't use much.

If you want to retain full functionality, you have very little choice than to use the original handsets - even the most expensive universals are limited in some way or another.

Thanks for your help. I’ve ordered a One4All.

 

[gomezz]

If you want to retain full functionality, you have very little choice than to use the original handsets - even the most expensive universals are limited in some way or another.

Not so. My Harmony remote can do everything that all the remotes it replaces can do and more. The one remote that I use for anything more than basic operation though is the one for my old Pioneer DVD/HDR which has the most button-ridden remote I have ever seen including three different types of "Home" key!

 

[Black Hole]

My Harmony remote

Which one, pray?

 

[gomezz]

Ultimate One. With its touch screen you can add as many soft keys as you want to duplicate all the buttons on any remote control. And don't be fooled by the apparent sparsity of physical buttons. Each button can be allocated a Short Press function and a Long Press button so doubling the effective number of physical buttons. For example, I use Short Press on the DVR button to list recordings and Long Press to list timers.

 

[Black Hole]

When I said "even the most expensive", I wasn't really including the >£100 handsets. Throw enough money at anything...

Does it eat through batteries, or do you have to keep it charged up?

What about phones? I would be surprised if there are no plug-in IR emitters controlled by a cheap app.

 

[gomezz]

When I said "even the most expensive", I wasn't really including the >£100 handsets. Throw enough money at anything...

So when you say what you mean you don't mean what you say.

 

[RobH1]

See here

 

[Black Hole]

That's a shame, but I think it was hinted at before.

 

[bottletop]

When I said "even the most expensive", I wasn't really including the >£100 handsets. Throw enough money at anything...

Does it eat through batteries, or do you have to keep it charged up?

What about phones? I would be surprised if there are no plug-in IR emitters controlled by a cheap app.

I've tried https://irplus-remote.github.io/ with an android mobile that had built in IR transmitter.
Although it works, I find the using a flat touch screen as a remote is not ideal. It you try to have as many buttons as possible on a single screen, the buttons end up being too small. If you make them a decent size, you have to scroll the screen. It is just difficult to use without looking at the screen all the time.
A physical remote has tactile keys and different shaped ones that you can guess from the feel and placement. That cannot be replicated on a flat surface. The other issue is when you try to feel for, say, the volume or channels keys by touch (without depressing the button). You can do that on a physical remote but not on a touch screen!
Eg the RM-F04 layout on the app looks great for occasional use, but doesn't adapt well as a regular replacement.

 

[Mrs B]

I bought the One for All URC7140. It’s brilliant. The ‘missing’ controls were soon copied from my YouView remote. None missing now. It evens switches on/off TV, PVR and soundbar simultaneously!