Poll Results: Control Apps Gaining Popularity but Traditional Remotes Still Preferred

The results of last week’s survey are in. We asked if you use your smartphone or tablet to control A/V gear and nearly two-thirds of the 838 respondents said no, although 12 percent said they were thinking about checking out a remote control app. A quarter of respondents use a phone or tablet to control some home theater components while 10 percent use one of these devices to control all of their A/V gear. The universal remote control made a strong showing, accounting for 28 percent of the votes with manufacturer-supplied remotes coming in at 11 percent.

Comments conveyed a general lack of interest in (or disdain for) the smartphone-as-remote with complaints ranging from an overly bright screen and awkward setup to battery drain and a preference for physical buttons over touchscreen keys.

Here’s the breakdown:

1. No, I love my programmable universal remote that controls all of my gear – 28% (237 votes)

2. Yes, for a few A/V components – 25% (207 votes)

3. No, I don’t see the point – 13% (106 votes)

4. No, but I’m thinking about finding an app and checking it out – 12% (102 votes)

5. No, I love my pile of manufacturer-supplied remotes – 11% (92 votes)

6. Yes, for all of my A/V gear – 10% (83 votes)

7. Yes, for my TV only – 1% (11 votes)

Stay tuned for our next poll and feel free to suggest topics/questions.

COMMENTS
Thxtheater2's picture

Many if not most smartphone/tablet remotes are horrible. The only two products worth their salt are iRule and Roomie. I didn't like iRule's UI and tedious process for making a remote. Roomie was the most "logitech-like". Simple, easy and it just works. It's been the only product that made me get rid of all my Logitech Harmony remotes. I can customize it extensively and setup multiple rooms and unlimited devices. Plus, I can also control my iTunes and AppleTV libraries directly from Roomie. I think that smartphone and tablet remotes work better than anything else out there and I think that if more users know about the better products out there, then you'll start to see a shift in the numbers.

thaxphenomx's picture

I recently installed Roomie and agree with your statements. I tried Demopad before but it's way too much work to get it up and running. Demopad is more for custom installers who want complete control over the UI and functionality. Roomie is perfect for the average consumer as well as home theater enthusiasts such as myself. It has tons of features and they continue to upgrade it regularly. Their support responded to my email in less than an hour. I would recommend it to everyone here.

MEmanuele's picture

I love using my phone to control different parts of the house like my lighting and thermostats, but for controlling my tv I'll stick with the Universal Remote.

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