The thing that bothers me whenever I see a TV remote is that there doesn’t seem to be a remote control with illuminated keys, like on a computer keyboard. That way you can see the buttons even under dim lit conditions. Also, why aren’t there any remotes with a built-in battery that could be charged like a smartphone?
I don’t own a TV, but I know that back in the days of bulky CRT TV’s there were some remotes that could be iluminated. White LEDs weren’t a thing back then, so they used incandescent lamps which drained the 9V battery fast.
Why aren’t back llit and rechargeable TV remotes a thing today, especially because white LED’s and batteries are quite efficient today?
If you want rechargeable batteries, just put some eneloop batteries (or some of the cheaper, rebranded ones) in the remote. They are not like the old NiMH batteries, they hold a charge for a years.
I certainly don’t want a remote that I have to throw out in a few years because the non-replaceable lithium battery wore out.
My parents still have cable. The buttons are backlit, they turn on when you pick it up and turn off when you set it down. There’s also a mic button you can hold down and talk to input text by voice instead of typing on a virtual keyboard with a dpad. Not rechargeable but two AAs last for a year so why bother with a battery that eventually fails and renders the remote useless?
Well, reading all the answers makes me realize that there might have been a kind of evolution when it comes to TV remotes. I just didn’t come across back lit remotes when I saw them with people in my social circle. Maybe my people just don’t have the latest TV set.
Neat.
The thing that bothers me whenever I see a TV remote is that there doesn’t seem to be a remote control with illuminated keys, like on a computer keyboard. That way you can see the buttons even under dim lit conditions. Also, why aren’t there any remotes with a built-in battery that could be charged like a smartphone?
I don’t own a TV, but I know that back in the days of bulky CRT TV’s there were some remotes that could be iluminated. White LEDs weren’t a thing back then, so they used incandescent lamps which drained the 9V battery fast.
Why aren’t back llit and rechargeable TV remotes a thing today, especially because white LED’s and batteries are quite efficient today?
Didn’t this used to be common? One button glows in the dark, and if you push it a few seconds of backlight illuminate the rest of the buttons?
I swear half the remotes when I was a kid did this.
GE universal remotes did this and still do. They’re like $8 on Amazon.
If you want rechargeable batteries, just put some eneloop batteries (or some of the cheaper, rebranded ones) in the remote. They are not like the old NiMH batteries, they hold a charge for a years.
I certainly don’t want a remote that I have to throw out in a few years because the non-replaceable lithium battery wore out.
My parents still have cable. The buttons are backlit, they turn on when you pick it up and turn off when you set it down. There’s also a mic button you can hold down and talk to input text by voice instead of typing on a virtual keyboard with a dpad. Not rechargeable but two AAs last for a year so why bother with a battery that eventually fails and renders the remote useless?
Even basic remotes are pretty clever now
Well, reading all the answers makes me realize that there might have been a kind of evolution when it comes to TV remotes. I just didn’t come across back lit remotes when I saw them with people in my social circle. Maybe my people just don’t have the latest TV set.
The box Comcast sent me that I never asked for had all the features you asked for.
We have a TV remote with a solar panel on the back… Turn it over and let it recharge.
Roku has a rechargeable backlit remote with remappable buttons. It’s called something like ‘remote pro’
The Apple TV remote is rechargeable, though not backlit.
We have one like that with illuminated buttons, probably from around 2015, but it only stays on for 30 seconds or so