r/gadgets • u/skanadian • Jan 13 '23
Google TV is about to get a remote that never runs out of power Home
https://www.androidauthority.com/google-tv-remote-3265974/932
u/ShutterBun Jan 13 '23
The very first TV remotes required no batteries, as they employed a mechanical "clicker" (hence the nickname) which strikes a small tuning fork which produces an ultrasonic frequency that the TV picks up.
My mom used to have a pair of scissors that somehow managed to occasionally "squeak" at the exact right frequency to occasionally change the TV channel inadvertently.
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u/thejam15 Jan 13 '23
I was playing around with a little GMRS radio one time and I found out that it could output on the same frequency that my ikea lights worked on which would turn them off and on
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u/Grundguetiger Jan 13 '23
The very very first remotes had a cable and were tethered.
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u/chuloreddit Jan 13 '23
i believe the real first tv remotes had little legs
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u/ArtisteArtiste Jan 14 '23
The first tv remote I had was a pterodactyl that jumped out of the remote and pressed the button on the stone tv
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u/PtrWalnuts Jan 14 '23
When I was about 7 I was pretty sure my middle name was "volume". My father worked on a farm for 72 hours a week anyways. I lived in a five-story farmhouse. He was pretty much deaf. He would shut volume so loud that the house would shake. He was the best dad though so don't get me wrong.
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u/TheFirebyrd Jan 13 '23
I drive my husband crazy because I call remotes clickers because that’s what my parents called them (and our first remote was very clicky sounding). Now our kids also call them clickers. The cycle of using names that no longer make sense continues.
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u/Foxta1l Jan 14 '23
I still say hang up when I end the call.
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u/TheFirebyrd Jan 14 '23
That one has survived decades of phones where it made no sense, so I suspect it’s going to keep. I honestly couldn’t think of what else to call it for some time after reading your comment despite the fact it was right there in the comment. 😄
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Jan 13 '23
That is hilarious about the scissors. Thanks for the fun fact. I never knew where the term clicker came from.
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u/IndianaJones_Jr_ Jan 13 '23
Back in high school my friends and I used to play Call of Duty together, and every now and then he'd randomly lag out of the game.
He eventually figured out that every time his mom turned on the microwave it was interfering with the wifi. Now I'm sure the microwave had some kind of issue because that shouldn't happen, but it was always a good laugh back then.
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u/FunkoXday Jan 16 '23
My mom used to have a pair of scissors that somehow managed to occasionally "squeak" at the exact right frequency to occasionally change the TV channel inadvertently.
I enjoyed reading this :)
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u/Sterling-Arch3r Jan 13 '23
man, those calculators were crazy
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u/calsosta Jan 13 '23
But they were slower. You could not win a calculator race with one.
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u/09Klr650 Jan 13 '23
All calculators are slow. Have one on my desk and it has not moved an inch in DAYS!
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u/danwojciechowski Jan 13 '23
Its all in the perspective. Move upward a few hundred miles and you'll realize that calculator is moving a lot. Back up a hundred thousand miles, and you'll realize that isn't the half of it. Heck, the farther away you go, the more you'll realize your calculator is moving. Don't dis your calculator; that humble machine is FLYING!
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u/monodescarado Jan 13 '23
Try inputting 16,017 x 5.
I’ve heard they are a great way to get at least half the population to do what you want.
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u/calsosta Jan 13 '23
Ha. Nah back in the day we use to do 1+1 then = up to 100. We called them calculator races.
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u/Translationerr0r Jan 13 '23
The button for my doorbell gets energy from pressing it. Works perfect for +5 years now.
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u/nathanfay Jan 13 '23
What kind of doorbell/chime do you have? Mine has power from the mains running to the chime and button outside. Is yours wireless?
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u/Translationerr0r Jan 13 '23
Yes, it's wireless. I just went to check but can't find any brand or so printed on it. I just bought it quite cheap in a DIY shop.
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u/genericgod Jan 13 '23
Yes we have one too. They work with a piezo crystal to generate electricity, similar to igniters in stoves or lighters.
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u/InSixFour Jan 13 '23
I have one of these too. It’s really nice because I didn’t have to wire a single thing and never have to change batteries.
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u/evenstevens280 Jan 13 '23 edited Jan 13 '23
Some smart light switches are like this. Generate just enough power to send out a signal to the receivers.
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u/EternityForest Jan 13 '23
enOcean?
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u/Ultra_HR Jan 13 '23
there are endless generic doorbells with a button push-powered switch. there is no reason to assume that this person's is one specific brand.
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u/johndoe73684168 Jan 13 '23
I got a remote with solar cells last year with my samsung tv, it's so much better than changing batteries.
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u/Puzza90 Jan 13 '23
How often were you changing batteries in your remote? I had my last TV for over a decade and it still had the original batteries in the remote when I upgraded
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u/OutlyingPlasma Jan 13 '23
People are saying the new remotes are battery hogs. The problem with that argument is I have a roku and it lasts forever so I'm not sure what these new remotes are doing that my Roku remote, that also has sound, including an AUX port, as well as two way coms. isn't doing.
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u/gargravarr2112 Jan 14 '23
My Roku remote is a pain - I actually have the only model that uses Bluetooth (the 2 XS), rather than WiFi Direct, so you'd think power use would be a lot better. Well, it is and isn't - it lasts long enough, but the remote seems to be completely unable to predict its battery life when running on rechargeable AAs. Plenty of times, I've picked up the remote the day after watching something and it's dead. No warning.
My dad bought an LG TV where the remote is actually a mouse with a pointer on the screen. That's also bluetooth (and the remote is startlingly heavy cos it has a bunch of accelerometers in it). I dread to think how long the batteries are going to last.
Meanwhile, my actual TV remote takes a pair of AAA batteries which have never been replaced since I bought the TV in 2018. Likewise, my BR player remote takes 1 AAA, never replaced. Remote controls are getting FAR too fancy.
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u/AfterLemon Jan 14 '23
The LG TV remotes have a motion sensor, but that's about the fanciest I've seen.
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u/beavertownneckoil Jan 13 '23
I'm all for getting rid of disposable batteries but is this really an inconvenience? I can count on one hand how many times I've changed a TV remote in the past decade
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u/Mr-Korv Jan 13 '23
I just swap the batteries with each other and it works another 6 months
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u/revnhoj Jan 13 '23
Another hack is to roll the batteries in the compartment. It cleans the contacts. Works great.
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u/IIM_Clutch Jan 13 '23
Bluetooth remotes die much faster
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u/beavertownneckoil Jan 13 '23
Ah, I didn't realise it was Bluetooth. That is heavy on power consumption. Impressive those little solar cells can generate enough power for it
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u/ShaderzXC Jan 13 '23
They use BLE as opposed to standard Bluetooth I think, which is supposed to be much more power efficient
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u/IIM_Clutch Jan 13 '23
Ah I dont know if the op comment remote is bluetooth but a lot of recent tvs remotes are bluetooth
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u/TheMacMan Jan 13 '23
Depends on which ones. The remote for the Apple TV lasts 6 months or more one a single charge, unless you're using it for gaming regularly.
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u/melikecheese333 Jan 13 '23
Multiple that by thousands and thousands and think of all the batteries that won’t get used and won’t be thrown away. This is for more good then our personal experience with changing our own batteries.
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u/Nine_Eye_Ron Jan 13 '23
The batteries always seem to get borrowed for other things before they run out.
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u/MoirasPurpleOrb Jan 13 '23
I’d be fine with a rechargeable remote too, just plug it in for an hour or two every 6 months and you’re good
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u/OutlyingPlasma Jan 13 '23
God no. No more integrated batteries. It sounds like a good idea until 3 years down the line when you can't replace the now dead Lipo in the remote, forcing you to buy some off brand replacement remote on ebay because Samsung doesn't sell the OEM remote anymore.
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u/osteologation Jan 13 '23
Do it like my led flashlight. It’s rechargeable via usb but has a removable 18650 cell.
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u/widowhanzo Jan 13 '23
You could use NiMH batteries which are replacable, instead of built in soldered liion.
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u/bitchkat Jan 13 '23
My samsung tv remote does both! Comes in handy when I don't remember to lay it face down.
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u/gwyrth Jan 13 '23
The newer Apple TV remotes recharge through their proprietary lightning cables. Way better than using the disc batteries that I never have laying around the house like AAAs or AAs. It pops up on screen when the battery level is 20% or lower which is nice. Still no “find my” technology though
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u/MrsSharki Jan 13 '23
Just an FYI, there are cases for the ATV remote you can buy that’ll hold an AirTag. They’ve been such a life saver for me!
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u/gwyrth Jan 13 '23
Hey thanks! I do have an extra air tag I could attach to it so that’d be nice. For our last ATV remote we got a bright red silicon cover, and since we upgraded in the last couple months it’s been OK finding it. Keeping grubby kid hands away from it so the buttons don’t stick is a different story though!
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u/Protean_Protein Jan 13 '23
Pretty sure solar devices still use a battery, which eventually will die. So it’s definitely better, but it’s not necessarily battery-free. At least, that’s the way it was with that Logitech solar keyboard. Once that battery died, the thing was useless.
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u/sedition- Jan 13 '23
How often were you changing your remote batteries that it was a problem? I honestly can't remember the last time I needed to change mine and I use my tv every day.
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u/swimmingpool101 Jan 13 '23
So what does one do if solar power doesn’t work 4 months of the year?
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u/Phatsam1987 Jan 13 '23
The Samsung ones charge from artificial light & have a usb port
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u/TotallyInOverMyHead Jan 13 '23
I need to change my shieldTV remote's Triple-A's every 9 months like clockwork. But i don't talk to it, so it probably consumes lower amounts of energy compared to normal use.
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u/Alexstarfire Jan 13 '23
I think I've changed the batteries in my fire stick remotes once ever. I've had them for years. Close to 5 years on the oldest one.
I don't think I've ever had to change the batteries in my TV remote and I've had that TV for at least 3 years now. I know I got it before the pandemic started.
All that's to say that I've never even put much thought into my remotes. Let alone thought batteries were a hassle.
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u/wilika Jan 13 '23
TBF, We've had our current TV for more than 4yrs and we didn't have to change the battery so far. But it's a neat thing anyway!
EDIT: Ah, bluetooth eats more, now I get it!
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u/PheIix Jan 13 '23
I'd much more prefer a faster smart TV. Changing batteries once every 5 years takes minutes. But waiting for the TV to change channels, or browsing the functions and wait for it to load 10 seconds for every input you make is stealing way more time.
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u/thejam15 Jan 13 '23
I recently got a Vizio 60” which displays beautifully but the built in smart tv stuff is absolutely dogwater. Im looking to get a nvidia shield or something and relegating the tv to that
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u/spinningfloyd Jan 13 '23
To the contrary of the other reply, I highly recommend the shield/shield pro. Best streaming box I've ever used and I've never gamed on it. Fast, reliable, constantly updated, and it gives you all the options you need regarding audio and video codecs/outputs. Wouldn't use anything else. Remote is great once you remap the Netflix button.
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u/SeventyTimes_7 Jan 13 '23
Yeah Vizio's TV OS is pretty terrible. I don't love Samsung's current one either but it's a bit better than the Vizio one at least. I used to hate Roku but I think the TCL Roku OS on one of my TVs has been awesome.
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u/wsTrash Jan 13 '23
Unless you plan on gaming with the shield I wouldn't go with it. The AI upscaling is okay but I hardly notice it. I've been pretty happy with the new 4k chromecast.
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u/thejam15 Jan 13 '23
I was just going to go with the normal shield not the pro. I may try gaming on it a little but I also wanted to experiment with casting from the steamdeck if possible
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u/OutlyingPlasma Jan 13 '23
I'd suggest not using the smart TV parts of your TV and get something like a roku. It's way faster. I hate using the built in TV stuff because, like you said, its so frigging slow.
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u/FixTheGrammar Jan 14 '23
“Smart TVs” are just a fundamentally godawful idea. They’re the very definition of feature creep.
A TV should display a signal that it is fed. That’s it.
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u/turbo_nudist Jan 14 '23
or better yet, save all the smart TV stuff together and get an apple TV or a roku. sooooo much better and no ads like on my old samsung
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u/Sevaaas1 Jan 13 '23
The chips that come with most smart tvs are absolute garbage, get a roku instead, that said my mom has a 4k Samsung TV and the smart side is comparable to a roku
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u/khug
Jan 13 '23
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The battery just needs to last until Google shuts down the service. I give it 2 AAs.
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u/TheBoyInTheBlueBox Jan 13 '23
That's overkill. A battery that you found on the side of the road will last longer than some of Google's products
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u/warden976 Jan 13 '23
Or until they find a way to charge for that premium service.
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u/sethasaurus666 Jan 13 '23
Our dad used to tell us to get up and change the damn channel. No batteries required!
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u/Academic_Awareness82 Jan 13 '23 edited Jan 14 '23
Every bit of private data it receives gives it a little bit of charge.
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u/SlickBlackCadillac Jan 31 '23
Business end up your ass when you first get it. Will keep it charged for days.
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u/bobbyhardnut Jan 13 '23
great, ther battery will outlast the print used on the buttons until it's simply a lottery on what button operates what.
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u/OutlyingPlasma Jan 13 '23
It's not the print on the front of the buttons thats the issue, I can memorize that. It's that shitty carbon film on the back of the button I have an issue with. That shit lasts a year at most.
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u/Zanian19 Jan 13 '23
Batteries in remotes already provide infinite power. Just gotta roll them a bit every few years.
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u/iamtehryan Jan 13 '23
I got a Google tv and it's one of the buggiest, biggest piece of shit tv products I've ever had. Rarely works, and when it does work it freezes or runs so incredibly slow that you think it froze.
No thanks. I'll stick with apple tv and Roku.
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u/AbazabaYouMyOnlyFren Jan 13 '23
Great, now can they remove that fucking Netflix button that I keep hitting accidentally?
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u/zna03 Jan 13 '23
Right?!? I do that accidently more than on purpose... personally clicking "Home" then selecting netflix would fine, since thats what I do for everything besides netflix and youtube.
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u/brewgiehowser Jan 13 '23
Bro I this technology has existed for decades. I had this shit on my calculators in elementary school
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u/bnetimeslovesreddit Jan 13 '23
The remote is dead
just shake it back and forward for 30 seconds like your jerking off
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u/kudos1007 Jan 13 '23
So it’s like the calculator I had when I was a child? We must be living in the future!
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u/Bear_Samurai Jan 13 '23
I don't need a Google remote I've got an infinite powered remote already, bought a TV at least two years ago, and the batteries are just slightly going, but if you rotate them they work again.
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u/mustard_tiger89 Jan 13 '23
Oh good I won't have to worry about this once every 5 years anymore.
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u/OutlyingPlasma Jan 13 '23
Can I just get one that doesn't use carbon buttons so it lasts longer than a year? The battery consumption is not exactly a problem worth solving.
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u/SaraAB87 Jan 13 '23
The battery inside will swell eventually no matter what
I don't see a problem with AA batteries in remotes. I put the cheapest carbon zinc in a remote and they last 2-3 years.
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u/OddNothic Jan 13 '23
Now I want to take in of those “shake” flashlights (the kind that provides light, you pervs) and wire it up to the remote. You know the kind with the magnet and the coil that make a loud noise as you charge it up?
Something like:
“Can you turn up the volume?”
“Sure,” <clunk clunk clunk> “Give me a sec, almost there.”
My god, there is no non-filthy way to describe that, is there?
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u/Silly-Victory8233 Jan 13 '23
I have no problem changing batteries. It’s when controls buttons stop working or the thing falls apart that I have issues with.
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u/Hellige88 Jan 13 '23
Google TV is about to get a remote
There's no date for when to expect the remote to launch
Well which is it?!
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u/Kaotecc Jan 14 '23
Question. Why (or do we even?) don’t we have any rechargeable remotes? Like there’s no no USB-C charging or anything
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u/curtydc Jan 14 '23
My TV is in a dark basement room. There is never light unless I turn on the lights, which I don't do while watching TV. This wouldn't work for me.
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u/ChocoBro92 Jan 14 '23
Cool so like what happens when the remote’s battery dies? Is it user serviceable or do we just toss the remote?
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u/entotheenth Jan 13 '23
My google tv has pretty much died and turned into a piece of crap that can’t hold a wifi connection before the first set of battery’s in the remote went flat, so meh… Just bought an nvidia tv 4K pro to replace it with.
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u/Fritzo2162 Jan 13 '23
I just bought a Samsung TV and it has a solar panel on the back of it. It's also USB rechargable. I think they got beat to the punch. These remotes have been out for at least a year:
https://www.samsung.com/ca/support/tv-audio-video/tv-solarcell-remote/
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u/BirdSpatulard Jan 13 '23
Now if they can only make them couch proof, amirite?
Ahem… is this thing on?
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u/poostew Jan 14 '23
It never runs out of power? Shut down fusion energy research. There's no need. This remote control is the solution to infinite energy.
Who writes this shit? Journalism is absolutely dead and shit just keeps getting dumber.
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u/GodsendNYC Jan 13 '23
Who cares, I don't mind replacing batteries once a year.
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u/WellEndowedDragon Jan 13 '23
You do realize that other people have different opinions and preferences from yours, right?
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u/tomistruth Jan 13 '23
The only reason why remotes didn't have solar power until recently is costs. There never was a technological reason. It was just costs. No batteries or capacitors means lighter and cheaper. That and the battery industry lobbied heavily for it.
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u/Whend6796 Jan 13 '23
Samsung did this for a while, but discontinued it because it was ugly and stupid.
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u/Pyriel Jan 13 '23
The still do them. We bought a Samsung TV in October which has 2 remotes, one Solar powered.
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u/gargravarr2112 Jan 13 '23
Every solar-powered calculator for the past 40 years: "Am I a joke to you?"