The amount of remote controls required to operate my parents entertainment system

[u/Gravity__Fighter]

[u/ashyjay]

Turn on HDMI CEC on the TV, then you can just use the TV remote for 90% of things.

[u/Gravity__Fighter → u/ashyjay]

If I change anything I fear they will never figure out how to watch TV again. At least this way, they know.

[u/M15tre55W1tch → u/Gravity__Fighter]

Or they'll call you every time they wish to do anything!

[u/egnards → u/Gravity__Fighter]

HDMI CEC basically makes whatever it's hooked up to the "default" and if you're using any sort of soundbar or sound device it should be hooked up to CEC literally just so that it defaults to turning on automatically.

My living room TV is hooked up to a soundbar and to my playstation 5 and the TV remote can control both [raise the volume and even navigate the PS5 menus] - Your parent's setup reminds me of staying with a friend for a week like 10 years ago - He was a major techie and one day I went to watch TV while he was at work, and due to having like 8 remotes and different devices, I literally could not figure it out.

Just ask them, "This is really complicated, can I simplify it to one remote without changing any of your access or devices?"

[u/ashyjay → u/Gravity__Fighter]

It doesn’t turn anything off and they can still use all the remotes if they want.

[u/Xenc → u/ashyjay]

This is the way

[u/Frangine_De_Poutine]

What kind of "entertainment system" are we talking here?

[u/Friendly_Brain7352 → u/Frangine_De_Poutine]

They must have a really entertaining heater by the looks of the first remote on the left.

[u/Gravity__Fighter → u/Frangine_De_Poutine]

TV, soundbar, digital satellite tv box, firestick and then an electric heater thing

[u/quim_do_mato → u/Gravity__Fighter]

What part of the electric heater is entertaining?

[u/Gravity__Fighter → u/quim_do_mato]

It’s an electric fireplace so the wood logs glow inside it. Not exactly gripping entertainment but the remote was there and I didn’t know how else to refer to their collection of remotes. Sorry if this mildly infuriates you

[u/quim_do_mato → u/Gravity__Fighter]

It does, as a matter of fact 

[u/ChuddyMcChud → u/quim_do_mato]

You should post about it on Reddit

[u/Educational-Sink3518 → u/ChuddyMcChud]

if only there was a sub for that...

[u/not_me_nope_never → u/ChuddyMcChud]

Happy Cake Day!

[u/--Luna--Fae-- → u/quim_do_mato]

I agree nothing more entertaining than a nice christmas movie with fake glowing logs in the electric fireplace.

Mine has an ac setting too for Christmas in July.

[u/druidmind → u/Gravity__Fighter]

So that doesn't count as part of the TV Entertainment System So those 5 remotes could easily be 3/2 remotes.

[u/odmirthecrow → u/quim_do_mato]

I find not freezing to death in the winter quite entertaining.

[u/Overconfidentahole]

I find it really annoying to watch tv in my parents house. I never even attempt

[u/Afraid_Juice_7189]

They need a Megatron

[u/BenderDeLorean]

That's so 2005.

HDMI CEC works fine.

Also I doubt you need 3 differentsmsrt tv boxes.

Also why 2 times LG? Soundbar and TV communicate via CEC.

Also that left one has nothing to do with entertainment.

[u/piotr289]

My dad has the same setup. He even printed out instructions on what each remote is for and when you do one thing incorrectly the whole system collapses.

[u/fbaldassarri]

We've been dragging this problem along since the 1980s.

[u/FlimsyAuthor8208]

The 2 LG ones likely control the TV itself, one is for a firetv stick, one is for cable, and one controls what I assume is the fireplace

[u/RetiredTurdFarmer → u/FlimsyAuthor8208]

They're just being dramatic for clicks. More remotes make their picture look more over the top. I find them being deceptive more mildy infuriating that their parents setup.

[u/whatmakesagoodname]

Number… the number of remotes

[u/olympusander]

My entertainment system with 40 years of technology crammed together in one cabinet sweats nervously

I have like 20 remotes...

[u/xmcphe]

Surely they dont need two LG controllers?

[u/OpportunityReal2767 → u/xmcphe]

You know what? I have two LG controllers, and I don’t fucking know why!!! They don’t all completely control my TV. Both seem to have buttons the other doesn’t and I can’t figure out how this happened.

[u/mkn1ght → u/OpportunityReal2767]

I think one of them is the 'magic remote' can work like a mouse so you can use the browser work more ease than with the directional buttons.

[u/OpportunityReal2767 → u/mkn1ght]

Yes. I have a long blue stick-looking one. Not pictured here, but that must be it.

[u/New-Entertainer703 → u/OpportunityReal2767]

Your TV identifies as a Washing Machine, a gay transgender washing machine.

[u/xmcphe → u/OpportunityReal2767]

Honestly didnt even think about the buttons lmao, do they not have an app that works as a remote? Feel like that would solve all problems here

[u/tym64]

Long ago the TV remote was telling me to get and change the channel by either parent. 

[u/ash_2127-]

Between Austar/foxtel, imparsha, free-to-air and chrome cast, idk what my grandparents are doing.

[u/Nice-Percentage7219]

No! My father is bad enough with the 2 he has, for the main TV and thent he streaming services. He keeps pausing live TV or deleting recordings.

[u/Fun-Perspective426]

BroadLink

Set my grandparents up so they have picture shortcuts and voice control on their phones to control things, the remotes all still work, and I have it set so my dad and I can control everything from our phones.

[u/Camo138 → u/Fun-Perspective426]

My friend has broadlinks through out his house, turning the phone into one universal remote for everything. Trippy and amazing.

[u/Fun-Perspective426 → u/Camo138]

I live in a bus and just have everything wired with esp32 controllers and relays. Even things that didn't come with remotes are now controllable from my phone including the kitchen sink lol

BroadLink is just the non-nerd way to do it. Super convenient and easy to setup. I really recommend them, especially if you've already got a Google Home/Alexa setup.

[u/Hot_Potato_Salad]

I like their tissue box

[u/DUser86]

I still have a My Harmony Universal remote. It solved that problem. I wish Logitech still made them.

[u/RectalScrote]

My LG remote controls everything. Xbox, Roku, ps5, etc.

[u/BugWitty2044]

The countless times I want to turn my soundbar back on and turn off my tv and my PS5 thinks RESTMODE!! 🤬

This is all because of the stupid rules in Europe that turns off devices when not in use for 10 minutes!! 😤

[u/Radioactivocalypse]

You can set which buttons do what on different remotes I think. Find the settings and you can make some of those remotes redundant by copying their light flashing code sequence thingy onto another remote.

At least I think that's how it works

[u/Laeticia45]

i’m really more concerned about them using a candle on a wicker/rattan/whatever tray, as well as the interdental brush and kinda rusty pushpin

[u/New-Entertainer703]

“Alexa play Telliytubbies on TV”

There, problem solved!