It is always a challenge for designers to fit all the functions and buttons onto such a small panel. But why can't they just keep the layout easy to use? I have found that there are many buttons on my TV remote that I don't even use or know what they are for. When there are too many buttons on one remote, users might press the wrong button and it could take them longer to find the right button. This gets even worse when you are using a remote at someone else's place.
And with an universal remote, some people find it handy to just have one remote and use it for a few devices, such as TV and VCR. But I am never a big fan of that. I always like to keep and use the remote that came with the device, because those remotes are made particularly for those devices and they probably have certain buttons and controls.
What could be annoying when using a universal remote is switching between ''modes''. Sometimes a button might have one effect when it is in TV mode and a completely different effect when in VCR mode. It gets confusing when one control can perform double duty. And error is most likely to occur, as the user must know, not only which button to press and also which mode it is in effect, especially when there is no signal to let the user know which mode they are currently in. When designing a remote, designers have purposely created modes to save space, so that the remote is small enough to be held in the hand. And also to save money by reducing the number of buttons and display, which are generally expensive design elements.
I personally don't like too many buttons on my remote. It just makes it more complex to use. And sometimes the buttons are too small and uncomfortable to press. I must say there could be better ways to control TVs/VCRs with or without a remote.
- Hannie Choi
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