Home Theater Hacks

Chapter 10. Remote Controls

Hacks 84–89

Imagine the joy of inviting over your closest friends to check out your new home theater system. You've got the expensive sconce lights dimmed, the curtains drawn over your projector screen, and all your gear elegantly tucked away into cabinets that match the wood veneers of your speakers. Your 7.1-channel processor is glowing, and speakers are all around. Your friends sit down, ready to see and hear something special…

…and they're greeted with the sounds of you fumbling around in a drawer. They begin to snicker as you pull out first one remote, and then another, and then yet another. Ten minutes later, you've managed to get the curtains open and the sound working, but instead of Stargate, the picture on the screen is of a little cartoon girl with her monkey friend, apparently saying something about a backpack. You've been completely embarrassed by the smallest, but arguably the most important, part of your home theater system—the remote control.

No matter how sophisticated your home theater system is, your remote has to be more so. In fact, as this little anecdote illustrates, your remote better be able to handle everything your system has to offer, without a hitch and without needing a stand because it's huge and unwieldy. Welcome to the world of remote controls.