Infrared Tech Is Decades Old – Why Does Almost Every TV Remote Use It?

The history of TV remote controls is interesting. The very first remote control, known as Lazy Bones, didn’t even have a phone. It was introduced by Zenith Radio Corporation in 1950 and relied on a long cable to connect to the television. “Flash-Matic” from 1955 was the first wireless solution, which used visible light to send commands to four image cells placed on the front panel of the TV. Infrared (IR) remote controls became the industry standard in the 1980s and have managed to stick around for over four decades.

Infrared remote controls work by sending a quick flash of invisible light using an LED. The infrared receiver on the TV then picks up this signal and processes the command. If you point your phone’s camera at the front of the TV remote control and press the button, you may be able to see the infrared LED light. Most modern televisions now ship with Bluetooth-enabled remotes that allow for a host of features such as voice control and air gestures, but still include an IR transmitter.

The truth is, infrared technology costs almost anything to use, especially after many years of production and being the main part of TV remotes. With years of TVs, soundbars and other entertainment devices built around the standard, IR’s biggest potential is compatibility. Abandoning technology like television wouldn’t make a lot of sense, especially if Bluetooth and infrared can’t coexist in modern remotes.

A Bluetooth remote control can only control your TV if it is paired to it. If you remember setting up your smart TV for the first time, you might also remember having to pair the remote control – so how on earth did you control the TV before the remote control was connected to it? The answer is found in infrared. Your remote control uses infrared to turn on the TV, as Bluetooth may not always work with your TV in standby mode.

I tested this on my TCL smart TV, which ships with a Bluetooth remote. The remote control uses the infrared signal for only two functions: to turn the TV on and to turn it off again. Every other command, like navigating the interface using the D-pad controls or changing the volume, was sent via Bluetooth. I then configured my remote in the Bluetooth settings on my TV, and guess what? My remote went back to using infrared to send signals.

Bluetooth has one big advantage — it doesn’t need a clear line of sight to connect to the TV. So if you’re nice and cozy in the blanket, you don’t have to take your arm out every time you want to change the volume. Infrared technology works well with a battery, but this advantage doesn’t carry much weight today, given how many TV remotes default to Bluetooth. Finally, infrared may be stuck to help with initial pairing and reliable fallback, but your TV remote probably uses Bluetooth most of the time. Bluetooth also allows you to use your Android phone as a remote control.