on the lower left we have the remote that comes with the hdtv satelite. it turns on the satelite, the tv and the dvd. it changes the inputs to the tv. it will change the channels on the satelite input only, not the dvd or the vcr.
on the lower right we have the only remote that can operate the onkyo surround sound box. it can change the out puts from the dvd, the vcr, and the satelite. it can also operate the vcr completely but it can only turn the dvd on and off.
the little white one turns the lights off and on and dims them and operates the ceiling fan in either direction and at different speeds.
left front in the micubano holder operates only the dvd, off and on, pause and eject. (sorry about the sexual reference)
behind it sits the remote for the vcr which is capable of programing the vcr, of course you have to program the satelite to turn on in conjunction with the vcr in order to tape something in hd.
last, but not least, on the right is the tv remote. it is mostly redundent, but it is useful for turning on captions.
but now some wise ass has developed a new system to take away all my fun.
AgileTV presents Promptu voice controlled television
AgileTV is aiming to change the way people watch TV, with a voice controlled television remote
control.
The Promptu remote is designed to replace a conventional remote control and includes a “Talk”
button and a built-in microphone, together with an infra-red receiver used in conjunction with an
existing cable box.
The remote control translates spoken commands into speech features that are sent the receiver
and then to a small runtime application in the set-top box. The actual voice recognition is
performed at the cable head-end on commodity PC based Linux systems. This can be tuned to
regional accents and can include a large vocabulary database. The response is returned in
around a second, and an on screen prompt indicates when the command has been understood.
The remote control can be told to change channel by name or number, or show programme
selections by up to 75 pre-defined categories. This perhaps demonstrates the problem of genre
classification for television programmes and displays a certain North American bias. So there are
currently categories for Cheerleading and Rodeo, but only one for Performing Arts, which might
indicate something about the intended market.
It comes with a handy reference card that helpfully explains “You can also find an actor in an Adult
program by saying ‘Find Adult Actor’ and the actor’s name”.
Voice control always seems to be a feature of visions of the future. While not dismissing its
potential application for ensuring accessibility, the Promptu approach still requires a remote
control and the user needs to hold down the Talk button when giving commands. However, the
real advantage is that it may eliminate the requirement for keyboard entry when searching for
titles, or adult actors.
Promptu is currently on trial by Comcast and Time Warner in the Philadelphia region. Comcast
chief executive Brian Roberts has been quoted as calling it “one of my favourite new pieces of
technology”.
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