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Top TV Trends for 2018

January 18, 2018January 19, 2018 ReplacementRemotes.com

It’s hard to believe 2018 is already here and we have said goodbye to 2017. As we look ahead for the coming year, there will be some new developments in televisions. For the most part, the latest technologies, like 4K HDR and OLED, will continue on without any major changes. Yet there will be some great things to look forward to if you are considering a new TV purchase this year.

TV Trends for 2018

Voice Assistant Integration

Voice assistant technologies have already found their way into the home, thanks to Alexa and Google Assistant. For 2018, expect to see this technology make its way into TVs. Aside from “speaking” to the TV, expect this technology to also to be used in new TV remote controls.

Bigger Screens for More Homes

As prices have come down, bigger screens will start to fall within most people’s budgets. Expect an upswing in the number of 65-inch and 75-inch TVs being purchased in 2018. In addition, the prices for smaller screens should continue to drop, too.

Better Integration with Other Smart Devices

Some TVs will start to work better with other smart devices in the home—for instance, being able to control your thermostat on the TV or review and finish the grocery list you started on your smart refrigerator.

As we look forward to these trends, if you need a new remote control for your TV or another entertainment device, please feel free to contact ReplacementRemotes.com at 1-877-671-7173 today!

Balancing TV Watching in the Family

June 1, 2017May 18, 2017 ReplacementRemotes.com

Among a family’s entertainment options, TV watching is often at the top of the list. Balancing the diverse options on the family’s TV can seem challenging, with so many choices from recordings on the DVR to streaming movies over the internet or playing games on apps on your smart TV.

To help make sure everyone gets to enjoy their favorites and to help prevent fighting over who gets to control the TV remote, we recommend the following tips:

Limit viewing to two hours each evening after dinner.
While watching TV, put away all other electronic devices, including smartphones.
Allow each family member to choose the movie, programs, or games on a different night of the week.
Make the weekend’s family movie nights, complete with popcorn.
Never leave the TV on as background noise.
Use TV watching as a reward for completing homework assignments and chores around the house.
If you allow your children to watch an hour of afternoon kids’ shows, sit down and watch a few episodes with them to make sure they are age appropriate.
Remember to use parental controls to block inappropriate channels.

After watching TV for the evening, shut the TV off and make this quiet time, with no electronic devices to help your kids fall asleep faster and easier. If you need a new remote control for your TV or other entertainment devices, remember to call ReplacementRemotes.com at 1-855-5-REMOTE (1-855-573-6683) for help selecting the right remote for your devices.

How to Control Binge Watching and the Amount of Time You Watch TV

May 2, 2017April 17, 2017 ReplacementRemotes.com

For many people, especially Millennials, it can be rather tempting to curl up on the couch, grab their TV remote controls, and start binge watching their favorite television series. Binge watching has become the new “in-thing” to catch up on shows without having to wait a week or longer in between episodes.

However, binge watching can ruin a series because it can take away from its original appeal. Most shows have several different levels of storytelling:

There can be a story for each episode.
There can be a story for that particular season.
And, sometimes, there even can be an overall developing story for the entire series!

Watch TV

Plus, binge watching can be a major letdown after you finish watching all available episodes. Then, you are forced to wait in anticipation for more new episodes, which, sometimes, are not available until a year later!

By altering your binge-watching habits, you can stretch out your favorite programs longer and get more enjoyment out of them.

Watch only one but no more than two episodes at a time.
Allow a full day to go by before watching another episode (i.e., every other day).
Find more than one series you want to catch up on and alternate between them.
Limit the amount of time you binge watch programs each day to that of a full-length feature film—so, no more than two-and-a-half hours a day.

By changing your binge-watching habits, you will discover you get more enjoyment out of your favorite programs and look forward to future episodes. For universal and TV remotes and related accessories, call ReplacementRemotes.com at 1-855-5-REMOTE (1-855-573-6683).

Tips for Planning a Holiday Party (Part II)

December 2, 2016November 23, 2016 ReplacementRemotes.com

In the previous blog segment, we discussed tips to help you start planning your holiday party. In this blog segment, we will provide tips you can use during the week leading up to your party.

Using your holiday menu, make a grocery list and go shopping five to seven days before your party.
Clean your house five days before the party. Concentrate on the rooms where guests will have access.
Set up a location where guests can hang up coats, jackets, and put their wet boots and shoes.
Give any rooms a quick cleaning touchup a day or two before.
Start cooking and preparing any food items you can a day or two in advance.

The day before your party, set up the dining area with plates, glasses, and silverware. For casual gatherings, consider using eco-friendly disposal products to save on cleanup.
Organize home entertainment systems and TV remotes by placing them on top of or in front of the device they control in case your guests want to use them.
The morning of your event, finish cooking and preparing the rest of the food.
A few hours before guests start arriving, start reheating food you prepared in advance, and start setting out any nonperishable food items.
Set out any remaining food about fifteen to thirty minutes before guests arrive.
Relax and have fun at your party!

ReplacementRemotes.com hopes you have enjoyed our holiday party planning tips. If you need remote control codes, remote controls, or other accessories for your electronic devices, call us at 1-855-5-REMOTE (1-855-573-6683) now!

Provide Your Resort Guests with Movie Night Entertainment Options

November 18, 2016November 22, 2016 ReplacementRemotes.com

Hotel resort guests today like looking for things to do that get them out of the room, like going to see a movie or spend time in and around the swimming pool after a long day of activities, shopping, and exploring the local area. To help make your guests happy and provide them on-site entertainment options, you should consider hosting outdoor and indoor movie nights.

Outdoor Movie Nights

You can give your guests the best of both worlds by setting up your outdoor movie night next to the pool. While they relax in the pool, they can watch a film on a big screen. You can project the movie onto the side of the building or use a portable, blow-up movie screen. For sound, consider portable, wireless surround sound speakers you can set up around the pool area. If you have a grill area nearby, consider making hotdogs and hamburger you can sell to your guests.

Indoor Movie Nights

Convert a conference room into the movie theater for the evening. Play the movie using a laptop computer connected to an HD projector. For the best sound, either use surround sound speakers or tap into your existing sound system. You can also sell freshly popped popcorn, soft drinks, and snacks.

To make controlling your outdoor and indoor movie equipment, screens, and sound system easier, consider universal remote controls from ReplacementRemotes.com. Call us at 1-855-5-REMOTE (1-855-573-6683) for further assistance now! We also carry a wide array of hospitality remotes.

A Brief History of the Television

August 8, 2016August 8, 2016 ReplacementRemotes.com

Television has changed households all across the country since the 1940s when commercial television programs were first broadcasted. During this time, many people considered the concept of the TV a passing fad that would not last. Even with some people having reservations, CBS, NBC, and ABC all started to expand their broadcast range.

By 1947, the growth of TV and acceptance that it was no longer a fad started to take hold. In the 1950s, with over 7 million TVs in U.S. homes, it paved the way for the first news broadcasts. In addition, “quiz-type” game shows started to appear. Further, by 1951 both coasts of the U.S. were linked, allowing for simultaneous broadcasts and live broadcasts nationwide.

The 1960s saw further advances in television, from sports programming to the Kennedy assassination. TV had the power to bring images, news, and more right into people’s homes. Another development during this time was the color TV, which continued to grow in popularity throughout the 1970s and 1980s.

During this same time, the TV remote became an essential accessory everyone one wanted, especially with cable TV quickly taking over broadcast TV in the 1980s. By the 1990s, people wanted bigger screens and movie-like experiences in their homes.

In the 2000s wide screen TVs started to become commonplace, and the bigger the better. High definition TVs also started to be released, offering sharper images. The 2010s continued to see refinements in technologies, like smart-Internet connected sets, Ultra HD, 3D TVs, and curved screens.

Not to mention, the weight of today’s sets is a fraction of what is was 20, 30, or even 50 years ago! With all of the latest advances in TV, it can be hard keeping track of all your remotes. This problem is easy to remedy with universal remote controls from ReplacementRemotes.com. Call us at 1-855-5-REMOTE (1-855-573-6683) now for assistance in finding the one you need.

Properly Dispose of Old or Broken Remotes Through Recycling

May 25, 2016June 15, 2016 ReplacementRemotes.com

How many times have you opened that junk drawer to find an entire collection of remote controls? Of course, you can’t find the one you need when you lost the original, but don’t take it out on these remotes. They aren’t useless. In fact, there are a couple of different things you can do with them.

Test Them Out

A remote control that did not come with your television may still work with it for minimal purposes. For example, RCA remotes generally turn on and adjust the volume of other RCA televisions. That can be helpful in a pinch.

Take Kids to the Future

While the world is waiting for ray guns to be invented, kids can pretend they already are. They can also pretend they are phones or other two-way communicators with beings from another planet or realm.

Donate to Charity

When times get tough, people are not always able to spend money on things like a replacement remote. Consider donating yours to charity for just such an occasion. You’re helping someone else and cleaning out the clutter while you’re at it.

Let Companies Reuse Them

Recycling has become a hot trend, and many electronics companies are eager to associate their names with it. They are also eager to turn a profit, so using recycled materials is something they take seriously. Consider donating one or all of the broken electronic items in your home to an electronic company near you. You will be keeping these items out of the landfills and, in the long run, you may be helping to reduce the cost of new electronics.

Reduce TV Energy Usage When Watching Television

May 25, 2016June 15, 2016 ReplacementRemotes.com

Televisions have changed quite a bit over the years. For instance, you almost have to have a TV remote in order to operate your television at all. Thankfully, that same remote can help you reduce the amount of energy your television consumes.

When Not in Use

The best way to reduce the amount of energy your TV consumes is to not allow it to consume energy when you aren’t using it. Turn it off or set it to switch into standby mode when possible, like when your show is over but you’re cooking dinner so can’t turn off the TV right away.

Manage Lighting

Your television is probably set to a brighter setting than it needs to be. Today’s televisions are made to look like a movie screen when the lights are off, so you don’t really need it to be all that bright to begin with. You can also turn on the ambient light setting so the TV can adjust itself when other lights are on. Don’t forget about radio screen blanking, either. Stream all the music you want, but since you aren’t likely to sit and stare at a picture of the album cover while your music is playing, you don’t need the screen on.

When shopping for a television, consider LCD over plasma, and be sure to look for the Energy Star label that tells you some effort went into making your television as energy efficient as possible. Just don’t forget that your TV remote has the power to reduce the energy consumed by your TV as well.

Decluttering Cables and Cords Behind Your Entertainment Center

May 9, 2016May 4, 2016 ReplacementRemotes.com

One of the biggest distractions of your state-of-the-art home theater system is all of those unsightly cables and wires that seem to become a big twisted and tangled mess behind your entertainment center. With a little organization, you can get that “cable monster” under control using these tips and suggestions:

Go wireless. From Bluetooth enabled surround sound systems to wireless remote controls, there are several devices you can upgrade to eliminate wired connections.
Detangle bunched-up cables. Disconnect all of the cables and power cords from your devices to detangle them.
Shorten cables to the desire length by wrapping them individually around your hand and using cable ties. The cables only need to be long enough to reach from each end of the connection.
Bunch cables for each device together with cable ties. Use cable ties around cables for individual devices. This will prevent them from getting tangled up with other cables from other devices.
Hide cables under or in cable covers. There are cable covers you can place over or in them that hide them from view and also keep them organized.
Use a direct outlet surge protector. There are surge protectors that plug directly into the wall and do not have a power cord, thus eliminating one cord from behind the entertainment center.

Taking the time to declutter the cords and cables helps get them better organized and prevents future messes behind the entertainment center. For color coded cables, HDMI cables, TV and universal remotes, and other accessories, call ReplacementRemotes.com at 1-855-5-REMOTE (1-855-573-6683).

Can Your Smart TV Spy on You?

May 2, 2016May 3, 2016 ReplacementRemotes.com

With smart TVs becoming more commonplace in homes, the features they provide could be spying on you. If your TV is connected to the Internet, either through Wi-Fi or hardwired to your home network, there are certain features which could be monitoring and reporting data back to the manufacturer about your viewing habits. In addition, if the TV has a built-in video camera and/or microphone, a potential hacker might be able to see and hear what you are doing in your home.

Part of the problem stems from the lack of security features in smart TVs. Even if your TV is connected to the Internet through a secure home network, you have no control over the data sent by the TV after it leaves your home. Unfortunately, many of the networks used by smart TV manufacturers are not that secure, which makes it possible for hackers to obtain the data.

Further, they could hijack the network your TV connects to, and gain access to your TV and any other devices connected through your home network.

The best solution to stop your smart TV from spying on you is to not connect it to the Internet. There are a variety of other devices, like gaming consoles and streaming boxes, that you can connect instead to access your favorite apps. These devices have stronger security features and prevent the TV from transmitting personal data.

You can obtain replacement or universal TV remotes for your smart TV and other devices from ReplacementRemotes.com. Contact us at 1-855-5-REMOTE (1-855-573-6683) today for further assistance.