In consumer electronics, a remote control is a component of an electronic device

such as a television set, DVD player, or other home appliance, used to operate
the device wirelessly from a short distance. Remote control is a convenience fea
ture for the consumer, and can allow operation of devices that are out of conven
ient reach for direct operation of controls.
Commonly, remote controls are Consumer IR devices which send digitally-coded pul
ses of infrared radiation to control functions such as power, volume, tuning, te
mperature set point, fan speed, or other features. Remote controls for these dev
ices are usually small wireless handheld objects with an array of buttons for ad
justing various settings such as television channel, track number, and volume. F
or many devices, the remote control contains all the function controls while the
controlled device itself has only a handful of essential primary controls.
Earlier remote controls in 1973 used ultrasonic tones. The remote control code,
and thus the required remote control device, is usually specific to a product li
ne, but there are universal remotes, which emulate the remote control made for m
ost major brand devices.
Remote control has continually evolved and advanced over recent years to include
Bluetooth connectivity, motion sensor-enabled capabilities and