TV Remote

Control
What does it do and
How does it work?
The TV remote is used
to control a television.
Most TV remotes use
infrared radiation;
however, some can also
use radio waves.
The remote works by sending signals to the system using
electromagnetic radiation. A code is translated into infrared light
signals when a button on the remote is pressed. Finally, the receiver
receives the light pulses while the processor translates them and does
the job of switching the television station. Although infrared remote
controls require a clear path in order to operate, the radio frequency
signals in some remotes can travel a longer distance and through
other objects such as walls.
 The history of the remote
Prior to remote, the only way to change a channel or control volume was with the tv itself.
A man named Eugene F McDonald wanted something that could control his tv to change channels and
control the volume without having to use his television directly. He asked his engineers at Zenith Electronics
to produce something that would satisfy this need. As a result, The company released its first remote called
the “Flashmatic”. Eugene Polley designed it and released it in 1955, but he was a mechanical engineer not AN
electrical one. The original remote design had some issues, However. Due to the sensors on this first remote,
sun could sometimes trigger them and turn the TV on. In addition, The remote was another $100 on top of
the TV itself. Zenith Electronics then went to one of their electrical engineers, Robert Adler, for a new design.
Robert Adler wanted to Originally try using radio waves but knew that would not work. The new remote,
Space Command, used hammers that hit aluminum rods inside of the remote itself (radio frequency).
Although the human ear could not hear the frequency, dogs and cats could hear it which caused further
issues. Another new remote had to be created around the 1970s because it now needed a keypad as a result of
cable television becoming popular. While in the process of making the new remote, engineers then discovered
infrared light could be used for the remote.. Today, most of our remotes use infrared light. Also, remotes have
largely evolved as they now also use voice control. Without the remote, changing television stations and
controlling the functions of our TVs would be extremely difficult, as there are now hundreds of cable tv
stations.
Works Cited
• Explain That Stuff. 2020. Remote Control. [online] Available at:
<https://www.explainthatstuff.com/remotecontrol.htmlhttps://www.explainthatstuff.
com/remotecontrol.html> [Accessed 22 November 2020].
• Dowling, S., 2020. The Surprising Origins Of The TV Remote. [online] Bbc.com.
Available at: <https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20180830-the-history-of-the-
television-remote-contro> [Accessed 22 November 2020].
• wiseGEEK. 2020. How Do Remote Controls Work? (With Pictures). [online]
Available at: <https://www.wisegeek.com/how-do-remote-controls-work.htm>
[Accessed 22 November 2020].