Crowdfunded NEEO Remote Won't Affect Remotes.com Sales, Says Company President

PORTLAND, Ore. - Jan. 29, 2015 - PRLog -- A groundbreaking new universal remote solution just smashed its funding goal on Kickstarter, but Remotes.com president Robert Wallace doesn't believe the device will have a huge impact on the remote replacement industry.

NEEO, a crowdfunded hub-and-remote device discussed in a Popular Science article from Jan. 13, 2015, will be able to integrate wirelessly with any wi-fi enabled device in a user's home, from light switches to stereos to televisions. It won't need TV remote codes to program, and it's smart enough to recognize users and load their preferences.

According to Wallace, it's highly likely that more devices like NEEO will appear on the market as electronics become smarter. "Everyone wants a single remote to control all the components," Wallace said. "NEEO's attempt is just the latest."

Still, he doesn't expect the increased focus on universality to affect his business. "Over 20 years of customer feedback has shown us at Remotes.com that the best remote is the original manufacturer's remote. It matches the instructions in the owner's manual, works without having to be programmed, and has all the functions your TV was designed to perform."

He added that Remotes.com has never carried universal remotes and has no plans to start carrying them. "We have only OEM and replacement remotes that do not need to be programmed and work immediately right out of the box. Original remotes give you every feature your equipment was designed to perform. Universal remotes many times give you just the basic functions."

According to Wallace, universal remotes that are cheap and easy to find are almost never guaranteed to work with a user's device. And while they will give users some functionality, like adjusting the volume or turning the set on and off, most won't let you access every feature of your device.

As for smart devices, Wallace doesn't believe they'll ever outpace traditional remotes. "There will always be the early adapters willing to load up their smartphone with another app," said Wallace. "App-based remotes for a smartphone are fun until your phone rings. Ever try to put your TV on mute and answer a call with a smartphone remote? I don't see early adapters throwing away their OEM remotes to use app remotes."

About Remotes.com

Remotes.com connects TV watchers around the world with the replacement remotes they need. Remotes.com sells factory original replacement remotes so that customers can replace the remote they lost or broke with an exact match; reprogramming not required. They offer remote controls that work with a wide variety of brands. To learn more, visit www.remotes.com