Take control of your home theater system with your smartphone or tablet
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Making phone calls has become an afterthought with today’s smartphones.
Amazon
They have evolved to send email, stream content, and access websites.
Check out some interesting remote control apps that make operating your home theater system with your phone easier.
Harmony Control
Thorough technical support.
Amazon
Frequently updated to support new devices.
May have more features than you need.
For example, you’re free to program the app to “Watch TV.”
Onkyo USA
Download For:
Amazon Alexa
Amazon
Easy integration with third-party devices.
Answers questions about weather, traffic, and more.
Takes trial-and-error to learn the appropriate voice commands.
Roku
Not as smart as Google Assistant.
The Amazon Alexa appis one of the most versatile remote apps available.
If you have a equipment that is Alexa-compatible, take advantage of the Alexa App.
Google Assistant
Onkyo USA
Answers questions using Google Knowledge Graph.
Works with many mobile devices.
The Google Assistant app is available for both Android and iOS.
Roku
Feature-rich.
Control multiple Roku TVs and devices.
Android app is glitchy.
Headphone option sometimes disconnects.
Connect earphones to your smartphone to listen to sounds from your favorite apps without disturbing others.
SURE Universal Smart TV Remote
Extremely easy to set up.
Not compatible with all devices.
Must restart the app if there’s a glitch.
May forget panel prefs.
For added flexibility, Sure Remote also supports Alexa Voice control.
Sure Remote is freely available for smartphones, but it displays periodic ads with in-app purchase support.
It is also important to note that your phone must have an IR blaster built-in to control IR-only devices.
Peel Universal Smart TV Remote
Personalized viewing suggestions.
The Peel Remote app uses either IR or Wi-Fi to control devices.
Peel also provides listings for several popular streaming services, such as Netflix and Hulu.
However, the downside is that Peel sprinkles in periodic ads.
Since the app is free, viewing the ads is the price you pay to use it.
Onkyo Controller
Offers more functionality than the factory Onkyo remote.
Interface is attractive but poorly designed.
Installation can be confusing.
Owners of Onkyo home theater models released after 2016 can use the Onkyo Controller app for iOS or Android.
The apps can also control Blu-ray Disc players and TVs connected to an Onkyo web connection receiver viaHDMI-CEC.
Yamaha online grid A/V Control App
Supports more than a dozen languages.
Ideal for music lovers.
Tiny volume control buttons.
Must regularly update firmware for it to continue working.
The app also allows control of internet radio, FM/AM, and playback from a connectedUSB flash drive.
The Music Play function also allows you to stream music from your phone to Yamaha online grid receivers.
Control4 App for OS 3
Works from long distances.
Complicated to set up.
