When we have multiple devices at our home, we’ll get frustrated by seeing a lot of remote control on the table. Sometimes, your home may have two TVs one in your welcome room and one in the bedroom. By seeing the remote cluster, you may think about using the same remote for multiple devices.
Yes, a universal remote can work on multiple TVs. You can use the same remote to control the different TVs or even multiple types of devices. All that you need to do is program the remote to your TVs using the device codes. They are designed and developed to work with different categories of devices under different brands.
| Remote | Type | Price |
|---|---|---|
| GE (General Electric) | Normal | Check Price |
| GE Backlit Featured | Normal | Check Price |
| Sofabaton U1 | Advanced | Check Price |
| Philips | Normal | Check Price |
In short, using a simple universal remote which only costs under 10$, you can use it with multiple devices at your home.
How many TVs can a universal remote control?
This is purely based on the universal remote you are using. There are many remotes in the market that can control up to 18 devices. If you buy a remote control that is 4 devices supported, you can program it for up to 4 different devices.
So many budget-friendly remotes are available in 3, 4, 6, and 8 devices supported. I personally use the GE 8-device universal remote control so that I can program it to up to 8 devices. Currently, I am using this same remote for two TVs in my home.
Recently I bought an advanced smart remote from the Sofabaton family called Sofabaton U1. It can simultaneously be programmed to up to 15 different devices under various categories like TV, DVD player, Streaming devices, Home theater system, projector, etc.
These kinds of smart controls are a little bit different in programming. While so many small-budget universal remotes are paired to the device using device codes, the smart controls can be easily programmable using a dedicated mobile application.
Some of the universal remotes compatible with multiple TVs are
- GE (ByJasco General Electric )
- RCA
- Sofabaton U1 & X1
- One for all
- Inteset
- Philips
- Onn
- Magnavox
- Xfinity Comcast
- Tivo
- Blackweb
- Brighthouse, etc
Do universal remote work on all TVs?
Yes, a universal remote can work with all TVs no matter what type of TV you are using. It works with both smart and non-smart TVs. No matter whether you are using CRT TV, LED, or LCD TVs. All the TVs are using the IR (Infrared signal) sensor to communicate with the controller. When you are using TVs from different brands like Samsung, Sony, Vizio, LG, etc, no matter this too.
How to use the same remote for multiple TVs?
Using the same remote for any TV, thus we called it a universal remote control.
Now, how to use them? By pairing it with your device through a series of steps what we called programming.
Two methods we can use.
- Program using device codes
- Pairing using a smartphone application
There are device codes available for each and every device. Find the right code for the device like a TV, and then follow the setup procedures to get it paired.
For example, when you are using a GE universal remote, and you want it to get set up with your Vizio TV, there are codes for the GE for the Vizio brand TV. Get the code, and follow the GE remote programming procedures to start using it with the TV.
The same remote can be programmed to work with another TV at your home by finding the code for that branded TV.
When it comes to the case of smart controllers, there will be a recommended mobile application. After connecting to the application Via the WiFi network, the application interface allows you to pair multiple TVs.
Hub-based advanced smart universal remotes
There are advanced smart controls that come with a hub. There is a hub device that is connected to the remote control using which the same remote can be used to control different devices distributed over different rooms in your home. This hub is suitable for building smart homes.
The hardest fact is that the hub-based universal remotes from the brand Logitech like Harmony discontinued their all products in last 2019. There was a huge fanbase for their products. But now, Sofabaton has released their universal remote with a hub called Sofabaton X1.
Pre-programmed remotes
I can see that a lot of pre-programmed remotes are available in the market where you don’t need to pair them to your TV. They come pre-programmed to the different TV brands.
Recently, one type comes when I am searching on Amazon. That universal remote is preprogrammed to up to 6 different TV brands. And there are 6 buttons for pairing. When you long-press the Samsung button for 5 seconds, the LED light blink and gets paired with the Samsung TV. And if you want to pair it with another TV, you should long press the appropriate TV brand button.
how to stop the tv remote from controlling two TVs in a room?
You may probably program the universal remote for different TVs situated in the same room. Although, the remote control the TV when you point towards it, when both TVs are almost in the same place, the remote will control both simultaneously.
The only way to overcome this issue is to unpair the remote from one TV or place the one TV in another room.
It’s not possible to unpair the one TV, but you have to reset the remote. And then pair one TV. If you don’t know how to reset it, then just remove the batteries and wait a few minutes before re-programming.
If you want to control one TV without unpairing another one, just keep some distance between the two TVs in your room.
Advantages
- Remove the remote cluster at the top of the table
- Energy savings (Just use batteries for one)
- Easy to program
Disadvantages
- Infrared signal interference because of paired with different devices
- No other disadvantages
Conclusion
As technology changes, the life of a human being become very simple. It’s beneficial to keep a universal remote control at home since it can control different TVs. When the original remote has got damaged, we can simply add one more device to the remote and control the device.
You don’t need huge money to spend to have a nice one, but the cost of the universal remotes ranges from 5$ to 200$ based on the ordinary and advanced features.