What a turn-on!

By MARTHA McKAY
STAFF WRITER

When I watch TV with my husband, he controls the remote.

I don't always enjoy this arrangement, but marriage is nothing if not compromise. Besides, somewhere in the DNA of most American males is a remote-control gene that the poor fellas are helpless to fight against.

Still, he was unimpressed when I brought home the Miracle Remote the other day.

I, however, thought it was pretty handy.

It's rare these days for a company to use technology to create something straightforward and easy to use. More often, they pack advanced features into their gadgets, hoping to make them stand out in the overcrowded and hyper-competitive consumer electronics market.

Not so with the remote control experts at Ridgefield-based Miracle Remote LLC. With 30-plus years of experience making and selling remote controls – and listening to consumers -- the team of engineers decided the market needed something simple.

The Miracle Remote will operate your TV if you lose or break your remote control, or even if you just want another one. The point is, there are no codes to enter and no programming instructions. You just slip in two AA batteries and, as the company says on the box, "It just works."

And the Miracle Remote isn't aiming to operate all your entertainment devices -- just the TV.

It promises to operate almost every function on every set made since 1988 by seven manufacturers: Sony, Toshiba, Sharp, JVC, Mitsubishi, Hitachi and Samsung. It also has a model that works on Emerson, Symphonic and Sylvania TVs made since 1998, which have something called a game input button. By the end of this year, the company plans to have a Miracle Remote model for every major brand of TV commonly sold in the United States.

Full disclosure: In our home, we've never lost or damaged our TV remotes.

But Ken Gassman, general manager at Miracle Remote, assures me that other families are different.

"They lose the remote; they break the remote; the dog ate the remote," he said.

Because I've never lost a TV remote, I was blissfully unaware of the difficulty finding a replacement. Most consumers turn to universal remotes, designed to operate several electronic devices, which require you to enter codes with the correct frequency for the TV, DVD, etc. This isn't particularly onerous, although when some people (my older relatives come to mind) hear the sentence "You have to program in codes," their eyes widen with fear.

Even worse, Gassman said, most universal remotes can't do everything your original remote control could do. For instance, he says the Miracle Remote is the only replacement remote that can operate advanced TV features such as picture in a picture (PIP), split screen or picture size. Gassman said the idea of the Miracle Remote grew from customers who kept saying they wanted a remote that would operate just like the one that came with their TV, without having to read instructions or enter codes.

Developing the Miracle Remote was no easy task. It took more than a year, with about 40 people working full time. Much of the time involved testing. Sometimes, company engineers would do the testing in a TV lab designed for the purpose. And sometimes they'd just go to a nearby electronics store with their prototypes, stand in front of a bank of TVs and press the little buttons to put the remotes through their paces.

There was a lot of trial and error as the team figured out how to design a gadget that could operate scores of functions on hundreds of television sets.

The company -- which calls itself the largest reseller of original equipment manufacturer remotes in the U.S. market, and whose electronics business supplies remotes to the hospital and hotel industry -- introduced the Miracle Remote in January and is working to get it into stores. So far, the product is available only on Target.com and in 6th Avenue Electronics stores.

Miracle Remote is targeting a growing market. The Consumer Electronics Association estimates that over the last nine years, 700 million so-called universal remotes were sold in the United States.

If you want to buy a high-end universal remote, they are available. But if you want to save time and buy something really simple that works right out of the box, then the Miracle Remote is your gadget.

I tested the Miracle Remote Sony model on our two older Sony TVs, and it worked fine on both.

Just don't expect it to end those gender-based remote control battles.

My husband held the Miracle Remote and began to increase the TV volume.

"I call it entertainment customization," he said.

I call it hogging the controller. And I get the last word.

Spotlight on Technology appears Thursdays in The Record. E-mail: mckay@northjersey.com

Business Hopes To Click With Losers Of TV Remotes

Miracle Remote Inc. of Tampa offers replacement remotes geared to specific television brands for $29.00. The remotes require no programming or codes.
CANDACE C. MUNDY / Tribune



By B.C. MANION bmanion@tampatrib.com
Published: Apr 15, 2006

TAMPA - It used to be if you lost or broke your television's remote control, you had two choices: Replace it with the same model, or get a universal.
Now there's another option.
Miracle Remote Inc., a Tampa company, has partnered with Dynatron, a manufacturer of remote controls, to offer a simple alternative.
"You just put in the batteries, and it works," says Michael Monsky, president of Miracle Remote.
Each of the eight models is geared to specific brands so no programming or code numbers are required.
"A universal remote comes with codes and instructions. You have to find your kind of TV. And then sometimes the TV, like Sylvania, will have eight different codes, and you might have to try them all," Monsky says.
Miracle Remotes are designed to operate the key features on all of the televisions produced by each particular brand since 1988, Monsky says. The eight models cover about 85 percent of TV sets manufactured in the past 15 years, he says.
They're also designed to work the same way as the original, Monsky says. If you knew how to turn a game on or off, open the parental lock, change the picture size, program favorite channels or adjust your picture on your original remote, you'll know how to do it on these remotes, says Dan Ruback, vice president of sales for the company.
Many functions on televisions won't work if you don't have the original remote, Monsky says.
"Mitsubishi has a parental lock. If that somehow gets locked up on your TV, if you don't have the remote control, you can throw the TV in the garbage," Monsky says.
If you have an older Sony, but not its remote, you can't get past Channel 13, Ruback says.
Besides addressing those issues, Miracle Remotes are easier to use than others because they have fewer - and larger - buttons.
Monsky and Ruback, who are first cousins, are confident their remotes will do what customers want.
They began selling remotes about 20 years ago as part of an electronics repair business they ran in New Jersey.
Eventually, they got out of the repair business, moved to Florida and set up a Web site to sell remotes. They still sell thousands of original remotes, and they have developed remotes that are used in hotels.
The remotes were unveiled in January at the International Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas.
Monsky and Ruback say they have used the customer input given over the years to decide which functions to include on Miracle Remotes.
"Over and over and over, we hear the exact same reason they need an original remote," Monsky says. "The PIP [picture in picture] doesn't work. The input doesn't work."
The remotes, which sell for $29.99, are available at MiracleRemote.com or Target.com. They are scheduled to be in Target stores in the fall.
Negotiations with Best Buy and Circuit City are under way.

Is it a TV remote or a rocket launcher

If Santa brings a new TV down your chimney this holiday season, you'd better hope he leaves behind a couple of expert elves to help you use your new toy. Unless of course, you happen to be in the very small minority of consumers who completely understand the "codes, aspect ratios, guides, inputs and cyclone sounds" - which are just some of the features on today's TV's and remote control devices.

If you are scratching your head and wondering, when did watching television become rocket science, you're not alone. Kenneth Gassman, Customer Service Director for Miracle Remotes, LLC says, "There are countless functions on TV's and remote controls made in the past several years that no one understands or even wants. For instance, on some new LCD TV's there is a button on the remote that allows you to flip your picture upside down. Are there that many people who watch TV while standing on their head that we need this feature?"

Fast forward to the future, you finally learn how to use most of the important features on your remote and then it gets lost, broken or the dog eats it. Now you have a new problem, finding a replacement remote. Gassman knows first hand the frustrations created by all of this technology madness. His company, Miracle Remotes LLC, handles endless calls from puzzled, irritated consumers in search of the same miracle - a replacement remote that works like the original did - without requiring a degree from M.I.T. to program and use it.

"Retail stores can't carry original remotes since there are thousands of models plus the originals are expensive. For lack of a better option consumers usually purchase universal remotes when they need replacements. Unfortunately, they end up frustrated after realizing universals are very confusing to program, and don't provide all the features required," Gassman explains. "Only basic functions are found on the front of the TV panel. Without the original remote you can't activate features like channel auto programming or access your DVD or game inputs on many sets. Other functions like changing the picture size on newer TV's, are also impossible to work with universal remotes. Then there's the issue of programming codes and instruction manuals almost as long as a novel. Some universals literally need to be connected to the Internet to be programmed. Technology that was supposed to make our lives easier leaves many consumers totally bewildered."

To try to simplify matters and address the need for easy to use full function replacement remotes, Miracle Remotes LLC has introduced The Miracle Remote Series. All the customer has to do is put in batteries, no programming, no codes, The Miracle Remote just works! Each remote is designed to work just one specific TV brand. Plus, The Miracle Remote operates just like the original and can operate all the key features on TV's made from 1988 to the present. The remotes also include improvements for ease of use, such as frequently used buttons being larger and placed at the top of the unit. With eight different models offered, there is a Miracle Remote available to control most major brand TV's.

So the next time you are longing for simple technology that doesn't require standing on your head, go to http://www.miracleremote.com/ and check out the Miracle Remote. As Kenneth Gassman likes to say, "When it's easy to use, it's a Miracle!"

For hungry dogs: remote possibilities

For hungry dogs: remote possibilitiesSunday, August 14, 2005
LOOKING at LIFE Gary Brown Repository Living section editor
“Dogs are devouring remotes.”
The words jumped off the first page of the press release like a headline about Jennifer Aniston dating an alien.
So that’s what’s happening to them.
I guess I can stop looking between the cushions of the couch.
The man who linked the disappearance of television and stereo remote controls to the increase in plastic in the diet of American dogs is Charlie Waters, customer service director for
www.MrRemoteControls.com
a company that sells original replacement remote controls via the Internet. According to Waters, “My dog ate the remote” is second only to “I lost it” as the most common reason given by customers who are ordering replacement remotes.
“There are over 400 million remote controls in the U.S. — an average of four remotes per household,” estimated Waters. “Combine that with 52 million canines living in U.S. households, and it’s easy to see why the remote is going to the dogs.”
OK, I don’t see the trend. I’ve had two dogs during the “remote period” of civilization and neither one of them showed any interest in eating electronic devices. They didn’t even want to snack on a remote.
But, Waters insists that his company gets calls and e-mails daily about it being a dogs-eat-remote world, including a communication from a woman who ordered several inexpensive remotes “with no concern for make or model.”
“She figured she would buy her four dogs their own remotes, and them maybe they would leave hers alone,” explained Waters. “Another customer insisted their Chihuahua would only attack their Emerson-brand remotes, but would leave the other remotes alone. We even had one customer who swore their dog was just trying to change the channel.”
Some dogs apparently can’t miss David Letterman’s “Stupid Pet Tricks.”
Dogs aren’t the only pets that think modern technology is edible. Waters said birds love to peck at remotes and rabbits think the rubber keypad buttons are tasty.
But, when your remote control turns up missing, “don’t be surprised if your dog has buried it or chewed it beyond recognition,” Waters said. Why? It seems to some dogs that the remote is similar in size and shape to a bone.
And, Waters’ press release noted that “a remote control has the added flavor of it’s master’s scent, making it an irresistible treat.”
So does my leg. That would make me a little nervous if I had a dog who liked to sleep beside my chair as I watched TV. For the dog it could be a tough decision.
“Let’s see, do I want to eat light and chew on the remote or go for the whole meal by chomping down on his calf ? ...”
It’s not easy to convince a remote-eating dog to try another diet. Many techniques and products have been used, including nasty-tasting sprays. They haven’t seemed to work, according to Gail Spadafori, syndicated pet- care columnist.
“All dogs chew; it’s part of the genetic blueprint of the dog,” she said in her book, “Dogs for Dummies.”
The better approach, she said, is to put the remote in a place where your dog cannot get to it. That’s not going to hurt Waters’ business. Either call him now or call him later.
“We hear it all the time,” he said. “People hide the remote from their dogs and then they can’t find it themselves.”
You can reach Repository Living Editor Gary Brown at (330) 580-8303 or e-mail:
gary.brown@cantonrep.com

Dogs Go Bow Wow For The Remote Control

Dogs Go Bow Wow For The Remote Control
It seems that Fido is using the remote control almost as much as his owner. The next time you wonder, "Where's the remote?" don't be surprised if your dog has buried it or chewed it beyond recognition. Similar in size and shape to their favorite bone, a remote control has the added flavor of its master's scent, making it an irresistible treat.
"Dogs are devouring remote controls," remarked Charlie Waters, Customer Service Director for MrRemoteControls.com, a company selling original replacement remote controls via the Internet. "My dog ate the remote" is second only to "I lost it" as the most common reason given by customers when ordering a replacement remote. "There are over four hundred million remote controls in the U.S.-- an average of four remotes per household," continued Waters, "combine that with fifty-two million canines living in U.S. households and it’s easy to see why the remote is going to the dogs."
Apparently no one has found a solution either, judging by the number of phone calls and e-mails that MrRemoteControls.com receives concerning this problem. From foul-tasting industrial-strength no-chew sprays to homemade bitter-tasting concoctions, nothing seems to do the trick. Gail Spadafori, syndicated pet care columnist says in her best selling book Dogs For Dummies, "All dogs chew, it’s part of the genetic blueprint of the dog. . . . Forget about trying to train your dog to leave the remote alone. Training yourself to put it out of harm's way when it's not in your hand is far easier."
Waters agrees, but adds, "We hear it all the time. People hide the remote from their dog and then they can't find it themselves."
"Everyday we get lots of crazy calls and e-mails from dog owners," Waters chuckles, "including the customer who ordered several of our least-expensive remotes with no concern for make or model. She figured she would buy her four dogs their own remotes and then maybe they would leave her remote alone. Who knows? Maybe the idea actually worked. Another customer insisted their Chihuahua would only attack their Emerson-brand remotes but would leave the other remotes alone. We even had one customer who swore their dog was just trying to change the channel!"
Dogs are not the only pets getting into the act. "It’s not unusual for us to hear about birds and even rabbits destroying a remote," continued Waters. "Birds love to peck at it and rabbits seem to have a special affection for the rubber keypad buttons. Surprisingly, we rarely hear from cat owners."
Once pet owners' remotes are destroyed, they discover that it was more than just a modern convenience. Waters explains, "Many of today's consumer electronics are simply useless without the original remote control. Most universal remotes just can't get the job done--they don't operate such key features as full menu and programming functions, which are necessary on most of today's sophisticated electronic equipment."
Like everyone, MrRemoteControls.com hasn't found the answer to prevent Fido from slobbering on the remote. Though as Waters says, "We are not really looking for a solution. We figure why bite the hand that feeds us?"