Infrared tech is decades old – why does almost every TV remote use it?

The history of TV remotes is an interesting one. The very first remote control, known as the Lazy Bones, wasn't even wireless. It was introduced by Zenith Radio Corporation in 1950 and relied on a long cable to connect to the television. The "Flash-Matic" from 1955 was the first truly wireless solution, which used a beam of visible light to send commands to the four photo cells positioned on the TV's front panel. Infrared (IR) remotes became the industry standard by the 1980s and have managed to stick around for more than four decades.

Infrared remotes work by sending quick pulses of invisible light using an LED. The infrared receiver on the TV then decodes this signal and processes the command. If you point your phone's camera at the front of a TV remote and press a button, you may actually be able to see the infrared LED flashing. Many modern televisions now ship with Bluetooth-enabled remotes that allow for a multitude of features like voice control and air gestures, but they still include an IR transmitter.

The truth is, infrared technology costs next to nothing to implement, especially after years of mass production and being a staple component of TV remotes. With years' worth of TVs, soundbars and other entertainment equipment built around the standard, one of IR's greatest strengths is compatibility. Abandoning a technology that has become synonymous with televisions wouldn't make much sense, especially when Bluetooth and infrared can coexist in modern remotes.