Why TV Remotes Still Use Infrared Technology in the Bluetooth Era

Although television technology has undergone a dramatic transformation over the past few decades, the decades-old infrared (IR) technology continues to play a vital role in TV remote controls. Even with the widespread adoption of Bluetooth, manufacturers still include infrared functionality in modern remotes for several practical and technical reasons.

The history of TV remotes is quite fascinating. In 1950, the Zenith Radio Corporation introduced the world's first television remote, called "Lazy Bones," which was connected to the TV via a cable. Five years later, in 1955, Zenith launched the first wireless remote, "Flash-Matic," which relied on visible light. However, by the 1980s, infrared technology had become the industry standard and has remained the dominant remote-control technology for more than four decades.

An infrared remote works by transmitting signals to the television using invisible infrared light waves. This technology offers two major advantages: very low manufacturing costs and universal compatibility. It can communicate reliably with both old and new televisions, as well as a wide range of audio and entertainment devices.

Today, many premium TV remotes feature Bluetooth connectivity, voice control, and motion-based navigation. Nevertheless, they continue to include an infrared transmitter. One of the primary reasons is powering on the television and initial device pairing.

A Bluetooth remote must first be paired with the television before it can function wirelessly. When a TV is switched on for the first time, no Bluetooth connection exists, so the remote relies on infrared signals to power on the TV and establish the initial connection. Similarly, when a television is in standby mode, it can respond instantly to an infrared signal without continuously listening for Bluetooth communication, making startup faster and more reliable.

Tests have also shown that if Bluetooth connectivity is disabled on a modern remote, it automatically falls back to infrared mode, allowing users to continue performing basic functions without interruption.

While Bluetooth offers the convenience of operating the TV without pointing the remote directly at the screen, infrared still provides exceptional battery efficiency and serves as a highly reliable backup communication method. As a result, today's smart TV remotes combine both Bluetooth and infrared technologies, leveraging the strengths of each to deliver a smoother and more dependable user experience.

//DBTech/BMT/OR//