iPhone and i.TV means a TV remote you can actually use...

Jonny Evans
|
August 17, 2009
|
Share

I hate mine, I bet you hate yours, too - I'm talking about my TV remote control. It’s rubbish, complex and clunky and takes an age to navigate to what I want it to do. Plus each TV has a different remote - not to mention the stereo and DVD player. If only life were that little bit simpler. If only I had a simple remote control that worked...well, now that integrated vision’s taken a step forward with i.TV’s introduction of the i.TV Remote Control Framework.

This is one of those small but big deals. I’ve been hoping someone would begin to get this together for a very long time. What i.TV’s framework does is  make it possible for you to turn your iPhone or iPod touch into a universal remote control for televisions, DVRs, AV receivers and other home entertainment devices - and TiVO is the first company to introduce an integrated remote control for their subscribers who use i.TV.

A quick feature list:

Remote Control: i.TV now combines the TV guide and the remote control on an iPhone or iPod touch. Remote controls are powered by the i.TV Remote Control Framework, which allows third parties to develop remote controls for use on the i.TV platform.

TiVo remote: TiVo is the first to introduce a soft remote on i.TV. You can now change the channel, fast forward, record and most importantly play your favorite shows and movies, with just a tap on your iPhone or iPod touch.

New look: i.TV now has a simplified and streamlined user interface.

iTunes: From within i.TV, discover related TV and movie content and then tap to download from iTunes.

Push notifications: Set alerts for when your favorite TV shows air. Never miss a show again.

While the i.TV 2.0 software isn’t quite available yet, it has been submitted to the App Store.

We’re hoping electronics manufacturers will see the light and share their remote control codes with i.TV, as we’d very much like a remote control for our devices that was so integrated and easy to use...

Comments (7)

Arturo Montano (not verified) | August 17, 2009 - 9:20am

The only issue that I see here, is that the iPhone doesn't have the infrared device, that most tv's out there use.

It would be cool though

9to5Mac Noob (not verified) | August 17, 2009 - 9:22am

ITV is a worldwide brand & might get pissy at someone using their name - especially as they're strapped for cash and suing some company would be nice income for them.

9to5Mac Noob (not verified) | August 17, 2009 - 9:24am

learn2Harmony noob.

9to5Mac Noob (not verified) | August 17, 2009 - 9:29am

The iphone doesn't have IR.. it'll never be a remote without that. There's no app access to the bluetooth device, so it can't be a bluetooth remote.. It has no RF so it can't be an RF remote...

It's limited to things that build it in.. so, that'll be Tivo then. The Tivo remote already does that...

Better get a Harmony which does all this already, and works with nearly everything.

9to5Mac Noob (not verified) | August 17, 2009 - 10:45am

This will be sweet if it can control elgato's software. i know there are a few apps that will do this but they suck bigtime. maybe they will come up with hardware that can connect to the IR senser on the tv or dvd player. it could convert this wifi or bluetooth signal to an IR signal.

Dion (not verified) | August 17, 2009 - 1:08pm

No one is talking about using it as a RF or Bluetooth remote. All you need is a set-top box with built-in WIFI to be able to use the iphone as a remote. I use my iPhone to control my AppleTV and it works awesome! By far the best remote I've ever used. If DireTV introduces a WIFI ready box, then all you would need is iTV to introduce a DirecTV compatable option! I would sure love to get rid all my remotes......I have a Harmony remote that works great, but it doesn't work well with every device I have.

spanky the clown (not verified) | August 17, 2009 - 7:18pm

Yeah I have to say that the article is more than a little bit misleading. I read this article because like everyone I was thinking "but how can the iPhone do this when it doesn't have IR built in?"...

"What i.TV’s framework does is make it possible for you to turn your iPhone or iPod touch into a universal remote control for televisions, DVRs, AV receivers and other home entertainment devices...". Surely this statement (from the article) should have ended with something about "... but all those devices have to have wifi capabilities."

Probably the most illogical piece I've read on this site. No consideration at all for the real world as far as most people's living rooms are concerned at the moment.