NG_UserSurvey

Open-ended User Survey for Universal Remote Controls
Our project is to redesign a universal remote control. If you have not used any universal remote control, you can give us feedback about a remote control for TV, VHS, DVD player, or TiVo, etc. Please tell us what you like and what you don't like about a remote control, as well as your suggetions of new features. Thanks for your effort to help us build a better product!

- New Gadget Group

__**Please fill your feedbacks in the following table:**__
 * **What you like about a remote control?** || **What you don't like about a remote control?** || **If you redesign a remote control, which new features you are going to add?** ||
 * . I like the jump button (back and forth) and the picture in picture option in my Sony TV remote controller. || . I don't like that I have 50 remotes in the living room, like I just want one remote and control all my electronics (e.g. VCR, Rogers Digital Box, DVD, etc). || . I'd like the remote controller to have a label saying something like "THIS IS A DVD REMOTE". ||
 * .I like the remote controllers of the Rogers Digital Box and the Sanyo TV and DVD player, they have glow-in-the dark buttons. || . I don't like the placement of the buttons on my TV remote controller, because there are so many options, and the buttons are randomly placed just to fit them in. || . I'd like a LED to flash when the battery is about to die. ||
 * .Large buttons that allow for many different sized hands/fingers to use the remote effectively || . I don't like remote controllers in one-colour. They should have different colour for different group of functions. || . I'd like 'speed-channeling' buttons like speed dialing in your cellular phone. ||
 * .The comfort-grip that comes on the remote. It has a type of padding on the sides to make holding it for long periods of time while fast-forwarding/rewinding or channel surfing an easy and comfortable experience || . I don't like the confusing buttons. Also, there are buttons that I have never used. || . I'd like it to have frequent used buttons on top, and non-frequent used bottons under a cover. So you don't see the non-frequent used buttons if you don't open the cover. ||
 * . || . || . I'd like it to have a ring-a-ling button on the TV (or TiVo, etc.) When you press that button, your remote controller rings or viberates so that you can locate it. ||
 * . || . || . I'd like bigger buttons for frequently used functions so that it is easier to locate them. ||
 * . || . || . I'd like a track point (like the one in IBM ThinkPad) for rewind and forward ||
 * . || . || . I'd like it to have different face plate to replace, just like my NOKIA phone. In this way, I can match it with the colour of my living room. Furthermore, if I can have a software to print the face plate, I can change it according to my mood then. ||
 * . || . || .Remote comes with a charger so while you sleep you can charge the battery and not have to worry about the inconvenience of your batteries running out and having to find new ones ||
 * . || . || .Wish to have the ability to re-organize the buttons and configure the remote to best suit the needs of the person. So when you buy a remote there is a configuration kit that allows you to place different buttons anywhere on the remote depending on how often you use each button. ||
 * . || . || .Have the remote have the ability to control more than just the television/VCR/DVD player such as turning on and off the lights, unlocking and locking doors, adjusting the air conditioner and other small tasks that involve getting out of comfortable positions while watching television or a movie ||
 * .I really like the Rogers Digital Cable remotes. They allow you to simultaneously watch a show while surfing other channels. The mapping of the buttons are very simple and all clearly labled. Also, the buttons are categorized by bright colors like yellow, red and blue. This makes it really easy to use because you can associate functions with colors as opposed to having to read the small text next to the buttons. || .I find it really irritating when a remote is all in one color. The majority of remotes come in gray or black and can easily be confused with the remote for something else. And also, when the labels of the buttons function is directly printed on the button because over time, the label eventually rubs off, therefore defeating the purpose of even labelling the buttons. || .First off, I would definitely incorporate colors into the re-design of a remote to allow for more ease of usability in terms of function recognition. Next, I would make sure that the labels for the buttons were either engraved into the rubber buttons, or print the letters next to the button. A convenient re-design could be to combine the functions of all remotes onto one, and have the user be able to choose which technology they was to control by having a sliding button on the side of the remote that has a tab pointing to either VCR, CABLE, DVD and so on. And do you ever have that problem where you "misplace" the remote and can never seem to find it? Similar to that of a cordless phone, you could also make it so that the remote is charged on a stand, and has a button you can press which will send out a beeping sound from the phone and the user can detect where the sound is located, and therefore locating the remote itself. ||
 * .I like the basic aspect of the remote control: that it's remote. You can change the channel where ever you are in the room and not have to get up. || .I hate how easily it can get lost. I hate having to search for it, eventually give up, manually change channels for a while, and have it reappear in odd places. || .I'd love to add a charging and paging feature on the remote. With the charging feature, I wouldn't have to worry about batteries running out. I would use a charging device design similar to that of a cell and cordless phone since I am familiar with it. I would also add a paging function similar to that on cordless phones to find lost remotes quickly. ||