When you’re watching one of your favorite movies, there’s nothing more than frustrating than losing the remote. One minute it’s right next to you, and the next it seems to have vanished into some vortex where it is seemingly lost forever – only to turn up again when you least expect it.
For Apple TV 4K users, this isn’t an issue. The device comes with a built-in find my remote feature (found using the Control Centre app on iPhone) that tracks the missing remote and uses a sensor to find an approximate location. Google introduced its own remote-finding feature to certain Google TV devices earlier this year, and it’s available on some of the other best streaming devices from the likes of Roku too.
Annoyingly though, find my remote is missing from the best TVs, meaning those without any of these streaming devices were stuck – until now.
Bluetooth 6.0 will introduce a new technology called Bluetooth Channel Sounding that will make device-finding accurate to within a centimeter (as reported by FlatpanelsHD).
This means your phone could find lost items, such as your TV remote, as long as both devices are Bluetooth-enabled. There’s currently no time frame as to when Bluetooth 6.0 compatible devices will launch, but we’ll be sure to keep an eye out.
No more hunting
For some people who want to use the smart platform in their TV, having to use a streaming device isn’t an option because multiple remotes can be a nuisance or even confusing, but as I said above, until now only streaming devices have had the find my remote feature.
This introduction of the remote-finding feature via Bluetooth 6 is excellent news for all TV owners because Bluetooth is a more universally accessible technology, not restricted to specific brands.
Apple TV 4K‘s find my remote feature is built on Bluetooth, but it’s only useable with an iPhone and with the Apple TV 4K’s remote – and it’s not as accurate as the proposed Bluetooth 6 range of a centimeter.
That accuracy is one of the other key exciting features. Sometimes device-finding solutions can be a bit vague, offering a distance of several feet, which for some smaller devices isn’t accurate enough. If Bluetooth 6 can offer centimeter accuracy, finding lost items will be a breeze.
As someone who regularly loses their TV remote, I welcome this announcement with open arms. Soon, when I inevitably misplace it again or the remote fairy snatches it away, I’ll be able to track it down just by looking on my phone. I just need to make sure I don’t misplace that too…
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james.davidson@futurenet.com (James Davidson)
