The Universal Off Button

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Posted by ryuzaki0 on Wednesday October 20, 2004 @05:04AM from the does-not-work-on-people dept.

jcr13 writes "Wired news is running a story about TV-B-Gone, a new weapon in the fight against the pervasiveness of television in our society. With this device, which takes the form of a keychain fob with a single button, you can turn off virtually any TV set. How does it work? By rolling through all known IR power-off codes, one by one, trying codes from the most popular brands first. Personally, I am terribly annoyed by TVs in restaurants and airports: they grab my attention over and over, no matter how hard I try to ignore them, and they distract me from the conversations that I should be having with my human companions. Unfortunately, the TV-B-Gone website seems to have already been swamped by the Wired coverage, so we cannot order these just yet. In the mean time, those of you with DIY proclivities may want to think about wiring one of these up yourself using a PIC chip or other micro-controller." An anonymous reader adds links to mentions at CNET, TV station KESQ and Ananova.

22 of 1,169 comments (clear)

Now by Anonymous Coward · 2004-10-20 05:05 · Score: 5, Funny

I need a Universal On button remote... it'll be like a battle between good and evil, light and dark.
1. Re:Now by NemosomeN · 2004-10-20 05:12 · Score: 5, Informative
  
  It sends a "power" signal. In essence, it is a universal on remote. I've never seen anything with a button that turns a tv off but not on (though I have [and own] a vcr that has an on-only button and a on-off button).
  
  --
  I hate grammar Nazi's.
2. Re:Now by cayenne8 · 2004-10-20 05:20 · Score: 5, Interesting
  
  I used to have one of those digital watches, that had a remote control built in that would control on/off/channel changing on tvs and functions on VCR's. You'd just point the watch at the unit..and cycle through the different codes manually. Once you locked on..the fun began.
  We had more fun one time in a bar...a bunch of us were in there drinking..barmaid came out and we asked that the channel on the main tv be turned to a game. She'd flip the remote...I'd flip the channel back with my watch...she go, I'd go...we'd go through this periodically...she couldn't figure out why the tv was acting so weird. At one point, we had her so confused, we actually got her to take the batteries out of the remote...and try it that way. "Magically" it worked properly..when she'd click a button, I'd do it from my watch.
  I don't think we'd all ever laughed so hard. In the end we tipped the poor girl so much money to make up for it...but, man, that was fun. I think we tipped her near $200 or so...it was worth it.
  But, always was useful...go into a bar...turn the volume how you like it...change the channel to what you want to watch. I need to find that damned thing, get some new batteries and see if it still works.
  
  --
  Light travels faster than sound. This is why some people appear bright until you hear them speak.........
3. Re:Now by IronChef · 2004-10-20 06:58 · Score: 5, Funny
  
  I did something similar in high school. We were suffering through some Shakespeare movie in the hated English teacher's class. The VCR in use was the same model as my girlfriend at the time owned. I had planned ahead and brought her remote with me. In the dark room it was trivial to make the VCR act up... pausing at random, that kind of thing.
  
  Mysteriously, the troubles would always clear up as soon as the teacher approached the VCR.
  
  By the end of the period she was fit to be tied.
  
  A silly prank, sure, but it still makes me laugh today to think about it. Unlike the waitress mentioned above, Mrs. Dunbridge never got a nice tip either!
Don't stop at just a power button by Patik · 2004-10-20 05:06 · Score: 5, Funny

Personally, I am terribly annoyed by TVs in restaurants and airports: they grab my attention over and over, no matter how hard I try to-- *MUTE*
1. Re:Don't stop at just a power button by kperson · 2004-10-20 05:28 · Score: 5, Insightful
  
  The ground is rough, but you don't require the whole planet to be covered in leather, you put on shoes. So when in the airport, use earplugs or your own audio source. And simply don't patronize restaurants that have an environment you don't enjoy (noise, smell, lighting, etc). It's quite arrogant to cram your wishes down the throat of everyone else, especially the OWNER of the TV and the establishment!
2. Re:Don't stop at just a power button by seanmeister · 2004-10-20 05:29 · Score: 5, Funny
  
  You mean like this?
  
  It's in German, but if the google translation is correct, this device will the brothers many more subtly to the leather, once the elephant leaves the water. Which, of course, goes without saying.
3. Re:Don't stop at just a power button by mixmasterjake · 2004-10-20 06:39 · Score: 5, Insightful
  
  It might be valid to compare modded computers with, say, fancy tire rims. But, the souped-up audio systems impose themselves on everyone - even if you are nowhere near the car. Additionally, for some reason, it ususally seems to occur mostly at 2am.
  
  Not only that, but, as awesome as the music may sound inside the car, those of us on the outside only hear low-frequency rumble combined with the sound of the car frame shaking. I'm a musician and I love good, loud music. When I want to hear it, I go to a club or crank the stereo in my own home. But, waking up in the middle of the night to the sound of a car stereo system overloaded and distorted is just annoying.
  
  It's basically just an easy way for a muscle-neck jackass to proclaim "look how rude and annoying I am!" It's a power-trip because they have the ability to go around and create a big scene.
  
  --
  TODO: come up with a clever sig
NFL by brjndr · 2004-10-20 05:06 · Score: 5, Funny

...and women ruin Sundays for men across the nation.
Suicidal by enforcer999 · 2004-10-20 05:06 · Score: 5, Funny

If you want to die a quick death, try using this gizmo at an Oklahoma sports bar during an OU Sooners football game. You will not live long.
Don't forget TV Turn-Off Week by mind21_98 · 2004-10-20 05:09 · Score: 5, Informative

If you like being able to turn off any TV you'd like, you'll like TV Turn-off Week. It's going to be held from April 25-May 1, 2005. Personally, the Internet's replaced TV for me; even though there is a TV here I don't really watch it now.

--
US businesses that currently accept chip and PIN/signature
Try it out during the final Sox-Yankees game by geekee · 2004-10-20 05:09 · Score: 5, Funny

in a crowded bar. You'll make some new friends with this gizmo.

--
Vote for Pedro
Re:Free market, people by finkployd · 2004-10-20 05:14 · Score: 5, Funny

Are you trying to insinuate that the entire world shouldn't conform to my preferences? How un /. of you.

Finkployd
Re:During the Playoffs by vhold · 2004-10-20 05:16 · Score: 5, Informative

This is kinda pedantic, but for what it's worth, the article said it takes around a minute for it to transmit all the codes in it's little database, so it's unlikely you'll be able to get the totally desired timing effect to -really- piss everybody off. Also it seems like it'd be pretty hard to use this thing discretely if you have to point it at a TV for half a minute on average.
Re:I can see it now... by Patik · 2004-10-20 05:20 · Score: 5, Insightful

What good purpose does this device serve? If you don't own a particular TV, and it's not on your property, what right do you have to turn it off?
Re:Wow by Mattintosh · 2004-10-20 05:20 · Score: 5, Informative

I wouldn't worry about it too much. This thing's about as easy to defeat as a copy-protected CD.

Just put electrical tape over the IR sensor. Problem solved. Carry on.
Duct Tape over the receiver.... by Anonymous Coward · 2004-10-20 05:20 · Score: 5, Insightful

Is there anything duct tape can't do?
DMCA by leerpm · 2004-10-20 05:23 · Score: 5, Insightful

In related news, Sony will soon announce that all new TV models will use an encrypted signal to communicate between the remote and the box. Any third-party devices that attempt to imitate such remotes will be considered violations of the DMCA and thus be illegal to possess or manufacture.

.. And thus begins the demise of the universal remote.
Re:I can see it now... by moofdaddy · 2004-10-20 06:09 · Score: 5, Insightful

What good purpose does this device serve? If you don't own a particular TV, and it's not on your property, what right do you have to turn it off? I totaly agree with this. Guess what folks, you are not the only people in the world. Those TVs in Best Buys? Lets think for half a second why they might be on...people who want to buy a TV tend to want to see the quality of it before they purchase it.

What about the TVs in Cafe's or airports or other random places? Maybe you have a friend to chat to, but what about that lonely person behind you sitting all alone? Maybe she would like to be distracted while she eats her lunch. Maybe the employee at the local video store would like to watch the TV since its slow that night and they don't have much else to do.

The bottem line is, your not walking around the park and having MTV blaring at you. When you run into these tv's its because the owner of that establishment has decided that for one reason or another they want it there. Sure, you don't have to be subjected to the TV, but your recourse is to leave the establishment, not turn off the TV. Or talk to the manager about it. But you are not the only person that lives in the world, you will not find everything convienent.

--
Be better in bed. Wikiafterdark!
Re:Ahh, the digital watch/remote control :) by Anonymous Coward · 2004-10-20 06:20 · Score: 5, Funny

We actually had one of my teachers convinced there was a ghost in the room because of one of these one day! And the "over-emotional" girl in the class was freaking out. It was great.
Re:I'll push your buttons. by poot_rootbeer · 2004-10-20 06:42 · Score: 5, Insightful

You and the airport do not have a right to bomb me with adverts from some crappy TV.

What gives you the idea that you have a right to peace and quiet when you're in a place of public accomodation? That's simply ludicrous.

Don't like going to restaurants that have TVs blaring in the corner? Try going somewhere classier than a sports bar for once. You don't have the right to decide what everyone else is or isn't allowed to watch while they eat.
The TV OWNS the room by Sir+Holo · 2004-10-20 07:36 · Score: 5, Insightful

Unfortunately, in our society, the rule is that The TV owns the room.

If I read the paper, I don't bother anyone. If I listen to my iPod, I don't bother anyone. Conversation, eating, etc.. But TV is different. If just ONE person in a crowded room wants to see the TV, then they can have it on. Loud. And you're a jerk if you turn it down/off. Doesn't matter if someone was sitting right in front of the "off" TV prior.

And marketers exploit this, e.g. in airports, where you can't hide from the things.

The rule needs to change.