Two new TV products recently released to consumers represent different concepts on the future of home entertainment and different philosophies about the use and design of remote controls.
• The rectangular keypad for Sony’s Internet TV sets appears intimidating — something like a PlayStation controller, upon which this one is modeled. It has more than 75 keys. Although the keys are small, they are clear to read, with a decent touch. The size is just right for two-handed operation.
• Bose’s Click Pad remote, bundled with the $5,000-plus VideoWave TV, is at the opposite end of the spectrum from the Sony, with only six buttons.
It is the soul of simple: channel and volume up/down; input source select, power, mute and a “go back” button. The gizmo part is a touch-sensitive navigation square, which corresponds to a display that appears on the perimeter of the TV screen. Different options appear, based on the source of the video content. Glide a finger around the panel to select a function, highlight it, and voilu, it’s done. Stephen Williams
Sony’s Internet TV remote.
