I suspect some sort of tablet-based remote (or remote app for one's tablet) is the inevitable answer. It seems wasteful today, based on current tablet costs and technologies, but I'd expect within 5-10 years that it will be the normal way of things. And then we can solve, to my mind, the real problem with remotes — dedicated functionality on individual buttons tied to particular manufacturer/model capabilities, defying a true "universal" dumb remote (which is why we have four or five of them on our coffee table).
(By coincidence, before we left Jackie at the house to watch over things, I spent an hour or so writing up instruction for her on what remotes to use and what sequence of equipment buttons and options to watch the TV, a disc, etc. So this is a painfully familiar conversation.)
Why Are TV Remotes So Terrible? : NPR
While the quality of TVs and technology seems to be at an all-time high, the devices we use to access the living room screen are as confusing as ever. But tablets and apps offer hope of simplifying th…
As a practical matter, I have found that a Logitech Harmony remote enabled me to put all the manufacturer's remotes away. I can do everything I want to do on a daily basis with just one remote now, which greatly reduced the frustration of using my tv, Blu-ray player, and receiver. I think their top of the line model is going in the direction you suggest, using a touch screen and context-sensitive configurable buttons. These remotes don't change the on-screen interface, of course, but they eliminate the need for multiple remotes, and they simplify the use of the remote by controlling multiple devices with a single button-press. If you're frustrated by multiple remotes, as I was, you should check it out. (I have no financial interest in the company, I'm just a satisfied customer.)
I've rarely had any luck mapping functionality from one (dedicated, proprietary) remote onto another, more generic replacement. I assume the Logitech Harmony is reasonablyl successful with that?
I haven't had any problem. To configure a Logitech remote, you connect it to your computer and log into the Logitech web site. You tell Logitech what devices you have and it configures the remote for you. Their system knows about a vast number of devices, but you might want to be sure they know about your devices before buying one. The interface allows you to modify the configuration to suit your needs too. I've been able to map every function I care about into the Harmony remote, and I haven't seen any indication that there are functions of the original remotes that cannot be mapped into the Harmony remote.
How do you check which devices are compatible? I do not see a list on their website.
I Googled "Logitech Harmony Compatible Devices" — check http://goo.gl/rJdo (I may very well do so once back home).