Re: My favourite
Oh god yes. I completely gave up on using any kind of programmable remote because it was impossible to have a sequence that would get to a guaranteed state (e.g. TV and sound bar on).
As someone else has said they could at least have a code for power on, even if the bog standard remote only sends a toggle.
The latest Sky Q remotes have an equally annoying stupidity. The old (original and Sky+) remotes could control the TV as well as the Sky box using the "TV" button. So TV then Power would toggle the power state of the TV whereas Sky then Power would toggle the state of the Sky Box. OK, it was slightly annoying to have to press two buttons (since just pressing power would affect either the TV or Sky depending on what you last did), but at least you could get a guaranteed result each time.
The new Sky Q remotes don't have a "TV" button. Instead, if you want to toggle the Sky power state you just press the Power button but if you want to toggle the TV state you must press and hold the power button for a few seconds and it will eventually toggle the TV state. Leaving aside the fact that this action is non intuitive when you first see the remote (it was some time before I found out about it), it is really annoying even when you do know what it does.
The problem is how long do you have to push the button for? Too short and you will accidentally toggle the Sky state. To long and you stand there like an idiot getting cramp in your finger.
Part of the problem is that different TVs behave differently. Is the TV you are looking at one that has a stand by LED that goes out when it is powering on or is it one that has no LED when off and has one that comes lights up when powered on? I've got 4 TVs in my house and they all have different behaviour and I can never remember which is which. Sometimes you just have to sit there with your finger on the remote until the TV gets through its incredibly long power up sequence and shows a picture.
Of course, you might think that this saves both the space for and cost of a button on the remote. Only it doesn't. That funky "Sky" logo at the top of the remote? Yes, that's a button as well(*) and it has exactly the same effect as the "Home" button. The cost and space would have been better used on a dedicated TV button.
Do the designers of these things ever actually run their designs past real users?
(*) It was a *long* time before I realised that.