The first RF remote controls adhering to the emerging Radio Frequencies for Consumer Electronics (RF4CE) standard were demonstrated at the cable industry's annual show. Remote control maker SMK Electronics Corp. (Tokyo) showed its RF4CE-compliant remote controls using technology provided by Freescale Semiconductor (Austin, Texas). Freescale joined the RF4CE consortium earlier this month, providing momentum to the emerging standard. Other member companies include Panasonic, Philips, Samsung, Sony, OKI and Texas Instruments. During the cable show, SMK demonstrated a remote control with a display that could wirelessly download playlists from an iPod and display them on a TV. The same remote control was also used to control lighting in the room.
BOTTOM LINE: Infrared remote controls are a thing of the past. With the backing of nearly all the world's major consumer electronics makers for standard interoperability, plus the superior performance of RF remote controls, look for infrared remotes to be obsolete within three years.
Text: http://www.eetimes.com/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=216402944
