Universal Electronics Offers Alternative Apple TV Remote to Cable Companies

Universal Electronics has introduced its personal tackle Apple’s divisive Apple TV Remote that is “specifically developers and designed” for cable, satellite tv for pc, and MVPD (multichannel video program distributor) prospects, in accordance to the corporate (by way of The Verge).

The UEI Remote makes use of Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) connectivity along with Infrared to present common management, and provides ‌Apple TV‌ customers content material search and management by way of Siri and a program information button for stay TV viewing capabilities, together with separate quantity and channel rockers and conventional media playback buttons.

In addition to that includes Apple’s MFi authentication chip for safe connectivity with ‌Apple TV‌, the distant additionally packs an accelerometer and ambient gentle sensor to mechanically backlight the keys in low gentle environments when the distant is picked up or moved.

“We’re excited that customers worldwide will soon be able to enjoy this new remote, designed specifically for the growing number of MVPDs offering ‌Apple TV‌ 4K to their subscribers,” stated Paul Arling, CEO, Universal Electronics Inc. “This distant provides handy options to shortly entry the EPG or channel surf stay programming out there by the MVPD’s app on ‌Apple TV‌ 4K.”

Third-party options to Apple’s deeply unpopular ‌Apple TV‌ Remote aren’t new. Last yr we noticed Swiss telco Salt launch another distant management for the ‌Apple TV‌ 4K set-top packing containers that it consists of in its home broadband TV bundle. Then, in July, Operate101 launched a $30 variant for U.S. the buyer market (there is no ‌Siri‌ button included on that one although).

UEI’s distant will not be out there for customers to purchase when it launches early subsequent yr. Instead, it is being supplied straight to cable corporations that embrace an ‌Apple TV‌ 4K as a part of a streaming video package deal.