Do TV Remotes Use Bluetooth? (Read This First) 2024

For a long time, infrared technology has dominated various technological devices, including TV sets and remotes.

The reason is that they help in communicating data and transferring information effectively.

But with the recent introduction of Bluetooth technology, things have changed a little bit as most peripherals have adopted the technology. Are television remotes part of this evolution?

Only some TV remotes use Bluetooth technology. Infrared technology is still quite common except for a few Smart TVs by brands like Sony, LG, and Toshiba. Most smart remotes use Bluetooth connectivity.

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Do TVs Have Bluetooth Remotes?

Most smart TVs have Bluetooth remotes; only some TVs have Bluetooth remotes. Brands like Samsung, LG, and Sony always try to keep up with trends.

So if you want a TV with a smart remote, check one of these brands; you’ll find one there.

Bluetooth remotes aren’t so popular because the technology is still new, and only a few TVs have it.

By implication, TV manufacturers must spend more time and money on research and development to make it a standard feature.

One may question the availability of smart remotes with typical infrared TVs, but I doubt it’s possible.

It’s challenging to find infrared TVs with smart remotes. Most smart TVs are accompanied by smart remotes, which always have Bluetooth technology.

The reason why Bluetooth remotes aren’t typical as infrared ones is that they don’t meet up consumer satisfaction.

Specifically, they’re pricey and have short battery life. Moreover, there’s a high chance of distracted connectivity by other nearby devices, and the operation is somewhat complex.

#1. High Cost

From statistics, the recent weekly earnings of an average American citizen is just about $1000 and sometimes can go lower. From this value, one has to settle bills like tax and maintenance.

How can an average person afford a smart TV with a compatible Bluetooth remote whose price is close to a thousand dollars or more? It’s challenging.

Take the logic outside the United States, and you’ll find a worst-case scenario.

Compared to smart TVs and remotes, the typical infrared is seemingly affordable, even for someone living below average. That’s why they’re more familiar.

#2. Short Battery

Unlike infrared remotes that are active only when you give a command, Bluetooth remotes are always connected and, thus, active.

This active connectivity makes the battery drain fast, which is undesirable.

As a result, many users have frowned at the situation, making the Bluetooth remotes not to be a popular option.

#3. High Chance of Distracted Connectivity

Since Bluetooth technology is involved in Bluetooth remotes, it’s more likely for other nearby devices to want to pair when there’s an available connection.

This situation poses so much distraction to the remote and TV connectivity. And can also be a nuisance to the users.

Consequently, even those that can afford the great technology don’t want it.

#4. Complex Operation

Bluetooth remotes are usually complex to operate and maintain, especially for those aged and conversant with the infrared.

This reason is one factor that makes it unpopular. Plus, most aged people will find it problematic to change the battery constantly.

The infrared remotes are easier to navigate; that’s what everyone wants to stick to.

How do Bluetooth Television Remotes Work?

Bluetooth remotes, like the infrared, utilize the concept of electromagnetic induction to convey binary data. But they specifically operate using the idea of radio transmission.

It’s such that the Bluetooth remotes send codes to the TV through radio waves or signals.

This situation occurs similarly to when music is conveyed to Bluetooth headphones.

The wave frequency of Bluetooth transmissions is always around 2.45GHz, which is relatively low.

This characteristic makes them advantageous, as they can pass through solid obstacles and go further.

Note that rather than light emitters and receivers, Bluetooth remotes use antennas to transfer or receive radio signals.

Unlike an infrared remote that will send commands by pulsing the light on and off, Bluetooth remotes use the Phase-Shift Keying (PSK) concept.

On the other hand, the television, the controlled device, serves as the receiver. It receives the signal and decrypts it.

The only problem sometimes is the radio signals conveyed through the air.

To your knowledge, cell phones and WiFi setups also disseminate radio signals at varying frequencies.

But fortunately, Bluetooth remotes solve this interference problem by disseminating at specific frequencies. Likewise, they encode the digital address codes in the signal.

Consequently, the TV receiver will know whether to respond to an incoming signal. It won’t just receive any signal that comes.

How to Use Bluetooth TV Remote

The navigation with Bluetooth remotes is the same as the typical infrared. In addition, the options are printed on the navigation knobs.

One can use the remote for various functions, including changing channels, adjusting the volume, and playing or pausing videos.

Likewise, you don’t need to point the remote at the TV set to use it. The Bluetooth technology already allows for operation anywhere close by.

As a guide, before using your Bluetooth TV remote control, you must pair it.

Depending on the brand and model, the supplied remote control must’ve already been paired with the TV.

Subsequently, if you don’t have a Bluetooth smart remote or need to check if it is, you can still check by going to the TV’s settings menu.

Especially in the case of Samsung, navigate to settings. After that, select ‘Sound’ and then ‘Sound Output.‘ If an option for ‘Bluetooth Speaker List’ displays, the TV is Bluetooth compatible.

How Do I Know If My TV Supports Bluetooth Remotes?

If a Samsung TV is what you have, it’s pretty simple. First, navigate to Settings and click on Sound.

Afterward, select Sound Output, and if the Bluetooth Speaker List option displays, the TV accommodates Bluetooth. Typically, most smart TVs support Bluetooth remotes.

Conceding that your TV isn’t Samsung, other alternative options exist. The first one is your user manual.

User manuals usually contain every information about the device. For example, it’ll specify whether the TV supports Bluetooth remotes or not.

The manual will likewise assist you in enabling Bluetooth on the TV. But if the user manual isn’t available, there’s still a way out.

First, you’ll need to carry out internet research. Go to the TV brand’s official site, and you can search for that on Google.

Subsequently, I’m sure you’ll see a space that requires the TV model name.

Input the model name, and everything, including its Bluetooth compatibility, will display.

However, if you find retrieving the model name difficult, check the TV settings; it’ll be under the product description.

Furthermore, another good way to detect whether your TV uses a Bluetooth remote is by visiting the store where you got the TV.

By way of description, they should be able to tell the compatibility of a Bluetooth remote on the TV.

Even though it’s an online store, the product description always comes in handy.

Subsequently, supposing your TV doesn’t support Bluetooth remotes and isn’t Bluetooth compatible, there’s always this suggestion of Bluetooth transmitters, but I don’t concur.

Though they might seem a good option, I don’t recommend them.

Instead, let’s weigh the upsides and downsides of Bluetooth transmitters.

Upsides	Downsides
They add Bluetooth connection to devices like TVs, making them Bluetooth controllable.	The audio quality is sometimes compromised.
They save the cost of obtaining a smart TV.	You may experience audio lagging.

Altogether, if, after considering the upsides and downsides, you feel the situation is one you can cope with, get one.

Likewise, I suggest getting an Optical Audio Output or AUX to connect the Bluetooth to the TV audio.

Do All Smart TVs Use Bluetooth Remotes?

Only some smart TVs have Bluetooth remotes. Therefore, just because your TV is labeled as ‘smart’ does not imply that it is equipped with Bluetooth functionality.

While most smart TVs have Bluetooth capacity, others still use the typical infrared.

Bluetooth technology is gradually spreading as the competition increases.

More brands now want to have Bluetooth compatibility on their TVs. So finding a smart TV with a remote wouldn’t be challenging.

Subsequently, the table displays the list of popular Bluetooth-compatible TVs.