The Final Click for Inventor of TV Remote

Eugene Polley, the guy who invented the TV remote passed away yesterday.  He was 96.


I have mixed feelings in considering Mr. Polley's legacy.  On one hand, his invention (in 1955) revolutionized TV watching - because it allowed a viewer to switch  the TV on or off, control the sound, channel and as the first ads for the device promised the ability to "...shut off annoying commercials while the picture remains on the screen.”   All with the convenience of not having to get out of your chair.  
On the other hand, perhaps we should  blame him for a generation of obese couch potatoes, not to mention the fact that the remote enables us to click distractedly, instead of concentrating on a single program. 


I don't recall having a TV remote in our house, growing-up.   I remember having to get up to tune the sound or turning the channel (chunk, chunk, chunk).  In those days it didn't seem like so much of a hassle anyhow; there were only 3 stations,  and there were long stretches of time when the only thing broadcasted was something called "Test Pattern."  In those days every house had an antenna strapped to the chimney.  As kids we often went outside to play (unlike modern children whose only exposure to light is the radiated glow from their electronic game devices). 


As more programming was added and more channels came online, especially with the evolution of cable, the need for remote control was pressing, even to those of us who were late-adopters of technology.  With more than 100 channels, you had to click vociferously to find a program worth watching, so the remote became an invaluable staple of living rooms and dens.  Now the average TV  room has at least three remotes:  One for the TV, One for the cable box, and one for the DVD. All efforts to develop a "Universal" device have failed.  So we are stuck with multiple remotes.

So, although Mr Polley's idea for the TV remote has resulted in many of us being fat and unable to concentrate,  you gotta love the brilliant concept of the  mute button.