The Fascination of the Remote Control: 60 Years of Convenience
Sixty years ago, the triumphant rise of the remote control began in Germany. Back then, they were still attached to an annoying cord or used beams of light to control the television. But today, the remote control holds a coveted place in our living rooms and is even referred to as the "scepter of the modern age" by some - a symbol of power and control over our audiovisual kingdom.
In many households, the remote control has earned the reverential nickname of "the power." Its triumphant conquest of Germany began sixty years ago, although the initial models were originally designed for radios, as explained by knowledgeable Gerd Walther, the director of the Radio Museum in Fürth. At that time, Saba introduced cable-controlled remote controls to the market, equipped with features such as channel scanning, power on and off, and sound control - a true revelation of technological innovation.
The origins of the TV remote control, however, lie in the United States. As early as 1948, there was a first cable-connected device, which only allowed for enlarging the image. In 1950, Zenith presented the first wireless remote control with the aptly named "Lazy Bones." In 1955, the first wireless control using light signals called "Flashmatic" followed. Technically, it was not yet fully developed as daylight often unintentionally activated the television. It was then replaced in 1956 by an ultrasound remote control named "Space Command," designed by the Austrian emigrant genius, Robert Adler.
In Germany, the spread of the remote control was somewhat slower. In 1956, Tonfunk introduced the cable-controlled "Magic Switch," as recalled by museum director Gerd Walther. The first ultrasound remote controls came in 1959, but they were still bulky boxes with two metal rods that were set in vibration. According to Walther, these devices, however, "did not play a major role."
It was only in the 1970s that the remote control became a technical standard. With the introduction of private television channels in the 1980s and the proliferation of cable television, channel surfing habits developed. Roland Stehle, spokesperson for the Society for Consumer and Communication Electronics (gfu), estimates that there are currently around 120 million remote controls in German households, including those for video recorders, Hi-Fi systems, and DVD players - a veritable treasure trove of technological domination.
According to the renowned Hamburg-based B.A.T Leisure Research Institute, over three-quarters of TV viewers use the remote control every night. Nearly one-third of viewers change channels an average of five times, while one in ten individuals switches channels at least nine times during an evening. The researchers at B.A.T expect that broadcasters will respond to these changing viewing habits with "fast-food TV," featuring increasingly shorter program formats.
In the future, the remote control, according to gfu spokesperson Roland Stehle, will continue to gain importance. We are just at the beginning of the Multimedia Home Platform (MHP) era, in which computers will be integrated with traditional home electronics. Accordingly, future remote controls will be designed with modernity in mind. Younger individuals will be adept at using softkeys - buttons with multiple functions - while older generations will likely prefer simpler models with only four buttons.
The remote control has even become a subject of philosophical consideration. Hungarian cultural scholar József Tillmann sees it as directly related to the handaxe and the magic wand, especially in its sleeker versions. Tillmann refers to it as the "scepter of the modern age" since holding a remote control empowers anyone to feel at the pinnacle of power. With a wave of their electronic scepter, they can make worlds disappear and reemerge at will.
Media scientist Klaus Kreimeier concludes that the remote control has given rise to a new type of television viewer. These individuals are flâneurs in the universe of images and media vagabonds who, since the 1990s, have had the freedom to roam among approximately 30 channels in Germany. In their hands lies the power to shape their television experience and explore the boundaries of entertainment.