One for All - Apple TV Remote - Black

Great replacement for lost Apple TV remotes. Price was reasonable. It works well. It connected right away no need to go to settings. Works right out of the box

The One For All Apple TV remote is a good replacement to the original Apple TV remote. If you lost your remote, need a larger remote, prefer a remote that lights up or want a remote that's easier to operate than this is for you. Ease of use: This remote is a larger, lighted and easer to use alternative than the original. The original remote is touch sensitive while this one is click only. If you are older or have trouble with the original then this will most likely help you. If you take care of a parent or someone who is having trouble with the original remote this will defiantly help. The buttons all illuminate which also help make it easier to use the remote something the original just doesn't have. The remote also illuminates when in motion rather than one clicked. As soon as the user picks up the remote it lights up so they can see what to click. Great for late night watchers or those who need a little extra to see the buttons. Compatibility with Apple TV: This remote connects seamlessly to your Apple TV box. It connects just as if you were using the original. When you install the two AAA batteries and click a button in the same room as your Apple TV Box you will get an instant prompt on your screen to bring the One For All remote close to the box. Once this is done, it will pair and be ready to use. It is important to note, that you cannot have two remotes paired to the box at the same time. You can have a gaming remote paired simultaneously but you cannot have two regular remotes. This remote also can be connected to your TV and Audio devices in addition to the Apple TV. However, unless you have a much older tv, Apple TV will already control your tv and av through ARC. Siri: Use the microphone button to use Siri just as the original remote. Additional features your original remote will not have: Guide button and a dedicate forward and reverse button. Cons compared to the original remote is that this remote is powered by AAA batteries rather than being rechargeable. This goes back to ease of use, an older person may want to use batteries rather than worry about recharging. This remote is also completely made of plastic rather than the metal original version. This also looks like a generic remote over the premium original.

When I got this remote, I mistakenly thought it was going to be a "universal" remote that would allow full control of my AppleTV box but also have basic controls to turn on/off my TV and Receiver and control volume and maybe switch inputs as well. And when I immediately realized that's not what it is, I was disappointed. But then I started using it to see what it could do and quickly realized that while it might not be a universal remote it is an EXCELLENT replacement remote control for the native AppleTV remote.  It adds features that the native remote does not have and it improves on other aspects.  Whether you agree with me or not may depend a bit on personal preference, but I'll give you all the info I can to help you decide. PROS:BACKLIT KEYS!!!Siri Mic front and centerNo Weird Sliding for FF or RWDedicated "TV Guide" Navigation for apps such as YouTubeTV, SlingTV, HuluTV, etc CONS:Instructions don't fully explain how to do everything No Weird Sliding Function (If you're someone who actually likes that) LIMITATIONS (AppleTV, not this remote): AppleTV does NOT support two remotes of this type being paired to it. So do not get this thinking you'll use the native remote on one side of the sofa and this remote on the other.  While you can use a second/third/fourth Infrared Remote to control AppleTV along with the native remote, you can only have ONE remote paired directly to AppleTV like this one. This is not a limitation of this remote, but an AppleTV limitation. EVERYTHING you can do on the native AppleTV remote, you can accomplish with this remote, but a few things are not clear at first, and the instructions don't detail every option. They do explain the main ones such as FF/RW which instead of sliding your finger around the ring like the native remote (and did this actually work well for anyone, because it never did for me!) - on this remote you have dedicated FF/RW buttons, but you can also use the ring but you just push the right or left side and a simple tap skips forward or backwards while a long press initiates FF/RW.  It works so much better and without lots of accidental "too fars" like you get with the native remote. So yeah, you can do everything with this remote like you can on the original PLUS some extra things.  It does have a mic and the siri button is top and center which I prefer to it being on the side and it works great.  One thing it took me a while to figure out is if you ever use the "close app" feature (on the native remote you tap the homescreen button twice, then scroll to the app to close, then swipe up), on this remote you tap the homescreen button twice, scroll via wheel button presses to the app you want to close, then tap UP/Top of the scroll wheel TWICE, to close the app.  Also, this remote control is BACKLIT!!!  One of my biggest complaints with the native remote - I mean this is one of the most expensive streaming devices on the planet and you don't backlight the keys.  We often watch movies/shows in relative darkness so having backlit keys on this remote is a godsend. Additionally, this remote features an extra set of keys not found on the native remote that serve as a quick way to get to the "TV Listing Guide" for apps that are built that way.  So if you're watching HuluLiveTV or YouTubeTV or DirectTV Streaming, etc, on the AppleTV you can push the "Guide" button to go to the TV Listing Guide and the Up/Down arrows to navigate the guide. Another super cool thing is that as soon as I paired this remote with my AppleTV, AppleTV immediately hooked it into controlling the volume of my receiver through the AppleTV box. I didn't have to do anything or tell AppleTV what receiver I was using - it just worked. This is a feature of AppleTV, but for some reason I could never get it to work with the native remote. Physically, the remote is small and lightweight, just a bit longer and wider than the native remote, but not too big. It sits nicely in the hand. I'm so glad I got it because using it is just a much better overall experience than the native remote. The backlit keys, the smoother experience when rewinding and fast forwarding, and the better overall layout all make this an excellent replacement for or upgrade from the native remote!

The box says the remote is a replacement remote for the Apple TV. That is a pretty tall order, and I contend that the One for All certainly filled that fuction for me. I am guessing that our situation with Apple TV may be similar to many other users: 99 per cent of the streaming and entertainment activity we share at home comes from our Apple TV. It is the consumate streaming device: beautiful interface, excellent 4K picture, excellent sound. The Apple TV has it all, so if we lost our remote, we would have to go running to Best Buy to get another- except that we wouldn't. Our Apple TV is controlled by the Harmony Hub which allows us to use all our devices through the Harmony infrared transmitter, allowing the devices to be controlled through wifi, so that line of sight is not necessary. All the while I tested this One for All, our beautiful aluminum Apple TV remote stayed in the basket that holds all the other remotes. So when I got this remote for testing, I wondered how it would interface with all my other devices. That question was answered in minutes. I took the remote out of the box, and operated its controls within a few inches of the Apple TV, (per the simple instructions) and a press of the controls showed that it was working immediately. The serial number for the paired remote shows up on the system menu of the Apple TV, and I confirmed that the serial number was the same as the one printed on the One For All Box. I went through set up to allow the remote to control the audio volume on my receiver, and to also control my TV. I also had to turn on the CEC function on my TV, which had been previously turned off for best function while I was using the Harmony Remote. With one exception, and I also experienced this with the native Apple TV remote when I was using it, all the expected functions worked perfectly. A press of the on/off button turned on the Apple TV, the TV and the receiver, allowing full control of all components. Another press of the on/off button turned everything off. Occasionly, pressing the off button would appear to turn off all components, but then I would see the warning on my TV that nothing was connected to the HDMI port where the Apple TV was feeding. I had to go back, turn everying on, and then try again to get everything to go off. This was sporadic and has also happened historically with the native remote. It is due to the CEC function on my TV not working as it should, and has nothing to do with this remote or the native remote not working as expected. Further testing seemed to indicate that if I held the on/off button down for a few seconds, everything would be turned off without futher ado. One other observation: neither the channel up and down rocker switch nor the guide button were functional on the One for All remote. This is due to my Vizio TV. It lacks any tuner, so there is nothing for the remote to control in that regard. The instructions say the rocker also pages up and down, that function was not working with the rocker switch. The navigation button is what I always used anyway to scroll up or down, and it worked fine on this remote. The overriding feature of this remote, which is powered by batteries, and is not rechargable like the native remote, is the lighted buttons. What a nice thing to have at night when watching the TV in total darkness! That feature alone justifies an investement in this remote. Two AAA batteries are required and are not supplied in the box. If you are a Harmony Hub user like our family, this remote allowed us to enjoy an added feature. When paired with the Apple TV, all the commands from the infra red remote were read by our Harmony Hub, and I was able to control the Sony receiver and the Apple TV even though they were behind the closed doors of a home entertainment cabinet. Those components got their signal via an infra red extender attached via cable to the Harmony Hub. Just to make sure that everything would work as intended, even without the help of the Harmony Hub, I disconnected the hub, and opened the cabinet doors so the One for All could "see" the infrared receivers of both enclosed devices, and all worked perfectly. The lighted controls on the remote are a wonderful selling point. For those who want or need that feature, they might be the main reason you would want to consider this device. Everything else that I was using the native remote for works just as well on the One for All as in the original. I did read another review expresssing disappointment that the swipe function on the native remote is absent from One for All. Having never used that function on the native remote, I never missed it. I highly reccomend this product.

If you are reading this, that means you are shopping for a better AppleTV remote, likely to replace the Apple touchpad one that you probably dislike. Or maybe you just want a mute button and backlighting? This unicorn product finally exists! Ever since I bought my first AppleTV, I instantly hated the all-black, touchpad Siri remote. In theory, it seems like a great idea; make the remote like you are swiping on an iPhone! Unfortunately, I never warmed up to the touchpad concept as it’s way too sensitive; picking it up almost always triggers touch which disrupts what you are watching, and it's just plain aggravating to use. I strongly prefer physical buttons versus all these touch-swipe-fingertip control schemes. The design of this remote is great because it’s physically larger than the Apple remote, making it much easier to pick up (especially on a flat table). It has physical buttons so you can FEEL the button press instead of tapping and swiping on a square touch-surface. It also has backlit buttons, which is appreciated in a dark room. While I like the boxy-rectangle shape and thickness, it almost feels…too light (i.e. cheap vs Apple’s). I will say, however, that using this remote instead of the awful Apple Siri remote is 100% better in every way. Set-up was ridiculously easy; insert 2 AAA batteries (not included), hold it close to your AppleTV, and press a button. It pairs instantly. One thing to note is pairing this to your AppleTV will disconnect your current remote, so it seems like you can’t use both. Also, the Bluetooth and IR range seems to be on-par with the Apple remote, if not a bit stronger. It controls the volume on our Sonos, which is to be expected. I’d say if you dislike the touchpad remote from Apple, try this, you will likely prefer it too. My only criticism is the price, which is the same as the revised AppleTV remote. I feel most people would opt for the new Apple remote since it’s design and finish match the Apple aesthetic. However, if you put practicality and functionality first, this is a better fit. I would easily recommend it to anyone!