Most people have too many remote controls, which too often get lost under the couch pillows or misplaced in another room. There are ways to consolidate all your TV remote controls into one universal remote. There is also a nifty little device that helps you find your lost remote controls, which proves invaluable when your stress levels increase because you can’t get your favorite show on in time!

The trick is to get the right universal TV remote so that you have the ability to run all your entertainment equipment. Some of the new TV set top boxes, such as digital video recorders, have special functions that are not included on every universal remote controls. The best universal remotes have the ability to learn any remote function. This means is you can program the universal remote by holding the original remote control right in front of it, and press any button so the universal remote can “memorize” the code. Some of the more expensive universal remotes have LCD screens so that you can customize each function with a special button. The screens also can change as you switch to control a different device. So if you have too many TV remotes it may be time to consolidate!

Consolidating TV remote controls stills doesn’t mean you will not lose it, it just lowers the probability. The same way you find your lost wireless phone can also be used to find lost remote controls. By attaching a small device that has a beeping function when paged is a great alternative than looking under every couch pillow and creating a mess in the TV room. Make sure you place the base pager by your TV equipment and the lost remote can usually be located within 100 feet, assuming you can hear the device beeping. These devices are affordable and are definitely worth the cost if you have kids, which greatly increase the probably of lost remotes!