Audio Video News

Are you frustrated by the lack of information available through your onscreen program guides? Or bothered by the visual intrusions they create? Evolve Communications has the solution for you.

On July 24, the Irvine, California-technology company launched the Guide Remote, the world's first remote control with the capability of displaying detailed information about television programming, obtained over the Internet. The Guide Remote has a backlit LCD screen, and receives all its data about programs and other items of interest via downloads from the company's website. "Second Screen," a communications technology patented by Evolve, enables easy data transfers from the Internet to the device.

The Guide Remote "changes everything about how you watch television," said Evolve CEO and co-founder Frank A. O'Donnell. "You can enjoy TV without interruption and still surf around to find out what else is on." The remote also "remembers fun and entertaining offers" that may pop up in the course of your surfing, which you can pursue later on the Internet. The Guide Remote is designed to work with all types of television sets, cable boxes, and satellite receivers.

One of the biggest disadvantages of onscreen program guides is that they partially or totally block the picture while they are being accessed. The Guide Remote eliminates this annoyance by putting the information on its own screen without the need to disturb the program in progress. It's also capable of working as a "universal" remote for use with DVD and CD players, VCRs, A/V receivers, television sets, cable boxes, and satellite systems. The Guide Remote retails for $199; there is no charge for accessing the online information.

Evolve CEO O'Donnell was one of the original developers of the first generation of pre-programmed universal remote controls in the mid-1980s. "The concept of having a second, smaller screen on remote controls is here to stay," he says. "The remote in your hand will become more interactive, with enriching content, better instant TV viewing guides and new entertainment value for all television viewers."