The list of phones that still come with an IR blaster cannot be that long. It has joined headphone jacks and styluses as a thing that only a small subset of enthusiasts will buy. Enthusiasts who won’t buy your device if they find anything else that they don’t like about it (this includes, but it’s not limited to, the color, shape, default sounds, Any component omissions, less than flagship specs, more than mid-range price, etc.). Unsurprisingly, very few manufacturers care enough to actually cater to these people. A shame. Since the IR blaster is one of the best weapons against televisions.
Now, I’m not Roald Dahl. The sight of a television screen does not immediately fill me with the fury of a thousand suns. Nevertheless, I’ve seen television’s place in society chance right in front of me. Where it used to be the centerpiece of the household, filled with everything of interest and where you would find most of the content worth watching, it’s now a hollow shell. It’s purpose, more than anything, is to advertise to you how much better the experience is on $STREAMING_SERVICE! ALL OF THE CONTENT YOU LOVE IN YOUR TV, PHONE, OR TABLET.
Either that or an endless parade of talking heads just nipping at the bud to tell me that the world is going to hell on a handbasket.
The most amusing one to me is the use of the television as a glorified jukebox. One with terrible speakers and a gigantic screen dedicated to showcase whatever thumbnail accompanies the user’s (inevitably) questionable taste in music. That between that and Spotify I’ve been taught that I’m never five minutes away from some horrendous ‘soft’ cover of whatever’s on the top 40 right now is just the bonus I knew I didn’t wanted. That’s when the IR blaster comes to mind, with one swift push of a button, the offending screen will be switched off, ensuring that your dinner/airport waiting/anything will be much more enjoyable. If it’s only the sound that is offending, hitting the mute button should buy you enough time for your to do stuff in peace before anyone becomes the wiser and once again blasts you with Despacito (elevator edition).
I can take some consolation in noting that all of this has been an annoyance for people like me for quite some time, apparently since even before the smartphone was really the thing. As looking for that list of phones with an IR blaster (unsuccessfully, I might add) revealed this little thing straight out of a 1990s prank catalogue. the TV-B-Gone. A simple press of this little $20 trinket and that TV will go off not matter whose name is at the front.
With TV quickly becoming just the forgotten lukewarm dregs of the entertainment industry and screens themselves being simple sound and light pollution more than anything else, I suppose we have to be thankful for people who make these things. Even if they cause a headache for the confused screen owners and can get you in hot water if they are good at noticing you always being there when the TV dies.
Maybe it could persuade them to get radios instead.
