# Taming the Runaway Remote



## Mkay (Oct 25, 2019)

The TiVo remote is wonderful and beautiful but its curved rear surface makes it difficult to rest on my recliner arm rest. The arm rest is not perfectly horizontal so the remote usually slides down onto the seat. Or when I stand to take a break the remote either ends up on the floor or on the seat cushion. Yes I can flip it upside down with buttons resting on the fabric but that defeats the convenience of the remote.

My suggestion to TiVo is to take a look at the 99% of all available remotes. Give us a flat back side.

My less than elegant solution was to tape two of my wife's small emery boards to the backside. They don't look like much but they totally solved my problem. I present a "before", "after", and a "close-up" photo of my invention.


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## JoeKustra (Dec 7, 2012)

There should be a patent for this.


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## Jonathan_S (Oct 23, 2001)

I tend to just set it down on its face so it won't slide. 
I'm going to pick up a remote to use it anyway so flipping the wrist to flip it upright as I do so doesn't seem to take any extra time.

(And the buttons are higher grip than the smooth flat plastic bottom of other remotes, so set down like that it's less likely to get knocked off the arm than, say, my receiver remote is when it's set down upright)


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## warrenn (Jun 24, 2004)

The other problem with this remote is that the batteries easily pop out when the remote invariably falls down. This is due to the placement of the batteries relative to how the back panel connects to the remote. The batteries are at the side where you lift the panel, which means the batteries can easily push the panel open from the inside when the remote falls down. If instead the panel opened from the non-battery end, the batteries couldn't push the back panel off.

Incidentally, the tape you used to hold the emery boards will also help keep the battery door on the remote in the rare case that your improved remote falls on the ground.


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## NorthAlabama (Apr 19, 2012)

i have a leather living room sofa and chair, and it took me all of about five minutes of reaching for the remote on the floor until i decided to place it upside down on the arms when i'm done (the non-skid buttons of the remote stick to the leather like glue).

now, all i need is a solution for when i'm lying on the sofa and balance the curve of the peanut on my shoulder next to my neck...


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