With that said, there are a few undeniable facts: a 5-device remote won't adequately control a 10-device system, and someone who has spent five figures on a new home theater is going to want a universal remote that can make its operation easier, not harder. In these cases the most expensive or flashiest remotes may not be the best solution, but you're almost certainly going to need something considered high end.

Regardless of price, a remote control's designer will usually try to strike a balance between ergonomics and function-specific control. So, basically, a remote intended for home theater users should be easy to use, but also have enough buttons that it can capably operate complex devices such as DVD players or receivers. To meet these requirements, most high-end models employ "soft" buttons that add functionality without increasing the physical button count - either in the form of an LCD touchscreen that can display numerous pages of controls in a defined space, or a button-and-screen combination where specific hard buttons can be given several custom-labeled functions for each device.

Inexpensive remotes, however, don't have the luxury of screens or soft buttons. Instead, most simply have fewer buttons, period - both to keep costs down and to make them less intimidating to consumers. But what if you're a remote shopper on a budget who wants full control over your equipment? What if you actually prefer to have every function for a device available on a single control surface, without needing to constantly change modes? Well, there are others looking for just such a product!