Pimp your TV: Goggle box gadgets and gizmos

Taking control

Once your AV system has more than a couple of devices it can become fiddly to use, with constant juggling of remotes. By the time you have a TV, set top box, disc player, media streamer, and AV amp all hooked up it may have gone beyond tricky to the point where you need to leave post-it notes for guests explaining how they can watch Corrie.

One For All's Nevo turns your table into a universal remote (click for full size)

No wonder, then, that multifunction remotes are a popular gadget. Logitech's Harmony series is still going pretty strong, and the latest include touch screens instead of some of the buttons, as well as remotes with RF to cope with equipment tucked away in cupboards. They can, however, be a bit fiddly to set up.

An alternative is the Nevo Tablet Remote from One For All. Better known for replacement remotes that you program with a code number from a little book, the Nevo pairs a wifi-enabled IR blaster with a tablet app for iPad and Android. As well as the usual per-device controls, you can set up macros like 'Watch TV' and make sure that volume is always controlled via your AV amp.

Nevo's bridge links to WiFi and beams out the infra-red remote commands

There's also a built in TV guide, though glitches with the data feed meant that it wasn't possible to try that out while we were testing. The App isn't as customisable as a Harmony, but it certainly beats having to shuffle half a dozen remotes at a time, and using a tablet means no tiny buttons to fiddle with. At £63, it's pretty good value, too.

Plug and play

Depending on how old your TV is - or indeed the age of some of your other gear - you could have a connection shortfall. Fortunately, there are plenty of useful gadgets around that can help solve that problem. For example, if you have an old telly or set top box that just has analogue outputs but need to connect it to a digital input, take a look a Flexson's analogue to digital converter.

Convert analogue to SPDIF with this Flexson adaptor

It's billed as being for the Sonos, but it will convert any stereo line level signal to optical for £50. They also have optical switchers, and other useful adaptors to help bridge the gap between old and new. And if you want to connect a PC to a TV that doesn't have the right sort of input, how about Lindy's USB 3 to HDMI adaptor? If you have a really new TV, there's a 4K version as well.