Remote control buttons for the television are labeled SAP, MTS, audio sound or language. On most remotes, you simply push the button several times to step through “SAP, Mono” and “Stereo ...

There's also one other thing that a physical TV remote has that TV back buttons or remote apps don't: tiny dots on/near some of the buttons. Most of the time, you can see this bump on the number 5 ...

And sadly — even now, in the age of ubiquitous Wi-Fi — the universal remote market still is tied to the control method most home entertainment system components depend on, the lowly infrared beam.

The buttons on Zenith’s original ‘clicker’ remote were a mechanical marvel. The Space Command didn’t rely on infrared — or batteries.