Before anyone ever “surfed the Internet,” people all around the world were using remote controls to “channel surf,” often spending hours flipping through television channels without watching more than a few minutes of any single program.

In fact, the average American spends up to five hours in front of the television every day: doing homework, surfing the internet, watching the news or sporting events, and even sleeping with their televisions on for background noise.

Televisions have become an integral part of many homes’ comfort and entertainment routines, and they haven’t even been around for a century yet. Although kids can’t imagine life without 200 channels and six remote controls, older adults recall both black-and-white televisions and the long decades before the advent of cable TV.

The first TV remote was directly wired to the television, and was sold under the tongue-in-cheek moniker “The Lazy Bones,” back in 1950. The first remote that was wireless came a few years later, in 1955. Fast forward to the present day, where children under the age of 5 are programming a remote, to their parents’ great surprise.

Replacement remote controls are widely sold, and many models do combine functionality. A Sony remote control replacement or other brand remote should be multi-functional When there is a cable TV receiver, a DVD player or in some cases a VCR, a stereo, and a few other components all wired together, more complicated remotes are required. All in one remote controls seem to be the wave of the future.

Whether a homeowner is looking for a Sony remote control replacement, a Samsung remote control replacement, or another popular brand, many programmable remote controls are available. Some businesses specialize in original remote controls for TV sets, while others focus on replacement remotes for the entire home entertainment center.

Television is here to stay, and with the advent of multi-functional remotes, Americans can spend more time than ever “zapping” and “surfing” through hundreds of channels. Newer, more complex television remote controls can do everything but do the laundry and wash the car, but that day may not be too far away.