The impossible dream of the universal remote

# The impossible dream of the universal remote Source: [https://www.theverge.com/podcast/949620/harmony-universal-remote-version-history](https://www.theverge.com/podcast/949620/harmony-universal-remote-version-history) [](https://www.theverge.com/authors/david-pierce) David Pierce is editor\-at\-large and Vergecast co\-host with over a decade of experience covering consumer tech\. Previously, at Protocol, The Wall Street Journal, and Wired\. You don’t really ever have to explain why a universal remote is a good idea\. You have a bunch of stuff that needs controlling; this thing controls them all\. Many companies have set out to build a product worthy of this idea, and one product came much closer than most\. It was called the Harmony, and for many years it was the best universal remote on the market\. Maybe[the only one](https://www.theverge.com/2016/8/16/12476906/best-tv-remote-universal-bluetooth-ir-wi-fi-logitech-ray)that mattered\. And still, even the Harmony couldn’t make it work\. On[this episode of*Version History*](https://pod.link/1840983742), we tell the story of the Harmony\.*The Verge*’s David Pierce, Nilay Patel, and John Higgins are joined by[Matt Rogers](https://www.linkedin.com/in/mattrogers2), the CEO of Mill and former co\-founder of Nest, to reckon with two decades of buttons and touchscreens\. The product begins as the Easy Zapper, takes off, sells to Logitech, expands like crazy for a number of years… and then[begins to fade](https://www.theverge.com/2021/4/10/22377015/logitech-discontinues-harmony-universal-remotes)\. Sure, you could argue smart TVs and integrated entertainment systems just made the whole idea irrelevant\. But there’s something about the universal remote that feels as enticing as ever\. So we try to figure out why\. This is the first episode of the fourth season of*Version History*\. \(We are*so*back\.\) For the next several weeks, we’re telling a bunch of stories about the smart home, from Hue lights to Keurig coffee to the viral sensation that was The Clapper\. Here’s how to get every episode, and all our other fun stuff, as soon as it drops: If you’re a*Verge*subscriber, you can also[get access to*Version History*](https://www.theverge.com/bulletin/795051/verge-podcast-ad-free-set-up-how-to)\(and all our other podcasts\) with no ads\. All you have to do is[visit your account settings](http://theverge.com/account/podcasts?_gl=1*16vcfij*_ga*OTAwMzUyLjE3NDU5MzQ4MTg.*_ga_9GXHZT6RVE*czE3NjgxMzkyMDMkbzI3NCRnMSR0MTc2ODEzOTMwMSRqNDkkbDAkaDAkZEVrd3AyZ2pzZHdDeEc2OE5RM0NFS3hmMVlwZU9QVi1XLXc.)\. If you want to know more about the history and legacy of the Harmony, here are a few links to get you started: **Follow topics and authors**from this story to see more like this in your personalized homepage feed and to receive email updates\. - David Pierce