Why do certain receivers have remotes that have separate on off buttons?

Question

It's really annoying. Most TV's DVD players etc have remotes with just one on/off button, but my new yamaha receiver has separate on off buttons, making it somewhat of a nuissance, especially to my mom who is a technophobe.

Why is this the case? anyone know?

Answer 1

It is a feature found on better units to make them easier for smart remotes to control.

Think of it this way:

- You are watching TV and the Cable box is on and receiver is on.

- You want to watch a DVD so you hit the "DVD" button on your remote.

Your remote can now broadcast these commands:

- TV ON

- AV Receiver ON

- DVD player ON

- Switch  TV to DVD input

See the point?  If you have a TV and receiver that toggles on/off/on/off with the same command - you have now turned OFF the TV and turned OFF the receiver - not what you wanted.

Having separate buttons & signals for "ON" vs "OFF" lets the remote turn ON or leave ON various devices.

For your mom: Look into a Logitech Harmony remote. Once you program it for her - she can fire up the entire system (and even dim the lights) with 1 button.

Answer 2

I don't know if there is a technical reason re the Yamaha, but possibly someone felt it was more accurate to have a button that said "off" and another that said "on", rather than simply a "power" button that toggles the power on and off. The separate buttons are not standard -- so may appear more confusing -- but actually they are clearer.