The case for an IR remote for the Apple TV

In the tech publications I read and the podcasts I listen to, I’ve heard a lot of complaints about how the Apple remote is still IR-based, making line-of-sight a necessity for controlling the new — and old — Apple TV, and often bluetooth is named as the solution.

I don’t think so for the simple reason of reliability. A regular household is home to so many wireless devices, cluttering-up the wireless spectrum around the 2.4GHz mark, that even with bluetooth’s ’Frequency Hopping’ we’re faced with connection problems sometimes.

In episode 31 of Dan Benjamin’s ‘The Conversation‘, his guest Dave Nanian mentioned the “spousal approval factor”, talking about the long wait times and lack of responsiveness of the old Apple TV when loading content. He said that in moments like this, when you really just want to sit down, press play and have your favourite show start immediately, even the slightest delay becomes a nuisance.

Now imagine having to recouple the bluetooth remote, in order to be able to do anything with the Apple TV (or any other device for that matter).
I can picture any significant other sitting on the couch, folding his/her arms and frowning. 

I think Apple feels that inconveniencing customers with wireless-woes in this setting, is worse than forcing them to keep this inconspicuous little black box in the line of sight.