Virgin Media Television is the 2nd largest paid television service in the UK, with almost 4 million users.
Many of our customers love Virgin Media but have problems when using the standard Virgin remote control.
Therefore, at AlzProducts we have reviewed both of our television controls in order to ascertain which is the best for Virgin Media.
Big Button Remote Control - Sony EZ45.CE7
The Big Button Remote Control by Sony is only compatible with televisions that have built-in Freeview, consequently, this makes it incompatible with Virgin Media.
Compatibility: 0/5
Ease of set-up & programming : N/A
Features & buttons: N/A
Ease-of-use: N/A
Overall Virgin Media Television Rating: 0/5
HandleEasy 321rc
Compatibility: 4/5
In the past the HandleEasy has had no problems with its programming for use with Virgin Television, however recently there has been a few customers who have had to return their remote controls due to incompatibility, we have therefore given the remote control 4/5 to account for these unusual issues.
Ease of set-up & programming: 3/5
The HandleEasy is a "learning" remote control, this means it's programmed using your original remote control.
The set-up process for this can be slightly more complicated than other universal remote controls as each button must be programmed individually.
The advantage of the HandleEasy being a learning remote control is that it's compatible with more televisions & set-top boxes.
Features & Buttons: 2/5
The HandleEasy doesn't have many features, although this is to be expected from a "simple" remote control.
The main disadvantage with the HandleEasy & Virgin Media Television is the absense of a 0-9 keypad. Due to the large number of channels available on Virgin Media, this can lead to a lot of channel skipping & frustration as you must cycle through every channel to get to your desired program.
Ease-of-use: 5/5
The HandleEasy is the simplest remote control on the UK market, with an easy-to-grip design, soft & large buttons, and large white writing on a black background.
All of these features that make this remote control perfect for the elderly, people with limited dexterity, or anyone with memory impairment.
Overall Sky Rating: 4/5
Conclusion
The HandleEasy wins this competition by default, that being said, it is one of the few universal remote controls that is compatible with Sky that is sold in the UK, and it is by far the easiest to use.
The only major disadvantage (and it can be quite a big one) is the use of Channel Up & Channel Down buttons instead of a 0-9 keypad, this can make channel browsing very time-consuming.
The final question: Do you need Sky television?
Many of our customers find themselves at a crossroads when looking at simple television remote controls & Sky; as there isn't a "perfect" simple television remote control that is compatible with Sky.
You may find yourself having to make a decision between comfortable viewing of television, and uncomfortable viewing but with a large selection of channels.
The truth is that some users would be better off downgrading their television viewing experience to Freeview for the following reasons:
- Compatible with more simple universal remote controls
- Fewer channels means easier browsing
- Freeview boxes can be customised to help with simplicity, such as the temporary removal of unwanted television channels
That being said, it does depend completely on the individual household & their requirements.
If you have any questions, comments, or feedback, please leave a reply below, alternatively, you can always Contact Us.