Here's how you can use Samsung's new Galaxy S5 to control your television, DTH and other media devices thanks to the IR blaster port and WatchON app
The Galaxy S5 includes an IR blaster port, while some may think that it is an old technology, Samsung has found a very useful way to utilize it. The IR blaster port along with Samsung’s WatchOn app can be used to control your LCD televisions as well as your DTH set-top box.
The procedure is very simple, download the WatchON app on your Galaxy S5 through the Samsung Store, configure your settings, and you are good to go. The app supports a list of popular television brands as well as Indian DTH providers.
Here is a quick guide on how to setup your Galaxy S5 as your television remote control.
Once you have downloaded the WatchOn app from the Samsung store, open the app and select the country. India is not available so you can select Other Countries. After that you will asked to select the brand of your television. The list contains popular brands including Sony, Panasonic, LG, Samsung, etc. Once you select your brand, the app asks you to point the Galaxy S5 in front of your TV and tap on the buttons that appear on the app to power up the TV and change the input. If both of them were successful, it means that your TV is supported.
Next the app will ask you to select your DTH provider and follow the same procedure above. Once the DTH setup is complete, you can use the app and control almost every feature of your TV as well as your DTH set-top box system.
Apart from the above mentioned devices, the app supports other devices including DVD or Blue-ray disc player, media players and some AV receivers. You can also save profiles in case you have more than one TV or DTH or any of the other supported devices. The profile is saved as Rooms and one can add multiple rooms for different set of devices. The app has extensive controls and almost every feature and setting of your devices can be accessed via the WatchON app.
It is a pretty handy feature but will you spend 50 grand on a smartphone just to use it as a universal remote control?