Almost every TV remote still uses infrared (IR) technology, even though it dates back decades, because it is cheap, reliable and universally compatible with the vast base of existing TVs and entertainment equipment. Many modern remotes now pair Bluetooth with infrared rather than replacing it, since each has strengths the other lacks, meaning a full switch to Bluetooth alone would create more problems than it solves.

Infrared remotes work by sending pulses of invisible light via an LED to a receiver on the television, a system that became the industry standard by the 1980s after earlier efforts like Zenith's wired 1950 "Lazy Bones" and the light-based 1955 "Flash-Matic". Bluetooth remotes offer newer features such as voice control and air gestures and do not require a direct line of sight, but they still rely on infrared for key tasks like initial pairing and turning the TV on or off from standby, as the author confirmed by testing a TCL smart TV. Infrared is also more battery-efficient, though this matters less now that most remotes default to Bluetooth for everyday use like navigation and volume control.