The Woox Smart Universal IR Blaster is a handy accessory that allows you to control various products at home, including your television, whether you are at home or not. The IR remote offers support for Google Assistant and Amazon Alexa, and gives you access to various functions of your remote control via its app. The accessory has a suggested retail price of EUR 35.
Not all devices are smart for various reasons. The old device is still usable and not due for replacement, so you have not yet obtained a new model. Some devices have an internet connection, but no access to a voice assistant (or the link with a voice assistant does not work properly). If you want to operate such devices smartly, for example via your voice, but if you do not want to see all your holiday pay go there, there are simple and cheaper solutions.
It must be devices which have an infrared sensor. Think of a television, air conditioner, blu-ray player, media player and more such devices. If you can control it with an infrared remote control, you should be able to assume that you can control it via the Woox app when you get the Woox Smart Universal IR Remote and connect it to your Wi-Fi network. The small device is linked to the infrared database of Remotec, the largest database of its kind.
Woox Smart Universal IR Remote – design and installation
The Woox Smart Universal IR Remote is a compact, black device that you only need to provide with power. Power is supplied via an included USB cable. You can connect the remote to your TV; however, when you turn off the TV, the box no longer works. Voting commands are heard and forwarded – but because the device is turned off, they cannot be processed. That is why it is best to use a USB plug yourself, so that the IR Remote is always accessible.
The installation is done in no time. You put the plug in the socket and in the Woox Smart Universal IR Remote and then press the reset button. The LED light will start to flash and at that moment you can add the device via the app, which you can download for Android or iOS. Fortunately, this is completely self-explanatory. After you have logged in with your account, or created an account, add the device. Once you have added the Woox Smart Universal IR Remote, you can add the device to be controlled.
Woox Smart Universal IR Remote – add other devices
In the app you indicate what device it concerns. Take a TV, for example. You then choose the Woox Smart Universal IR Remote, choose the picture of the TV (luckily this all points to you, when you have the app in front of you) and then select the brand. Here is a Philips TV, so we chose the Philips brand. Within seconds you will see a digital remote control with which you can operate the device. The remote itself does not have to be on the screen, but it is useful if you can access it quickly.
The list of products you can add is immense. In total it concerns a database of eight thousand products, divided over two thousand brands. Is your brand not listed? Then you can always try to add the remote control yourself. You need the Woox Smart Universal IR Remote physically for that. You place the remote to be added in front of the IR Remote and start the pairing process in the app. Can the app do something with it? Beautiful. Can't the app do anything with it? Unfortunately, peanut butter – you can't add that device.
Here, for example, we tried to add a soundbar from Teufel but unfortunately that didn't work. The brand is not in the extensive list and cannot be added manually. In addition, both the new and the old Nvidia Shield, which are both here, work with bluetooth remote controls, so that they can not be added. Fortunately, we still have the magic of HDMI: the Shield is linked to the Teufel and the Teufel via HDMI arc to the TV, so that operation via the app is still possible.
So we get a semi-complicated situation that you will not notice at all in practice. The recently launched Nvidia Shield is linked to the Teufel soundbar via HDMI and can therefore be operated with the digital remote control via the Woox app. This can be done in the same way as with the physical Philips remote control; you will therefore not be able to access functions that are available exclusively for the Shield Remote. The same applies to the Teufel soundbar, which also has exclusive remote functions.
For other devices, installation and use are not that complicated. For example, if you set an air conditioner, you can simply switch it on and off via the app and with your voice (more on that later). And the same goes for all other devices with an infrared sensor: think of a DVD player, Blu-ray player, AV receiver, audio player, media player, media box, satellite receiver, projector or a soundbar from other brands, such as Sony, JBL (we have it here too and works with the app) and Panasonic.
Woox Smart Universal IR Remote app and voice assistants
The Woox application is quite clear. It is simple and effective, so you can quickly find what you need. Do you want to add a device? Then quickly press the plus button at the top right. If you want to operate a device, such as the TV, you tap it. You will then see a digital remote control (the same applies to other devices you add). It is striking that we do not have access to all functions of the physical remote control, so we could not yet put it away completely.
In addition, you will find some general settings for your home in the application, with which you personalize the experience, A beautiful part is the Notification. You can find it under the heading Ik (at the bottom of the bar) and Information center. If you swipe left twice, you will arrive at some notifications, where you can see that someone is logged in to your account. You can also record cameras within the Woox system. And it's nice to know that we can at least see for ourselves when there are uninvited guests in our account.
Furthermore, there are options with regard to automation, which is useful if you have more Bringing Woox products into your home. There is also an integration with the Google Assistant and Amazon Alexa. Adding devices is done in the usual way and works immediately after going through the steps. It is striking that the IP Remote is referred to as a kind of smart plug. Therefore, you can only switch the paired device on and off. The extra options are not available through the app; only via remote control.
Woox Smart Universal IR Remote – conclusion
The Woox Smart Universal IR Remote is basically a handy accessory. For some devices, it is only useful when you can control it from a distance, including outdoors, which is possible thanks to the WiFi connection. Think, for example, of your air conditioning. For all other (offline) devices, the voice control is a handy addition, although the bottom line is that you can only switch a device on and off. But for those few tens that is a nice addition.
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