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New QWERTY flip remote for Samsung Smart TVs

Samsung is launching a QWERTY flip remote endowed with a complete set of number and character keys that make it easier to enter text into a television.

Philip Wong Associate Editor
Philip Wong is an A/V, PC, photography and gaming enthusiast. Besides spending countless days and late nights fiddling with his home theater system and watercooled PC, he also hits the roads frequently on his iron horse to sweat it out. Now, who says geeks don't work out?
Philip Wong

Samsung QWERTY remote
Sarah Tew/CNET

Text entry using a regular TV remote is, more often than not, an agonizing experience. And with Internet use on televisions becoming increasingly popular, this is a teething issue most HDTV makers will have to resolve. An alternative is to provide a free app with QWERTY keyboard support, though this is currently available primarily for iOS and Android devices. Samsung is working around this bottleneck by following in Vizio's footsteps and launching a QWERTY flip remote endowed with a complete set of number and character keys for its new Smart TVs.

Other notable features for the remote include a directional pad, teletext keys, and a monochrome LCD display on an angled brushed-metal shell. The opposite side of this clicker also provides familiar conventional controls such as volume and channel rockers, as well as video playback and recording buttons. The QWERTY TV Remote is included with every premium model, including the LED D8000 and D7000 Series and Plasma D8000 Series. It is compatible with LED series D6300 and up (sold separately for a hefty $99.99 starting next month).

(Source: Crave Asia)