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In this article, I’ll give you the scoop on five best remotes for HBO, AT&T, Fubo, Vudo, Philo, & Crackle that you will absolutely love to click.
Here are the five best remotes for these popular streaming media services.
- Most Advanced: Logitech Harmony Elite
- Great for Routines: Harmony Smart Control
- Plug and Play: Caavo Control Center
- Budget Harmony Pick: Harmony Companion
- Harmony Alternative: SofaBaton U2
One for the Little Guys
OK, so I have written mundo remote reviews for pretty much every MAJOR streaming service and cord-cutting out there.
These have included my picks on the best universal remotes for the likes of Netflix, Sling TV, Prime, YouTube TV, and even Disney+. (Oh, do I love the Mandalorian on Disney+!)
But then I started thinking….hey, no fairsies! What about the little guys?
When you add up the market share for some of the smaller streaming services that amounts to millions of customers. So that’s a lot of potential readers of this blog going underserved.
And we can’t have that.
In this post, I’ll cover some of the best remotes for the smaller streaming services that have a solid fan base: HBO (Max), AT&T, Quibi, Vudo, Philo & Crackle.
Price Comparison
I’ll start with a price comparison of all five remotes side by side, followed by min-reviews that weigh the pros and cons of each remote. I’ll include a few video reviews as well.
Note: This table is updated nightly via integration with Amazon’s API. Click “See It At Amazon” for the up to the minute sale price.
Last update on 03/31/2024 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
📚 Related: 11 Best Universal Remotes This Year
Most Advanced: Logitech Harmony Elite
First on my list of the best remotes for HBO, AT&T, Fubo, Vudo, Philo & Crackle is the Logitech Harmony Elite. As the name implies, the Harmony Elite really is the cream of the crop when it comes to universal remotes. In the two-plus years since I started this blog, it remains the undisputed champ in its ability to control just about everything under the sun.
This includes smart devices as well as the devices in your entertainment center. Support for routines like “Watch HBO” can be set to fire up all of the needed components, your TV, soundbar, an A/V receiver, surround sound system, smart bias lights and more all at the click of a single button. The Elite even integrates with Alexa and Google for voice control. I love being able to tell Alexa to turn on my TV.
Pros
- Cool color LCD touchscreen
- One button activities like Watch TV
- Companion app
- 50 Favorite Channels
- Works with Alexa and Google Assistant
- Controls up to 15 devices
Cons
- It’s expensive
- Setup takes some time
Where to Get One
You can pick up a Harmony Elite over at Amazon (affiliate link).
Read My Full Review
Harmony Elite Review 2020: 10 Reasons This Remote RocksYouTube Video Review
TeQreation has my favorite video review on the Elite over at YouTube. I’ll embed it for you below here.
Great for Routines: Harmony Smart Control
Another great Harmony remote is the Smart Control and Hub combo. Like the Elite, it also comes with a Hub, which means you can use it to control your smart devices as well as home theater. Also like the Elite, it doesn’t require line of sight to your devices so you can keep your stuff behind cabinets and the remote will still control all of your components.
While critics disagree as to whether this is a better overall remote than the Harmony Companion remote (see the next item in my list), I like the look of this one slightly better. However, the button placement on the Companion remote is more intuitive (more on that here.) Overall, Smart Control and Companion are not as high end as the Elite, but they are great remotes for setting up routines that let you consolidate the remotes cluttering up your coffee table down to just one.
Pros
- Same routines as Elite
- Includes Companion app
- Control smart home and home theater
- Controls up to eight devices
- No limit to custom button assignments
- Shape is pleasing and fits nicely in hand
- Less money than Harmony Elite
Cons
- No cool LCD screen
- Button placement could be better for activities
- Setup process is clunky
- Buttons are a tad small for my freakishly large hands (lol)
Where to Buy It
You can still snag Harmony Smart Control remote over at Amazon (affiliate link).
Read My Full Review
Harmony Companion vs Smart Control [Review & Comparison]Plug and Play: Caavo Control Center
Caavo’s Control Center works great if you have a limited number of devices that you want to control. I tested this out a few months back and have since switched back to my Harmony Elite, mostly because I use smart home routines and Alexa integration. The model of this remote is different than Harmony as you need to plug in your devices to the Caavo HDMI box directly. Benefits include a solid cross media search capability (search across free and paid streaming options and even YouTube), on screen controls, and solid voice control that is native to the device.
The company claims it will work with Alexa and Google but I couldn’t get Alexa to work at all. Oddly, the company has a $3.99 pay as you go plan or you can upgrade to a lifetime plan for $99. The plan is required for the best features of Control Center. Those are voice control, search, and content discovery
Pros
- Controls multiple devices seamlessly
- Solid native voice control (proprietary)
- Good cross service search capabilities
- Find my remote feature beeps remote when lost in your sofa
Cons
- Glossy remote picks up fingerprints
- Remote itself is a bit weak /few buttons requires long press for some functions
- Setup requires some pairing
- Alexa and Google voice control is spotty at best
- Will only work with Vudo and HBO Go/Now Out of the service featured here
- The monthly service fee is lame and should be bundled into the price
Where To Buy It
You can also pick up Caavo Control Center at Amazon (affiliate link).
YouTube Video Review
Lon TV does a great job showing Control Center’s setup process:
Budget Harmony Pick: Logitech Harmony Companion
Logitech, Logitech, Logitech….are you seeing a pattern here? Truth is the Harmony remotes are better than anything out there, but I will include at least one non-Harmony remote in this review for all you “haters” out there. The Harmony Companion is the media darling of universal remotes. Many many reviewers give this remote high marks. It is essentially the Harmony Elite without the color LCD screen; it costs less but also controls fewer home theater devices (8 instead of 15 with Elite).
However, it has nearly all of the same features – routines, voice control with Alexa and Google, the companion app, no line of sight required for devices, etc. After a bit of setup, this will work beautifully to control your experience with HBO, Fubo, Quibi, Vudo, Philo & Crackle.
Pros
- Elite without the touchscreen on a budget
- Full support for routines
- Control up to eight devices
- Includes Hub for smart home control
- Better ergonomic design than Smart Control
Cons
- No LCS touchscreen like the Elite
- Setup is the same as other Harmony remotes (cumbersome)
Where to Buy
Here is a link to Harmony Companion over at Amazon (affiliate link).
Read My Full Review
Harmony Elite vs Companion [Side-By-Side Comparison]YouTube Video Review
Iyaz Akhtar from CNET is ga ga for Harmony Companion. He probably hasn’t seen the Elite.
Budget Harmony Alternative: Sofabaton U2
The Sofabaton U2 is a refreshing update on the universal remote game, presenting itself as an intriguing budget-friendly option. From my hands-on experience with it, the U2 manages to elevate the Sofabaton series, offering several tangible enhancements over its predecessor, the U1, all while maintaining a wallet-friendly price tag.
This new model incorporates customer feedback, featuring an easier-to-remove battery cover, larger buttons for more tactile feedback, and a dimmer OLED display designed to save battery life. The infrared (IR) control range has been extended from 20 to 35 feet, facilitating off-axis functionality. Although it lacks the posh aesthetic of the Harmony remotes, the U2’s smooth edges provide a comfortable handheld experience.
Pros
- Enhanced features based on customer feedback
- Extended IR control range of up to 35 feet
- Budget-friendly
- Improved battery life with dimmer OLED display
- Remote case with smoother edges for a comfortable grip
Cons
- Lacks a color touchscreen
- Does not support Wi-Fi devices like Roku Stick
- Does not offer voice control with Alexa, Google, or Siri
- Although improved, the OLED display is still black and white
- Consumes batteries more rapidly compared to some competitors
Where to Buy
Check out the upgraded 2023 Sofabaton U2 remote on Amazon. Read my full review on Sofabaton vs Harmony for a deeper dive into how the U2 measures up as a budget Harmony alternative.
Best Remotes for HBO, Fubo, Quibi, Vudo, Philo & Crackle: Sound Off
I’ll wrap up on the best remotes for HBO, AT&T, Quibi, Vudo, Philo & Crackle with three questions:
Which of these streaming services are you currently running?
Do you have another favorite that is not listed here?
Finally, what do you think about these remotes?
Please leave me a comment down below and let me know! I hope you will sound off.
I realize that it’s expensive but you can’t go wrong with the Harmony Elite.
Tim Brennan is a technology blogger and hosts the @TecTimmy YouTube channel. He writes about smart homes at oneSmartcrib, home theaters at UniversalRemoteReviews, and AI in writing at Writeinteractive. A graduate of Northeastern University School of Journalism, he has written about technology for 30 years. Tim lives on the ocean in Nahant, Massachusetts.
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