stayconnect® remote 4+

The other reviews are accurate and mostly summarize the issues, but let channel my inner amateur QA. Download the app, connect, change the volume from default. Close the app, reopen it. The volume slider returns to default (my room's TV was 50% of the max volume). My condolences if this happens, and on reopening the app your finger slips and loses contact with your phone screen before an attempt to lower the volume. At this point, you've woken up everyone in your hotel room. As you frustratingly try to set the volume to the prior snafu value, 20, you realize that trying to set the volume to value 20 with the app actually is not possible. The most granular increments you can set are 21 or 19. Obviously a non issue usually... apparently this is a forbidden volume level and swiping in the toggle will to try to get to that volume level drops you at 21 or 19. Obviously, this would normally not be a big deal, but combining it with the previous observation along with the expectation that THE REMOTE APP SHOULD FUNCTION THE SAME AS THE REMOTE (for reference, none of the issues described applied when using the physical remote), has resulting in myself writing this overly verbose review.

tl;dr Unless you have literally lost the physical TV remote in your hotel room, there is literally no benefit to installing this app

I don’t quite get the hate for this app in the other reviews. It does exactly what it claims to do in its description right here on the App Store: change the channels, adjust the volume, and control the power. (Apparently, certain reviewers here are too inept to even read this, or perhaps they delight in playing the victim and saying they were “misled”.) Yes, this is very basic functionality, but it’s a lot more convenient to flip through channels via a labeled list on your device rather than punching in a meaningless, ambiguous number or using up/down on the remote, so the app is a clear improvement here; the other reviewers saying that the app is “useless” don’t know what they’re talking about.

With that said, the app is missing basic functionality that is standard on remotes, such as mute (the only way the app lets you zero the volume is by dragging the volume slider to the bottom, and there’s no quick way to return it to its previous level), previous channel, and similar functions, so it’s a step down from that standpoint. Hence only three stars.

By the way, while other reviewers claim that the app allowed them to cast to their TV via AirPlay or Chromecast, I did not find this to be the case. Perhaps my hotel didn’t enable this functionality or its TVs were not compatible with it? Here again, though, while this would be nice to have, the app doesn’t promise it, so I can’t fault it.

I’m am appalled. As Tyra Banks said “ i cannot give you a zero so I will give you a one.” I went in blind to this app thinking I would be able to cast something on my hotel tv, however I was thoroughly mistaken. It turns out it’s a low budget remote. It had like five HBOs I didn’t even know there were five HBOs. I turned the channel accidentally to a horror movie and the tv conveniently disconnected the device so I couldn’t change it. I was scared. What’s more is the logo for this app is a carbon copy of the Peloton logo. I smell copyright infringement. All this to say I will unfortunately not be casting my real housewives of Orange County onto said hotel tv and I will be taking my money, tears, and dedication elsewhere. Thank you and that is all for my Ted talk.