To support the introduction of its new Harmony Remote Control Logitech has commissioned research firm GfK to study the use of remote controls in the home. The research claims that in a quarter of homes, there is only one person who knows how to operate all the technology. 49 percent of households have five or more remote controls and 87 percent have three or more.

One in four respondents admitted to using cheat sheets, written instructions for their family explaining how to control each system, to circumvent the confusion created by this many controllers. Amazingly, the study also points out that the purchase of a universal remote control - of which Logitech just happens to be introducing a new model - is another popular strategy to cope with the expanding army of remote controls in the home.