(this is still in idea stage, so bear with me...)
We all have one problem in common: The remote. The batteries are dying constantly, we lose them, we mix them up, and (rarely) they interfere signals with each other! (shakes fist at Vizio TVs and Coby DVD players)
Universal remotes are a solution, but A) They don't always have that nobody-brand/super-old code in the remote, B) You may have the right manufacturer, but there are many IR revisions (shakes fist at Coby DVD players [Y U NO keep interoperability between same-age, different-style remotes????]), C) Some of them have the right device code, but only one slot!
I know very much about the web-based remotes, but A) Where's the fun in that? B) They don't always have the codes for the unknown devices online!
I'm planning to make a DIY universal remote. And microcontrollers are the way to do it.
(PS: I'm dead serious! I press the Volume Up button on the TV remote, it ejects the DVD! We had to upgrade to a different player: a Panasonic Blu-ray. No more interference.)