CEDIA 2009: Bobby – virtual remote iPhone app for all your AV kit

It’s not all credit card busting home cinema set-ups at CEDIA – well, at least not on one stand at today’s show in the Docklands. There’s an iPhone app called Bobby for just £5.99 that’ll add some significant pleasure to your viewing, pariculary if you’re lazy.

Bobby is a virtual remote control for a growing database of AV products. There’s currently over 400 different BD-players, TVs and set top boxes whose controls you can download and operate from your phone and, if you can’t find your hardware, on the list then you can map it yourself. Probably a propper pain in the bum but the good news is that Bobby’s only been around for a couple of weeks, so that database should be rapidly expanding as we speak.

Bobby’s not the first TV remote app for the iPhone/Touch but it is the best I’ve seen. They’re implenting a TV guide into the software and, currently, slightly gimmicky social functions meaning that you can see what other Bobby users are watching and switch to their channel if you like. Presumably it’s a feature you can turn off should – how should I put it – choose to be watching something that might not be a good idea to advertise. I think that’s clear enough.

Buy it here | Bobby