iTV in Industry 5: Are Smartphone TV Apps Easier to Use than Remote Controls to Control TV?

This paper addresses the question: are smartphone TV apps as easy to use as remote controls for controlling TV. Although smartphone apps make it easier to navigate lists of items, such as TV shows, access to other often-used functions may be less efficient because assess requires extra navigation. Also, additional steps required to access the TV app on the smartphone may offset any inherent advantage to using it. Smartphone app designs could reduce or eliminate this extra navigation and make smartphone TV apps more efficient and thus preferred over remote controls.