Solving TV Streaming Issues with a $30 Keyboard

A while back, I decided to swap out my Apple TV for a cheap mini PC in my living room, and it didn’t quite work out as planned. The hiccup was largely on my end—I never got around to tackling the remote-control issue that arose with using a Beelink S12 Pro Mini PC. I didn’t want a clunky keyboard and mouse cluttering up my coffee table, so I fell back on my old streaming setup for the time being.

But after an infuriating experience trying to watch Mr. Robot on Tubi with multiple commercial breaks, I realized I needed to tackle this experiment head-on. One of the main reasons I brought a mini PC into the living room was to skip ads, so I needed a proper remote control to make it all smooth sailing.

After some digging, I think I’ve hit the jackpot with a nifty solution.

Navigating the realm of PC mini remotes is a quirky journey. The market is flooded with various shapes and sizes, from air mice with gyroscopic controls to full-sized keyboard/trackpad combos. But I was after something sleek and compact—no need for me to be flailing a remote around at my TV.

I finally landed on a $32 gem from Fosmon. This mini remote comes with a handy trackpad on the right side and mouse buttons on the top edges. The idea is to hold it like a game controller, moving the cursor with your thumb and clicking with your index fingers. You can also tap the trackpad to click or use additional mouse buttons at the bottom.

Compared to a regular streaming remote, the Fosmon remote is thin and sleek, blending seamlessly in your living room. It wirelessly connects via Bluetooth to your PC and charges up with a USB-C port. The keyboard may remind you of older Android phones, with its landscape keys, making typing easier compared to TV on-screen keyboards. The backlit keys and handy arrow keys under the trackpad add to the convenience while scrolling through pages or videos.

Controlling your TV this way might not beat the ease of a traditional remote, but it’s part and parcel of a living-room PC setup. The cursor might need some tweaking on Windows, but it gets familiar within minutes.

Though this remote nails it for living-room PC use, I’ve spotted a couple of drawbacks worth mentioning. Bluetooth connectivity might not be flawless, and the Fosmon remote struggles to wake my mini PC from standby mode. A slight distance from the couch may cause connection hiccups too. Also, it doesn’t directly operate my TV or soundbar, though it does have volume control buttons.

Searching for alternatives led me to iPazzPort’s $22 remote. It’s a tad bulkier than Fosmon but offers wireless USB connectivity, programmable IR controls, and a nifty trackpad at your thumb’s reach. However, finding a complete all-in-one solution like the Fosmon remote seems to be a graceful challenge that’s yet to be conquered.

In the grand scheme of things, picking the perfect remote for your living-room PC setup may throw some curveballs, but discovering the right fit can elevate your streaming experience to new heights.