In the movie, Click, Adam Sandler used a universal remote control to change his life. In real life though, gadget lovers simply want a universal remote which can control all their electronic equipment at home.

After all, a modern living room usually has at least a television, a DVD player, an amplifier and an audio system, and each gadget comes with its own remote control.

A universal remote control that can operate various audio and visual equipment at home not only saves space, but also reduces the need to have multiple controllers when performing a simple task, like turning on the cable box or watching a DVD.

'Universal remote controls are not for lazy people,' explains Mr Simon Kan, business manager of Philips Consumer Electronics.

'They are there for an increased convenience of operating audio and video equipment. People do not want coffee tables in their homes cluttered with remote controls.'

And the latest models of universal remote controllers are not simple ones which can operate only one TV set, DVD player and VCR.

The newer remotes can handle amplifiers, DVD recorders and cable boxes and can even be programmed to multi-task - you can link several commands to just one button on the universal remote.

For example, pressing the 'Watch DVD' button will turn on not only the DVD player but also the TV and amplifier, which are set to the right channel and the right volume level.

There are several ways to configure a universal remote.

Most remotes come preset with the infrared (IR) frequencies used by the electronics manufacturers and keying in the appropriate code will programme the remote to match the brand of your equipment.

But if this does not work, newer models have a learning feature that can record the signal of the original controls and mimic it.

The latest ones even have the ability to 'learn' new frequencies so they can be updated and not become obsolete when a new line-up of gadgets arrives.

Besides electronics giants like Sony and Philips, hardware peripheral manufacturers such as Logitech Harmony and Monster Cable are also getting into the game.

With a little know-how, you can even transform your iPod into a universal remote.

The convenience has convinced consumers to part with several hundred dollars for a good universal remote.

The Philips Prestigo retails at $239 while the Logitech Harmony 885 will set you back $499.

Both companies have noted growing demand for such offerings in recent years, with Logitech reporting double-digit growth in this area and Philips seeing 10 to 20 per cent growth each year.

'Beside common electronics, consumers can use it for their air-con, fans, ovens as long as the equipment has infrared,' a Logitech spokesman said.

'With one remote, they can use it for multiple equipment at different venues. Besides using it for themselves, people are buying universal remotes as gifts.'

I tried out three universal controllers in the market to see how they perform, using them to operate an LG television, an Enzer DVD player and an Xbox 360 game console.

Philips Prestigo SRU 960 ($239)

Philips Prestigo SRU 960

The Prestigo is the sleekest-looking of the lot - one half of the remote is a touch screen and there is also a scroll wheel to help navigate during the initial setup.

It is also the least intimidating of the trio as the unit itself has only a few permanent buttons, such as volume and channel control.

Everything else appears on the touch screen only when you select a device, so you will not see the 'Play' button when controlling the TV.

Setting an activity is simple but time-consuming. You simply key in the buttons in the correct sequence and the controller repeats it.

Of course, having to press more than a dozen buttons for several devices just to play a DVD took some trial and error to get it right.

Sony VL-1400T ($179)

Despite its bulky look and interface, which required constant button pressing, setting up this remote should have been a breeze, mainly because it still uses preset codes to identify the brand of equipment.

Not for me, though. Right off, I could find only LG on the list.

For the Enzer DVD player, I had to manually configure every button but it was no-go with the Xbox 360.

Since I did not have the original remote for the Sony remote to learn from, there was nothing I could do for the game console.

Sony VL-1400T

There is also a steep learning curve with the manual, which requires some effort to understand, especially for programming custom buttons to perform a series of commands.

Logitech Harmony 885 ($499)

Unlike the rest, the Harmony requires an Internet connection for set-up. But instead of tedious button pressing, the website has a user-friendly interface that explains how to program the equipment you want to operate.

Still, this process proved a little time-consuming as I had to keep downloading the wizard for each change I made.

And even though I had to list the model or serial number of each piece of equipment I had, I was still required to do some manual configurations, like the volume control and fast-forward buttons. The only item that was linked up without a hitch was the Xbox 360.

Setting up custom buttons was relatively simple with the 'Help' button, even though I had to run between the computer in my study and the TV in my living room to make changes.

The Harmony remote operates other infrared household items as well and I managed to get it to work with my Ichiban standing fan and all the LG air-conditioners in my home. Truly, this is a universal remote to have.