Caavo: Streamlining the way you watch TV

Watching television shows and films over the internet is fast gaining in popularity, with many new TVs and home entertainment systems providing streaming services out of the box.

The rise in such services, however, has also increased the number of remote controls needed to access content spread across several multimedia and satellite providers.

The start-up company Caavo is aiming to simplify the way viewers watch television by reducing the number of system controllers down to one single remote.

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The firm has created a hub capable of controlling up to eight devices with one remote control and a universal on-screen interface, bypassing the menus on the different streaming boxes.

Users can connect the hub with multimedia devices, such as Apple TV and Amazon's FireTV, which can then be accessed through a software interface. The interface then allows users to find content on all the connected devices with a single search command.

The remote control used for Caavo has a conventional layout, including a play button and rewind buttons, designed so that users can pick up it up and interact with the company's media hub straight away.

Users can also access voice control options by talking into the top of the remote. Saying "watch" followed by the name of the TV show or film will prompt Caavo's box to search through all available devices for the requested media.

According to TechCrunch, the firm has generated $15m (£12m) in funding and has support from investors such as Sky and Hearst Ventures.

Pre-orders for Caavo's multimedia hub will open in June and cost $399 (£322), according to the company's website, although the firm is initially "planning to do a limited run of 5,000" units.