The way in which people are watching TV is changing dramatically. The rise in popularity of streaming tv services like Netflix, Hulu Plus, and Amazon Prime Instant Video have consumers turning to the internet to watch their favorite shows and content.
Whether supplementing a cable package with streaming media or electing to “cut the cord” entirely, the sale of streaming tv devices is staggering. At the end of 2014, Roku sold more than 10 million of their streaming devices, and Apple TV sold more than 7 million. Amazon has said that their Fire TV stick is the fastest-selling Amazon device ever. Each of the above mentioned streaming devices come with a sleek remote used to access their individual interfaces and select the programming you wish to watch. There is however one big problem in each of these remotes. They all lack the basic functionality to turn on and off your TV or access volume controls. This has left consumers feeling annoyed and always in search for “the other remote” to power on/off and control volume.
Brett Epstein, a mechanical engineer, and recent cord cutter developed sideclick as a solution. Sideclick is a sleek attachment that snaps on to your existing streaming tv remote, allowing you to power up, control volume, channel, and input source with one cohesive unit.
Epstein states, “When we first got our Roku, I found it really annoying that I still needed my tv remote in addition to my streaming remote to watch tv. It was irritating enough to create my own solution.” 
Epstein has designed 4 models of sideclick, each matching the ergonomic design and aesthetics of either the Roku, Amazon Fire TV, Amazon Fire Stick, and Apple TV remotes. Sideclick snaps on in a second, is comfortable to hold, and uses IR learning technology which can be programmed in a minute or less.
Sideclick allows you to program multiple devices. For example, if you wanted to power up using your tv but you wanted your volume button to control your sound bar, you can. You can program anything that uses IR technology as a button on the sideclick.
Creator, Brett Epstein, chose Kickstarter to introduce sideclick to the market. Epstein says that Kickstarter’s crowdfunding model will help fund the initial run of device sales and gauge demand for the device before it begins selling straight to consumers. Sideclick has multiple levels of support with corresponding rewards for backers. Early backers can receive first editions of sideclick with a pledge of as little as $20.
Epstein adds, “Sideclick streamlines your streaming experience. The ability to ditch your old remotes and use one unit for all controls will make sideclick a must-have accessory for streamers.”
