Meliconi may not be that well-known a brand here, but it claims to have produced Europe's first universal remote control in 1992. This 6-in-1 controller sits at the lower end of its current range and has a build quality to suit its budget intentions.

This universal remote is the only zapper on the market that will operate Sky, Sky+ and SkyHD set-top boxes, as well as those from Virgin Media, Freeview and integrated receivers, says its maker, Meliconi. It enables you to operate up to six devices of any brand.