It used to be that the youngest child had an honest job, acting on voice commands and adjusting the controls. It seems like people won't be happy until this experience is fully replicated with automation...
More seriously, I've found that a bluetooth keyboard with built-in pointer is my favorite remote. I treat the TV as a monitor and operate MythTV or Firefox to go to Netflix or Pandora from the couch.
I confess, I do have a second remote to control the audio. I could never tolerate the sound of built-in speakers in any TV. My media computer sends the video to the TV via one HDMI connection and digital audio to the hifi receiver via another HDMI port. So, I change volume as well as other downmix or night-mode options on the receiver, leaving the PC audio settings constant.