[nullsmack]

Many devices can absolutely be built in a way that they do not require a dumb remote server to work, but they're built that way anyways because the manufacturer is rent seeking. It can be damn near impossible to find equivalent devices that don't do that. It is absolutely right to get one and complain about absurd remote links that shouldn't be there in the first place.

[thinkingtoilet]

If you're financially rewarding them to do it, I honestly don't want to hear you complain about it. Company X is doing exactly what I paid them to do! What a nightmare!