Comparison

Magic TV Remote HD vs Sam

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

Magic TV Remote HD

This app allows you to control Magic TV devices on your local Wi-Fi network. It supports multiple devices, allows renaming, and offers customization options for the remote's appearance and size. Requires specific Magic TV hardware and firmware.

Highlights
  • Wi-Fi control for Magic TV devices
  • Discover and control multiple devices
  • Rename Magic TV devices
  • Adjust remote size via pinch
  • Change remote skin (black/white) by shaking
  • Disable skin change or scaling options
Features
Read full description

Support all Retina Display - iPhone 5 full screen support *** Required Magic TV Hardware *** Wi-Fi Remote for Magic TV Device family. Discover and control Magic TV Device family in local Wi-Fi network. Control of multiple Magic TV within an App. Change the name of the Magic TV. Change the size of the remote by pinch action. Change the skin of the remote between black and white by shake action. Option for user to disable change skin or scale of the remote Require Magic TV firmware version: Hong Kong: All: Firmware 5.08 or above Australia: MTV3700TD: Firmware 4.42 or above MTV4000PVR: Firmware 5.02 or above New Zealand: MTV3700TD: Firmware 5.02 or above

About

Sam

Transform your iPhone into a virtual remote for your smart TV. Easily control channels, volume, menus, and media with a simple tap. It syncs automatically via Wi-Fi, eliminating the need for physical remotes and batteries.

Highlights
  • Virtual remote control
  • Channel switching
  • Volume adjustment
  • Menu navigation
  • Media management
  • Automatic Wi-Fi sync
  • No setup required
Features
Read full description

SamRemote: Transforms your iPhone into a powerful, virtual remote for your smart TV. Our intuitive TV remote app streamlines your tv experience, allowing you to easily control your TV with all the features of the original remote control. With a simple tap, switch channels, adjust volume, navigate through menus, and manage your media - all from your iPhone or iPad. The best part? SamRemote requires zero setup. Simply launch the app and it automatically syncs with your Smart TV via your Wi-Fi. You're all set to take command of your TV Say goodbye to the days of losing your physical remote or scrambling to replace batteries. With Sam, your ultimate TV control is always in your pocket, ready whenever you are. Experience smart TV viewing as it should be - simplified and under your command. DISCLAIMER Sam is neither an official Samsung product, nor are we affiliated with the Samsung Electronics company. SUBSCRIPTION: We offer auto-renewing subscription: - Length: Yearly-Monthly-Weekly - Payment will be charged to iTunes Account at confirmation of purchase - You will be able to access the Premium features of the app for the duration of the subscription - Subscription automatically renews for the same price and duration period as the original period unless auto-renew is turned off at least 24-hours before the end of the current period - The account will be charged for renewal within 24-hours prior to the end of the current period at the cost of the chosen package. - Subscriptions may be managed by the user and auto-renewal may be turned off by going to the user's iTunes Account Settings after purchase - No cancellation of the current subscription is allowed during the active subscription period - You may cancel a subscription during its free trial period via the subscription setting through your Apple account. This must be done 24 hours before the end of the subscription period to avoid being charged. Please visit https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT202039 for more information on how to proceed. - You may turn off the auto-renewal of your subscription via your Apple Account Settings. However, you are not able to cancel the current subscription during its active period - Any unused portion of a free-trial period will be forfeited when the user purchases a subscription. Privacy Policy : http://nstx.io/SamRemote/samremote_policy.html Terms of Use : http://nstx.io/SamRemote/samremote-terms.html

Screenshots

Magic TV Remote HD1 screens
Sam4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: Sam at 4.2 against Magic TV Remote HD's 2.0. Sam also leads on update cadence (every 2 weeks vs every 35 months) and ratings volume (116K vs 1). Magic TV Remote HD's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 8) and ads (none vs shown). On price, device support and iOS requirement there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. Sam sells 8 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per 7 days. Magic TV Remote HD asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Sam holds the better App Store score, 4.2 against 2.0. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Sam has 116K ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 16% of Magic TV Remote HD's written reviews are positive against 26% of Sam's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Magic TV Remote HD ships an update every 35 months, Sam every 2 weeks. The most recent releases landed on November 1, 2026 and November 8, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard7 real differences · 3 level
Magic TV Remote HD versus Sam: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterMagic TV Remote HDSam
PriceFreeFree
Rating2.0 (1 ratings)4.2 (116K ratings) — better
Positive reviews16.2% of reviews25.6% of reviews — better
Number of ratings1116K — better
Update frequencyEvery 35 monthsEvery 2 weeks — better
AdsNo — betterYes
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationFree — betterFree with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS15.6 — better16
Further details — not scored
Size10 MB67 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperPixel Magic Systems Ltd.yohan teixeira

Customer experience

Magic TV Remote HD

All ratings1 ratings
Positive0.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative100.0%
Written reviews37 reviews
Positive16.2%
Neutral8.1%
Negative75.7%

Sam

All ratings116,472 ratings
Positive79.5%
Neutral4.6%
Negative15.9%
Written reviews1,815 reviews
Positive25.6%
Neutral8.3%
Negative66.1%

Bugs and requests

Magic TV Remote HD

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

Sam

Reported bugs

3 issues
  • Fails to connect to TV consistently
  • Buttons stop working after a while
  • Paid version loses ad-free functionality

Requested features

3 requests
  • Add option to turn TV on/off
  • Improve stability and reliability
  • Reduce frequency of ads in free version

In-app purchases

None

Magic TV Remote HD

No in-app purchases

8 purchases

Sam

Subscriptions5
  • Premium version3 Days trial$4.997 Days
  • Premium version$7.997 Days
  • Premium version$14.991 Month
Show 2 more
  • Premium version3 Days trial$29.991 Year
  • Premium version$29.991 Year
One-time3
  • removal of advertising$3.99
  • removal of advertising$19.99
  • Premium version$34.99

Questions

Is Magic TV Remote HD free?
Magic TV Remote HD is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Sam free?
Sam is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Magic TV Remote HD or Sam?
Sam is rated higher. Magic TV Remote HD averages 2.0 out of 5 from 1 ratings, while Sam averages 4.2 from 116K ratings.
Do Magic TV Remote HD or Sam have ads?
Sam shows ads; Magic TV Remote HD does not.
Which is updated more often, Magic TV Remote HD or Sam?
Magic TV Remote HD ships an update every 35 months, and Sam every 2 weeks. Most recently, Magic TV Remote HD was updated on November 1, 2026 and Sam on November 8, 2026.

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