On and Off

Whatever happened to "on" and "off"?
Remember when you walked into a motel room, clicked the "power" button on the TV set, and you got TV?
Not any more.
We've just moved into an apartment for awhile. On the coffee table is a huge remote with a VERY large plastic-covered "direction" card underneath. I'm impressed. Needless to say the most noticeable item is the large, red "ON" button.
I pick up the remote and press this button. Nothing. So I press the "tv" button. Nothing. I press the "sat" button. Nothing.
In frustration, I try more buttons.
I discover the "Input" menu which lists the following:
TV
AV1
AV2
S-Video1
S-Video2
Component1
Component2
HDMI1
HDMI2
HDMI3
VGA
Because of one of the "black boxes" sitting there, I know we have HDTV. So I go down the list, and click HDMI1.
To my delight, big white letters on the screen say "please wait". So I do.
In 4 seconds the words "no signal" appear. "no signal" jumps from one part of the screen to the other, as if trying to make the point that there is no signal all over the screen - not just in one spot!
By this time, Merv appears, and I leave.
Later on in the evening, when making adjustments, I notice that he uses the tiny little controls at the back of the TV! not the remote. These little controls seem to accomplish everything he wants. Just about. He has to pick up the other remotes at different stages of the process.
Next day, I decide to get the TV working in the other bedroom. I also use these little buttons instead of the remotes, and I get along pretty good, but I still can't get my program.
"Well, this TV uses a different setting" Merv says. "Go to the inputs, and use AV1 instead of HDMI1. Remember to use this other remote for audio and point it to that other black box under the big one."
Whew! Such is TV technology today.
We all get used to our own. And when the grandchildren have left, we patiently put all the settings back where they belong.
Whatever happened to "on" and "off"? Gone. Gone the way of the dodo bird.