HD HOME CINEMAS

One For All has launched the Xsight universal remote control that's capable of controlling up to 18 devices - about 12 more than the average consumer needs, we reckon.

Stating that the "desire to control everything from one remote is no longer a lifestyle choice but a necessity", the company claims ultimate ease of use as the Xsight "sets itself up".

Users just need to select the type of device, and then the brand - from a list of 1000 - and the channel box will do the rest.

Advanced users can set up shortcut keys for access to "favourites", "profiles" and "activities". An example of an activity is to "watch a DVD" where at the press of one button, the remote will select the correct AV channel on the TV, switch on the DVD player and start it playing.

Two models are available, the Colour URC 8602 with a 2.2-inch colour screen and the Touch URC 8603 with a 2.2-inch colour touchscreen.

The Xsight Colour is £99.99 and the Xsight Touch is £129.99, available from Argos.

January 28, 2009 | by Rebecca Day

The more complicated your collection of A/V equipment, the more you need a universal learning remote control to corral all the commands. These days, for me, complicated means disparate.

My DVD player is a PlayStation 3 with a Bluetooth remote control. My VUDU box, for on-demand video, is an RF device. My TiVo HD uses an IR remote. Music comes from infrared-based sources: Apple TV, the Tivoli Audio Net Works radio for Internet radio, and a Delphi satellite radio tuner that I don’t have a remote for. My gaggle of remote controls speaks three different languages.

I didn’t realize how much I needed a universal remote until Jim Novak, senior product manager of Universal Remote Control, programmed the new MX-6000 ($2,100 with base station, programming not included) for this review. Using my pickup-sticks method of turning on A/V equipment using various remotes, I never can remember which video source goes into which TV input, and now I don’t have to. When I hit TIVO on the MX-6000 touchscreen, the TV switches to the right input, and the remote’s display shows buttons marked LIVE TV or LIST for recorded shows. If I tap VUDU, the TV switches to that input.

I found I wasn’t listening to XM Radio very much because I had to remember that XM was on the CD input (my receiver doesn’t have assignable inputs, so it’s hard to remember what’s plugged in where). I also had to bend down to the tuner module and press a button to turn it on. Novak found the IR codes for the Delphi tuner in the URC database and programmed them into the MX-6000. Now when I tap the XM logo on the touchscreen, the TV shuts off, the Delphi tuner module turns on to the last channel I was listening to, and the A/V receiver switches to the CD input where the Delphi is plugged in. The same thing with Apple TV. The MX-6000 knows that the Apple is plugged into the DVD input, and it makes the switch automatically when I hit the APPLE TV button.

The MX-6000 didn’t develop this intelligence on its own. It required a trained installer working with a PC program. “Remotes don’t do anything by themselves,” Novak told me as he painstakingly assigned command strings to macro buttons.

Just to get a video command to work correctly, he had to do trial and error commands to determine the number of seconds it takes my TV to boot up before it can accept a command to switch inputs. If the command to switch inputs is issued before the TV is fully on, the command won’t take. And in the case of the Tivoli radio, Novak had to take the credit card remote back to the lab to learn the button presses, particularly the quirky press-and-hold feature of the MENU button.

The MX-6000 has Wi-Fi built in, which gives it a path to the Internet. Down the road, the company promises RSS feeds such as news headlines, sports scores, weather and stock quotes directly to the remote. These can be read on the 4-inch display. The feeds weren’t available for our review at press time but are due by the beginning of the year. The Internet connection should also enable dealers to send product updates directly to the remote so that every time the cable company changes channels, dealers can remotely make the changes without making a house call.

I did experience the Wi-Fi in action with URC’s PSX-1 iPod dock and enjoyed the benefit of two-way communication. The MX-6000 has a scroll wheel that mimics the functions of the iPod wheel, but Novak also included buttons on the touchscreen to simplify access to music.

I’m particularly fond of the iPod shortcuts URC developed. Instead of tapping through numerous screens to get to the shuffle settings, for example, I touch the SHUFFLE button on the touchscreen, and up pops a palette full of shuffle options: album, artist, playlist, genre, all songs and jukebox songs. Thanks to the Wi-Fi network connection, I can see track, album and artist information—along with cover art—from the touchscreen.

The only device I’m not able to control via the MX-6000 is the Sony PlayStation 3, which uses a Bluetooth remote. At press time, URC was testing a prototype product from IR2BT that converts Bluetooth commands to IR, so there’s hope.

The MX-6000 is a valuable addition to an audio/video system and prices out accordingly. The device itself is $1,499, but with the programming and support gear required to make it run as smoothly as possible, the tag shoots closer to $3,000. You need an RF base station like the URC MSC-400 ($599) for RF control so you don’t have to be in line of sight of the components. And the PSX-1 iPod Personal Server is a must add-on at $349. Programming costs make up the balance.

According to Eric Johnson, vice president of technology at URC, there’s a correlation between age and the perceived value of a universal remote control. Buyers in their 20s and 30s tend to spend 10 percent of the price of home theater on remote control. Buyers in their 50s may spend as much as 30 percent of the total cost to simplify operation. Most people, we think, will find the MX-6000 to be worth its weight in gold.

Product: Universal Remote Control MX-6000

Price: $2,100

Pros:

* Controls almost anything
* Programmable touchscreen
* Wi-Fi connectivity

Cons:

* Hefty price tag
* No Bluetooth control for PlayStation 3

01.27.2009 — It can sometimes be hard to distinguish between a "universal remote" and a "home controller."

Increasingly, traditional handheld remotes are being used to operate lighting systems, thermostats, multiroom audio, media servers and more, all in addition to home theater.

Like never before, integrators can choose from a variety of handheld devices that offer two-way communications for metadata and control — without costly processors at the back end.

All these options prompted CE Pro to ask integrators, "What is your favorite low-cost, two-way universal controller?" (We considered only solutions under $3,000.)

We heard from nearly 100 CE pros. Click here to see what a few had to say.

Engadget.com

We know, January wasn't that long ago, but in consumer electronics years, it's been forever since a new Harmony was revealed. For those of you already on the hunt for a sub-$100 gizmo to give to your favorite person this holiday season, Logitech is jonesing for your business with its entry-level Harmony 510 universal remote. You should know, however, that the IR remote operates just five devices (remember the "entry-level" bit we mentioned?), though it does boast an inbuilt LCD and a fair amount of buttons. Harmony freaks have already pointed out that this one looks almost like a repackaged 550, though your technology-challenged sibling / parent / colleague probably won't take the time to notice. Get those stockings stuffed early for $99.99 (MSRP) a pop.

Buy Now

Stylish, ergonomic and easy-to-use, but are those features worth the price tag?

October 02, 2008 | by Audioholics.com

When a new Logitech Harmony Remote arrives on the scene I like to review it to update readers on the latest models in the line-up. With the introduction of the Harmony One universal remote I felt that Logitech had finally completely usurped the original Harmony design and replaced it with a “from the ground up” approach that reflected Logitech’s penchant for svelte devices. In case you were still navigating through that last bit of pontifical text, I was giving them a high compliment. Logitech’s Harmony One remote is quite possibly the most beautiful remote control I’ve ever held. Like a sports car that has endured countless hours in a wind tunnel, the One simply feels right and looks like it was sponsored by the Chevy Corvette. Come to think of it, with the recent rash of corporate sponsored television fare, I might need to see if it actually was before moving on…

Build Quality
Logitech’s new remote arrives in a beautiful retail package that looks as good as the remote itself. Opening it up you’ll find the remote, its integrated charging cradle with AC adapter, Li-ion battery, USB cable and installation guide. There is also a CD with the initial remote control application, but the software is largely online-based, so expect an update or two once you get it installed.

As hinted at above, the Harmony One just feels right in your hand. In fact, if you hold it naturally and remove all your fingers except your middle, the remote will balance perfectly, if precariously, atop your finger. While not a good balance for a throwing knife (which I don’t recommend using for home theater anyway), the remote is perfect for controlling your A/V electronics and using both the hard buttons and the 2.2-inch touch-screen LCD. Speaking of the touch-screen, it is of the capacitive variety. This means that you can get touch-screen capability while maintaining a solid, thin layer of glass across the face of the remote. The result is a beautiful, continuous finish that isn’t interrupted by an inset, or bordered, LCD screen.

The unit recharges by being placed in the charging cradle - a process I found much improved from the 880 model I reviewed a couple years before. The remote simply slides right into the proper position and I was never able to get it to “not” dock properly (and believe me, I tried). When the unit is docked, the LCD lights up indicating (with an animated graphic) that the battery is recharging. The LCD screen goes black after several seconds to maximize charge time and not waste the usable life of the backlight. Charging occurs rather quickly and since the battery is Li-ion, users don’t have to worry about memory effect. If you aren’t planning on using it immediately, just place it in the dock and you’ll be good to go when you need it.

Now on the buttons. This remote is nearly perfect in that the most-used buttons are within easy thumb-reach. The only exception is the lower numbers of the keypad, which tend to be a stretch, causing you to want to physically shift your hand lower on the remote. The face of the remote is actually divided into 5 clear sections: LCD, Menu, Navigation, Transport, and Keypad (these designations being mine). If you’re like most people, you will find yourself most often using the Menu, Navigation and Transport functions. These sections are perfectly located in the central area and the Harmony One makes it easy to thumb through any of the buttons in these areas.

The LCD is in beautiful full color and remains active for about 9 seconds before going to sleep. It awakens, instantaneously, whenever the remote is picked up or jarred. This helps conserve battery life which I found to be acceptable but not stellar. I could get several days out of the remote if I was using it heavily (activating lots of DVR functions, for example). This isn’t bad, especially since the remote can be plopped down onto its charging cradle at any time.

Read the complete review at Audioholics.com

Product: Logitech Harmony One

Price: $249

Performance: 4 out of 5

Value: 3 out of 5

Pros:

* Beautiful look and feel
* Nice, tactile button response
* Rechargeable with replaceable Li-ion battery

Cons:

* Finicky touch screen
* No RF features or options
* Almost no icon choices for LCD screens
* Pricey