Most helpful client reviews
60 of 61 persons found the following review helpful.
Setup takes a while, but ease of use is fantastic!
By B. Reynolds
I read a lot of reviews before I purchased this remote. From what I could see in the reviews, the software is cumbersome, but it appears to be a good deal for the cash equated to the Harmony One or the Harmony 900. I purchased the AR-RX18G at Best Buy on Sunday to replace my old Sony RM-AV3000. I started setting it up that night. I expended in regards to three hours on it before I figured out that I couldn’t move appliances so that the most often times employed ones are on the basi page and also that I couldn’t move soft keys for a device from one page to another. So I decisive to give up for the night and start out over the next day.
Monday night, I deleted all the gimmicks and started adding them again. To my surprise, they didn’t appear in the order I added them. I reset the remote to factory defaults (Settings > Reset > 981 > Factory Reset) and added the widgets again. This time, they appeared in the order I added them. The web pages for searching for a device are VERY slow. However, once the gimmicks were added, I was capable to go to the Advanced button and see an effigy of the remote. This permitted me to click a button on the computer screen and select what function I wanted on that button. I was enjoyably amazed to find some more commands than what were available on my original remotes… including my RM-AV3000.
For the commands that were not on the website… I had to disconnect the remote from the USB cable in order to learn those commands from my basi remotes. It would have been having little impact to do this thru the website, but the learning function on the remote is not too difficult (it’s MUCH requiring little effort than the learning procedure on my old RM-AV3000!!!). The real problem with the learning procedure on the AR-RX18G is that I had to logout of the web site and log back in so that I could upload the new commands from my remote. This is not an intuitive routine and I might not have known regarding it without reading the reviews online. I think some users would miss this. It would be much more comfortable if there was a button on each page to upload from the remote. This button ought to appear on the internetsite right next to the “download” button.
Also, there were a few inconsistencies with the learned commands. For example, if I learned a new command on a soft key, then edited any keys on that page by way of the software, my learned commands now and then stopped working. In order for the learned commands to work reliably, I had to finish all my editing of the soft keys before doing any learning.
There was one strange thing with regards to the device set up for my TV. When I added my RCA HD61LPW42 television by way of the software, none of the commands worked. However, when I tried adding the TV by way of the remote menus, it worked fine… and it was using the same T1447 remote code that the software had picked. Evidently, the commands for T1447 on the website are incorrect, but the ones stored in the remote work fine (with the only exception being the input selection… but I was capable to learn those commands from my primary remote).
As for all the reviews that mention how the Harmony remotes keep track of device states… that would be a nice feature to add to this remote. But, I’ve lived without it for years so I don’t think it’s a show-stopper. I have discrete on/off commands for my TV, receiver, and DVD changer. My other appliances have power toggle commands. Basically, my “All ON” action turns on my TV, receiver, and cable box and sets them to the rectify inputs for looking at cable TV. From there, other activenesses set the rectify inputs for other appliances and stop short of genuinely turning on/off the device unless it has discrete on/off commands (like my DVD changer). It’s genuinely no huge deal to press the power button after the action has done it is thing. Besides, when I open the tray of the Blu Ray player, it turns on anyway. My “All OFF” action turns off the TV, receiver, DVD changer (it has a discrete “off” command), and cable box. If other gimmicks are left on, it’s genuinely no huge deal because they don’t draw much power and it’s easy sufficient to turn them off when I’m done using the system. The only one that might draw a heap of power is the amplifier for my 2nd room audio, which goes to my back porch, but I don’t use 2nd room audio very oftentimes anyway.
To summarize, the set up routine is frustrating. I expended three hours on Sunday only to find out that I had to get started over in order to get my most often times employed appliances listed on the basi page. Then, I expended five hours on Monday night and an further and added three hours on Tuesday night. I set up all my devices, all my bestloved channels, three profiles, and most of my activities. The activenesses will in all probability require a little tweaking in the coming days, but I’m for the most part satisfied with the remote. The IR is a little weak equated to my other remotes, but I plan to buy the RF extender anyway, so hopefully it will take care of the problem.
Pros:
* Backlighting is terrific!
* Key layout is for the most part very good. However, I would prefer to see the play/pause buttons transposed.
* Very simple operation.
* Can operate the remote with one hand.
* Touch screen works very well.
* “List” key for my DVR!
* RGBY keys for my Blu Ray!
* Key-command assignment is very easy by way of the software.
Cons:
* The web site is slow.
* Cannot change order of device soft keys!
* Cannot move command soft keys from one page to another!
* The learning procedure needs improvement.
* Learned commands ought to not be overwritten when editing other soft keys on the same page.
30 of 30 people found the following review helpful.
Solid Construction – Good Functionality – Poor Software
By Skorp
OK – Let’s face the real deal – we all are looking for a “Harmony” type device without the Logitech high prices. This is with regards to the best you will be capable to do. I have seen wild price swings on this device from $89.99 to $160.00 and more. Unfortunately, I remunerated in regards to $150.00 (and still feel it was worth it). The main reason I decisive on this remote was because of the “color” buttons – I perfectly necessitated those. That puts this device in direct contest to the Logitech Harmony 700, which costs more and offers less. So that’s the firstborn win. The touch-screen and habit set-ups make it also very attractive. The “learn” function is one of the best I’ve seen and I have seen a lot of them. Here’s the Pros & Cons, as I see them:
Pro’s:
1. Nice Construction – appears to have a high quality to the housing and the buttons.
2. Strong IR signal – reaches all my gadgets without pointing – including the projector behind me.
3. IR “learn” function is perfectly executed – with the receive sensor built into the base of the remote – so the remote you are learning may stay in the same orientation of X-sight remote, rather of head-to-head which means one remote is always upside down.
4. Native RF help – this is rare, and if you need RF support, it would make this device a “must have” – I personally do not need RF support at this time.
5. Battery life – I get when it comes to three to four weeks amid charges.
6. “Bump” light – bump the remote and it lights up the keys – sweet!
7. Flexible programming – I may set this remote to do just regarding anything – but read the “cons” to understand.
Cons:
1. Programming software is “on-line” only – no back-ups locally available. Your back-up is exclusively dependant on a web-site that could decrease rapidly at any time.
2. Programming software is clumsy and slow (but all the default stuff may be changed – you just might have to look around a little to figure it out).
3. Screen color and screen “button colors” are not user selectable. The remote sets them itself – with blue being the predominate color (kinda matches the back-lighting). Still looks good though.
4. Remote doesn’t “remember” the current power state of a device. This could cause you to without intention turn off a element that you want “on”… and vice versa. This is only a concern when using one-button macros (Logitech’s answer isn’t perfective either). Basically – if you are watching TV (or SAT) and you want to alter over to a Blu-Ray or DVD, you will have to select the items on an individual basis (or use a macro to turn all existent constituents off and then use your DVD macro to turn on those items necessitated for looking at DVDs – Personally, I may control the items individually, no problem – but there could be a user friendly “spouse factor” here.
5. Questionable support for non-Windows users – a heap of users have complained that they can’t make the software work with Apple products, other say “no problem”.
6. Some default settings are beauteous phony – like 4 second delay amidst macro codes – as luck would have it these are all changeable.
7. Some buttons are finelooking small, particularly for fat-fingered people (if they were bigger, we would in all probability have to give up functions – I use pretty much all of the buttons).
35 of 36 persons found the following review helpful.
Xsight Touch Universal Remote review
By Steven Peterson
I had researched high-end universal remotes for a week or two prior to settling on this one. Amazon was retail it for $149 which was $100 off of the local retailer’s price. I also purchased the IR extender for around $60 from Amazon. The packages arrived and I opened them and had the extender plugged in, the remote turned on and programmed to my TV, Blue Ray, and cable box within 5 minutes. It was that easy using the on-remote touch screen programming functions without even getting the instruction manual out of the box.
I did get the manual out later that evening to us my PC to finish programming all of the more advance functions. That procedure too was beauteous simple. I expended around 45 minutes adding in 60 favored channels, creating favored channel profiles for myself, my wife, and son. I also formulated 3 dissimilar sequence actions like watch TV, Watch a movie, and turn off and on each factor in the system.
I had not long ago purchased an inexpensive IR repeater with a IR sensor that sat beneath the TV and had a 10 cord running into my AV cabinet. It was very inconsistent and frustrating. This remote along with the RF/IR repeater worked perfectly and needs no sensor sitting anyplace visible. Everything is sitting behind closed cabinet doors and the remote works from just in regards to anyplace in the entire house perfectly each time without delay.
This remote is the bee’s knees.
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