Items Tagged With remotes

Last week we reported on a new budget RF home automation range about to go on sale in B&Q stores across the UK.  Now we have this exclusive photo of the wireless remote used in the system.

 Here's another new remote that takes a step back from the fancy fancy and produces something simple and easy to understand and use.  While it's not going to have the functionality of some of the more upmarket units, you can be sure your parents will be able to use it...

The soon to be released Philips TSU9400 universal remote, now has an official page on the Philips website.  This unit has a vertical 3.5" screen 240x320 screen, and includes WiFi like its bigger brother the TSU9600...

Keyspan have released this $50 RF Vista Media Center remote. Without the need for line of site as with an IR remote, the RF unit works through walls allowing you to control your Media Centre PC from other rooms in the home...

In a bold move, Niles have designed their new remote without any kind of display, let alone a touchscreen. But perhaps that's no bad thing. One of the biggest issues with touchscreen remotes is the complete lack of any tactile feedback that allows users to "feel" their way...

When we finally got our hands on our very own PlayStation 3 earlier this year, we were surprised and annoyed to find Sony hadn't included a built in infrared receiver. The oficial Sony remote control (an optional extra) is a bluethooth device, and while ordinarily we'd welcome an RF option, it seems very short sighted not to also have included the option of using IR. Sony wants to position the PS3 as a "media hub" in the living room, and with its HDMI and Bluray credentials many owners use their PS3s in their home cinema setupy. Now, we can all use our IR universal remotes to control our PS3s, thanks to this new $20 Blu-Wave Infrared Remote addon from Nyko...

Savant Systems are working on "Rosie" their new home control system. The modular package includes complete home automation control and media server capabilities, complete with touchscreen interface and inovative remote control design...

 Touchscreen remotes are great, but sometimes for an older person, or even a younger technophobe there's nothing to beat a back-to-basics, big-assed-buttoned-remote. Now you can leave your parents baby sitting and know they'll be able to turn over the telly with this simple £15 device...

"TuneView for iPod provides a new wireless way to manage your music throughout your house or office. TuneView for iPod consists of a universal iPod dock, 2-way RF remote with color LCD screen, a USB power adapter, audio and USB cables, and selected dock adapters. Together these components allow you to...

Daniel Tonks has just released another of his excellent videos, this time featuring new remote models from the CES2007 show..."Today I'm very pleased to (finally!) present our eleventh video, namely Remote Central's CES 2007 Tour. At just over 8 minutes in length this video not only highlights new and soon-to-be-released universal remote controls, but it also gives you a little taste of what it's like to be at CES...

Here's a neat little £30 starter package that's a good introductory taster of home automation...

"Simple to use, easy to install and totally affordable, Domia Lite is a completely wireless remote home control system which for many people represents the first step towards a smart home. The new range of Domia Lite products has been designed to give convenient control of lighting and other electrical appliances within the home by simply the touch of a button. This RF based wire-free system passes through walls and windows, giving you control of lights and appliances from as far as 30 metres away...

Within a couple of weeks of its release, Joakim Eriksson has created a protocol analyzer and extender simulator for the new Philips Pronto TSU9600. This opens up a world of exciting possibilities for the home automator. Joakim is aiming to produce a HomeSeer plugin potentially allowing the TSU9600 to control X10, Z-Wave, C-Bus or any device on the system, from anywhere in the house using it's wifi capabilities...

Domia is releasing a new range of energy saving products. Designed to help reduce carbon emissions by switching off appliances that used electricity even when in stand-by mode, the "Bye bye Standby" range will be available from the end of next month (February 2007)...

"Bye Bye Standby is a brand new energy saving solution designed to reduce daily energy consumption of electrical devices. Bye Bye Standby works by completely cutting power to the devices plugged into it when they're not in use, thus saving the power that devices would otherwise have consumed in Standby Mode. Bye Bye Standby is a new way to save energy, carbon emissions and money...

I've had the new Philips Pronto Professional TSU9600 for a little over a week now so I thought it was time for some initial impressions...

Lets Automate have just received stocks of the new Pronto Professional TSU9600 this morning. They have also extended their sale for another few days meaning you can buy the mother of all remotes at a special discount...

Remote Central have the scoop on a new colour LCD universal remote due first quarter of 2007...

"Here at Remote Central, we've long been hearing that Universal Remote Control (URC) was going to take their popular Complete Control MX-950 remote control and replace the black and white screen with a color one - and it looks as though the company may have finally gone ahead with that idea...For now, all we can say is that the R70 is due in March 2007, has a total of 49 buttons including 6 LCD-adjacent keys, and is designed "to let average consumers automate their AV systems or Home Theaters like the pros". Pricing has not been announced...

RemoteCentral.com have released another of their excellent videos, this time it's from the CEDIA Expo 2006 held in Denver. The video includes the first footage we've seen of the new Philips Pronto Professional TSU9600...

"I'm very pleased today to release a milestone, namely our tenth video so far, the CEDIA Expo 2006 Video Report. In this year's extended eight and a half minute video you'll not only see all of the latest handheld universal remote controls and accessories as exhibited at the show, but you'll also get special spoken introductions to four of the remotes, you'll be able to see a little bit of the city of Denver, and you'll even experience the ever-famous Amp Toss...

Here's an interesting Windows XP MCE remote from X10. Available in 2 designs, the unit is RF rather than the normal IR. As well as getting 10 metres or more range, without the requirement for line of site, this unit also removes the need for the big ugly IR receiver that's currently required with the Microsoft remote...

Home Cinema Solutions announced today the release of Chipmunk AV Controller 2.0, a major new release of their popular software controller.

Chipmunk AV Controller is a .NET Windows application capable of controlling audio visual equipment, home cinemas and integrating with general automation set-ups. Chipmunk enables the easy creation of macros and commands to control devices via plugins. Chipmunk can also receive incoming events from equipment. Chipmunk incorporates a Lua scripting engine which has been integrated with Microsoft''s .NET Framework, enabling users to interact with and extend core functionality. A simple plugin API and software development kit makes it easy for .NET developers to create their own plugins using any .NET language such as VB.NET or C#...

Good grief, a real world ZigBee product! AMX have just announced a new range of remotes using the ZigBee wireless techniology...ntrol in pre-existing homes."...

"DSAmp lets you control Winamp from you DS. You only need a wifi connection and a DS with a flashcart/M3/SC/etc...(READ ON...)

"GET Plc have released an RF dimming system to complement their extremely popular screwless flatplate electrical accessory range. The range consists of in a ceiling dimmer, plug in dimmer, battery powered wall switch and hand held remote. Both controls utlise lithium CR2032 cells giving approximately 2 years of average use. Both the wall and hand control are styled on the same layout of 4 buttons configured either as 4 zones of dimming, or 4 scenes. A controller can also be set as a master to turn on/off upto 4 rooms of lighting each with upto 4 circuits of lights...

Linn have just announced the introduction of their new home cinema system control interface that runs on Pocket PCs - "In an exciting new development, Linn announces a unique new home theatre system control interface that runs on Pocket PCs...

"From the maker of the biggest brand in cables and TV screen cleaners comes a monumental home control product, three years in the making, with the help of 40 fulltime engineers. Monster Cable's new automation platform goes way beyond Z-Wave remotes and lighting controls...

"Chipmunk AV Controller is a new Windows.NET application for controlling audio visual equipment. Chipmunk communicates with connected devices via plugins. Commands are created; and events learned using a graphical user interface.

Chipmunk includes 5 plugins: RS232 serial, USBUIRT infrared, Remote Control Server (capable of running on a wireless network), Event Scheduler, and an On Screen Display.

The shareware comes with a Visual Studio.NET SDK for developers to create their own plugins. Chipmunk also incorporates a Lua scripting engine and code editor for further extensibility...

Here at Automated Home we like convergence. We've seen our mobile phones and PDAs merge into one device, our computer are now our televisions too and now the humble bottle opener integrates into the remote...

Submission by Neil Ball - I decided to try out the Harmony 895, ordered it yesterday from Komplett (great price) and it arrived today!! Only one euro plug adaptor supplied but a quick email has got them sending another for the RF receiver...

The Nets home for all thing remote - remotecentral.com - has just released their first documentary... "Have you ever wondered just what goes into the making of a remote control? Well, have we got a treat for you! Today I'm pleased to present the first entry in our documentary series, You Had To Know: The Making of a Remote Control...

This looks very interesting..."It almost sounds too good to be a true - a universal IR remote with high-quality LCD screen, built-in WiFi, a handful of adapters to bridge WiFi to Z-Wave, RS-232 and IR, and native Windows Media Connect. All this for $249 including docking station...

The Net's home of all things remote, has just released another of their indepth reviews. This time RemoteCentral.com look at the new Complete Control MX-950 Aurora...

Big home theater system? Need a hard buttoned remote with more oomph than the Home Theater Master MX-800? Don't particularly want a LCD touchscreen model? If this sounds like you, then Universal Remote Control Inc. thinks they have the perfect solution to your high-end remote dilemma with the sophisticated, PC-programmable Complete Control MX-950 Aurora...

We just received the following from Lets Automate..."Let's Automate are pleased to announce the imminent release of the successor of the colour RU980, the new ProntoProNG RU990 with a massive 48Mb of RAM, new, better tactile buttons and better IR learning...

Submission by Nick Shore - Eh whats that, yet another programmable remote control, and for under £50, (see the link at the bottom) but is it any good ?

First impressions
The shape is familiar to any Tivo user, this remote is bigger than the silver peanut, but is still useable in one hand, nicely weighted with contours underneath it just feels right. Hit the glow button or any other keys and the screen and keys light up electric blue...emote arrived, and I had a basic setup up and running within 20 minutes of unpacking it, including upgrading it to the latest firmware...

From Remotecentral.com...

"ProntoProEdit NG gets upgraded to version 2! - Philips has just released a major new version of the TSU7000's editing software, ProntoProEdit NG v2.0.12, the same version that was previewed in my recent review of the ProntoPro NG TSU7000.

This new version sports numerous enhancements, including improved performance and stability, IR duration, new tools, plus redesigned screens that are easier to use. The new editor and matching firmware upgrade for the TSU7000 and RU980 can be downloaded on Remote Central.

Here's a full list of improvements as provided by Philips...

"Libra Systems is proud to announce the launch of its WP-2 remote wallplate, primarily aimed at the home installation market. There is an increasing demand for sleeker and more aesthetically pleasing installations, where customers require the simplest of controls on wallplates, and all other functions being handled by handheld remotes. The WP-2 is a simple and stylish solution that will complement modern homes, while allowing infrared control of remote equipment.

Designed mainly for audio control, the WP-2 is a UK-sized wallplate incorporating an infrared receiver, and 3 buttons that can learn IR codes for volume up, down, and on/off. There is also a 'long-press' feature on the on/off button which allows a separate infrared command to be activated when the on/off button is pressed for more than 3 seconds - very useful for special all-off or power-off functions...

A new £100 IR distribution system has been launched by Keene Electronics. With very reasonably priced ad-on emitters and especially receivers (£7.99 - £12.99) the higer priced gear like Xantech have a new challenger on their hands...

"The ultimate distribution system for Infra Red signals. It allows you to control equipment by IR remote, even when the equipment is out of sight, inside cabinets or in remote locations! The IR Commander builds on the proven technology of the Keene IR Distribution amplifier to provide a greatly expanded number of inputs and outputs. Use of optional expansion modules allow up control of equipment up to 50m away, providing a solution for even the most demanding and complex installations. A fully connected unit provides a maximum of 10 IR receiver inputs and 13 IR emitter outputs. It's even possible to couple two Commanders together to provide 20 x 26 if desired"...

 

Yesterday I received my Microsoft Windows XP Media Center Remote. This device allows you to control your MCE PC in a more convenient way, and one more akin to normal domestic brown goods. At around £30 it's relatively inexpensive, which is just as well as it's not worth building a Media Center PC without one...

AWARD-WINNING ULTRAMOTE® UNIVERSAL REMOTE CONTROL PACKAGE NOW SUPPORTS DELL'S NEW AXIM X50 SERIES POCKET PCs - New Version Supports Even More Brands of TVs, Stereos, PVRs, Lets Users Multitask in the Living Room

CONSUMER ELECTRONICS SHOW, LAS VEGAS, Jan. 6, 2004 - Users of the newest Dell Pocket PCs, the Axim X50 series, now can use the award-winning UltraMote® universal remote software and PDA to control their TVs, audio components, personal video recorders and other home theater components - while surfing the web, making Internet phone calls and performing other tasks.

According to a recent study conducted by The Media Center at the American Press Institute, 70 percent of users want to multitask while watching television. Those with wireless networks now can use the Axim X50 to control their home theaters using UltraMote, surf the web, browse digital photos, and even take a Skype call through the Axim headset jack.

UltraMote universal remote software version 3.0 also has been enhanced to support an even broader range of brands and models of televisions, stereos, cable boxes and other devices. Users can customize the Axim and other supported models to surf channels, control DVD players and audio components, change lighting or control other tasks in the home theater. No computer is necessary to set up the UltraMote software, because the software "learns" remote control commands. Users can customize the PDA's remote control screens with their own skins or use the included set.

UltraMote version 3.0 software can be used with the Axim's integrated infrared capability, or the optional, patent-pending UltraMote Extender card can be added to boost range up to 50 feet*...

Logitech have just announced the new Harmony 880 Advanced Universal Remote ($250). "The Harmony 880 Advanced Universal Remote puts you in control of your entire audio-video system with just one button. It´s home entertainment the way it should be-simple...

FirM Jr + KAT5 - A marriage made in Croydon :) (Submission by Tony Butler).

Having made the decision many moons ago to move all my AV kit to node 0 (coincidentally, around the time my twin boys were born!), I have long sought the twin holy grails of quality distributed A/V and reliable distributed IR control...

"The Nevo SL features a 3.5-inch LCD display, built-in Wi-Fi, 17 configurable buttons, rechargeable Li-Ion battery, and runs on the Pocket PC platform using its proprietary Nevo universal remote application.

Looks like we'll have to wait until CES in January 2005 for complete specs. Until then you can fantasize on how you would use a Wi-Fi remote to control thousand of devices from any location in or outside the house. And if Nevo will be using its Nevo 2.0 application in the Nevo SL then users should have a suite of network features...

Just received this new product info from IntelliHome. - "The IR455 'B&O to X10 converter' brings the worlds of Bang&Olufsen and X10 together. From now on you can control all your lighting and electric equipment with your own BEO4 remote control! The IR455 converts the signal of your BEO4 remote control to X10 signals. You can then benefit from all the advantages that X10 home automation has to offer. The IR455 B&O to X10 converter is supposed to be used in combination with the XM10 Two-Way Interface Module...

"RemoteCentral.com have just published photos of the next generation of Philips remotes!

"Preview of new Philips remote - and it's not a Pronto! - In a break from Philips' normal "Pronto" branding of advanced remote controls, the company will be releasing a completely new RC9800i activity-based model under the Philips "Home Control" and "Connected Planet" labels. Here's an early pre-CEDIA preview...

"...full control of 18 devices, up to 1000 learned signals, 32 macros, 12 timers, editable labels, backlight touchscreen and much more. Although both models are physically identical, the RM-AV3100 improves upon its predecessor via software upgrades. Not only does it encompass the latest refinements offered by the RM-AV2500, but you'll even find a few other interesting goodies...

The Net's best remote control resource - RemoteCentral.com - has just published a feature on eight new remote controls shipping this spring...

Just received this... Hi Mark - I've just written some software for users of the RedRat3 IR Controller, It's a complete Windows Based configurable GUI. The unique part of the Application is the ability for users to add / delete move buttons and to change backgrounds and buttons to whatever they want, for example a picture of the wife on a Volume mute button...

Quietly and without any sort of official press release, Sony has recently "announced" two new touchscreen remote controls: the RM-AV2500 and the RM-AV3100. The RM-AV3100 is nearly identical to its RM-AV3000 predecessor, but features upgraded software with several new features. The RM-AV2500, on the other hand, is a completely new physical design that is functionally similar to the older RM-AV2100. Both remotes are not yet available, but should be shipping shortly...

Submission by This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it - I have had a Philips Pronto for quite a long time now but it has not been the most popular control device in my house. It works well in integrating multiple IR remotes but it has not been very helpful in integrating with the rest of my HA system...

Version 1.03 (Last updated August 2009) 

Remote central have just released their video of the CES 2004 show... "Earlier this month, North America's largest electronics trade show was held in Las Vegas, Nevada: CES 2004. This show is one of the most popular launching grounds for new consumer electronics and, amongst thousands of other innovative products this year, we found several brand new remote controls...