Sony's $700 Linux-based Remote Control!

[Helevitia]

Originally posted by ZokesPro
OK, ok enough, I'm convinced already, jeez!!

Are you sure you are convinced? We can continue

Another example would be, you could literally put your entire CD/DVD collection in the remote. So that you can just click a CD(import bitmap of CD cover) and it starts to play that CD. Or you just catalog all of your music/videos so that people can go through it and decide what they want to listen to or watch.

[ZokesPro]

Ok, sounds cool, the more you mention it, but 700$? (the price is stil mind boggling, I mean, it's a remote control, nothing more)

Like Greebe said (and like you mentioned earlier also), it's geared for those who have a LOT of equipement (and/or expensive equipement), or a business cause for the regular joe like me, tis a ludicrous price indeed.

[Helevitia]

Look at some of the crazy stuff people come up with for the Pronto remotes!

http://www.remotecentral.com/cgi-bin/files/rcfiles.cgi?area=prontong&db=systems&br=all&dv=&fc=&kw=&st=&dt=&so=&au=&le=&pg=4

[William]

But at $700 can't you get a smart phone to do the job? You could set it to pause your movie when a call came in...

[spadnos]

Originally posted by Wombat
Don't forget how often it would crash, and how much of a pain in the ass it is to develop for Wince.

I was just focusing on the cost - I didn't want to go overboard...

- Steve

[spadnos]

Originally posted by William
But at $700 can't you get a smart phone to do the job? You could set it to pause your movie when a call came in...

but imagine the phone bills...

- Steve

[Jammrock]

Ahem ... well ... $700 for a remote is honestly not that bad for the feature set included. In the high-end audiophile world (i.e. people who pay $1000 for cables (which is NOT me ... but not for a lack of trying)) this is a comperable system

If you want to go REAL high-end, you go to Crestron - who builds commercial and residential automation systems - or RTI - the people who build remote controls for thos $25k-$250k home theaters.

With the RTI system you put sensors on all the power and A/V cables. When you press "Power On" for DVD, it will go through the entire system and detect what devices are on and off. It will turn on the any device needed for DVD playback (and in special order, so the amps don't turn on until after the pre-amps to there are no pops when the pre-amps turn on). And if you're watching TV, but decide to watch a DVD, just press "Play" on the DVD menu. It will detect that the TV is in use, switch to DVD on the Pre-Amp, dim the lights, and make any other changes needed in the system.

And do it from any room in, or outside, the house.

And if you thought $700 was expensive ...

Jammrock

[KvHagedorn]

In the real world, the people who buy these are rich people who just want convenience and/or a cool gadget to show their rich friends. I would bet most of them would be sold with average-complexity home theater systems.

[gt40]

thought we'd lost you KvH.
good to see your still here.

[Chrono_Wanderer]

why not just get a PDA :? (for like half the price)

[Wombat]

It wouldn't be quite that much less. And it would be tough to find something with all the right IR/RF/wireless communication. Then there's the handy button layout and the applications....

[schmosef]

My Ipaq came bundled with some custom remote software. I think it was the light version. I haven't used it much but I read on a PDA forum about some guy who was stuck in a hospital and the TV in the room didn't come with a remote but he was able to get his Ipaq to control it with that software that I mentioned. He was really happy about it.

IMO, the trouble with using a PDA for a remote is battery life. My PDA needs constant charging, especially if I'm using the WiFi features.

Having a dedicated remote, with what I'm assuming is an extended battery life, would be a plus.

The big benefit I can see for the macros is for simply turning on and setting modes. My business partner needs to use two remotes to turn on his modest home theatre system and set the appropriate mode. All the button mashing is such a pain. He's got a TV, digital cable pvr, satellite receiver, AV receiver, DVD player, and VCR. Being able to program one button to set the desired mode would be a big plus for him. One of our distributors recently started carrying the Phillips remotes and I know that he's looking into buying one.

@KvH, glad you're back

@Wombat, There's certainly tradeoffs to developing for PocketPC or WinCE. There's still lots of bugs in the core OS, especially with respect to memory management. This will likely require an easy to implement reboot capability in an embedded device like a remote. On the other hand, MS has released some excellent and well documented SDKs for WinCE, PocketPC, and .Net CF. Plus, if I recall correctly, HP has released an IR SDK for their Ipaq line. In short, I don't think that the programming would be too bad, but implementation and user support would be a real biatch.

And as for the need to reboot. My Scientific Atlanta PVR needs to be rebooted like once a day. My Harmon Kardon DVD player needs to be rebooted about every dozen times I use it, even my Vista 350 display telephone needs rebooting. That's the state of the industry, and it sucks!

[Jammrock]

Originally posted by KvHagedorn
In the real world, the people who buy these are rich people who just want convenience and/or a cool gadget to show their rich friends. I would bet most of them would be sold with average-complexity home theater systems.

Like I said, the people who buy $1000 cables...

My favorite remote(s), however, was a pair from Universal Remote Control. The two remotes below used to be sold in a single package:

http://www.universalremote.com/htm/mx700/index.html

http://www.universalremote.com/htm/mx200/index.html

As you can see from the pics and specs, the MX-700 is a fully equipment, manly remotes with dozens of buttons and a good sized LCD display. You can customize 97 different screens for the LCD, plus it does 900 macros with up to 190 steps per macro.

The MX-200 has 11 buttons (On, Off, Volume up/down, Channel up/down, 3 macros, light, mute, and info), and is designed for the lady of the house It's nickname is the Sidekick

Jammrock

PS - Just noticed URC has a touch-screen remote now, too:

http://www.universalremote.com/htm/mx3000/index.html

But this monster runs $1k USD!!!

[VJ]

I personally like this one by Sony, but it was not very popular...


The weird looking horizontal button below the display is a rotary button, which allows you to select which device you want to control (8 possible), you can change the name on the display. For amplifiers, the rotary button can also be used for input selector (again, the names can be chosen). The display is backlit.

I like the fact that the remote is sleek and still fully programmable.

(it is the only Sony device I have, it controls my TV, VCR, Tuner, CD, Amplifier and a micro chain also standing there)


Jörg

[ALBPM]

I got this Pronto (TSU3000) last year on ebay of course. It replaced about 7 remotes. It's only B/W but does everything but RF.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=15065&item=5710787111&rd=1