Monster's tabletop $50 remote control

Though it looks like it was ripped straight from the dashboard of a 1974 Chevy Nova, Monster's new AV50 remote control is an all-new piece of gear. The AV50 is a tabletop remote, designed to be plunked down on a flat surface near the couch and kept there, rather than constantly jumping between users' hands and the undersides of the couch cushions. .

Underneath the myriad backlit buttons, quaint compared to more expensive touchscreen remotes, lie some fairly sophisticated electronics. A web-based setup wizard and USB port lets users configure the remote through their computer, and customizable activities can be set to automate complicated home theater functions.

The price point is the most appealing aspect of the AV50. While most web-programmable remotes that support activity macros can cost over $100, Monster's new model can be purchased for a scant $50. It's not nearly as powerful or flexible as a Crestron remote that costs 10 times as much, but it might be a good solution for users who want a nice, big, stay-in-one-place remote but don't want to spend a lot of money. The AV50 ships in July.

— Will Greenwald

Logitech Harmony 1100 Hits the Stores

Would you spend more on a remote than many people would spend on their entire home theater? The Logitech Harmony 1100 touchscreen universal remote is quite an amazing remote.

It features a customizable touchscreen, anodized black aluminum body, and an optional RF extender. It has a built-in rechargeable battery, so this power-hungry remote won't suck your battery budget dry.  Setup is simplified by an online process - just connect the Harmony to a computer and an online guide steps you through the setup.

Luxury don't come cheap. The Harmony 1100 sells for $499, and the RF Extender adds another $99. What do you think? Worth it?  --Leslie Shapiro

Newegg via Crunchgear

CES 2009: New Harmony touchscreen remote

Logitech’s Harmony remote control division announced their latest remote, the successor to the Harmony 1000, their first foray into the true touchscreen market. The new remote, the Harmony 1100, has some cosmetic upgrades as well as some major behind the scenes software retooling that should make the remote both more user and programmer friendly.

The remote now features “soft buttons” that can be personalized to allow users to customize the remote to their exact specifications. Also touchscreen icons, images and buttons can all be personalized on the 3.5-inch, QVGA resolution color screen. Also, they have incorporated some tactile guides around the screen to help position fingers and locate buttons without looking at the remote.

The remote will be RF capable with an optional extender kit, allowing users to control gear even when it is out of in another room or behind closed cabinets.

The remote felt good in my hands, and comes in a cool matte-black finish. Look for the 1100 remote around February at a cost of $499.--John Sciacca

GreenPeak Green Remote Controls

Green is the new black. We knew that already. It's great to see how companies are living up to their responsibility to reduce power consumption and save our planet.

GreenPeak is coming out with a new product line featuring wireless radio technology that uses so little power that the batteries run practically forever. These ultra low power remote controls are said to be quite "robust and reliable" according to GreenPeak.

These new remotes should be debuting at  . . .

Cheap for a Bryston, not for a remote

As a custom installer, I love high-end gear. Milled aluminum faceplates? Awesome. 99.9999% pure silver interconnects? For sure. Laser etched engraving? Damn straight. But when I received the e-mail touting Bryston’s new BR2 multifunction remote control, even I had to step back and say, “Really?”

At $500, the price isn’t outrageous. In fact, I recommend and install remotes costing more than that all the time. And I don’t question the Bryston name. Their amps are so powerful that for many years rumors flew about people arc welding with them. What is surprising is that for half-a-grand you only get control over Bryston gear, and limited control at that. For example, the remote only controls volume and mute for the SP-2 and BP-6 Preamps.

On the plus side, the BR2 is made out of milled aluminum and comes in black or silver. Plus its backed by Bryston’s standard 20-year warranty.

For half the price, you could snag a much sweeter Harmony ONE. And, good news! The ONE will control you Bryston gear as well! (I checked.) Plus it will control your TV and your Blu-ray player, and about any other piece of gear you can get your hands on.

For those still interested, the press release is after the jump . . .

Panasonic Reinvents the Remote

If your house is like mine, you have enough remote controls lying around to fill a 10-gallon trash bin. In fact, if Panasonic's new EZ Touch Remote catches on, that's exactly where your old remotes may wind up.

Most remotes are the same — slabs 'o plastic with hard or soft buttons covering one side. The EZ Touch is being shown as a prototype at the CEATEC Show in Japan (September 30 - October 4). Not only does the EZ Touch eschew hard buttons, it also abandons soft buttons too. Instead, everything is placed onscreen. The theory is that when you're trying to control something, looking somewhere else (like down at a remote) is inherently inefficient. (Touch screens are especially suspect because, unlike hard buttons, they don't offer any tactile feedback). Instead, the EZ Touch puts everything up onscreen.

One For All with All For One Remotes

One For All is already known for being a manufacturer of innovative universal remote controls. They've just unveiled two product lines, with a remote for everyone.

For the high-end crowd, the new Xsight is an exciting new product line. Looking quite sexy, the Xsight has a touchscreen, full color LCD display, touch-slide navigation, and it will control up to 18 devices. You can program your favorite stations, set up user profiles for the whole family and it has a great learning function. One For All designed a set-up system that lets you use the remote almost immediately after opening the package. It's available in two models: the Touch ($281) uses a rechargeable lithium-ion battery, while the Color ($210) uses AAA batteries.

Not looking for such a fancy remote? Want something equally cool, but less pricey?

Philips Pronto: Touch Remote

Philips has just released their latest Pronto remote — the TSU9800. Figure the "TS" in the model number stands for "Touch Screen" - maybe?

The TSU9600 features a very large 6.4" VGA display.  The large size makes the display easy to read, or easy to pack full of menu items on a single screen. Afraid of losing it? The remote and its docking station can be permanently mounted on a wall or table top. (Will we need a remote control for our remote control?)

The docking station has an Ethernet connection to keep the TSU9600 up to date and connected to your system.

Keep reading to see why installers will flock to this product.
 

Remote Sales Rising

It's no wonder. As more and more people upgrade their home systems, more of them are opting for new universal remotes. A new study from Parks Associates expects an annual growth rate of about 10 percent. Apparently, that's a good number. Mid-level remotes will increase to 14 percent.

As home theater technology increases, it makes sense that people want a remote to simplify matters. However, in a way, some of these new technologies will actually make things simpler. One box that is your satellite receiver, DVR, Internet connection, and movie source is going to make things quite simple.

So, why the boom?

sPult Sexy Surfer

Channel surfer, that is. Looking more like a pair of Manolo Blahnik kitten heels (go on, look that up), this remote control is about as simplistic as possible.  Simply elegant, that is. Designed by Yurii Smitana Perfilov, it was inspired by the scroll wheel of an iPod that we're all so used to using. Unlike most universal remotes, with more buttons than you could ever program, this one has only the most basic buttons you need in addition to the scroll wheel. See how it works.